Martin Conway (Fine Gael)

There are times when institutions which have served the State well, which were born of and espoused integrity during the years, reach a point in their existence when they must stand back and take stock, particularly when there is reputational damage, as has happened in the case of RTE. I call on the director general and the chairman of the RTE Authority to take two or three steps back and look at the bigger picture, at the future role RTE will play if it can restore its reputation. They will have no choice but to do this when they take these steps back and see the damage done in the last 12 months. Having an inquiry would be healthy and must happen in the public interest.

I call for a debate on white collar crime. In this country, to date, we have seen no bankers go to jail, in spite of bankrupting the State. It is a shame that no one from Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society has had to walk into Mountjoy Prison and take his or her place in a cell, like those who have committed much less onerous crimes. We have a responsibility to debate the issue of white collar crime in the Seanad.

I finish by calling on the Mahon tribunal to publish its report. It has gone on for too long and we must put the issues involved behind us. The report must be published soon.