Niall Ó Brolcháin (Green Party)

I very much welcome and endorse Senator Alex White's comments. What happened yesterday in international waters near Gaza was absolutely despicable. I knew people on some of the boats, including Senator Daly who is in the House today. He was on one of the boats going to Cyprus.

I call for debates on two other issues, one of which was raised with me in the last few days, that is, rents, both commercial and domestic. A number of people have contacted me — I am sure they have also been in touch with other Members of the Oireachtas — about the very high rents still being demanded for many high street premises and housing units across the country, as a result of the enormous amounts spent and, in some cases, gambled by landlords towards the end of the housing boom. There is an overhang, as a result of which perfectly viable businesses are going to the wall because they cannot afford to pay the rents sought or the rates charged on their premises. We need to look at methods to alleviate the situation for small businesses in terms of the rents being levied by landlords.

I refer to comments made by previous speakers about expenses. A full debate at the appropriate committee is important, but the position of the Green Party has always been that we should move towards having a system of fully vouched expenses which would obviate the need for any such discussion.