Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I concur with the comments of Senator Quinn and note the sensible observations he made on banking. There is no doubt about the deficit of business experience on all sides in the Oireachtas. This imbalance needs to be redressed and we must have an input from a sector which can play a constructive role in developing Government and public policy. The Minister has recognised this requirement by availing of the advice of individuals with business expertise.

We can get hung up on the issues which have arisen in the banking sector. The only essential requirement in all of this is that we have the best possible prudential management of our banks to ensure they extricate themselves from the severe difficulties being experienced by the banks and, as a consequence, the country. That is the priority and any action the Minister takes in this regard should be supported. We should not allow this matter to become a political football.

The Leader has promised an early debate on budgetary issues. I believe such a debate should be held next week rather than the week after next. Many Senators justifiably take satisfaction from the quality of debates in this House. Someone in the debates section who had observed All Stages of the debate on the National Asset Management Agency Bill in both Houses told me that the Second Stage debate in this House superseded anything that took place elsewhere. The House can repeat this in the debate on the budget.

I listened yesterday to the debate in the Dáil, especially the contributions from the Opposition. We have a responsibility because we are paid by the taxpayer to bring to bear whatever experience we have to influence the policies the Government takes on budgetary matters. That responsibility also applies to the Opposition and some of its contributors pretended they had ideas but hid behind not disclosing them in the interests of political partisanship. It is a foolish approach and will be recognised by people, and will bring no credit to the Houses or the parties involved.