Joe O'Toole (Independent)

In joining with the congratulations to the American President-elect, we should also consider in general terms how his election affects Ireland. The House will be aware that during the course of the campaign Senator Obama made very worrying comments about how he would deal with foreign-based American industry. If he brings to fruition his proposal to stop the repatriation of profits and force American industry to pay corporation tax at US rates, that will have a major impact on the Irish economy. While it is good that we should be talking about congratulations and celebrations, I would also like the Minister for Finance to come to the House and explain the impact this would have on the Irish economy and what engagement he intends to have with President-elect Obama with a view to protecting Irish jobs.

The Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, of which I am a member, recently heard from oil retailers about petrol and diesel prices. The debate around the House is beginning to be a bit like mandatory sentences — people can say whatever they want. The information they gave indicates where the money goes. It is very clear. A total of 55% of the cost is represented by Government excise duties, while 37% — almost 40% — is the wholesale cost from the refinery. Only 7% of the total cost, in other words, 7 or 8 cent per litre of petrol or diesel at current prices, goes towards the costs and profits of the retailers, including transport costs. Let us put the focus where it should be, on Government and on the refineries and large multinational companies. These are the people we should be looking at, not the small operator on the street who is simply running a business. He or she is not the one at fault here. We should recognise the reality.

I support the point made by Senator Fitzgerald about human rights. One of the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement was the establishment of the Irish Human Rights Commission, which was set up to work closely, which it does, with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. It is a crucial part of what we do and it is very important that it is supported. It is now being told its budget is to be reduced from €2.2 million to €1.6 million. That will not even cover the costs of running the operation. This is an assault on human and civil rights. It is an assault on the Good Friday Agreement and we should take an interest in it. I would like to hear from the appropriate Minister — I am not sure whether it is the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform or one of the Ministers at the Department of the Taoiseach — the Government's plans in this regard and how it sees the IHRC doing its business on such a restricted budget.