Alex White (Labour)

I am grateful that the Leader has confirmed that the House will sit for an extra week. I presume that the Bill will go before the Dáil first, if it is to appear before the summer. That leaves a period of only two weeks during which it can appear before the Dáil because I do not believe it is on the Dáil Order Paper to be taken this week. Is there any possibility that it will appear before the summer recess? Without extending the argument and in order that there will be clarity, will the Leader or Deputy Leader do us all a favour and confirm that it will not happen before the summer recess, that it is not proposed to take the Bill until the autumn? There is no reason this cannot be confirmed. Why can it not be confirmed without further ado that it will not happen until the autumn?

On the banks, the finance spokespersons are meeting the Minister for Finance this week to discuss the form the banking inquiry will take. I ask the Leader to give us an undertaking that he will report to the House once there is clarity on the precise form the proposed inquiry will take in order that we can debate the issue. It is all very well for the other House to have the matter before it and have the various spokespersons dealing with it, as is proper, but we should provide for the maximum involvement of the Members of this House who have shown a careful interest in the issue which we have debated many times. Given the expertise available in this House, we should be involved at the highest and deepest possible levels. I ask the Leader to confirm that that will occur in order that we will have a timetable in debating the matter.