Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Senator Mansergh referred to the proposed job losses at the Bank of Ireland. The Senator made the point that although it is a private company, it has social responsibilities. I was annoyed when I heard the chief executive of Bank of Ireland waffling this morning. One could imagine the boys in the club congratulating him. One can imagine him thinking that what he did would increase the bank's share price. However, he merely did it for effect. Why is the bank reducing its staff when it made €1.5 billion? I cannot understand the reasoning involved. The bank will lose its best staff and in my view the CEO will regret his decision in a year or two. There will be a complete regression. The bank was involved in a cartel but it now wants to get ahead of that cartel. How is that done? People are sacked and there is a policy of burning and plundering. There is a Latin word, vastare, which means "to lay waste", and that is what the bank is doing.

Senators Henry and Mooney also referred to the plight of the young Nigerian student and the circumstances of his deportation. The best way to express our sympathy is to meet the relevant people — these include a family from Athlone with young children — when they visit the Houses tomorrow. Senator Browne sought debates, following the recess, on class sizes and ComReg.

Senator Ross referred to the humanitarian issue of the young man to whom other Members referred. The Senator also requested a debate on the banks. In that context, I would like to know what is the point of massive staff redundancies.