Eugene Regan (Fine Gael)

We are talking here as if the barbarians are at the gate on this issue. The reality is that we have problems in these Houses with allowances and expenses. We must also acknowledge that the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, in February of this year, put forward a proposal on the reform of allowances. Senators on the Fianna Fáil benches have explained what happens at parliamentary party meetings. Will the Leader explain what happened at Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meetings on the proposal from the Oireachtas commission? Were objections not raised to the Oireachtas commission's proposal on allowances? Is that not the reason the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, has not acted on that proposal? The Minister, Deputy Lenihan, is being a Shylock on this issue because he is now suggesting that the Oireachtas commission's proposal does not go far enough when he has not responded in any shape or form to the initiative made by the Oireachtas commission. It may not be a perfect proposal but it is a start in reforming the allowances regime. Will the Leader clarify the reason there has been such an absence by the Minister? Perhaps the Minister could be invited to come into the House to explain himself because it is very easy now to say it does not go far enough in responding to the recent incidents regarding the Ceann Comhairle. The issue has lain with the Minister, he has not dealt with it and now he is changing his story in terms of the appropriate measures to be taken.