John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

I support the calls for a debate on the role of tribunals. There are times when tribunals are necessary. I am conscious that in the North a tribunal to find out what exactly happened on Bloody Sunday in Derry cost €100 million and a cost of €1 billion or more would have been correct to find out the truth in that case. However, there are tribunals in this country at present the public opinion on which is that the costs involved are a greater injustice than what the tribunals are trying to establish, and that must be changed.

I wish to make two brief points. It is apparent the banks have not yet learnt the lesson of what has happened. Everything has change as regards banking in this country and it is time we in our debate mentioned that fact. The old ways are gone. No longer can a banker look to get the salary of a huge payment, a huge pension, a huge bonus or huge share options. Those days must be gone. They must begin to realise that there should be regulation in that regard. There must come an end to greed. It was greed that got us into these difficulties.

I again call for a debate on the role of the Seanad. I note in the UK general election that the SDLP, as one if its main planks, has asked that the Seanad would be allowed to have Members elected through a full panel for the North of Ireland such as the Labour Panel. It is a laudable suggestion. There are many other reasons, including the needs of the extra work now involved following the Lisbon treaty, for the Seanad. This Seanad has played a wonderful role and that should be debated.