The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on small and medium-sized enterprises week, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business and conclude not later than 5.45 p.m, with the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, and the Minister to be called on to reply not later than 5.35 p.m.; and No. 2, statements on the consultation paper, Radical Seanad Reform through Legislative Change (resumed), to be taken at the conclusion of No. 1, with the contributions of all Senators not to exceed six minutes.
Order of Business
Tá lúcháir orm an deis a bheith agam labhairt anseo inniu agus oiread feirmeoirí ag cruinniú taobh amuigh de gheataí Theach Laighean. Tá thart ar 20,000 feirmeoir cruinnithe taobh amuigh de na geataí inniu i dtaca leis na ciorruithe atá á chur i bhfeidhm ag an Aire maidir le cúrsaí talmhaíochta.
I commend the Irish Farmers Association for its organisation of today's peaceful demonstration to highlight the difficulties being experienced by farm families, especially in rural Ireland. There are more than 20,000 people outside the gates of Leinster House this afternoon. This demonstration is being described as the biggest coming together of people in more than 15 years to demonstrate outside Leinster House. The Irish Farmers Association is to be commended. This demonstration is a reflection of the growing anger among rural families and the farming community at the Government's continued implementation of cuts to important schemes which supplement the incomes of farmers.
There are 300,000 people working in the agrifood sector which is worth €24 billion to the economy and reflects 20% of net exports. The €1.6 billion in Common Agricultural Policy transfers through pillars 1 and 2 are critical to the future of the farming industry. It is essential the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine continues to work at European level to secure these transfers into the future. Fianna Fáil will be moving a Private Members' motion in the Dáil this week seeking a reversal of the cuts in this area and a tackling of the CAP issue. I acknowledge the excellent debate in this House last week on the CAP.
I want also to touch on an issue which is affecting families, in particular the disabled, the elderly and the most vulnerable.
Further cuts will be inflicted on home help services between now and the end of the year. The Minister for Health, who has attracted much controversy of late, will sign off on cuts of €8 million to home help services. This is in addition to cuts of 600,000 hours so far this year. This is in stark contrast to the words in the programme for Government about the care of older people and community care. I will read what is stated in it in order that the Labour Party and Fine Gael Members can reflect on them:
Additional funding will be provided each year for the care of older people. This funding will go to more residential places, more home care packages and the delivery of more home help and other professional community care services.
We have seen cuts of €120 million in this area so far this year. The Government is not fulfilling the commitments in the programme for Government and it is giving the two fingers to the elderly, the most vulnerable and the disabled. It is an outright disgrace. We will have a debate on this issue tomorrow in the House and I hope some of the Labour Party and Fine Gael Senators stand up for their convictions and vote with Fianna Fáil on the Private Members' motion.
I propose an amendment to the Order of Business on behalf of 70,000 people who are being screwed by Allied Irish Banks because of last week's 0.5% increase in the variable interest rate. This bank is 99.8% owned by the taxpayer and to date has received €21 billion in transfers from the State. It runs its own affairs without interference by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, who has an obligation on behalf of the people to step up to the mark and tell the bank there can be no more pain or interest rate increases. At a time when the ECB rate is at an all time low of 0.75%, the bank is charging 4% on variable rate mortgages. It is time the Minister for Finance came to the House to explain what he will do to help these 70,000 home owners who are struggling and will find themselves coupled with the other 100,000 home owners who are in mortgage arrears. In this regard we propose an amendment to the Order of Business.
I echo the words of many colleagues last Thursday in welcoming the reforms to the junior certificate programme announced by the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. They are genuinely groundbreaking and will improve the educational experience of thousands of pupils. We will have a debate in the House with the Minister in the coming weeks during which I am sure we will be able to discuss in more detail with him the nature of these reforms.
On a day when rural Ireland is coming to Dublin, I wish to mention a very urban issue. I ask the Leader for a debate on how to improve urban centres. Last week, a good deal of time was spent on the Order of Business speaking about crime on the streets. People expressed real concern about the level of street crime. In this context, I came across an initiative in the UK, begun by the Association of Town Centre Management, called the purple flag initiative. Its website is purpleflag.org.uk. It is a great idea whereby town centres, be they areas or districts in cities or smaller towns, apply for purple flag status - in the same way as we have blue flag beaches - to announce the area is safe for people at night and a pleasant place to be with good levels of cleanliness and security. Belfast, Derry and Enniskillen on this island are all included, as are places such as Leicester Square in London where extensive efforts to reduce crime have been made by local businesses in co-operation with each other. They also co-operate with the police to ensure licence enforcement. The levels of cleanliness have increased and anyone who knows Leicester Square will know serious problems had arisen with litter. All of this has been done under the purple flag initiative. Similarly, Belfast's Cathedral Quarter has a purple flag because of a very clear but unobtrusive police presence, a good balance of outlets and a very pleasant environment, as anyone who has been there recently will agree. It is an initiative we could very well do with in Ireland. We could look at how we could adopt it in this country through the chambers of commerce and Dublin City Business Association.
