Frank Feighan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the call for a debate on the tsunami disaster. It is time we knew how may non-governmental organisations are out there. I was shocked to learn that GOAL, Trócaire, Concern and the Irish Red Cross were all involved. Indeed, we tog out tonight for a match for GOAL. Perhaps with so many charities involved somebody could investigate how the money is being spent. The public and the Government always want value for money. Perhaps we should examine the question of value for money as regards contributions to these agencies. Some agencies are much better on the ground than others and perhaps that could be examined from a global viewpoint.

I welcome the latest statistics on car registrations which show they are now at an all-time high, apart from 2000. I am somewhat worried, however, from an environmental viewpoint at the proliferation of SUVs or sports utility vehicles.