Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

I caution elected Members on this as I understand most were on the "Yes" side of the campaign. We should not try to scare the Irish people into thinking they made the wrong decision. Thank God our Constitution makes the people sovereign rather than the politicians here. The Irish people were to decide the outcome of this question, they have done so and we must accept that. On our part, we want to work with the Government to try to negotiate a better deal.

Will the Leader facilitate a debate on the economy? There is no doubt we need a full-day debate on the matter as the number of people losing their jobs on a week by week basis is alarming. There is much fear out there and there is to be another increase in mortgage interest rates. People are concerned about the rise in inflation, ESB bills and other aspects that put them under pressure. We must have that debate.

In my county we have lost 2,000 jobs in the past year. Donegal has the highest unemployment levels at this time but the problem is not unique to Donegal. It is happening right across the State. I ask the Leader to invite the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Mary Coughlan, to the Chamber for a debate on her plan for dealing with the current position.

As we were informed earlier, there is only a certain number of sitting days left in this term before the summer recess. Is it proposed that the Seanad will sit the first week in July? I note the Labour Party has put forward, by means of Private Members' business in the Dáil, a proposal, which Sinn Féin supports, to increase the number of sitting days. The Seanad should sit through the summer regardless of what the Dáil does — we are an independent Chamber — to deal with some of the issues we want debated on the economy.

This year may be the first that we have not had a debate on the Irish language or on the North. Will those debates be facilitated before the end of the term?