Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

Ar nós na Seanadóirí eile, bronnaim mo chomhghairdeas ar Uachtarán-tofa na Stát Aontaithe, Barack Obama. I ask the Leader to renew my invitation to President-elect Obama to come the House, as I did last July. It is important that we do so because, as Senator O'Toole stated, of his policies on foreign direct investment and repatriation of the profits of American companies. I wish him well in his job.

It is extraordinary that AIB revealed its interim management statement this morning in the middle of the American election results, hoping it would get lost in headlines and we would not see the severity of its announcement that loans to property developers are of concern to the bank. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Finance to come to the House to discuss not just the AIB statement and the fact that a cosy cartel are being looked after, but more importantly, why banks are not passing on the interest rate reduction to their customers, in particular small business people, young mortgage holders and others trying to survive in this economy. We have a duty to represent these people, not developers who can do what they like under the Government's regime. It is like the turkey's egg. Look what we are getting from it now. It is time the Minister for Finance was brought to the House and that we spoke honestly and openly regarding the toxicity in the banking profession. We need answers and we only got half a story before we discussed the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Act 2008 in these Houses.

I also ask the Leader for a discussion on the impending sale of Dunnes Stores. If the reports are correct, we would have no Irish-owned large grocery group in the country. This would have a knock-on effect for consumers and suppliers.