Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding arrangements for the address to Seanad Éireann by Ms Catherine McGuinness, on 19 June 2014, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 2, Companies Bill 2012 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 3.45 p.m. and to adjourn no later than 9.30 p.m. This business will be interrupted at 6.15 p.m. and will resume at 7.30 p.m.; No. 4, Public Health (Sunbeds) Bill 2013 – Committee and Remaining Stages (resumed). We have need a few minutes to complete this Bill. No amendments have been tabled. I hope it will be concluded in a short time and, therefore, it will be taken at 6.15 p.m. and conclude no later than 6.30 p.m., if not previously concluded; and No. 3, Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014 – Order for Second Stage and Second Stage, to be taken immediately following the conclusion of No. 4 and to adjourn no later than 7.30 p.m., with the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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What lines of communication has the Leader with his peers in the Lower House? We felt the banking inquiry issue had been put to bed last week but, as a result of statements made yesterday by the Minister for Finance and earlier by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the escapade regarding what happened at the meeting of the Committee of Selection and in this House seems to have grown legs. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade accused us of pulling a stroke last week and, thankfully, the Leader clarified the position on the record of the House, which I appreciate. Yesterday, I was amazed when listening to the news to hear the Minister for Finance repeating the word "stroke". Today, it had developed into a coup, according to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

Each one of the politburo within the Government-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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We cannot discuss last week's business again this week.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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The banking inquiry is the most current issue we have to discuss.

David Norris (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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The politburo of the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform has colluded to try to damage the reputation of the House and the Committee of Selection. It has scored a spectacular own goal, which no own goal in the World Cup will rival. In scoring this own goal, they have tried to attack individuals in this House. There was an attempt to assassinate the character of one of the nominees, Senator MacSharry. There were also attempts to damage the workings of the Committee of Selection and to say the House did not know what it was doing. Has the Leader a line of communication open to the politburo in the Lower House? I am sure the Taoiseach was involved in this appointment. The Tánaiste, the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform and the Taoiseach are smarting and hurting because of the own goal that was scored. The committee system was set up more than 20 years ago and it is unprecedented to enlarge the membership of a committee to ensure the politburo gets it way, has a majority and can dictate the terms of the reference of the inquiry. They will try to project and gauge the outcome of the inquiry and set it out in such a way that it will be politically damaging to Fianna Fáil more so than others.

There was a suggestion that the membership of the inquiry committee would reflect the numbers in both Houses. If that was the case, why were the 14-member Fianna Fáil group, Sinn Féin, the Independents and others not consulted about who should be the Opposition spokesperson? While I do not want to go down that road, it is imperative that we get to this because the banking inquiry has been damaged in the eyes of the public. The continuing remarks, which are offensive to me and many other Senators, by the Tánaiste and the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, who are all within the politburo of the Government, are trying to do down what happened at the Committee of Selection and this is only adding to the fact that they were caught out trying to engineer the inquiry. They have spectacularly failed and the public will state that to them.

I would like to put on record my admiration for Deputy Donnelly for having the wisdom, good faith and trust to stand down from the committee, which has a particular agenda and motive.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The Senator is over time.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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The Government is now stating the Whip will not be imposed, but that is a damp squib at this stage. I am proposing an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, who yesterday made a vicious attack on this House and the Committee of Selection, come and explain to the House where he got this notion of a stroke. This would not have happened if there had been proper communication between the Fine Gael and Labour Party groupings and the Leader, for whom I have great respect and whose integrity is certain. I want the Minister to come and explain what is going on and clarify his remarks in order that this House will no longer be dragged ine this mire that the Government has created. That is the least that could be done. The Minister should come before the House today as a matter of urgency to clarify his remarks and stop codding the people and trying to throw the blame for something it created. The Government should wake up and state: "We tried to engineer this banking inquiry. We will dictate the results."

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The Senator is way over time.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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It is not going to get away with it. The Minister for Finance should come before the House today.

Ivana Bacik (Independent)
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I know that the Leader will respond to Senator Denis O'Donovan on the banking inquiry issue. I will just say this. I hope the members of the inquiry team or, to be correct, the committee that has been set up to establish the terms of reference for the banking inquiry can be left to get on with their important work. It is hugely important and urgent that we see terms of reference set for the banking inquiry in order that the hearings proceed as envisaged.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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It is work which has already been discredited.

