Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

I begin by asking the Leader a specific question to which I would ask him to reply when he responds to the Order of Business. Is it appropriate that the chief executive and board member of one of the golden ten companies that propped up Anglo Irish Bank shares at the behest of its former chief executive, Mr. Seánie FitzPatrick, has been appointed to the board of the Irish Aviation Authority? Does the Leader think that is right? Do the Green Members here think it is right? What does it say about the political standards of the Fianna Fáil and Green Government? I want the Leader to reply specifically to that. I will not name the person concerned out of respect for the Chair.

Senator Fitzgerald is correct. The Government is unaccountable for the next ten weeks or more, and yet there are 450,000 plus Irish citizens unemployed. Senator Walsh missed the point. They are in denial. They stated we have turned the corner. We have not turned the corner. We need a comprehensive debate, not on a set piece but on a real jobs plan. Where Senator Fitzgerald is spot on is we have heard nothing from Government. The Government has borrowed a Fine Gael policy document about PRSI and has borrowed other policies from us, but it has not any plans of its own. When will the Government give the Irish people a real say in how to run this country by calling an election? The fundamental question that the people want answered is when will we have jobs and when will we have an election.

I will make one further comment to the Leader. I asked for a debate on aviation in this House. Last week the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, raised the flag about renaming State airports. It is imperative the people have an opportunity to have their voice heard in that process as well.