Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I fully agree with Senator O'Toole and support his suggestion. I have more than a passing interest in the music industry and hope the Leader responds to the Senator's point. Something murky is happening in the undergrowth of the international music industry. There is no doubt that the major outlet which Senator O'Toole named is attempting to wipe out small retailers across the country by targeting particular areas of the retail market such CDs, books and various other niche sectors which small, family-run businesses have operated in towns and villages across the country. The company has moved into my own part of the country and can do so because of the power it has. The big five international music record companies are complicit in this by the pricing mechanism they use, primarily arising from the fact that most people can now buy on-line at the prices to which Senator O'Toole referred. This is a move by the music industry to protect its market but it does so at the expense of the small retailer.

I ask the Leader to pass on the good wishes of the Irish immigration lobby in the US to efforts being made to revive immigration reform law there. Moves to do so, provided there is the time in the dying days of the 109th Congress, have been outlined by the judiciary chairman, Arlon Spector, a member of the Republican Party. He is currently meeting with outgoing Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert, to examine if they can move meaningful immigration reform before the end of the 109th Congress. I hope the Leader will convey the strong encouragement of all sides in this House of his efforts to ensure it happens.