Ivana Bacik (Independent)
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I thank the Leader in what is a busy week in legislative terms for setting aside a short time at 11.45 a.m. tomorrow for statements on the 750th anniversary of the first Irish Parliament. I thank my Trinity College Dublin colleague, Mr. Paul Horan, for bringing this to my attention. I mentioned at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges that 18 June marked the 750th anniversary of the earliest known Irish Parliament for which there is a definitive record. It met on 18 June 1264 at Castledermot, County Kildare. There is an article by Mr. Horan in this month's edition of History Ireland. While we will talk more about the issue tomorrow, I thank the Leader because it is nice that we are able to mark this anniversary.
As I am sure others will, I record my condemnation of the shooting of a six year old boy in Dublin on Friday evening. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, also issued a statement condemning the shooting. It was particularly heinous and appalling to see a young boy literally caught in crossfire. I know that everyone will wish to share in that condemnation.
I commend the former President, Mrs. McAleese, for her comment that it would be "completely bonkers" to ask 150 male celibates to review Church teaching on family life and the Catholic Church. Former President McAleese was pulling no punches with her words which certainly have resonance for many of us here.

David Norris (Independent)
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I have come from my convalescent bed today for one purpose, that is, to demand that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, stop lying about the decision of the Committee of Selection to nominate the members it chose in a democratic, proper and appropriate fashion to sit on the banking inquiry committee. I second Senator Denis O'Donovan's proposal that the Minister be invited to address the House to clarify the matter. He must know. I issued two statements on it last week and Senator Denis O'Donovan has clarified it. I pay a particular tribute to the Leader of the House who made it absolutely clear what the situation was. Nobody can criticise him. He laid his reputation on the line. I am demanding that they stop lying. It was my vote. Fianna Fáil Members were quiescent. They sat there and it obvious that it was a fix-up. We had this ludicrous voting where, instead of voting in one election for two out of three candidates, we voted for all three. What utter nonsense. When we did this, we put in first Senator Sean D. Barrett who was the person my group and I wished to see there because he was an international expert and respected by the Government. When we went to vote again, I naturally voted for Senator Marc MacSharry because I wanted to see a fully independent Oireachtas inquiry, not a Government inquiry. The Taoiseach had already muddied the waters months ago by prejudging the outcome of the whole matter; therefore, his hands are already sullied.

It was most definitely not a Fianna Fáil stroke.
I welcome the fact that Deputy Joe Higgins has been recommended because I believe somebody from the hard left is required to ask the difficult questions. The Irish people did not frolic en masseand engage in gambling and misbehaviour. This is happening now in order to pay the gambling debts of German banks to the tune of some €47.5 billion. In the same vein, the debts of French and British banks are €27.5 billion and €12.5 billion, respectively. We are stuck with the bill for this even though we did not run it up. I want to know how and why this happened. I reiterate that I did not realise the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, was in on the act in this squalid way. However, on three occasions I heard the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, say on RTE radio news that this was a Fianna Fáil stroke. It was nothing of the kind and I demand that he retract this and reflect on the truth of what happened.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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It is worth noting that it is a beautiful day and many Irish citizens are in good humour because of the fine weather. With this in mind I request a debate on an industry that is doing very well and that the Government has got right. I speak of the tourism industry. We have seen numerous initiatives in the area, including the retention of the 9% VAT rate in the hospitality sector. This rate was initiated and retained by the current Government, which is significant. The travel tax has been abolished and this has resulted in hundreds of thousands more passengers entering the country through Shannon Airport alone, not to mention Dublin Airport, Cork Airport and Knock Airport, all of which have benefited greatly. There has been a significant increase in the number of tourists coming to Ireland and spending money here, so I would like a debate on the future of the tourism industry. The past three years have seen remarkable year-on-year growth in the sector and I believe this is only the beginning and that tourism will ultimately transform the economy. Ireland is one of the most beautiful countries in the world and it is even more beautiful when the sun shines. We must seek to increase investment in tourism and create further initiatives in the tourism sector. It may not be popular to mention, but I suggest bringing back tax incentives as they will encourage small towns to develop tourism initiatives. Such incentives would be wise and would bring great benefit. I ask the Leader to organise a debate on tourism with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar.

Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)
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I second the motion to amend the Order of Business.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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That was already done by Senator Norris.

Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)
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I reiterate that. I welcome Senator Norris back to the House and wish him a very speedy recovery. The timing of his return to the Committee of Selection was impeccable and I commend him on this. He has spoken the truth about that meeting and has set the record straight. The Government has made a serious effort to use public relations to downgrade that meeting and Senator Norris has explained the situation very well. We in this House should be proud that David Norris is a Senator. He is a national treasure.

I request that the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, appeal to the kidnappers of the three teenagers taken near Ramallah in Palestine.

