David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

I want to raise an issue relating to the Northern Ireland Assembly. A number of Senators have previously called for the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister to come before this House at some point. I remind the Leader that we should consider this possibility. It is important to do so in the context of the £4 billion cut in the Assembly's budget from the block grant from the British Government. One of the key campaigns of the parties in the North involves the transfer of fiscal powers from Westminster to the Assembly. That would allow the parties in the Assembly to deal with this problem, for example, by raising taxes.