Dan Boyle (Green Party)

If I am given the opportunity to speak Senator Norris will understand that I am not necessarily disagreeing with the Senator. As Senator Ross pointed out, there is a need for a debate in the House on the report, the nature of freedom of information and whether the legislation can be extended. The number of bodies covered by it has been extended and there is a belief among Members of the House that it should be increased even more. Examples were given on the Order of Business today of the bodies that should be included.

The position applying to mortgage relief was raised in today's news. Having heard spokespersons from the Revenue Commissioners, it appears every effort is being made to allay any fears that may exist. My understanding is that the Revenue Commissioners will be contacting the financial institutions and if information on whether the mortgage is longer than seven years is not available, then and only then will contact be made by letter directly with the mortgage holders. The advice would be, and the Revenue Commissioners are being matter of fact about this, is for people to wait for such a communication and not react unnecessarily to some of the news stories in the press today.

Senators O'Donovan, MacSharry, Ó Murchú and Ormonde raised the question of rural planning. Senator Ormonde referred to the possible amendment of the planning Acts. Those Acts are to be substantially recast and the publication of such a Bill will take place in the coming months. It will be a major debate on the nature of planning, levels of accountability and democratic control within such a system. Many Members will have an opportunity to address concerns raised today during such a debate.

There are concerns about organisations needing to be more open and democratic but there is also a role for voluntary organisations to continue to play without State resources, and there is a need for a watchdog on both sides. I hope that when the debate takes place in this House, it will be conducted on such terms.

Senators Coghlan and Callely asked about the contents of the national asset management agency, NAMA, legislation in terms of the assessment of the risk, when the body will be established in shadow form and when the legislation will come to the House. My knowledge is that the legislation will be published within the next month, with debates in both Houses of the Oireachtas, giving Members an opportunity to examine those issues.

Senator MacSharry spoke about the need for a debate on unauthorised moneylending. That debate could be pertinent given the general constraints in lending by our financial institutions. Consideration will be given to having such a debate in the House.

Senators Norris and Bacik spoke about the proposal to include a crime of blasphemous libel in new legislation. My understanding is that this was considered as an inclusion from a Cabinet decision in 2005. I am also informed, being a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Constitution, that the issue was examined recently. It was proposed to leave the reference to blasphemy in the Constitution but to suggest that it is impossible to legislate for it.