Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

I am sure all my colleagues share my disappointment with the Keane report and the proposals therein, which fall far short of what the Government promised. It appears from the report that the Government will leave the decisions on debt settlement to the banks, and there is a proposal to set up a toothless agency. This is unlike the independent debt settlement office which my party, Fianna Fáil, proposed by way of a Bill published yesterday and which will go before the Dáil next week.

To be fair, all Senators want to assist people in mortgage difficulties as much as possible. I do not doubt the intentions of the Government but these were laid out very clearly in the run-up to the general election and the programme for Government. I remind the Leader of two specific elements which were promised and which I have raised directly with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan. These include the proposal for 30% mortgage interest relief for individuals who bought houses between 2004 and 2008, which on average would amount to as much as €166 per month net. This was promised during the general election and although we have consistently asked the Minister when it will be implemented, it has not been done.

The new Government also promised it would ensure that the State-covered banks would subsume and forgo future ECB rate increases, of which we have had two this year, amounting to a 0.5% increase in total. None of those increases have been subsumed by the banks, and this amounts to another broken promise. The Government also indicated that it would create an agency with teeth and legal standing to assist people with mortgage and personal debt issues. What was proposed yesterday in the Keane report goes nowhere close to doing that. Over the past six to seven months the Government has raised the expectations of individuals who are extremely vulnerable and it has reneged on the promises it made.

The Dáil will debate this report next week and I assume we will debate it at length. I ask the Leader to set aside the maximum amount of time next week to debate the findings in the report. The Minister for Finance said he will listen very carefully to the views of Members of the Oireachtas from all parties, which I welcome. New Beginnings, which is an excellent group, and many other independent groups are very disappointed with the Keane report.

We will wait until next week to debate it and I hope the Leader sets sufficient time aside because even in the short time of this Government, my party has published two significant Bills, one of which would protect the family home and which was defeated by three votes in the Seanad. We have now published a Bill on establishing an independent debt management agency to which the banks would have to answer. What the Government proposes is that our people will be answerable to the banks. It has reneged on significant promises it made in the election. Will the Leader set aside time next week for us to once again put forward the realistic proposals we have?

Will the Leader reiterate what the Taoiseach, Deputy Kenny, and Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Gilmore, said at their 100 days in office press conference, namely, that they would not cut social welfare and increase income tax? Yesterday, the Fiscal Advisory Council called for a €4.4 billion adjustment this year. If the Leader knows how in God's name the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, will do that without cutting social welfare and raising income tax, he should tell him. Can the Leader tell me that the Fine Gael-Labour Party Government is still committed to no social welfare cuts and no tax increases?