Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

It is appropriate that we refer today to the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. In fact, there is a commemoration today in Glasnevin Cemetery. This country has reached a stage of maturity where people can recognise what happened at that difficult time and the number of people who sacrificed their lives for a cause about which they were very sincere.

I support Senator Boyle's comments about the international media and the undermining of this country, its economy and the eurozone. I received a call yesterday from a counsellor of an investor in New York who has invested €1.6 million in Roscommon. He was worried because he had heard the statement by Mr. Mark Grant, managing director of Southwest Securities, on Bloomberg TV. It was a dangerous and damaging statement about this country which was broadcast around the world. There are two points I wish to make about this. First, I met the Minister last night and was reassured that under the eligible liability guarantee scheme, all deposits were guaranteed up to next year and beyond. In the circumstances, I believe the Minister should make a state of the nation address under section 31(2) of the Broadcasting Authority Act 1960. The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources could issue a directive to RTE to allow the Minister to make such a statement which would be carried worldwide. The situation is so grave-----