Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are not being given the opportunity here, as public representatives, to debate an issue of national significance and importance ahead of a decision being taken. I know it may not be at the discretion of the Leader and he may be forced into a situation by the Government. However, I would ask him to stand strong and represent the Seanad, not accept the push which is coming from the Government on this issue and to have a debate in the House before a decision is made in the other House.

I agree with other Senators that we should have a debate in regard to agriculture, particularly the beef genomics scheme, the closing date for which is today. It is not workable at all. We need a debate on that issue and on the other environmental schemes from Pillar 2 of the Common Agricultural Policy. These schemes are not working. Money is coming from Europe but farmers are unable to draw it down and unable to apply, given the complexities of the schemes. It needs a deeper debate than is possible in a Commencement debate because there are issues that need to be teased out with the Minister in the House. I ask that this be organised in the next few weeks.

I call on the Leader to have the Minister for Finance come before the House for a debate on the most recent European Commission recommendations and opinion on the national reform programme in Ireland. There are some damning statistics, information and opinion in the report, which outlines that while there is some level of economic improvement in the country, there are other issues like private and public debt which are not being addressed by public policy interventions. The report outlines the crisis in the health sector and also looks at the banks' self-reliant techniques in order to deal with people who find themselves in debt which they are unable to pay. I ask that the Minister for Finance come to the House for a debate on the report. In all of its public policy interventions, the Government is failing to deal with the outlook being expressed not only by the European Commission, but also by the IMF and others.