Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

It is very difficult to blame the media today for reporting the bad news when we see the billions that landed on the shoulders of taxpayers yesterday. There has been much talk about accountability and responsibility this morning. We on this side do not need any lectures on responsibility from a Government that, strikingly, refused to apologise yesterday for the situation we are landed in. While the banks clearly have responsibility, our political leaders should also accept responsibility. There are issues of accountability and responsibility for the Government, but it has neither accepted nor acknowledged these.

Senator Boyle spoke earlier about accountability and responsibility. I refer briefly to the Private Members' motion on the lost at sea scheme which is down for this evening and note that once again the Government does not accept responsibility or accountability. Members know full well that the joint committee has already refused to discuss the lost at sea scheme report and has refused to take on board a detailed discussion or investigation of what the report contains. The Green Party said this should happen, but its representative on the committee did not attend for the vote.