John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

I join with colleagues who condemned the racist attacks on the Lisburn Road in Belfast. We have long thought we had seen an end to racism in the North. However, it has again raised its ugly head. I believe, as mentioned by previous speakers, that this attack was organised. This organisation took the form of the current economic downturn to blame immigrants for the lack of jobs and opportunity in Ireland. This is not a phenomenon unique to Northern Ireland, it could happen here and has happened in the UK with the British National Party. We know from history that throughout Europe there has been a resurgence of the far right. Whereas this is not a cause of immediate concern it is a situation that should be monitored carefully. One of the groups that has progressed is a far right group in Hungary with a paramilitary wing. We have also seen the rise of the far right in Austria. Whereas different ideologies might be looked at, including Communism, which I do not support but the principals of which are based on economics, Fascism has principals based on race, the most evil and heinous type of political activity in which the far right engages.

I ask the Leader to call on the Minister for Finance to look again at how we can operate with the Northern Ireland Executive in particular in terms of ministerial pricing orders on tobacco and alcohol, which would serve both sides. It is perhaps time that we again consider the use of pricing orders as a method of developing a social policy on the abuse of alcohol. The fact is that in some off-licences alcohol can be purchased cheaper than cans of Coca-Cola.

I call again for a two-day debate that would include all political parties outlining their economic policies on how to deal with the €20 billion deficit, within which they would have independently costed how much cuts they would make and what taxes would be increased.