Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

I share the concerns expressed by Senators Fitzgerald, Alex White and O'Toole and welcome the forthright statement Senator Boyle made on banking matters. I welcome this evening's debate and hope there will be a further debate on these terms of reference when we know what the Government has decided in regard to them.

There is very serious concern about the comments of the eminent public servant, Dr. Michael Somers, now a public interest director at Allied Irish Banks. That is a matter on which we could usefully have a discussion.

All is not well in beauty's home, sadly, at the moment. We are having a difficult tourism season, as everybody knows, and I share the concern of the Mayor of Killarney regarding Iarnród Éireann's unilateral action in reducing greatly the public opening times of the main ticket office there and installing vending machines when 40% of the people do not have the necessary technology to use these things. We accept this is a major tourist destination and that office and station is a major component part of the our tourism industry. There are significant numbers of people there at various times and it needs to be accessible, as it has been, on an all-day basis.