Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like others, I ask the Leader to organise a real debate in regard to the mortgage issue and the disturbing case reported in the The Irish Times today of a Garda sergeant and his wife who, as Senator Norris pointed out, have cornflakes days because that is all they can afford to eat. These are the new vulnerable in Irish society. Former President Bill Clinton said in October 2011 that we must solve our mortgage problem in Ireland and that it was the key to ensuring the economy gets going again. Yet, 12 months on, there has been no action by the Government.

I also ask the Leader to organise a debate about the survivors of child sex abuse, particularly the disturbing cases of those who were offered compensation by the Christian Brothers and other organisations, where they had secured criminal convictions against the perpetrators. In one case, however, a person who is terminally ill had that offer withdrawn by the Christian Brothers. That man suffered abuse and succeeded in a criminal conviction yet, when asked by the judge whether he wanted a custodial sentence bestowed on the perpetrator of that awful crime against him, he asked the judge not to do so. Now, the Christian Brothers have withdrawn their offer and, knowing that he is dying, hope that John Allen passes away before his case ever gets to court.