Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

Today's business is extremely light. Having a sos between completion of the Order of Business, probably at noon, and Private Members' business at 3 p.m is a poor use of our time and reflects badly on us. I do not suggest the Leader is doing this but I hope it is not being done for the sake of optics in light of the upcoming debate on the existence of this House. A three hour sos is not good enough. We have enough business issues of national and international importance to discuss. My colleague Senator Burke and others have raised on numerous occasions the fact that this Chamber should scrutinise European legislation. That would be a productive use of our time and Senators across the House could do the job extremely well because we have a broad breadth of knowledge and experience in this Chamber and we pay more attention to legislation than many of our colleagues in the Lower House. I speak from experience as one who has served in the Lower House. I am very disappointed that there is a three hour sos today and I hope in the new year such situations will not occur again.

If colleagues are bored with me raising the issue of the mortgage arrears implementation strategy, I am sorry but the Keane report is nearly 11 weeks old. The Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Brian Hayes, in good faith came to the House and gave a bold statement that the strategy that will address the almost 10% of people in the country whose mortgages are in arrears, would be published before the budget. The budget has gone. My colleague Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Finance when the strategy would be published and he said not before the budget but before the Christmas recess. Today is Wednesday and there are two days left. Will the Leader confirm the mortgage implementation arrears strategy, which is supposed to assist homeowners in great distress coming up to Christmas, will be published this week?

I also wish to raise the ECB interest rate cut. Has the Government brought in any of the banks over the most recent rate cut? Bank of Ireland, which did not pass on the previous cut of 0.25%, this time decided it would pass on only a cut of 0.14%, not the full rate decrease. What is the Government doing about that and about the other institutions that have not passed on those rate cuts?

I called for a debate on education yesterday. That should be the first thing we discuss when we come back on 11 January. Disadvantaged schools, guidance counsellors and the European and second languages programme in primary schools have all seen cuts. Some 500 primary schools are teaching children second languages, predominantly European languages. Everyone agrees there is a grave deficit of knowledge and experience as a country in second and third languages so why is that being cut? I ask the Leader, therefore, to ensure this is the first debate we have when we get back, and I do not care if the Minister for Education and Skills attends, it could be the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The idea must come from this House that education is how we will get out of our difficulties. That has been proven time and again.