In the week where we heard about private businesses being asked to provide the public with access to their toilets, we can see there is a lack of public facilities and amenities for visitors to and residents of this city who are out at night. That is true across other urban centres in Ireland. Something like a purple flag initiative gives an incentive to businesses working with the local councils and public services to ensure their area and amenities are better for tourists and residents alike. We could all imagine the great benefit we would see from that. I ask the Leader for a debate on initiatives like the purple flag and how we could adapt them in this country.
I start by welcoming the comments by the former President, Mary McAleese, regarding marriage equality for LGBT people. In an interview due to be broadcast tonight, Ms McAleese expresses her support for the institution of marriage being open to same sex couples. On a related civil rights issue, I note the European Union's strong criticism of Serbia's decision to ban a gay pride parade from taking place in the capital Belgrade this past weekend. This ban is part of a worrying trend in eastern Europe and Russia, prohibiting so-called gay propaganda - it sounds like we are in Uganda - with fines and prison terms being imposed. Similar proposals which infringe basic civil rights of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly have been put forward in other states with aspirations for EU membership, such as Ukraine and Moldova. Worryingly, such measures are also being mooted in current member states like Lithuania and Hungary. Given Ireland's impending EU Presidency, these events are a timely reminder that the European Union must be rigorous in insisting on fundamental rights and that this is an integral aspect of our priorities with regard to the Presidency.
That brings me to my question for the Leader. I recall the Taoiseach coming to this House last December to set out Ireland's priorities for our upcoming Presidency of the European Union and to hear our views on them. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, Deputy Creighton, to the House to inform us of the preparations for the Presidency, what activities are planned, how the priorities are progressing and to perhaps respond to some of our earlier suggestions on the day of the Taoiseach's last visit. If the Taoiseach wants to come back, that would be another possibility.
I congratulate the Irish Farmers Association for organising today's rally and meeting. A figure of 20,000 people is some achievement. I also note another very positive jobs announcement today in respect of the 800 jobs to be created by the Kerry Group, which is another good news story for the Irish food sector. All of those jobs are to be in place by 2016.
Listening this morning to the Ombudsman for Children, Emily Logan, who published her annual report today, it was very welcome to hear her acknowledge that there has been a significant shift in how public bodies responded to her recommendations at all levels. Throughout 2011, she saw a significant rise in the number of complaints but also a significant shift and a change in culture within public bodies. Ms Logan has been campaigning for this for a number of years. She has spoken at Oireachtas committee meetings about the difficulty she experienced in getting public bodies to adopt a child-centred approach. That has changed. She also commented that the Children First national guidelines for the protection and welfare of children have been adopted and implemented completely. That is very positive news, particularly as we are in the middle of a referendum campaign which, again, will put children at the centre of how decisions are taken in this country. It is a very positive step and I congratulate Ms Logan on her work in that area.
The general scheme of a universities (amendment) Bill 2012 is now in circulation. It is draconian and allows an investigator to take over many of the functions of a university for two years at the instigation of the Minister for Education and Skills. It is a time of excitable moods in the sector - excitable bureaucrats and so on.
However, the implications are far reaching. There are mechanisms to deal with the employment control framework and people who exceed budgets rather than by changing the Universities Act, which took quite an amount of legislative time to pass. Before the heads become a Bill, I hope emphasis will be placed on those who exceed their budgets rather than on the disruption of education as a whole. It is wise that we do not use a small crisis to precipitate a larger one in higher education.
I very much welcome the debate this afternoon on SME week. I noted with concern that the latest SME business trends survey indicated SMEs are expected to reduce their number of staff by 25%. In the same report, an ISME spokesperson calls on the Government to reduce social welfare rates on the basis that it would make it more profitable to work in this country. Let me be honest. I cannot understand how A is equal to B while B is not equal to C. Either we are cutting jobs or jobs are available. I want to bring to the attention of the House recent research that showed social welfare rates in Ireland are not overly generous. This is contrary to the views of ISME and other groups in the sector.
