Alex White (Labour)

I very much hope we can, but it is not clear that we can. The coming year will tell a story. We have come to the end of a long and difficult year for many, although it was not as difficult for those of us who are privileged to have jobs and an opportunity to express our views in this Chamber and have them reported. We should remind ourselves from time to time that we live in a cocoon in the context of the struggles faced by many coming up to Christmas and the new year. We must be realistic about what we do in the House because we are dealing with people's lives.

We have debated the budget in the past few weeks and the debate is over, apart from one measure to be taken this afternoon and the finance Bill in the new year. I concede that there was no choice but to take action. However, there were choices about what action could be taken and the wrong ones were made by the Government. GDP and GNP statistics were published earlier. There is minor hope in GDP increasing by 0.3%, but most accept GNP is the more reliable measure of our prosperity and, unfortunately, it has reduced by 1.4%. We are still in a serious and protracted recession. The Tánaiste and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment referred to the Government's strident economic and industrial policy. I cannot measure whether it is strident because I have difficulty identifying what is it. Perhaps in the new year we could usefully take the opportunity to dedicate ourselves to scrutinising in much more detail the policy proposals made. The Labour Party has brought forward policy proposals on jobs and economic recovery. I invite my colleagues to see if we can find a way of laying out those policies and having them scrutinised, examined and critiqued by colleagues on the opposite side of the House so that we can ensure job creation and the recovery of the economy are the central political preoccupations of the House in the new year.

Senator Fitzgerald is right to raise the issue of reforming how we do business in the House. We are blue in the face from raising it. This House has a very rigid set of procedures for debate. We do not really have open and free debate. Yesterday, we had Second Stage of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill. Much depends on when one gets to speak. If one speaks after someone one disagrees with, agrees with or wants to nuance, one has an opportunity to react to that person. The debate lasts two or three hours and it is very difficult to get to the heart of the issues in many debates.

Yesterday, the Taoiseach appeared not to know about any proposals on Seanad reform being brought forward. He indicated he would have to check it out. I thought the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government was bringing a memo to Cabinet prior to Christmas. That is what he stated he would do. Will the Leader confirm whether this has occurred?

I join my colleagues in wishing a very happy Christmas to the Cathaoirleach, the Leader, my fellow party leaders and colleagues in the Seanad, the Clerk, the assistant clerks, the Captain and all of the staff who make our lives so much easier and the operation of our business more efficient. They are pleasant to deal with day to day. I also wish everybody an inspirational or an inspired new year.