Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

It is a very enthusiastic Seanad today. I am sure Members wish to mark the announcement by the Pope of his intention to appoint Archbishop Seán Brady, Primate of All Ireland, to the College of Cardinals. I extend sincere congratulations to Archbishop Seán Brady. It is a recognition of his stable leadership and his contribution to the peace process.

I congratulate Anne Enright on winning the Man Booker prize. We are proud of her superb achievement. While Ms Enright is celebrating a victory in literature, another woman, Ms Susie Long, is not with us. Many Members saw the "Prime Time" programme last night. It was heartbreaking to see the husband, in his grief, hoping that what she exposed about the health service will make a difference and bring forward the debate on public and private health systems. Fianna Fáil and the Green Party must ask if they are 100% in support of the headlong rush into privatisation by the Progressive Democrats Minister for Health and Children. The consequences were dramatically and poignantly illustrated in the case of Ms Long.

We have already asked the Leader to invite the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to the House for a debate on budgetary matters. In that regard, I note a disturbing, although not unexpected, development where a series of repossession orders for family homes have come before the High Court. Several judges, somewhat unusually, have raised concerns about the way these cases have been dealt with by the banks and various mortgage lenders. Several disturbing aspects of these cases have been reported. It is, therefore, appropriate to repeat the request for the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to address the House prior to the budget on the economic situation.