David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

I assume Senators from all parties are concerned and worried about the latest forecasts from the ESRI which has forecast that next year the domestic economy will only grow at half the rate predicted by the Government, less than 1%. The ESRI predicts that 35,000 more young people will emigrate, that 22,000 more people will lose their jobs and that we could and probably will take a hit on our exports because of a drop in consumer demand and problems in the American and European economies. It also talks about the crisis in the eurozone. While it is reasonably optimistic that the euro will survive, it is very concerned about the lack of leadership being shown in Europe.

This goes to the heart of many of the discussions that have taken place in the House in recent weeks. On six occasions I called for proper pre-budget debates. I accept the bona fides of the Leader that he tried to get the Minister of State to come to the House this week. We must do things differently next year. A number of Senators from the Government parties spoke about wanting to see better governance and better ways of doing things. This is a national crisis which needs a national response. We will not have a national government or a government of unity but we must explore all of the options, proposals and ideas from all of the groups and parties and properly debate them.

Along with a number of Senators from the Government benches, I attended the pre-budget launch of the medical research charities group this morning. There are launches from these groups every day but we are not being given the opportunity in this House to debate them with the relevant Ministers. Perhaps the Seanad Public Petitions Committee might give us an opportunity next year to bring in some of those groups.

I implore the Leader to ensure we have proper discussions about these very important issues next year because an accusation was made about politicians in the past, with which I fully agree, that they were asleep at the wheel. However, we cannot be accused of that if we are not given the opportunity to have proper discussions. Those on the opposite side of the House cannot say they do not want shouting sessions and the Punch and Judy type politics they say they get from this side of the House if they do not give us an opportunity even to discuss proposals we are putting forward and want to debate.

There is a real need for a culture change in this Seanad. There have been positive changes and I commended the Leader on them yesterday. They will make a difference to the workings of this House but there is still a long way to go if we are to have the kind of debate, scrutiny and oversight of which we need to be part and which this country needs at this point.