Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

I agree with Senator Norris on an issue I raised yesterday. Bearing in mind the concept of natural justice, one should consider the need for fair and balanced reporting. Senator Bacik should note that Members of the Seanad are only looking for fair play on the part of the media. The media submit freedom of information requests to determine Members' expenses and the information is presented in a manner that outlines, step by step, what Members received money for. The information shows Senators do not receive an office allowance or many of the other allowances available. However, the reasons for the payment of expenses are not explained in the newspapers and only the overall sum of money is referred to.

Let us consider the announcement to be made this weekend and the circumstances that will obtain if Senator Leyden is correct. Let me outline exactly what I am asking for. I do not want a right of reply, nor do I want to be seen to be defending myself after the event. However, the information made available under the freedom of information request outlined where we had gone and what we had done. For five years I was Chairman of a very busy committee which produced 13 reports. Not one media representative arrived at the launch of most of those reports. I will probably have to explain myself after the event because I am assured, on the basis of performance, that the information sought in the second part of the freedom of information request will never be published in a newspaper at the same time as the part listing the overall sum of money. All I ask for is natural justice.

I can stand over the work I do. I am present in the House and busy. I work nationally, locally and internationally and I am proud of what I do. I am told at the Council of Europe that I am doing a good job but I would like that to be reflected here. When I was asked to explain my expenses recently on a local radio station, I said I had just had a report agreed by 47 states on teaching history in areas with a recent history of conflict. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Croatia and the Greek and Turkish Cypriots voted in favour of my report, which was unheard of. When I raised this issue, I was told it was not really of interest because the media in question receive press releases every day. I refer to local media, not national media. I ask for fair play.

I commend the Minister for Education and Science on the significant savings of up to 30% made in the schools building programme. I ask that more projects be front-loaded. The circumstances are the same as those that obtain in local development companies and local development partnerships. They are only allocating money for 2009, although they know their budgets for 2010 and 2011. It takes time to draw down the money. In so far as the Department can front-load to a greater degree, this must be done in respect of the local development companies and partnerships.