Shane Ross (Independent)

We will see who comes to the debate. I might be maligning the Leader but I will bet that the Minister for Finance will not be here this afternoon for any length of time, if at all. There is no point having people present who are just going through the motions and not listening to anything Members say. Perhaps the Leader will indicate which Minister will come before the House.

I endorse the comments of Senators Walsh and Twomey on the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Why is the House not debating it? I do not know whether the Leader or his party are aware that the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment received the report, the contents of which with regard to FÁS are dynamite, on 12 June. Ministers are required to release reports within 90 days of receiving them. The Tánaiste sat on the report for 90 days before releasing it, coincidentally, I suppose, on the same day the legislation on the National Asset Management Agency was introduced. As a result, the report did not receive the coverage it deserved.

Today, the House could give the report on wastage in FÁS due coverage and attention but it will not be allowed to do so. I am not blowing anyone's trumpet in pointing out that for years my requests for a debate on FÁS fell on deaf ears. While I do not understand the reason, it is suspicious that the House cannot debate this organisation which has a budget of €1 billion per annum, most of which is wasted, or have the Tánaiste come before us to illuminate us on developments because the subject is politically sensitive. Why are those who sat on the board of FÁS this time last year still on it and drawing fat salaries? Each time I ask this question in the House I do not receive an answer and we are prevented from holding a debate.

There is more than a suspicion that FÁS is a Fianna Fáil-protected, semi-State agency which has been politicised by the Fianna Fáil Party and the social partners, all of which have their snouts in the trough. The organisation spends €1 billion each year, of which a large amount is wasted, but the House which is supposed to be an accountable Chamber of Parliament is not allowed to debate the issue. Instead, it is proposed to debate the economy in a vacuum when no one will listen to a word we will say.

Senator O'Toole is correct but we should go further and ask whether we are being insulted by the agendas with which we are being presented in the House. Are we talking ourselves into irrelevance when the Seanad could be relevant? What is taking place is a disgrace and shame and the House does not emerge from it with credit. Let us discuss issues that matter rather than ones that do not. Let us not put window dressing on what we do. Let us be relevant rather than irrelevant.