Feargal Quinn (Independent)

Today was a good day for the Seanad. It was particularly rewarding to hear the speeches made by the various parties. We enhanced our reputation and I believe this is a first step that will be followed by others in the same direction.

Mr. Drew Nelson referred to working with Tourism Ireland. Here is a real opportunity to work together. My father came from County Down and he often claimed we should have made a celebration of the day of the truce in 1921 which came into effect, to the best of my knowledge, on 11 July. He often said we should have a national holiday on that day.

How about having a national holiday here on 11 or 12 July? We may as well make it the 12th while we are at it. This could be an all-Ireland occasion. We have a great day on St. Patrick's Day. It has been very successful and we should, of course, continue it. Perhaps, instead of having Easter Monday followed by May Monday and June Monday, we could consider having a national holiday to overlap the 12 July holiday, as the grand secretary said today. All the festivals and parades could take place on the same weekend.

I support what Senator Cullinane said about pre-budget debates. If we are to debate the budget there is no sense in doing so after its publication. Ten years ago, I was involved in making proposals for Seanad reform. One of the proposals was that all lobbying should take place here in full view. This would be an ideal opportunity for lobbyists who want to gain the ear of the Minister and his officials to come to the Seanad and do so before budget day. Anyone who wished to lobby could do so, not behind the scenes but in full view of the Seanad. The Seanad could provide a perfect opportunity to lobby the Minister if a debate were held pre-budget instead of post-budget. It is nonsensical to have the Minister deliver his budget and for us to debate it afterwards.

Senator Mary Ann O'Brien spoke about last weekend's sick leave scandal, where a reporter visited ten doctors in Dublin, made it clear that she was not ill but wanted a day off work to go to a wedding and seven of the ten doctors gave her a doctor's note. Of the doctors who did not give her a note, one refused because he suspected she might be a reporter and he had been similarly caught out on a previous occasion. I am reminded of what other countries do. In the last week, Barclays Bank was fined £290 million for its breach and GlaxoSmithKline, in the United States, was fined $3 billion for its misbehaviour. I mention this because it seems the Irish Medical Organisation supports the seven doctors who were willing to give a sick note to someone who had no illness whatsoever. There may be a need for us to consider fines for misbehaviour, although perhaps not as big as the GlaxoSmithKline fine. Money talks, and fines might make people think twice before they misbehave.