Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)

I agree with Senator Mullen on the issue of mass cards. It is important people receiving mass cards are assured they are genuine. I hope the President and the Council of State will ensure the legislation is constitutional and that if it contains an error, that that will be rectified.

Since the days of Punch vilifying the great Daniel O'Connell, the British media has done very little in the way of serving this nation. Today on Sky News the media followed that tradition and reported that today's strike was caused due to worker dissatisfaction with the pension levy and mismanagement in Allied Irish Banks. The reporter compounded the error with regard to the bank by repeating it, when she should of course have referred to mismanagement in Anglo Irish Bank. I spoke to the editor in London who said that the error will be rectified at 11 a.m., but the damage has been done. The Financial Times made the same error yesterday.

We all know that Allied Irish Banks is probably one of the best run banks in the country. It could do better, but it is certainly not Anglo Irish Bank. Media at home and abroad must be careful to be accurate in their reporting. I ask the Leader to ensure that if any Member hears such reports, he or she should ensure they are rectified. This must be done because financial markets react instantaneously to such news. If they believe Allied Irish Banks is mismanaged, they will act accordingly. I ask the Leader to raise this matter with the Taoiseach.