Rónán Mullen (Independent)

We must recognise there is a crisis of perception in so far as politics is concerned. While I am the first to criticise the media for sensationalism, we should not make that opportunity available to it. Yesterday, I was in these precincts working and I would have liked the Seanad to sit. People may well go on an outing from time to time, but that is not a reason to suspend the business of the House. If we had more bipartisanship in the House, with the Opposition and Independent benches being allowed in on the legislative process, it might be possible to keep the business going.

Among the matters I believe would be useful and important subjects for debate in the Seanad, regardless of whether there are golf outings, is the Spirit of Ireland initiative. Would it not be wonderful if, at this time of crisis when we are in the dock of international opinion for the way we allowed our banks to operate, the Irish people were seen to come up with a solution to make us energy independent, perhaps saving us €30 billion over ten years by not having to purchase energy abroad and become a source of clean energy for domestic use and export? I would like the Seanad to debate the specific, optimistic and morale boosting proposals that have come from Spirit of Ireland and to hear the Government's response to them.

I also call for a debate on overseas development and where precisely the swingeing cuts of €100 million will affect our overseas aid budget. The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Peter Power, has stated that bilateral aid would be ring-fenced. One wonders why bilateral aid is to be preferred in light of the commitments made on the hunger taskforce. We should focus our efforts on hunger alleviation and, given our agricultural traditions, we should help people in developing countries improve their agricultural economies. I argue we should ring-fence this area rather than bilateral aid. Perhaps such a debate would do something to address the public's perception of politicians. When politicians are held in contempt, politics will also suffer and that is bad for our democracy.