Ivana Bacik (Independent)

Cosúil le Seanadóir Ó Bríain, ba mhaith liom cúpla focail a rá as Gaeilge i seachtain na Gaeilge. Níl go leor Gaeilge agam anois ach bhí fáinne airgead agamsa nuair a bhí mé ar scoil cúpla bliain ó shin.

Beidh lá na mná ann amárach. Quite a number of occasions will mark national women's day tomorrow. I welcome the fact that we will finish our debate on the Electoral (Amendment)(Political Funding) Bill 2011 next Thursday, which will introduce for the first time enforceable targets for the selection of female candidates by political parties. I welcome the other events that will take place. Senator O'Keeffe and I will host a coffee morning in the Private Members' dining room to which all are welcome. It is in aid of Safe Ireland, an organisation that combats domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Given that tomorrow is women's day, will the Leader arrange for a debate on advertising standards? It has been brought to my attention that there has been some seriously offensive and sexist advertising, particularly on Facebook and across social media, concerning nights out in Dublin nightclubs, one in particular. These adverts have been the subject of a large volume of complaints to Facebook. Some of them have been pulled, but others have gone up. A Facebook group is devoted to trying to stop this advertising. I have been in contact with the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland, ASAI, about the matter but its remit does not extend to social media.

This matter probably falls under the remit of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte. Will the Leader invite him to the House to debate extending the jurisdiction of the ASAI so that it can have the power to adjudicate on social media? The importance of that form of media is increasing, as is the number of serious abuses therein due to a lack of advertising standards.

I welcome today's publication by the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality of a report on the heads of the insolvency Bill. Senator Darragh O'Brien referred to people in mortgage arrears. The Bill will play an important role in allowing people to resolve their serious debt issues. That the Bill will cover secured and unsecured debt is important. The banks did not want that, as it means mortgages will be covered. We support this provision. The most important recommendation in the report stems from the advice of every group that presented to us, including the Free Legal Advice Centres, FLAC, and New Beginning, namely, the need for an appeals mechanism to be included in the Bill so that banks will not have a veto on debt settlement procedures. This is an important issue for people in mortgage arrears.