Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I read the report in today's edition of The Irish Times concerning the projected liabilities of Dublin City Council, to which Senator O'Brien is referring. Certainly, I would share his concern about that. It does seem somewhat invidious that the council would be left with liabilities without relevant assets. We will have the opportunity to debate that with the Minister, Deputy Hogan, on the Water Services Bill. I understand the councillors from Dublin City Council are seeking a meeting today on that issue.

I echo the words of Senator O'Brien with regard to the excellent debate on the Pyrite Resolution Bill in the House yesterday. There was a strong welcome from both sides of the House for the Bill and I hope we will see similar levels of consensus breaking out across the floor on Committee Stage of the Bill this afternoon. I understand the bulk of the amendments are technical Government amendments.

I thank the Leader for agreeing yesterday to my request for a debate on job creation following the exit from the bailout, and I hope we will have that debate with the Ministers, Deputies Bruton and Burton, in the new year. Given we will later today see the publication of the Government's economic plan and strategy for the coming years following the bailout exit, it might also be appropriate to have the Minister, Deputy Noonan, in the House in the new year to debate that plan so we can tease out with him the detail of it. As always, there is a frenzy of legislation in the last week or two of the Christmas term - it happened under the last Government and it seems to happen under every Government. This is unfortunate because we should have more time for considered debate. I know the Leader is doing his very best to ensure we do, which why we sat so late last night. However, I know we will have time for more reasoned and considered debate in the new year, which will be the appropriate time to debate those matters which would require greater consideration like job creation, the European youth guarantee implementation plan and the Government's economic plan.