Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

The amendment is to ask the Minister for Finance to come to the House to detail and discuss his proposals on bank capitalisation. Many questions arise to which there are no answers at present. Senators have asked repeatedly for detailed information. We do not want announcements continually made elsewhere. I ask for a debate in the House.

I also referred to the European Council. Senators understood the House would be given feedback on the decisions taken at the meeting. Will the Leader indicate if a debate on this issue is planned this week?

I ask that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform come before the House to clarify the future role of the Equality Authority and explain how the authority will do its business in future. The Fine Gael Party will move an amendment to the Order of Business to facilitate a debate on the issue. The chief executive officer of the Equality Authority has resigned and its funding has been reduced by 43%. Last week, Senator Boyle of the Green Party expressed concern about the role of outside influences. I ask the Leader to clarify what outside influences were brought to bear on the Government to take a decision which completely undermines the equality structure, the roots of which are to give people basic rights. It appears the authority's work will be severely compromised. The Minister must come before the House to clarify how it can possibly continue its work in light of the loss of expertise it will experience as a result of a botched decentralisation and a funding cut of 43%.

It appears the CEO of the Equality Authority was willing to work with a reduced budget but this was not considered acceptable. How will the authority's work continue? Will the Minister come before the House to explain precisely what is the position? Will the Leader clarify what is the hidden agenda being referred to in the media and what are the outside influences coming to bear on Government decisions? Who exactly are the people to whom the Green Party is referring? Who influenced the Government's decision on this matter? These are some of the questions we have for the Minister.