David Norris (Independent)

I join other Senators in expressing sympathy with the family of Mr. Barry. I agree with what Senator Bacik said about the debate. I thought Deputy Clare Daly showed remarkable courage and the atmosphere has changed. Anybody who listened to "The Late Debate" on RTE radio will have noticed a remarkable similarity in the language used in this House - regrettably from these benches - and from the person who was representing the so-called pro-life movement. It was the repeating of a mantra obviously by a group who are concerted. That is what we live with in this world.

I ask the Leader for a debate on the economy. It is timely to have a series of rolling debates on the economy because of the activities of the banks. Yesterday an elderly couple living in Killiney were evicted and are now on the side of the road. I was pretty disgusted by some of the comments on the radio from people who have no sympathy for them simply because they live in Killiney. I have no knowledge of their circumstances but where they live does not make it any easier to be forcibly ejected from their own home and forced to live in a tent in their garden without any access to their personal possessions. I believe it is a disgrace. Many of the banks that came flooding into this country when they saw easy money to be made have now shagged off out of it and are getting their jaws sunk into the unfortunate Irish people. I never thought I would see the day when there would be evictions in this country again. If they are to continue and if there is one eviction in 2016, in my opinion the whole thing should be cancelled in honour of people like James Connolly and Pádraig Pearse, who fought against evictions.

While I am discussing the banks, I ask the Leader to communicate my concern to the Minister for Finance. They are still swindling us as hard as they possibly can. If one issues a cheque it takes four days to clear. They should be given five seconds because it can be done by computer. Where did that money go for the four days? We all know where it goes - it goes to support the banks so that they can get interest on the money they have stolen from their own customers and then lodged.

We should take on board the issue of the seriousness of the issue of eviction. Four years ago in this House I called for the establishment of a department of home security to ensure people's constitutional rights to safety in their own home.

I finally refer to the so-called body exhibition that is taking place in the Rotunda, with glowing tributes from the newspaper of record, The Irish Times. Will the Leader inquire of the appropriate Minister as to the conditions of this exhibition? I understand an American company bought the bodies form a Chinese hospital. There has been a suggestion that some of these are victims of Falun Gong executions. It is clear that neither the people who were the original occupants of the bodies nor their families gave consent for this exhibition. It is an absolute disgrace and an affront to human dignity that this exhibition should be permitted in this country.