Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

I feel this constant baiting is leading nowhere and I guess Senator McCarthy's heart was not in it. The Senator asked about the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the new prison site. I understand that matter will be debated by the Committee of Public Accounts and any Senator is entitled to attend.

The Senator wondered if there is a proper way in which Oireachtas Members can have matters dealt with by local authorities. The treatment they receive seems to range from very good to awful and the system should be regularised. It is all very well that we have a very good system in Westmeath, as Senator Glynn will confirm, but it seems this is not the case in many other local authority areas. We will ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to address this when he is before the House.

Senator Morrissey raised a matter last week but I discovered on poring over my notes afterwards that I did not reply to him. I apologise to him for this. The Senator referred to the setting up of the Dublin Transport Authority and asked if the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, could attend to have a pre-legislation discussion on the authority. This would be very good. The Senator also referred to the buses for Dublin Bus, Bus Éireann and the private sector, which will be given.

Senator Finucane stated the telecommunications regulator was endeavouring to speak to the various parties in the Smart Telecom dispute, which must behave in a commercial manner.

Senator Mansergh would like a pre-budget debate on finance and the economy. When he spoke about the Dark Ages, I imagine he spoke in metaphorical terms.