Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

-----and will discuss it with the leaders of the groups in the House tomorrow morning before the Order of Business.

Senators Bacik, Norris, Mullen and Harris expressed their serious concern about the reduction of funding for rural Protestant schools. I fully support their comments today and propose inviting the Minister to the House to have another look at the situation and the terrific work that has been done for generations by good and decent people on behalf of the Protestant community. A high percentage of people in my constituency are of the Protestant faith and my family has worked extremely closely with them for the past 100 years. I will arrange a debate with the Minister present at the earliest opportunity during the next two weeks.

Senator Boyle raised local government reform and the imminent publication of the White Paper. I will certainly allocate time for a debate on that.

In response to Senator Regan, I have already pointed out that Fine Gael was in power on two occasions in the past 30 years since the referendum on the Seanad.

Senators MacSharry, Coffey, Hanafin, Buttimer and Walsh sought a debate on the economy, public sector pay and the challenge the budget poses for everybody. This will probably be the most important budget of the past two decades and I will allocate time for these issues to be debated. I hope to be able to discuss this with the group leaders tomorrow morning and possibly have a date for it to take place.

Senator MacSharry raised the issue of families who find themselves in the very difficult position of facing repossession of their homes because they are unable to meet their mortgage repayments as a result of being unemployed. The Senator has done good work on this issue by producing his report, the MacSharry report. I strongly suggest we include this matter with the debate on the economy.

Senator Callely called for a debate on health issues and I am endeavouring to have the Minister for Health and Children come to the House. Senator John Hanafin referred to the importance of democracy, Seanad and committee reform and a proposed reduction of 100 seats in the Houses. This can be discussed in the last debate before the Seanad reform Bill is published.

Senator Healy Eames referred to urgent matters. She always seems to make such requests of me and I strongly suggest that Private Members' time is another way of trying to find information that Senator Healy Eames sincerely requests every day. I would do anything I could to help the Senator but Private Members' time is a wonderful way to find the up-to-date position in respect of the matters Senators bring to the attention of the House from time to time.