Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Darragh O'Brien and welcome the announcement that the sale of the IBRC mortgages will be subject to the code of conduct of the Central Bank. Last week I gave responses as Deputy Leader and thank the Senator for raising the matter last week. As was announced last night, the fact that the matter was raised by so many Members of the Oireachtas from different parties, both Government and Opposition, was a factor in the decision to ensure that the sale would be subject to the code of conduct. We all very much welcome that move and it is a real relief for the 13,000 mortgage holders, in particular.

I congratulate Senator Conway and his colleagues on tabling a motion on community courts last night which was accepted by the Minister for Justice and Equality. I hope, as we all do, that we will see a community court set up in Dublin city centre, on a pilot basis, in the very near future. We had a really good debate and there was strong support for the concept across the House. It built on the work done by the Oireachtas justice committee and the National Crime Council. It is welcome to see such a scheme going forward. It was a sign of the Seanad's strength that it was here that the motion was tabled and agreed to by Government.

I wish to return to the topic that I raised yesterday, namely, the inquiry into the allegations of the Garda whistleblower. It has been confirmed that Mr. Seán Guerin, senior counsel, shall conduct a scoping into the dossier or files provided to the Minister. I welcome the move and wish to say again - and I know that the Minister for Justice and Equality is on his feet in the Dáil now saying the same thing - that we do not rule out a commission of investigation under the 2004 Act being set up subsequently, depending on what Mr. Guerin finds.

It now appears as if the dossier has been known about for some time and there have been a number of internal investigations into same. All of us should welcome the fact that an independent senior counsel will conduct a review and that it has not been ruled out that we will see a further investigation set up, if necessary. It is similar to the scoping inquiry carried out in the past by the senior counsel, Mr. Shane Murphy, which led to the establishment of the Morris tribunal and the subsequent very serious findings of Garda misconduct in Donegal.

I ask the Leader to arrange another debate on the Constitutional Convention and the inclusion of economic, social and cultural rights, particularly the right to housing. At yesterday's Cabinet meeting, the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, secured approval for a policy to end homelessness - a housing-led policy. Senator Hayden, and those of us in the Labour Party group, put forward a motion on the matter recently in the House. The Minister of State has worked on the issue for some time and it is very welcome to see the policy adopted by Cabinet yesterday.

Recently, at the Constitutional Convention, we approved the idea of a right to housing or a home being inserted into the Constitution. A huge majority supported the notion. It would transform the legal framework in which our statutory provisions on homelessness and housing are formulated. It would be very welcome to see the Government take up the recommendations and move forward with a referendum on the right to a home.