Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

I join my Donegal colleague, Senator Keaveney, in calling for a debate on the North of Ireland. I have discussed with various groups and individuals in the North the issues that have emerged over the summer, namely, an underlying growth in dissident activity on all sides. None of us, from any party, is willing to accept that and it is important that we zone in on the causes of this problem. I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to come to the House for a serious debate on the situation as soon as possible after the referendum on the Lisbon treaty. We must also liaise where necessary and possible with our colleagues north of the Border.

The other issue I wish to raise, and it has been mentioned earlier, is the banking sector in Ireland. Let us leave NAMA aside for the moment. It will take care of itself in the weeks to come and is currently being discussed in the Lower House. At issue is the report produced by the European Commission on the banking sector in the member states. That report has thrown up a number of matters in respect of the misleading information which the Irish retail banking sector has been promoting at consumer level. That is unacceptable and disgraceful. An example of some its products is bogus non-resident accounts, whereby bank managers were aiding and abetting the establishment of non-resident accounts by facilitating addresses outside of the State for elderly individuals, including farmers and pensioners. If we are to proceed on the basis that NAMA will support our banking sector, and we need a strong and vibrant banking sector, some of the people who cultivated that environment over the years must be sacked and taken out of circulation in that sector so the public can have confidence that we will have a formidable banking sector in the future. I hope we will have the opportunity to discuss this during the debate on NAMA. However, I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the banking sector as it exists at present before the NAMA legislation is brought before the House.