Dominic Hannigan (Labour)

I join Senator Fitzgerald in calling for a debate on Dublin Bus services and Bus Éireann services to the commuter towns. Recently, during a cold snap, we saw the fantastic services these companies provide to commuters from places such as Ashbourne and Dunshaughlin. The bus is the only means of transport to work for these commuters when they cannot use their cars. Another cold snap is due next week. I am sure the bus companies will do their utmost to get people to their destinations.

I would like to extend the debate to include future transport provision in the capital. Yesterday at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Transport, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport representatives told us about their proposals to meet the city's future transport needs. A recent review by the institute concluded that the prioritisation of schemes should be considered. It feels the DART extension should be considered more favourably and sooner than metro north. This would be a very interesting debate. I am still not convinced that the cost-benefit ratio for metro north indicates we should proceed with this project straight away. We could benefit from a debate on this. I ask the Leader to arrange one.

I join Senator O'Toole in calling for a debate on euro bonds. When we debated the Lisbon treaty some years ago, reference was made to the spirit of solidarity. It was asked whether countries in trouble would receive help from their fellow EU member states. We said at the time we would not send military assistance but other forms of assistance. Now is the time for us to receive assistance from other European countries. I invoke the spirit of Article 222. I was glad to hear Martin Schulz, chairman of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, of which group my party, the Labour Party, is a member, state this morning he would be in favour of considering euro bonds. Ms Angela Merkel is a member of the European People's Party in the European Parliament, of which party Fine Gael is a member. Between people such as Ms Merkel, Mr. Sarkozy and Mr. Schulz, we could negotiate a better deal than the one that was done last week on the ECB loan. I encourage the leaders of the Labour Party and Fine Gael to talk to their European counterparts to determine whether we can secure a better deal.