Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I share the concern of Senator Ross. I ask the Leader, if there is an opportunity at some point, to bring the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, before the House, perhaps when we debate the Central Bank Reform Bill, to outline his reaction to what, as Senator Ross correctly said, has been a group of bankers at senior level in this country who have been lying through their teeth, not only to the Government but to the Irish people and NAMA. It is time they were rooted out.

It is an extraordinary situation that the loan book was being lied about to such an extent that, as one commentator put it yesterday, in real terms a loan which was taken out on a field at a particular value of many millions of euro three or four years ago is now worth nothing more than the value of a field. There have been no factories, hotels or apartments built on it. A high level of subterfuge and treachery has been going on in the Irish banking sector and it is time it was rooted out once and for all.

I also share the concern and anger which has been expressed on both sides of the House regarding respite care. Senator Corrigan initiated it and Senators Deary and Healy Eames also spoke on it. The issue of respite is something that strikes at the very core of a family which is dealing with somebody with a disability. Whatever the budgetary reasons or justifications being given by the HSE, this is an untouchable area. For a HSE official to say it was going to work through the proposal to cut the services of the Brothers of Charity in Galway further is totally unacceptable.

It is unfortunate the HSE has been set up legally in such a way that all of us in this House and the other House seem to be impotent. The Minister of the day seems to be impotent regarding decisions being taken the HSE. It is long past time that this scenario was changed and I plead with the Leader to give some opportunity for the House to express its deep anger at what the HSE is doing and the callous unchristian attitude which it seems to be adopting towards those who are suffering from mental ill-health.