David Norris (Independent)

I welcome the fact that we are having statements on the banking system tomorrow, which may or not be replaced by the detail of the Bill. The debate in this House on the detail of the Bill will be critical because the Minister got a blank cheque last week. It is now very important that we use the wisdom and expertise in this House, including on these benches, which can help to guide the progress of this scheme.

The banks have shown a contempt over a long period for their ordinary customers. I am not referring to the counter staff but rather to the people leading the banks and devising policy, those sorting people into very long queues and reducing staff at the counters, making their lives difficult as well, and showing that they really did not want the little people. However, now they have come to the little people to be bailed out by their tax revenues.

I said last week in the House and I said it before this crisis arose that there are people, in particular young people, on critical mortgages who need to be protected. People both here and in America have taken substantial bonuses. I refer to the obscene spectacle of the chief executive officer of Lehman Brothers who took $500 million in the past year in bonuses, share issues and such like. Such people have had their snouts stuck in the trough while repossessions have been taking place. The House should address that point, either in that context or separately. I suggest the question of house repossession should be taken as a separate item. I have been raising this matter consistently. I note in today's newspaper that a senior judge has raised concerns at the increase in the number of repossession orders presented in her court as we speak.

This is completely obscene. This is where neo-liberal economics, deregulation, privatisation and outsourcing leads. I was one of a small minority which opposed the privatisation of Aer Lingus. I had a feeling where such a move would lead and now we have outsourcing. I share Senator Alex White's concern that perhaps this is an attempt to jump the gun legislatively, so to speak, because some legislative protections were in the process of being introduced in the aftermath of the disgraceful manner in which Irish Ferries treated its Irish employees and brought in so-called yellow pack workers. This is not acceptable. I note also the number of people contacting the money advice and budgeting service for advice.

I support strongly my colleague, Senator Joe O'Toole, in his reservations about the second item on the Order Paper. What is the need for this extra number? Who are they and have they been contacted directly? This is a Minister interfering in and politicising the work of a committee of both Houses of the Oireachtas. This is not the first time this Minister has done this and it rings alarm bells for me. I do not like this kind of interference in the work of the committees. The strength of the committees is that they are non-partisan and operate collectively.

In light of our concerns about oversight of spending and decentralisation, will the Leader find out the state of the proposals to develop new government offices in Carlow on a car park which for many years has been subjected routinely to flooding to such an extent that the new proposed buildings would have to be built on stilts 7 ft. above the ground? There is no indication that this will be done after the €20 million flood prevention scheme has been installed. Are we still wasting money in this profligate manner with no thought——