I was in that city - it was a city under siege - with the late Deputy Tony Gregory, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, now Tánaiste, former Deputy John Gormley, Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Deputy John Paul Phelan. It is certainly a tinderbox in relation to what will happen in the Middle East. One young man, Ahmed Sabarin, has already been shot by the Israelis; he is one of the first to be shot in that regard. It is certainly an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. I ask the Tánaiste to appeal to whoever is responsible, whether it be Hamas or some other element in Palestine, not to incite the wrath of the Israeli army at this particularly sensitive time. The Tánaiste would have influence in that regard. He was there with me as a guest of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and we met all of its leaders at the time. He is in a strong position to appeal to those responsible for the kidnapping of the three teenagers to restore them to their families without further delay.

Aideen Hayden (Labour)
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There are some 150 families in the Dublin region living in hotels because they are homeless, at a substantial cost to the State and with significant distress caused to them. I want to bring the attention of the House to a new initiative launched today as part of a campaign to prevent families from becoming homeless in the Dublin region. It is a collaboration between the housing charity, Threshold, with which I am involved, and the four Dublin local authorities. As part of this service, Threshold will operate a freephone helpline for families who are worried about losing their rented homes. It will work with these families and the local authorities to make sure as a matter of priority that they do not become homeless. One of the interesting things about the scheme is that an agreement has been reached with the Department of Social Protection to increase the amount of rent supplement that such families will receive where it is not possible to keep them in their rented homes because of increases in rents. It is a most welcome initiative which will prevent a number of families in the Dublin region from becoming homeless.

This is the tip of the iceberg. I am conscious about the fact that, while the initiative relates to Dublin families, there are many single people in the Dublin region who are at risk of homelessness. Threshold is a national service and we know that many families outside the Dublin region are also experiencing this problem. As a matter of urgency, similar services need to be rolled out across the country. I suppose one could say this is like putting a finger in the dyke. We need to look at issues such as rents going up at a dramatic rate, by 20%, 40% and 50% in some cases. There has been a lot of debate in the media about rent controls. I ask the Leader for a similar debate in this House. We should also look at the supply of housing, particularly for low-income families because there is no doubt that housing for such families is a major issue, particularly in urban Ireland.

Sean Barrett (Independent)
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Last Thursday a six year old boy, Jake Brennan, was killed by a car near where he lived in Kilkenny. One does not want to draw any imputation from that incident, but it brings up the wider issue of the safety of children in residential neighbourhoods. I briefly met the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, in whose constituency the dreadful event happened. He believes we need to look at planning law, but, even on existing residential roads, could we not have traffic calming measures and impose restrictions on vehicles in order that children are able to play on those streets? In extending sympathy to Jake Brennan's mother, father, brother and sister, perhaps the House might like to address how we can make residential roads safer for such six year old children. I note Senator Ivana Bacik's concern about another six year old. The House owes a duty to young citizens.

I am concerned that the vital post of Secretary General at the Department of Finance is to be filled without open competition. According to The Irish Times: "This reflects concern within the Government that a newcomer would not have enough time to learn the brief while preparations intensify over the summer for the October budget."

David Norris (Independent)
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And the election.

Sean Barrett (Independent)
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The problem, according to the Wright report on the financial crisis, was that the Department of Finance was distinctly short on qualified economists. While I hope the situation has been rectified so that it no longer needs open competition, in general we should favour open competition. This is a vital appointment.

David Norris (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Sean Barrett (Independent)
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Mr. Wright found that in the Canadian Government in Ottawa, approximately 60% of senior staff had qualifications in economics at masters level and above compared to only 7% in the Department of Finance in Dublin. Has this deficit been rectified and is it a good idea that we do not have open competition for this vital post? Perhaps we could have a debate in the House with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, and discover whether there has been a policy change. He seemed to favour more outside representation for the top level appointments committee, TLAC.

Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the great news that broke over the weekend that Lissadell House in Sligo is to reopen. My colleague, Senator Conway, mentioned the tourism industry, and this will have a major impact on it. Lissadell used to attract approximately 40,000 visitors when it was going well. Unfortunately, the case was before the courts and the house closed for approximately five years. The Taoiseach will reopen it on Friday, which is very good. The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Deenihan, will come to the Seán MacDiarmada Summer School on Friday evening and this will have a major impact on tourism in the west and north west as we approach 2016. Hopefully, it will bring large numbers of people into the area, and the two events combined will be very positive.

I welcome the announcement this morning that those who lost their medical cards will have them returned.

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
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Tacaím le moladh an Seanadóir Hayden maidir le díospóireacht faoi chúrsaí tithíochta. I support Senator Hayden's call for a debate on housing. Many of the Senator's points indicate an abject failure by her Government colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, to resolve these issues after three years in government.

I concur with Senator Comiskey in welcoming the Government's announcement today that it will review the medical card issue and restore the cards. It has been a long time coming. I spent most of yesterday afternoon with a family whose card expired in February and who have spent the last few months living from hand to mouth trying to cover medical bills. One of their children has a very serious health issue and they were in a very distressed state. Today's announcement should not be seen as putting the issue to bed. The Minister has not addressed the issue the Ombudsman brought to light when the review was announced, that the medical card reports done initially in each of the local areas are missing. The Minister should explain how it happened that when the medical card system was centralised, the files were not centralised. We need to find out where the files are.

