Alex White (Labour)

On that issue, would the Leader, in his response, indicate the plans for the coming weeks? Whether the election is as soon as 10 March, April, May or, as somebody said to me earlier, June, we are entitled in this final session to some clarity from the Leader as to the likely timetable of legislation in the House.

There is talk about the Finance Bill coming before the House at the end of February. Can we have a list of the Bills it is intended to bring before the House between now and when the Green Party will finally clear off the pitch? It is not much of a demand. I ask Senator Boyle to write a list and let us see it so that we can have some understanding of where we are. I ask for such an indication from the Leader as early as possible. It would assist us all.

Is the Leader aware whether it is intended to hold the referendum on children's rights on the same day as the general election? Has the decision be made? It has been intimated by the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, in recent days. Does the Green party have a view on that? Does the leading party in Government not accept it is more important to have that referendum than a rushed referendum on the future of this institution on the same day as the general election?

I second Senator Fitzgerald's proposal for a debate on the matters she raised, which are of considerable moment and importance. The issue of easy access has been raised as a concern for people in recent days. I agree that easy access is a question of some concern, but while it is important I do not agree it is the most important issue. For months and months in 2008 there must have been exchanges and contact between the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance, the Central Bank, the regulator and Anglo Irish Bank.

It would be extraordinary if such contacts were not made. We know that as early as March 2008 the bank was sliding. Even though I am very critical of the Government I cannot believe there was no contact about it. We know the Taoiseach took a phone call on the weekend of St. Patrick's Day. There are many questions concerning whether he followed up on that. He said he would raise the issue with the Central Bank. Did he ask the Central Bank or the regulator after the meeting on 21 March what happened at the meeting? He must have taken an interest. It would be a dereliction of duty if he did not. Fianna Fáil sometimes seem to think that an independent regulatory system is a way of hiding away from making decisions. It is not; having independent regulators is an important, prudent way of doing business. It is not an excuse for the Government to say it has nothing to do with it.

For months in 2008 there must have been contacts. It points to the real failure of the Houses to have a genuinely robust examination of what the Government was doing and saying, what inquiries it made and what concerns it expressed to the regulator and the Central Bank throughout 2008. The issue I have in regard to the golf outing is not easy access, which is wrong and should be criticised. Why, as Deputy Pat Rabbitte said recent days, is it believable that the Taoiseach, who spent a day with the head of a bank that was going down the toilet in July 2008, would not ask him a question on how things were? It beggars belief. If he did not ask him, why not? He must have asked him. The Taoiseach and the Government must have known what other people could see was happening in 2008. I do not buy the contention that nothing was said throughout the period in question. I would be critical of the Taoiseach and Government if nothing was said. Something must have been said. Those questions deserve to be answered in the context proposed by Senator Fitzgerald.

I ask for the indulgence of the Cathaoirleach to note the passing this week of a great Irishman and party colleague of mine, Mr. Joss Lynam. He was a terrific sportsman who led his first expedition as far back as the 1940s. He was still climbing in the late 1980s after he had a coronary bypass. He was a fantastic example and a great Irishman. We should note his passing this week.