Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)

Where is everyone? Why not adjourn the House for the week and be done with it? The common theme running through all three issues that arose yesterday was the mortgage crisis. In Private Members' business, when we discussed the Government report card, the first item related to the thousands of people in mortgage arrears, an issue I will discuss further in a moment. Private Members' business in the other House yesterday focused on the interest rates being charged by Permanent TSB and other banks to hard-pressed mortgage holders. I note a Minister did not bother turning up in the Dáil Chamber until 15 minutes after the debate was scheduled to commence. Yesterday, when members of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform called for the Governor of the Central Bank, Professor Patrick Honohan, to appear before it the only Government member present was Deputy Peter Mathews. Perhaps the great Deputy Mathews will explain to the joint committee the reason he voted against the motion he tabled. This is a very serious matter. The Seanad was forced yesterday to move business to next Wednesday and effectively lost an entire afternoon's business. What Ministers are available this week?

I heard the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, interviewed on radio this morning. While I do not wish to make a personal criticism of him given that he comes before the House regularly, he was available to come to the House for only one hour yesterday. Which other Ministers are available? Senators will not put up with this. I want an absolute commitment-----