Dan Boyle (Green Party)

Apparently he did so in a recent Adjournment debate.

Senators Mullen, Hanafin and Ó Murchú raised the recent scientific breakthrough in adult stem cell research. The House should note that and bear it in mind in the context of any further discussion it has on this issue. I am sure a request will be made for such a discussion; it has been made regularly in this House.

Senator Glynn spoke about the need for a debate on local authority tenancies. This is a local authority election year and it would be in the interest of the House, given that so many of its Members are directly elected by local authority members, to have such a debate to help inform that election process with regard to whatever revision of local authority election legislation is required. I will request the Minister and his Department to facilitate that. The Senator also spoke about the need for a debate on how local policing committees are functioning. They are still very much in their infancy. The committees allow local authority members as well as Members of the Oireachtas to make an input. An early debate will examine whether this initiative is successful at identifying and dealing with crime at local level.

Senator Buttimer, after an earlier intervention from Senator O'Reilly, spoke about the need to address the issue of the undocumented Irish in the United States. It is clear that the United States Government, like most other governments, has become preoccupied with legislative needs to deal with its economic situation and the issue of immigration and the undocumented Irish has slipped down its list of priorities. The proposal made by Senator O'Reilly will be passed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. We will come back to the Senator and the House on how it is received. Senator Buttimer also asked about the medical card for people over 70 years of age and spoke about an individual with an income of €700 per week or a couple with a combined income of €1,400 per week having their medical card removed. The House has already debated that issue. The change was made for reasons that have as much to do with equity as anything else. The time to return to the debate is in the context of social welfare or health legislation being brought to the House.

Senator Hanafin sought a debate on competitiveness. This would fit in with the rolling debate on economic matters which has been requested.

Senator McFadden asked about the statement by Mr. Sheehy of AIB and the write off of loans. I hope I went some way in explaining the issue in response to the views of Senator Healy Eames. I believe much change can be effected in the existing banking system on a personnel level by bringing in new people to infuse new energy into the private banks as well as into the system of State regulation, which will get us far away from where we are as a result of a bad system of finance and regulation. I hope that happens sooner rather than later.

Senator Ormonde agreed with the need for a further debate on the economy and raised particular points about special needs education.

I believe I have covered the questions asked by Members.