Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I agree with Senators Fitzgerald, Boyle and McFadden on the issue of an inspectorate. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, to bring it about immediately. I am quite surprised that, of all the inspectorates, this is the most urgent because people who are disadvantaged at such a level would not have the opportunity to speak out. Elderly people would speak out, but other people are very vulnerable. There were 500 complaints. There is no cost involved. An inspectorate is absolutely vital and I ask the Leader to urge the Minister of State to come before the House and explain the situation.

We in the Oireachtas are one of the first victims of the industrial action taken by the unions, as passport applications submitted via the fast scheme we have in the Oireachtas have been returned. We have a special arrangement for people with urgent applications. I am aware of a case where a person needs a passport on Friday morning but the application, which I submitted yesterday, has just been returned. I appeal to staff and unions to get real on this issue. We are all in this together. Everybody is taking cutbacks and this type of go-slow, industrial action or non co-operation is not helpful. I wish to warn my colleagues that the system is defunct until the matter is resolved. It is a disadvantage to our constituents who relied on the system to get a passport very quickly to ensure they could travel and make travel arrangements, in particular those who lost their passports, whose passports were stolen or who needed to make urgent visits abroad for family reasons. I want to confirm that a passport application which I left in yesterday at noon was returned today and I was told the people concerned have to go through the normal procedures.

I ask the Leader to arrange for an urgent debate on the opening of shops all over the country from which people are now buying drugs legally. Senator Wilson and other Senators have raised this issue. One such shop is opening in Castle Street in Roscommon. They are corrupting young people. The shop to which I refer is called High Times.