Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I join colleagues in asking the Leader to make time available for an urgent debate with the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on rising unemployment figures. There was an increase of 15,800 in one month of the numbers on the live register. We are not merely discussing statistics, we are talking about people and their families. It is important that a debate take place in respect of this subject.

What is the Government's plan in this regard? Its approach appears to involve cutting services, slashing funding, borrowing more money, running for the hills and then performing a few U-turns. The Government has said nothing with regard to retraining or upskilling people. I take Senator Mary White's point in respect of the cost of doing business. Representatives of the Irish Hotels Federation came before the relevant Oireachtas committee to discuss this matter yesterday. The Leader is a business owner and he will be aware that those who own small businesses such as coffee shops and restaurants are opting to keep their premises closed at weekends because of the costs involved. In that context, the Leader should invite the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to come before the House to discuss the forthcoming local government estimates. I hope that commercial rates will not, as a result of mistakes made by the Government, be used to penalise small businesses. We have reached the stage where many businesses in cities and towns will opt to remain closed at weekends on foot of the prohibitive costs involved.

Will the Leader make time available for an urgent debate on Northern Ireland? An impasse has been reached in the North in respect of the power-sharing Executive. Those of us who support everything that has taken place in Northern Ireland want a debate on that matter in the House. It is not acceptable that the multi-party power-sharing Executive has not met in months. There is a vacuum and everyone knows what will happen if that vacuum is allowed to remain. The Leader should invite either the Minister for Foreign Affairs or the Taoiseach, who has engaged in discussions with Northern Ireland politicians, to come before the House to debate this matter.