Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With my colleague, Senator Paul Coghlan, I share the fear than an Oireachtas inquiry would not work but would turn into a circus and come to no conclusion as the legislation does not allow it to find on matters attributing blame. What we want is action and a criminal prosecution. It is lamentable that it has taken this length of time and that nobody is behind bars in respect of what happened in the banking crisis.

I support my Sinn Féin colleagues in respect of their proposed amendment to the Order of Business which seeks extra time for debate. When we speak about guillotining the debate, we should speak about it in a language that people understand. The debate was cut short; it was stopped and stifled. The Taoiseach will come into the House for the debate but only one person from each group will be allowed to speak and he will walk out the door merrily. That is what he means by democratic reform given that he stopped debate in the other House on the issue. Nobody has outlined what is to replace the Seanad and its powers.

I seek the indulgence of the Cathaoirleach on another matter. Today, the US Senate will again vote on immigration reform. Last Monday, the vote was 67:27 in favour of immigration reform which will take 50,000 undocumented Irish out of the shadows. The Irish lobby for immigration reform has worked tirelessly on the issue in recent years and has asked colleagues here and around the country to contact people they know in Maine, Ohio and Pennsylvania to lobby their public representatives to support the legislation.