Dan Boyle (Green Party)

I agree with the sentiments expressed by Senator White.

We should also take the opportunity to welcome the fact that the commission on taxation has now been established. It is the first such commission to be established for over two decades. As a House of the Oireachtas, we should, in general terms, allow it to get on with its work. It is due to report in September 2009. We will have peripheral debates on budgets, the Finance Bill, the Social Welfare Bill and so on, which will deal with exactly those issues Senator Alex White has raised. However, we should look forward to an overall review of the taxation system, its intent and effectiveness, once the commission issues its report. Following that, we can have such a debate in this House.

I ask the Leader to agree to a debate on the decision of RTE to discontinue its services on the medium wave band. I do not know about other Senators, but I have received a number of representations about the effect of that decision. Many Irish emigrants in the United Kingdom, for example, are now deprived of access to RTE services on medium wave and long wave. We must take into account that while radio stations are available on the Internet, a significant number of people do not have access to that technology. It would be a good use of our time to debate the decision by RTE and seek to influence it in some way.