Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

We meet on a day when there has been devastating news for families and individuals who will lose jobs following today's announcement by Pfizer that 800 jobs will be shed. This is devastating news for those involved. We had hoped the pharmaceutical industry would be a cornerstone of recovery, but the lesson of the devastating news today is that we need to focus on the issues relating to job creation. The Government needs to focus on job creation, look at competitiveness issues and ensure money is lent to businesses, as there are still huge issues to be resolved. These are the barriers and challenges we face. Today's news is shocking for the country and the economy.

I want to raise another issue on which leadership is required. It is one we discussed in the House previously, namely, the Government's leadership in dealing with the banks. While many people struggle to maintain their jobs, once again the banks are topping up pensions. It is now being done in a new way, through cash allowance top-ups. The Minister must come to the House to explain why this is continuing and the cap is being breached. This is a difficult time for people who are joining the dole queues and to see this type of activity in the banks is very disheartening. It fuels a sense of injustice and inequality at a time when everybody is struggling, with people working hard to try to keep their jobs and pay their mortgages. The Minister must come to the House to explain why this is happening and he has allowed it to happen under his stewardship at a time when the taxpayer is giving so much money to the banks. Surely these lessons should have been learned. We should not see this manoeuvre by the banks. I, therefore, propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that the Minister for Finance be invited to the Seanad to discuss this issue.