Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

Senators Darragh O'Brien and Colm Burke raised the issue of the role of the Seanad regarding EU scrutiny and European affairs. I have a copy of the Commission's work programme. It was secured for me by Senator Burke. A number of items in it could be discussed by this House. The official view is that the committees are dealing properly with EU scrutiny. I do not believe that is the situation. I believe this House can and should be used for debates on the Commission's work programme and on EU scrutiny. As Senator Burke has said, the Government Whip has said staff would be required to allow the House to have such debates, in order to ensure the proper information was available to us in advance of our discussions. I hope we can move that on in early course and have these debates. I assure the House that my office will not try to stifle discussion of these matters. This is an ideal forum for debates on the EU work programme and on EU scrutiny.

Senator Darragh O'Brien also called for a debate on the implementation of the mortgage arrears strategy. I will endeavour to have the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, come to the House to deal with the matter.

Senator O'Brien and a number of other Senators referred to the letters that were sent to pensioners by the Revenue Commissioners. I totally accept that the letters have caused confusion, anxiety and concern for some pensioners. Obviously, this is an operational matter for the Revenue Commissioners. They have an independent and legitimate responsibility to do their work. I can tell Senator O'Brien that I am not aware of any contact between the Minister for Finance and the Revenue Commissioners. There are lessons to be learned from exercises like those we have seen. The Revenue Commissioners have accepted that the communication strategy in this regard should have been handled better.

As Senators are aware, officials from the Revenue Commissioners are meeting an Oireachtas committee to debate this matter. I reject the criticism from some quarters to the effect that the political system should somehow be directing the Revenue Commissioners' operational issues. Significant problems have developed in countries which such direction takes place. The Revenue Commissioners are responsible for ensuring people pay the right amount of tax at the right time. The State entrusts that job to the Revenue Commissioners. That is all I have to say on the matter.

Senator Bacik welcomed the new jobs initiative that was announced today, involving nine Departments. I think everyone will welcome that. It is something we should discuss in this House. I remind the House that, following a request for debates to be held in this House without Ministers being present, Senators will be able to come up with job ideas and opportunities during such a debate next week. Everybody in the House will have a chance to propose job creation ideas and suggest what we should be doing. I will allow for an open-ended debate on the matter next week. I hope we will be bursting with job creation ideas then.

Senators Bacik, Healy Eames and Mullins raised the question of Vietnamese adoptions. Reference was made to the fact that the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, is in Vietnam. It would be appropriate for us to have a debate on this issue. We could also discuss the increase in children calling the childline service on Christmas day and throughout the Christmas period, which was mentioned by Senator Mullins. I am sure the Minister would be quite willing to come here to debate those matters.

Senator Zappone mentioned a very important issue, namely, a move to having mixed-gender dormitories for homeless women. The idea is there would be no female-only accommodation. I do not believe it is acceptable there would be no such female-only accommodation. We will certainly raise the matter with the new Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, whom I will invite to the House to discuss the whole area of housing and homelessness, as soon as she has a chance to brief herself.

Senator Mullen spoke about guidance counsellors. Other Members sought a debate on education. I have asked the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, to come to the House and I await his response. He will be present to deal with legislation in the coming weeks but I hope he will be in a position to attend for a general debate on education issues as raised by Members.

Senators Mooney and Quinn mentioned diesel and the laundering of same. There is no doubt this is a major problem and the cost to the Exchequer is enormous at this stage. The matter has been brought up with the Minister on several occasions and I agree some action must be taken. I do not believe there should be any question of removing the subsidy farmers have for agricultural diesel. An Bord Bia and the importance of agriculture were raised by Senator Comiskey. Agriculture is responsible for a good amount of our export growth and it is important that farmers be given every possible incentive to increase that growth. There was significant growth in incomes for the farming community last year but farmers had many years of poor incomes in the past. The average income is not yet up to the industrial wage so I do not believe there is any prospect of removing the subsidy for diesel for farmers.

Senators Moloney and Gilroy mentioned the Vita Cortex situation which will be dealt with as an Adjournment motion today, raised by Senator Clune. Senator Gilroy also raised the issue of workers in Bowen construction. The protection of workers, companies that go into liquidation and the NAMA situation must all be clarified. I agree totally with the Senators in that regard. Workers should not be the ones who suffer as a result of any problems that arise from the liquidation or folding up of a company, or its relationship with NAMA. The Minister must deal with that issue.

Senator Quinn and a number of other Senators passed a vote of sympathy in regard to the death of Mary Raftery. Senator Quinn also mentioned John McCarthy, who was a champion of mental health issues. Bridie Gallagher was mentioned too, as was the literary editor of The Irish Times, Caroline Walsh. All Members wish to express their deepest sympathy to the families of all four people mentioned by various Senators on the Order of Business.

Senator Coghlan spoke about Archbishop Brown, the new papal nuncio, and I am sure we all welcome his appointment. Mr David Cooney is our ambassador designate and the Senator expressed the wish that we would once again have full ambassadorial status with the Vatican and that our embassy there would be restored.

Senator Cullinane sought a debate on job creation and education, matters I have covered. The House will have a very important debate on small businesses and the report of the advisory group on small businesses following the Order of Business. I hope there will be many contributors to the debate.

Senator O'Keeffe asked for the independent report on the Mayo abuse case to be published. I will inquire as to its status in that regard.

Senator Ó Murchú raised the matter of Palestine getting observer status at the UN. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade will be in the House on 2 February and the matter can be raised with him then.

Senator Healy Eames asked if the new €3.75 million fund for the teaching of science, an important area, will include IT. I will find out for her what the funding covers. She also raised the debate on suicide which will be held tomorrow. I originally envisaged it would involve only group spokespersons with a question-and-answer session at the end. However, due to the wide interest in the debate and the number of requests I have had for speaking time, spokespersons will now get eight minutes and other Members five minutes which they can share to allow in as many Members as possible. That is why there may not be a question-and-answer session at the end.

As regards Senator Crown's question about Roscommon County Hospital, I do not intend to rehearse the whole question again. It is operating-----