I would also like the Leader to try to clarify the status of the HSE report on the procurement of maternity services in the West-North West Hospitals Group and whether a copy can be made available. The Minister should come here and explain his actions around the report.

Can we have the Minister here to discuss these issues? When the Minister for Children replied to me about a €10,000 cut to therapeutic language services in Ballinasloe, he said these cutbacks must be made, yet we are not tackling the disgraceful top-ups being made to people in the HSE. The Minister needs to come here and explain why essential services for children such as therapeutic language services in Ballinasloe, are being cut back although the money involved is relatively small and we can still pay top-ups to senior executives in the HSE. It is a disgraceful situation.

Mary Moran (Labour)
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I join my colleagues in welcoming the Cabinet's decision to reverse the decision on medical cards and to ensure people who had discretionary medical cards will have them reinstated.

It is great news and something I and my fellow colleagues have been seeking. We all have many stories like Senator Ó Clochartaigh's of families and people in dire need with serious medical conditions who unfortunately had their medical cards withdrawn. I welcome the move to reinstate them.

I spent the weekend at the Special Olympics Ireland Games in Limerick in the company of some of the most amazing and dedicated people I have ever met, ranging from the parents to the volunteers to the Special Olympics staff, the local and national community and, most importantly, the athletes who took part. I witnessed friendship, sportsmanship, compassion, competitiveness and hard work that cannot be captured or replicated anywhere else. It was a truly unique event. I was very impressed with the number of volunteers at the event over the weekend. Up to 3,000 volunteers from all professions and walks of life gave of their time. The athletes were provided with a free eye examination and health check. All the health care professionals provided an excellent free and voluntary service to the athletes and their families, which I know was very much appreciated by all those present. I would also like to commend the Army whose personnel volunteered and collected and transported the athletes' luggage to the train station. All of this was a pure reflection of the goodness and generosity of the people - people who were doing things that nobody even knew about - in this country. I commend the Special Olympics staff and volunteers on the excellent organisation of the national games. The work they do is second to none and it is appreciated by all 1,500 athletes and the others who were present.

On a related matter-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The Senator is way over time.

Mary Moran (Labour)
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I do not think I am - I need only a further minute. On a related matter, I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, yesterday that he will be reviewing the television coverage of designated sporting events and events of national importance, which is something I have raised. I asked that live coverage of events at the Special Olympics or Paralympics be aired.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Leader to consider conveying to the Government the two great lessons of digging. The first is that when one is in a political hole the best thing to do is to stop digging. Unfortunately, we saw the debacle last week initiated by the Taoiseach but carried on by his Minister for Finance, by the Tánaiste, and now by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The public have seen through this. While spin may have got the Government through its first few years in office, it is obvious now that the public have seen through it. It has worn thin. Unless they cop on to that, the Government is on a very short leash indeed.

I suggest that the second lesson is the one raised by Senator Hayden. We have seen a complete lack of a housing policy from this Government, which is now in its fourth year in office. The number of homeless people has grown significantly. The number of people on waiting lists in every council area has increased enormously and very worryingly. There is no coherent policy to tackle these issues. We have a situation now in which people in the public service are advising those who are young that they should not aspire to owning their own homes. In very difficult times back in the 1930s, more difficult than today, we had a good policy under a Fianna Fáil-led Government. Much of the local authority housing stock was constructed throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s when there was real economic hardship. Many of the people who occupied those houses could never have aspired to owning their own homes in those days but subsequently, through tenant purchase schemes, they were able to achieve that. Many of them moved on to take up other schemes and moved into private housing. We need to get back and start digging foundations for new houses. It is not only the Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, who should take the blame. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, is extremely culpable in this regard. He was the one who cut public capital expenditure as a softer option instead of dealing with the overspend in current expenditure.

That has led to a situation where in the past few years when we could have invested in the construction of a housing programme which would have provided jobs for those who needed them in the industry at the time, we would now be dealing with what has become a crisis. I join with Senator Hayden in calling for an urgent debate in this regard.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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The Government's decision this morning in respect of medical cards is tremendous news and we all welcome it.

I agree with and endorse the comments of the Leader in respect of Senator O'Donovan's chairmanship of the Committee of Selection. He acted above reproach in every respect. Let that be clearly said.

David Norris (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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We are all grown adults. We all know what was envisaged or anticipated or meant to happen that one would be selected from each side. I think I proposed that at the committee but in any event people were missing. It was an incomplete committee as we know. We have two from each side now.

