Alex White (Labour)

I do not understand why we cannot have the debate for which Senators Fitzgerald and O'Toole called. Will the Deputy Leader indicate in his response to the House why we cannot have the debate this week? As Senator O'Toole correctly said, it was called for last week. This is an urgent matter and if the House is to have any relevance it should debate the issues everyone else is discussing and debating.

I refer to one of the taunts from the members on the Government side of the House. The Deputy Leader will be glad to hear me say this was not simply a Green Party budget. The principle and central responsibility for it lies with Fianna Fáil, the Minister for Finance and the Taoiseach. While the disposition of the Green Party before the election, evident from some of its statements, gives rise to some questions now, I do not spare the main Government party from the criticisms we are entitled to level concerning the budget. I support the call for a debate this week on the education cuts.

Will the Deputy Leader arrange for a debate at the earliest possible opportunity on the question of the price of fuel? There are extraordinary disparities between the price of diesel and petrol in parts of the country. The overall price levels of diesel and petrol throughout the State are too high and in recent days and weeks the international price of oil has halved since its peak earlier in the Summer. Will the relevant Minister explain this? I have some sympathy with the Taoiseach's frustrations which he expressed in colourful terms in the Dáil some months ago. He demanded that the relevant people should be brought the Dáil to deal with the matter. However, the relevant Minister should be brought to this House to explain the reason for the extraordinary disparity in the price of petrol and diesel throughout the country and why it has remained so high, given the falling international price of fuel. I call for a debate on this matter at the earliest possible opportunity.

The eyes of the world are on the United States of America today and it is a momentous day for that country.