Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

Senator D'Arcy also called for a debate on Palestinian statehood. We should arrange a debate. If we can have an agreed motion, we could possibly have a debate on that if we can secure the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Gilmore.

I already addressed Senator MacSharry's matter and again compliment him on introducing the Family Home Bill.

Senator Healy Eames called for a debate with the Minister for Education and Skills on the literacy report, to which I referred. She also called for a debate on AIB. I am sure the Senator, if she has dealt with the matter between both the bank and the company involved, has brought the Credit Review Office into this matter. It is not acceptable that banks are not lending to small enterprises, as she mentioned.

Senator Norris spoke about the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA. HIQA has produced quite a number of reports on nursing homes and many nursing homes have been closed. I do not think any of those nursing homes were closed down because of economic principles. The closures were based on the authority's reports on what was going on in those particular nursing homes and I am sure everybody here agreed with HIQA on the closure of the nursing homes involved.

Senator Comiskey sought a debate on planning in rural Ireland and the role of An Bord Pleanála. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, has agreed to come in here in September to discuss the question of reform of local government.

Senator Daly and Senator Reilly sought a debate on Bord Gáis price increases which will be dealt with by the energy regulator. It is a cause of concern that prices are rising. I referred previously to the question which Senator Daly raised on organ donation.

Senator Keane called for a debate on the training for junior doctors and offering incentives for junior doctors to stay at home, which is an interesting proposal. She is quite correct. There has been the Fitzgerald report, the Hanly report and several other reports on the health service over the years which gathered dust.

Senator Mullins requested the CEO of the HSE to be invited to attend the House. We will be having a meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges later and we must examine the question of invitations and who we should invite into the House.

Senator Mooney raised the Italian and Spanish debt crisis and invited the Minister for Finance into the House to debate the debt burden. The Minister for Finance is anxious to come into the House but it is a matter of finding the necessary time. If we can have the Minister for Finance in here before the summer recess at the end of July, we will get him to discuss the question of debt burden and the budgetary process.