David Norris (Independent)
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Four.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I know of course. Senator Norris explained part of it. I am glad to see him back and glad he enjoyed Bloomsday. We now know that people on the Committee of Public Accounts, the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform and all the other committees act independently. We all act independently once we are in there. We wear our labels lightly on our sleeves, in fact, we do not wear them at all at committees.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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Let us go back to the abortion Bill.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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There will be no dictation whatsoever and there is no politburo. With respect, I think Senator O'Donovan aimed at the wrong party in regard to the politburo but be that as it may.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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Does the Senator mean they misled him?

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I say, let us calm it, rather than turn it into a bit of a scata bullán.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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Let us pretend there is nothing wrong is essentially what the previous speaker has just said. It is a fact that we need a banking inquiry but we only need one that is credible and has the confidence of the public. This one has lost all of that.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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The Senator may not want it to have the confidence of the public.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Senator Healy Eames to continue without interruption, please. The Senator has just spoken.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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Senator Healy Eames has been provocative.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Senator Coghlan, please. Senator Healy Eames, I allowed some latitude to the people who are on the committee. We are rehashing last week's business again today.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach. I would appreciate if the snide remarks from the other side of the House were cut short.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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What about the Senator?

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Senator Healy Eames to continue without interruption, please.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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Unless the Taoiseach honours the original result of the Committee of Selection and reverts to that, the only credible option is to ask all Opposition members to step down from the banking inquiry. This has lost the entire confidence of the country. I was shocked by what the Minister for Finance, a man for whom I have huge respect, said yesterday. He said that it was normal practice for a Government to add extra members. It is not normal practice that a democratic outcome to a vote would be ignored.

David Norris (Independent)
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Enda is a control freak.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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Instead of a democratic revolution-----

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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Codswallop.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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-----what we are actually getting is an autocratic revolution. On top of this the Taoiseach is the Minister for Defence as well. Let us think of the power that is there.

Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
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Why?

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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This is very worrying. It is outrageous.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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This is a man whom I supported to be the Taoiseach and leader of this country.

David Norris (Independent)
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We forgive the Senator.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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What I am trying to say is this.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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Are we in a parliamentary democracy or not? If so, let us accept democratic outcomes. I do not want an autocracy but, currently, that is what we are getting. We are getting fixing and tampering and the Taoiseach has attempted to abolish this House and to ignore a committee of this House. I repeat my call that unless we revert to the original result from the Committee of Selection for the members who were democratically elected to the banking inquiry, I ask in the interests of credibility and restoring public trust, that all Opposition members stand down.

Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Cabinet's decision this morning to make €13 million available to the HSE so that it might reverse its decisions in 2011 on discretionary medical cards. Some weeks ago, I was critical of the fact that people with lifelong medical conditions, acute illnesses and disabilities had had their discretionary medical cards withdrawn. I welcome the fact that approximately 15,000 people will benefit from this morning's decision. Their cards will be restored within three weeks or so. However, I am still cross that it took this long to get the issue sorted and that some good councillors lost seats as a result of the debacle.

I welcome the publication this morning of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report for Ireland for 2013. It showed that 32,000 people started businesses in Ireland in 2013 and that one in 11 of the adult population was engaged in some form of early-stage entrepreneurship. The latter represents an increase from 6.8% in 2012 to 9.2%. Ireland is ranked second across the EU 15 and ninth among the EU 28 countries. This is particularly good news in terms of employment prospects. Will the Leader arrange for a further update from the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation on the Action Plan for Jobs, if not before the end of this session, then early in the next session, given the fact that some 8% of early-stage entrepreneurs can expect to become employers?

I will renew my call from a couple of weeks ago for an early debate with the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald, on serious crime, given the case raised by Senator Bacik of the six-year-old who was shot last weekend. I heard an horrific story at lunchtime about a young person who had three fingers amputated as a result of criminal activity in the Dublin area. Serious crime is horrendous in Ireland, and particularly so in Dublin. An early discussion with the Minister would be welcome.

Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
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I lend my support to the statement by the acting leader of the Opposition, Senator O'Donovan, regarding the banking inquiry. I commend my fellow Kerryman, Senator Paul Coghlan, on his honest statement, which echoed last week's equally honest statement by the Leader.
Recently, I was in the company of a friend, a punter who had been having a bad day at the horses. He had backed four or five losers in a row. I offered him some information that might have been of assistance in balancing the books, but he told me that he would quit while he was behind. The three most senior Ministers other than the Taoiseach should take a lesson from this comment and quit while they are behind. They put their feet in it at the weekend and reopened a debate that we had robustly concluded in the Chamber last week. No more on that.
On a more positive note, I commend the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, and his Department on the comprehensive circular we recently received about the 2014 leaving certificate. It made for interesting reading and will benefit those students who sat the exam as well as their parents and teachers. It explained how the system operated, the integrity of the people who set and marked the papers and the probity of the system. For many years as a teacher, I was an examiner of higher level English papers in the leaving certificate. The first lesson one learns when attending the Department's two- or three-day marking conference in Athlone is not to open one's mouth to anyone about how the system operates, particularly the media, or bring anything back to one's school principal or students that might benefit them in any way. It was a top secret omertà.

