Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

On the proposal from the Governor of the Central Bank that there should be an inquiry into what happened in our banking system, it is not a complex issue which requires a great deal of consideration. The Taoiseach will agree or disagree with the proposal. All of the indications are that he is trying to find every and any excuse not to agree to it. It is something which the Labour Party intends to press when we return in the new year.

I agree with Deputy Kenny on the manner in which the excise duty increase is affecting people, some of whom bought in Christmas stock. To some extent, the issue is related to the time of year because of the timing of the budget. Perhaps the measure was not thought through. Some people assembled Christmas stock before the budget and are now required to pass on the reduction in excise duty to their customers and are caught for the full amount. The issue needs to be examined.

Another issue I want to raise is the proposal that there will be an election next summer for a mayor of Dublin. We are at the end of the year. There is a proposal that there were be an election next June for a directly-elected mayor of Dublin. We do not yet know what this job will involve; what the office will entail; what the costs associated with it will be; how it will relate to the existing local government structure; and whether the mayor will be elected in addition to the mayor of the city of Dublin, which is elected by Dublin City Council, and to the cathaoirligh elected by the three Dublin county councils. We do not know what its functions will be-----

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