Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I too am appalled at the thought of bonuses being paid at this time. I am all for performance-related remuneration but I am afraid that in advance of a complete reorganisation of the public sector and the implementation of established efficiencies, I do not agree with the payment of bonuses. I hope the Deputy Leader will raise the matter with the Minister for Finance.

I wish to bring another important issue to the attention of the House. I received a letter this week which I gather was a direct mail shot by a company called Elite Financial Marketing Ltd in which it was trying to source investors. Presumably, there is some kind of a broker house in the UK seeking investors in various stocks and shares. The letter stated in bold red letters "FACT: Dublin's debt is expected to soar from 25% of GDP in 2006 to 110% in 2012, meaning the country will be officially bankrupt." That is absolutely incorrect.

On the day the United Kingdom is contemplating legislation to give support to this nation, the Deputy Leader should make contact with the office of the British ambassador and ask that he raise this issue immediately with this so-called Elite Financial Marketing Ltd whose letterhead states it is regulated by the financial regulator and data protection commissioner in the United Kingdom. It is disgraceful in the extreme that anybody would preside over a direct mail shot of this kind at this time. To state that this country is bankrupt is fundamentally incorrect. For Deputy Burton to say this country is banjaxed, to call it an economic corpse or to use any such language is seriously damaging.

The people can justifiably look to the future with hope. I said many times that I have confidence in the resilience of this nation, irrespective of who is in government, and it is disgraceful in the extreme that this so-called Elite Financial Marketing Ltd is allowed access to the people and to put lies in writing. Will the Deputy Leader make contact today with the office of the British ambassador to raise this disgraceful abuse of access to the people?