Woe betide anyone that breaks that rule. The partition has since been broken down and students now know how the system works. The more information they can get, the better. It is a good day's work.

Terry Brennan (Fine Gael)
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Tourism has been mentioned by a number of colleagues in the House. The Garth Brooks concerts are proving to be the secret weapon of the tourism industry this year. I understand 100,000 of the 400,000 tickets for the concerts were bought by people abroad. This will provide a great boost for trade and tourism and, no doubt, generate further tourism in the years ahead. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, is also trying to have an American football become a regular fixture at Croke Park. Members will be aware that the Notre Dame v. Navy American football fixture in 2012 brought a €60 million dividend to the country and was a tremendous success. Last week in the lift of a hotel I met two visitors from the United States who, when I asked if it was their first visit to Ireland, responded that they had been in Ireland almost two years ago for the Notre Dame v.Navy American football match and had returned on this occasion with four or five neighbours. I am pleased to announce that on 30 August a fixture between the University of Florida and Penn State will be held at Croke Park. Given the natural affinity between Ireland and the United States and our mutual love of sport, I would love to see Ireland hosting American football games on a more regular basis with, perhaps, some taking place in Cork, Galway, Dundalk and so on. It is good news for the tourism industry.

Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the contribution of Senator Denis O'Donovan not alone today on the Order of Business but as Chairman of the Seanad Committee on Selection. How dare those who hold the highest public office in the country try to denude or take away from his integrity in his role in that regard in the past two weeks or so. I also acknowledge the return to the Seanad of Senator David Norris who looks re-energised and ready for battle. During the past week to ten days, some people in politics have done the State a disservice. They have done the bankers a great service, but they have done the people and the State a disservice. Last weekend I met people in my constituency clinics who were struggling to hold on to their homes. The banks are riding roughshod over the code of conduct on mortgage arrears and using loopholes in that process to allow them to repossess family homes, even though people are trying to repay some of their mortgage liability. All the while, the Government which is supposed to govern and promised before the last general election that the bankers would be taken to task is engaged in political games. Three years plus on, not one banker has faced the barrel of scrutiny by the Government, yet in the establishment of a committee of both Houses to facilitate an inquiry into the banking sector political games of sabotage are being played. How dare the Taoiseach and Ministers who over the weekend, through various media outlets, sought to damage the credibility of the inquiry play into the hands of the bankers. The credibility, independence and usefulness of the banking inquiry has been called into question.

I am not so sure whether it is useful to proceed with the banking inquiry in its current format or whether it should be scrapped.

Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael)
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The Senator never wanted it.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I call Senator Colm Burke.

Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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The words I used during the course of the debate on the establishment of the banking inquiry were that I felt it could serve no purpose, because politics could infiltrate the banking inquiry.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The Senator is way over time.

Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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It has been shown that this is what happened. A High Court judge should head up the inquiry now. This would be preferable to the political games being played by the Government at the moment.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the decision to reverse the decision on the removal of discretionary medical cards. It is important to understand that since January 2011 the number of people with medical cards has increased from 1.733 million to over 1.95 million. In fact, once the discretionary cards are restored we will probably exceed 2 million medical cards, which means that more than 43% of the population will have one. It is important to realise that there is a cost factor involved. It is also important to realise that the Government, in dealing with the issue, must come forward with a comprehensive review of how discretionary cards are granted into the future and that the decision is reached at a very early stage.

It is important to hold a debate on the housing issue, and I support my colleague, Senator Hayden, in her call for the debate.

I wish to remind Senator Walsh that from 2000 to 2010, while his party was in Government, fewer local authority houses were built than in any of the previous six decades. During that period, more than 90,000 houses were built per year, but very few of them were local authority houses. That was at a time when the Government received €44,000 from every €100,000 paid by a house purchaser. What did his party do with the money during that ten-year period?

Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)
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The Senator wanted more of it to be spent.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Does Senator Colm Burke have a question for the Leader?

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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Then the Senator came into this debate and started alleging-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?

