John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I join other Senators in expressing my sympathy on the death of Mr. Christopher Nolan. I was in secondary school when he won the Whitbread prize for Under the Eye of the Clock. It was a remarkable achievement and I remember the national pride that an Irishman won such an award, particularly one who had overcome such difficulties in his life. I join Government Senators who seek a debate on regulation. We should have such a debate. I was a member of the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service for five years and the former Minister for Finance, Mr. Charlie McCreevy, who was in office for most of that period, was a firm believer that our financial sector was over-regulated. It is only in the past few weeks, as European Commissioner, that he seems to have changed that view.