David Norris (Independent)

May we have a debate on how we can maximise the resources available? I was at the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham last night for the O2 ability awards ceremony, an event which was really inspiring, at which people who had overcome difficulties were recognised. Companies benefit because of their immense loyalty and the immense energy and drive they bring to them. The awards scheme was founded by a remarkable woman, Caroline Casey. I am proud to sit in the Seanad beside Senator Quinn who received one of the major awards for the work he had done. As I listened to the description, I knew within two sentences that it was Senator Quinn who was being spoken about. The former President and a former Member of this House, Mrs. Mary Robinson, made a remarkable brief speech. She said that even in these difficult times there continued to be an undercurrent of positive thinking and talent. In other words, she was accentuating the positive. This idea is being exported to other European countries and, possibly, others in South America. This is something of which we can be deeply proud and we can be particularly proud that a Member of this House was so honoured last night.

I agree with my colleagues that we need a debate on the way we handle certain currency movements and the issue of cohesion in Europe. As I said the other day, historically, this is an inevitable process. It happened in the 19th century with the small German states. It started off as a Zollverein, a customs union with tax implications. It was purely economic but gradually led to the creation of the state of Germany. I would welcome this if it resulted in a positive union and something strong, strong enough, for example, to take on the ratings agencies on a global basis. I call for a debate on the ratings agencies because there is all-party support for an attempt to understand what they are doing and root out their evil practices. Sometimes in these difficult areas it is useful to find a poacher and turn him or her into a gamekeeper. Perhaps when we look at the ratings agencies and the malign influence they exert, we might contact somebody such as George Soros who most certainly was a poacher but who gambled disastrously against some of the major currencies. He knows how it is done and if we were to turn him on the ratings agencies, there would be fireworks.