Jim D'Arcy (Fine Gael)
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Answer the question.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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The Senator must be doing no political work whatsoever.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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We have not dealt with this issue.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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No serious recommendations have been made. I wish to make a point of order.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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On a point of order.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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The Senator has given no consideration to what he is saying, obviously.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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If Senator Colm Burke does not know about homelessness and the housing issue then he is not doing his work as a politician.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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That is not a point of order. I ask the Senator to resume his seat.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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There is not a person here who does not know people who are homeless.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The Senator was allowed a point of order. He has already spoken, and I ask him to resume his seat.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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There is a crisis.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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There is.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I ask the Senator to resume his seat, please.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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For the first time in the history of the State, we have a housing crisis.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I ask the Senator to resume his seat. He has already spoken.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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Yes.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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Yes; there is a crisis.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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And the Senator's party has ignored housing advisers and has done absolutely nothing about it.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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The reason the crisis-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I ask Senator Burke to resume his seat. He is way over time.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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For goodness' sake.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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I fully support the call for a debate on this matter.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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Did the Government not learn anything from the election?

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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It is important.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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The people feel abandoned.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I ask Senator Walsh to resume his seat, please.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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Totally ignored.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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In any future housing policy we must clearly stick to a certain percentage of local authority houses.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I do not have an axe to grind for any political party in this House. So far as the banking inquiry is concerned, I have already stated my concern and scepticism as to whether elected representatives in this country, or any country where the party whip and party political system are so entrenched, can conduct an inquiry of this kind impartially. The best thing the Government could do at this stage is to call the whole thing off-----

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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Hear, hear.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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-----before more money is wasted-----

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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Hear, hear.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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-----and before politics is brought into further disrepute in the eyes of people.

We have had several reports into what happened. I defy the Leader to identify a single net issue this afternoon whose answer could possible surface without rancour or allegations of bias. What may be needed is some kind of independent forum where people who do not have an axe to grind are in a position to ask hard and searching questions. Even then, one wonders whether they could come up with answers that other bright, well-intentioned and capable people, such as Mr. Nyberg, have not been able to find already.

Deputy Stephen Donnelly was right to pull back from the inquiry in light of what happened last week, but I believe the Government should call the whole thing off. I say that without having any party's interests, vested interests or fears in mind.

I note Senator Bacik's growing fascination with the Catholic Church. If I were in her position-----

David Norris (Independent)
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The Senator would be a woman.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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-----I would be looking up something such as the rite of Christian initiation for adults. I do not believe this House is the forum to engage in theological debates or to take cheap shots against churches of which she is not a member. However, there is something she could do to use her time constructively. As a non-believer who purports to believe in human rights, she might raise repeatedly with the Government the cause of Meriam Yahia Ibrahim, a Sudanese woman who has been condemned to death for changing her faith. Those are the problems we are facing in the world-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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-----and it is the type of issue we should all address. Has our Government done anything about this terrible case? This woman has been sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging. This is the situation in our world where people do not enjoy freedom of religion. I call on Senator Bacik, instead of taking cheap shots or rubbing her hands gleefully at somebody else's gibe at the forthcoming synod, to take an interest in human rights-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Senator Mullen is way over time. I call Senator Bradford.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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-----and the cause of people who face the death penalty because they might change their religious belief.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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That is not relevant on the Order of Business.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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It is a very important issue.

David Norris (Independent)
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It is a heap of tripe.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I call Senator Bradford.

David Norris (Independent)
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This is from somebody who cannot say the former President, Mary McAleese, is not a good Roman Catholic.

Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)
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This is a woman who had her babies in chains and this human rights activist dismisses it.

Paul Bradford (Independent)
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Senator Norris has certainly returned in strong voice.

There is a request that there be further clarification of the composition of the banking inquiry and the role of this House and the Committee of Selection in the process. It is regrettable that this must be the case at this stage, but the rather ill-advised and factually incorrect information put on the public record by both the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is deeply regrettable and must be clarified.

David Norris (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Paul Bradford (Independent)
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Did either of the Ministers examine the composition of the Seanad Committee of Selection? Did they acknowledge the fact that six of the 11 members of the Committee of Selection are non-government Members? Do they understand basic arithmetic? I hope we can move on from this issue, but it might be necessary, as has been requested, for clarification to be given in the House. We are advised that the big step forward now is the so-called removal of the whip for committee members by one or two of the political parties. It is extremely ironic that when the Taoiseach and some of his Cabinet colleagues have a political difficulty, they believe the whip should be removed. However, 12 months ago in this House and the Dáil, when numerous colleagues had a serious political issue of conscience, the same Cabinet did not believe in the removal of the whip-----

David Norris (Independent)
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Absolutely.

Paul Bradford (Independent)
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-----and simply drove its political will through the House. It is ironic that when it is in difficulty it tries to play silly games with the whip. It surely cannot expect that the public will be conned by such games.

David Norris (Independent)
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Well said.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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Last week I gave a clear and unequivocal statement on the committee. I stand by that explanation, and that is the position. That answers a number of Members-----

David Norris (Independent)
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It is not the Government.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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-----who have raised that question this afternoon.

