Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the announcement yesterday that the bank guarantee, introduced by the previous Government in, as we all know, appalling circumstances, will come to an end on 28 March. This is an important step towards normalisation of the banking sector in Ireland. It is welcome also in the context of the insolvency legislation, which again the previous Government failed to introduce. I am sure colleagues on both sides of the House welcome the ending of the bank guarantee.

I also welcome the publication of the climate action and low carbon development Bill, which was promised by the previous Government and is now being delivered on by this Government. I welcome that an independent advisory body is to be established under that Bill and that this legislation will make our EU targets on climate change Irish targets, which will be binding politically on this and future Governments. As the Senator who introduced the first climate change in the Oireachtas in October 2007, I am welcome that at last we will have Government legislation setting binding targets on climate change. This is a hugely important issue, one which has often been overlooked in the past few years owing to the economic crisis. I welcome that the Government has finally grasped the nettle on this.

I ask that the Leader provide time for a debate on the crisis in Syria. I note from the Human Rights Watch report today that 71 children were among those slaughtered in Aleppo during the past few days. We need to keep our eye on this issue and ensure we are doing all we can, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and the EU, to ensure the humanitarian crisis in Syria is ended.