Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I welcome the publication of the Family Home Bill 2011 that Senator MacSharry is to bring before the House. We are all concerned about protecting the family home. Many of us spoke strongly about that in the last Senate, so I welcome a reading of that Bill. With a bit of luck, we will be able to find a way to support many parts of it.

I have been reading about the moves made by the Minister for Education and Skills, and I thought "there is a God, after all" when I read that he will introduce 50% continuous assessment for the junior certificate. I really welcome this move. Our children learn differently, so I am delighted to see that the Minister is talking about 50% continuous assessment and 50% for a terminal exam. I am also delighted about the publication of the literacy and numeracy strategy to which Senator Clune referred. However, I am concerned that the Minister is making rapid and far-reaching decisions that will affect all our lives and our children's lives for generations. We need him to come into this House. I ask the Leader to convey to him my concern that he has not been here. How are we to have any input into his decision making process? How are we to convey the concerns of teachers, parents and students unless we speak directly with him?

I raised the issue of AIB a few weeks ago and its slow move on issuing finance for business. I raised a case for a high-tech company in Galway with €4.5 million in new orders and which was able to employ eight people. Almost four weeks later, the bank has still not issued credit to that company. Representatives from the company contacted me today. They are now about to lose that order. This is wrong. We must have faster decisions by our banks. I have been working with the bank on one side and the client on the other side. I have been given permission by both to do that.