Senator Bacik referred to the shooting of a six-year-old boy last Friday, which was a dreadful act, and asked that we have a debate on crime. Senator Mullins also requested such a debate.

Senator Conway spoke about the increased tourist numbers, which will be welcomed by all.

They are due in part to the VAT reductions initiated by Government and the abolition of the dreadful travel tax which prevented people coming to the country. The future of the tourism industry is a matter we should debate and I will try to arrange a session with the relevant Minister in early course.

Senator Brennan also raised questions on tourism with particular reference to concerts taking place in Dublin for which more than 100,000 tickets have been sold to people from outside the State. He referred also to sporting events including American football, which are coming to Dublin. They all add to the tourism product we have and are to be commended. Senator Comiskey referred in the context of tourism to Lissadell House. It will certainly be a major boost to tourism in the area. There were more than 40,000 annual visitors to the house in years gone by.

Senator Leyden referred to the three Israeli youths who were kidnapped in Ramallah. I assure the Senator that the Tánaiste will do everything in his power to assist in any way in the matter.

Senator Hayden raised measures to assist people who face homelessness. I commend the work of Threshold. Senator Hayden pointed out that a great deal of work is being done on rent allowance. I remind the House that we will take Second Stage of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 tomorrow when the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, will attend. Quite a number of people were looking for a debate on housing and there is no better opportunity for them to come in to speak than when legislation comes to the House.

Senator Barrett raised the safety of children in residential areas. We express our deepest sympathy to the family of the six-year old child who was killed in Kilkenny. The safety of children in residential areas is primarily a matter for local authorities. One can see that many of these areas have speed ramps and children-at-play signs. Everything that can be done should be done to allow people to play safely in their areas.

On open competition for senior positions in the Department of Finance, I will certainly convey the matter. It is something the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, has advocated in the House previously. I will bring it to his attention once more.

Senators Comiskey, Ó Clochartaigh, Mullins and Burke referred to the restoration of discretionary medical cards. The HSE will restore cards issued on a discretionary basis to persons with serious medical conditions to well in excess of 15,000 people who held medical or GP visit cards which were lost on completion of an eligibility review between 1 July 2011 and 31 May 2014. The HSE will review its records and restore cards automatically. The HSE estimates that the process will be completed in a three-week period. That is to be welcomed by all. It is a matter which has been raised in the House on many occasions by many Senators. It should be welcomed as it was by Members who spoke today. Senator Ó Clochartaigh referred to the files. That issue will have to be resolved. If files are missing which did not get from the initial health board area to the centralised point, it will have to be ascertained where they are. I agree completely with the Senator on the matter.

Senator Moran raised the matter of the Special Olympics and praised the voluntary effort by everybody involved. All Members will concur with her remarks. Senator Walsh referred to housing as did Senator Burke.

Despite the adverse economic circumstances in which the country finds itself, the Government will add approximately 5,000 homes to the social housing stock this year. This will be achieved through a variety of means, including direct construction, renovation of vacant buildings and leasing and other schemes. This year sees a return to the construction of mainstream social housing for the first time in many years. It is on a small scale as it reflects the state of the public finances but it is also an important statement of the Government's intent in respect of housing. I think Senator Colm Burke also pointed out that very little social housing was built during the boom, which is a very relevant point.

Senator Mullins spoke about the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report, which found that more than32,000 people set up their own businesses in Ireland last year. That is a wonderful statistic that should be discussed with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in a debate on the action plan for jobs.

Senator O'Sullivan complimented the circular from the Minister for Education and Skills regarding the 2014 leaving certificate. As the Senator said, it is opening up the system and creating greater transparency in an area where light did not shine for many years.

Senator Ó Domhnaill spoke about the code of conduct for mortgage arrears. If banks are not complying with that, they should be reported and the matter should be investigated. If he has information about those cases, there is a mechanism with which to appeal those decisions.

Senator Colm Burke also said that almost two million people will be in receipt of a medical card in due course.

In respect of Senator Mullen's comments, freedom of religion is a cornerstone of the Government and is written into our Constitution so there should be no ambiguity with regard to that matter.

I think I have addressed the other matters addressed by Senators relating to the banking inquiry.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Senator O'Donovan has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That a debate with the Minister for Finance on his recent statement concerning the Seanad Committee of Selection be taken today." Is the amendment being pressed?

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Yes. In view of the fact that the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Public Expenditure and Reform and Finance have been peddling mistruths about the workings of this House and the Committee of Selection, a vote on bringing the Minister for Finance to the House might apprise this House of the true facts. It would be worthwhile to bring him in so, consequently, I am pressing the amendment.