Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)

On a personal note, I wish Paschal well. He has been nothing but respectful, decent and honourable in our exchanges across the House in the short period I have been a Member of it. I offer my sincere best wishes to him, his family and his wife Justine as he takes up his new position as the managing director and chief knowledge officer of the World Bank. It is the second most senior role in the institution. It is an enormous position to achieve and one of which to be extremely proud. All of us Irish people should be proud an Irish politician achieved this. It is something of which we all need to be proud. I mean that most sincerely and genuinely.

We heard what is announced today and I personally wish everybody well. I have to say to the Tánaiste that he has an enormous job ahead of him. I noticed the Minister for Finance has resigned following the 120 questions I submitted over the weekend regarding Ulster Bank. I look forward to having the Tánaiste answer them all, in particular what was discussed in the Palace of Westminster on the report that came from the hidden financial credits and mis-selling of large financial funds in the British banking industry, including Ulster Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, RBS, and Lloyds, which was reported at the Palace of Westminster last week. I am looking forward to his views on that. As the new Minister for Finance, I ask that he looks at energy credits and looks again at the cost of living and the difficulties we are having. We have seen the rise of the cost of living.

I sincerely wish the best to the newly appointed Ministers, including the Minister, Deputy McEntee, in her new role, and the new Minister, Deputy Naughton. I can assure Deputy Naughton that Noel Thomas is already knocking on doors in Galway. He is already talking to people. The Deputy should not worry at all about the constituency. Noel Thomas has it covered for Independent Ireland and there is no problem there.

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