Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)

I dtosach báire, ba mhaith liom tacú leis an leasú atá molta ar an Riar Gnó ar maidin go dtiocfaidh an tAire, an Teachta Phil Hogan, isteach le labhairt faoi an muirir teallaigh - an household charge - inniu.

I raised the issue of the household charge on three occasions. It was very interesting, and I welcome the expression by Senators O'Neill and Harte of interest in the Six Counties. I too join in calling for that debate and I ask the Leader whether the letter has been forwarded to the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister inviting them to address the Houses of the Oireachtas. This would be very appropriate. Senators on the Government side see the merit of such an invitation. A frank and open debate on the Northern Ireland economy would be very useful to Members on all sides.

I take this opportunity to commend the representatives from the Centres for Independent Living on their presentation to Members in the audio visual room. When we have argy-bargies on the promissory notes and the European banks, those who cannot stand up for themselves tend to be forgotten. The harrowing presentation on the lives of people with disabilities would break your heart. The most telling statement I heard during the day was that of a man who said that due to the cutbacks in the carer's allowance, he has a carer three days a week, but that he has cystic fibrosis seven days a week.

I call on the Leader for a full, frank and wide-ranging debate on the disability sector and how the payments to the banking sector are affecting the people on the ground who need our help and cannot be forgotten. There are cutbacks in occupational and speech therapy, personal assistants and so on. We cannot lose sight of this important issue.