Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

I have a follow-up question to one I asked the Leader last week. In the context of the worsening mortgage crisis, I have put on the record of the House on numerous occasions the inaction of the Government in dealing with this matter and the fact that the situation is getting worse. Last week I asked the Leader to arrange for the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Brian Hayes, to discuss the Government's view on this worsening crisis, especially in light of the failure to fulfil the commitment given to this House in late November last by the Minister of State that the Government would produce a full mortgage arrears implementation strategy in advance of the budget. I ask the Leader to update me and my colleagues on whether we have secured time for the Minister of State to come to the House to attend a very important discussion on this worsening crisis.

I have a more difficult request for the Leader. Has he made any progress in securing the attendance of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, in the House to discuss the important matter of the sale of State assets? As I said last week and as confirmed by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, it was not agreed in the first memorandum of understanding. The figure of €2 billion was agreed by the Government in the revised memorandum of understanding in July on the sale of State assets.

I was with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, on Sunday evening. He was in particularly good form then so it might be a good time to ask him to come to the House for a proper structured debate on the sale of State assets in which he could outline which assets are deemed strategic. He could also tell Members when the Government believes it will realise some of the assets. The Government has said it will invest one third of the proceeds from these sales in job creation. It is important for the Leader to confirm in the House today that it is anything over €2 billion, so if the State raises €2.1 billion, €100 million will be invested in job creation. I put it to the Leader that last July's jobs initiative did not have the desired effect. I would welcome a proper and frank debate with all Members, including the Minister, Deputy Howlin.

In light of the fact that the week after next, in what is a good departure in the House and on which I commend the Leader, we will have a full debate on the EU fiscal compact with a briefing the week before, we need clarification before that debate on what the Government's position was and whether, as I mentioned last week, the German Minister for European Affairs was correct in saying that this EU treaty was designed to ensure no referendum would be held in Ireland. Last week, I asked for the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,Deputy Lucinda Creighton, to come to the House because she said something absolutely to the contrary. Therefore, I am moving an amendment to the Order of Business to request that the Minister of State, Deputy Creighton, come to the House today to explain if it is the case that the Government's negotiating position was that the EU fiscal compact would be drafted in such a fashion that the Irish people would not have a say on it in a referendum.