Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Senator Brian Hayes asked for a debate on "on the runs". We made preliminary inquiries to his office about the possibility of the Taoiseach coming to the House this week. As we know, however, EU issues have intervened and all European leaders are engaged with those. I will seek to have such a debate after Christmas. Senator Hayes also referred to the ESRI report on the construction industry. Bodies such as the ESRI do excellent work but tend, from time to time, to shoot from the top of their mouths. Senators will recall the National Competitive Council had some zany notion that property tax should be reinstated. Such bodies want to add something startling to their reports and give them some edge.