Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

I wish the Cathaoirleach, the Leader and my colleagues a very happy new year and I hope they all enjoyed the break. This session is an important one and I commend the Leader and the other members of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges on the changes made to the way the Seanad operated in the past session. There have been very good and positive initiatives, although more are required.

In that vein, will the Leader consider the role of the Oireachtas in regard to EU scrutiny which has been raised on a number of occasions? The Oireachtas is deficient in the work it does in scrutinising proposed EU legislation. The second Lisbon referendum gave us the powers to scrutinise proposed EU legislation and we should do so if the other House will not do so. I do not believe the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs does so in a detailed way, although it is no reflection on the members of that committee. As I saw on previous occasions, it is effectively a rubber stamp.

Given that our interaction with Europe is probably now more important than it has ever been, because we are in the midst of an EU crisis, it is crucial we are proactive in this regard. Will the Leader seriously consider this? There are a number of EU directives and there is proposed EU legislation on which we could start immediately, and we should do so.

On a number of occasions over the past three months, I asked when the Government will publish its mortgage arrears implementation strategy. I remind my colleagues that the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, gave a firm commitment in this House that it would be done prior to the budget on 6 December, but it was not done. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, said it would be done before Christmas and that the Government would let people know what it would do with the 10% and upwards of principal private residential mortgages which are more than 90 days in arrears, but that was not done.

I heard in media reports that the Cabinet was to get a report last week or is to get one this week. When will the Government publish this long awaited mortgage arrears implementation strategy? It is almost three months since the publication of the Keane report but this report has still not been published. When will this report be published and when will there be some relief for mortgage holders?

I welcome the commitments the Leader received from Ministers to come to the House over the next few weeks. Will he ask the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, or the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, to come to the House to discuss the 150,000 letters the Revenue Commissioners issued in the new year to senior citizens? Everyone must be tax compliant. There is no issue with that. Of those 150,000, 15,000 will have tax taken from them and then refunded.

However, an issue arises whereby 115,000 of those individuals will have very small liabilities but I want to know - the Leader might be able to answer this question - if the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, or the Taoiseach knew about this initiative. It was interesting that in recent days Ministers and the Taoiseach said they were very concerned and they would talk to the Revenue Commissioners but did anyone talk to Revenue before the event? There is no way the Minister for Finance would not have known about this initiative from Revenue. Can the Leader confirm that the Minister for Finance did know of it? What advice was he given and what interaction did he have with the Revenue Commissioners before these letters were issued?