Lisa McDonald (Fianna Fail)

Last week I noticed that County Wexford Vocational Education Committee had been allowed to place an advertisement in the newspapers to run the school in Gorey when the people's choice, an Educate Together school, did not have a cent to spend. The vocational education committees need to be examined in a debate on waste.

Yesterday it was brought to my attention that Allied Irish Banks was subcontracting solicitors from large firms who were being paid double what solicitors in the bank were being paid. Why is this allowed to happen? What are we doing about professionals' fees in such cases when we know how much NAMA will cost? What is the due diligence process in the case of the banks and NAMA? If these questions are not asked in the other House, Senators should ask them here. A debate on professionals' fees in the case of NAMA should take place here next week. Is it okay for the chairman of NAMA to admit professionals will be paid €16 million when this could be billed to the banks? It is nothing short of a disgrace. We need to have a debate on the issue and the Seanad to be a little more radical. If we do not become more radical, we will, as the old adage goes, become redundant.