Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

There are many burdens on young people and it is difficult for them to get enough money to put down a deposit for a house. Staged payments are very common in rural areas.

Senator Leyden spoke about the Diageo proposal to raise the price of a pint. I would like to think people would stay away from the pubs but I do not think they will. Senator Bohan claimed that people would stop going to pubs but I do not think he is right. He also asked for the Tánaiste to come to the House. Senator Finucane agreed with Senator Leyden and spoke about the uncertainty in Shannon, particularly regarding Shannon Development. The possibility that its activities will be given over to the new airport board has been mooted and the Tánaiste will address that. Senator Bohan believed that a suggested increase of 15 cents in the price of a pint was not correct. I hope he is correct, and we will ask him to give us a progress report on it. He also claimed publicans were reeling from the smoking ban. The owner of my local pub in Athlone says that is not so.

Senator Browne mentioned the issue of voter registration and the postal vote. There are four counties in England that are using the postal vote in the local and European elections. The issue has been on the BBC. I believe that going to the polling station and casting a vote is an act of citizenship.

Senator Fitzgerald spoke about the CAO and the Data Protection Act. It made its decision based on the idea of holistic education. Senator Bannon raised the issue of the price of oil and wants the Minister to intervene. Senator Hanafin sought a debate on roads. A very fine report was published two weeks ago by the NRA on the roads system and perhaps we can have a debate on it.

Senator Ross called for a debate on Aer Rianta and claimed that people would have different points of view. He felt the business plan published was dubious. We should have a debate on it before the summer recess. Senator Ross also claimed that the National Lottery should be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. It was definitely on the schedule of bodies not to be considered under that legislation, but perhaps the time has come to change that. It is dispersing huge amounts of finance so we should know more about it. It is a fine business, but why should we not know more about it?

Senator Glynn spoke about the polling register and the need to take definite steps to deal with lacuna in it. Senator Coghlan raised the Great Southern Hotel Group. It is not that it is my favourite hotel group——