A number of issues relating to SMEs are critical to the future of Ireland. One in particular, which relates to the insolvency legislation, is not often raised. I ask the Leader to raise this with the Minister for Justice and Equality. The legislation is such that SMEs – the smaller the SME, the worse the circumstances – are last in the pecking order in cases of insolvency. We have inherited a 19th century-type legal code in that the last people who can afford to be out of pocket are the smaller employers. We need to examine the legislation in other jurisdictions where there is a percentage cut across the board, irrespective of the categories of secured and unsecured creditors. We must look into our hearts, bearing in mind that the Revenue Commissioners are always the first to be paid. If we are serious about improving the position of SMEs, we really must consider our insolvency legislation. I ask the Leader to raise this with the Minister for Justice and Equality.
Ba mhaith liom tréaslú leis na feirmeoirí ar fad atá taobh amuigh de gheataí Teach Laighean. Is mór an méid é a fheiceáil go bhfuil muintir na hÉireann agus muintir na tuaithe - nó beithíoch - sásta dul amach ar na sráideanna ar son na rudaí atá siad ag seasamh in aghaidh.
I noted there are many Greeks on the streets today to celebrate the visit of Ms Angela Merkel to their capital. Greece is undergoing incredible austerity, which leads me to my main topic. I congratulate Ms Ann Cahill of the Irish Examiner who, on that newspaper's front page this morning, has drawn attention to the fact that the IMF has admitted its austerity measures are not working and that it is wrong. This is partly based on the annual report of the IMF. Buried three pages into the report is a statement that the organisation has made huge mistakes in imposing austerity measures and putting forward policies of austerity. This echoes the report I mentioned on the record a number of times, namely, that of the UN Committee on Trade and Development, which has also said austerity is not working. This is occurring at a time when the Finance Ministers of Europe are sitting down to set up the ESM, about which the markets are not optimistic. The markets are saying the ESM will not work because the political solutions that need to be put in place across Europe are not being put in place.
We do not see any deal on the table yet for Ireland regarding its bailout. It is timely, therefore, that we call on the Minister for Finance to come to the House to debate the bailout once more. Much new information has come to light. It is obvious that the policy of austerity is not working. Dole queues are longer and an increasing number of people are emigrating. We do not see being created the jobs we will be discussing later in our debate on SME week. It is very clear to us, therefore, that the austerity path is not the right one for Ireland. It is overly punitive and leading to the types of cuts that are being flown by Ministers with regard to social welfare, etc., which do not represent the right approach.
In Sinn Féin's opinion, the austerity path is not the right one. It is imperative the Minister for Finance attend the House to discuss the bailout and its cost, not just in financial terms, but also in human terms. The austerity cuts being imposed affect society and will have a detrimental impact for years to come.
This morning, Kerry Group announced the creation of 400 construction jobs as well as 800 permanent jobs in the coming years. This is a significant development. Although not all of the permanent jobs will be in place until 2016, that the majority of them, including in the construction sector, will have started by 2015 is welcome. I listened to unbiased news of the story in which a certain broadcaster described it as fantastic. I agree. Ireland is uniquely positioned to service the permanent jobs, in that they are scientific and are highly skilled. It is not a case of Kerry Group flying the Irish flag. After investigating various global locations, it concluded that Naas was the best. It is a vote of confidence in the country that Kerry Group, which has annual sales of €7 billion as well as many bases throughout the US, chose Ireland ahead of America. The jobs are badly needed. That 400 will be created in the coming weeks and 800 in the coming years is significant.
Many of the country's farmers are outside Leinster House today and the Government is keenly aware of the importance to them of the Common Agricultural Policy. Negotiations are ongoing. I understand that the purpose of the protest is to highlight the issue, but it must be borne in mind that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine specifically and the Government generally are still negotiating.
I dtosach báire, ba mhaith liom cur leis an rún a chuir mo chomhghleacaí, an Seanadóir Ó Dómhnaill os comhair an tSeanaid. I second Senator Ó Domhnaill's proposal. I also welcome the farmers outside Leinster House. The contribution of the agriculture and food industries is key to our success. In turn, their success depends on the negotiated CAP outcomes achieved by the Minister, Deputy Coveney.
I wish to discuss my colleague's proposal on mortgage interest rates. It is disgraceful that State-owned banks are putting in place what is effectively a property tax on borrowers with variable interest rates. The Government is allowing them to run rampant. AIB's rate is 4% and Bank of Ireland's is 4.5%. People are crying out for the Government's assistance. Fine Gael specifically committed to reducing variable mortgage interest rates by 0.5% by gaining efficiencies in the banks, but the Government has put no effort into that commitment. It is time it did something about the issue. This is just one of a number of promises in election manifestos and the programme for Government that have been abandoned without a care in the world. It is another property tax on families. The programme for Government refers to a site valuation tax, doing everything possible for those in negative equity and so on, but nothing along those lines seems to be happening.
It is outrageous.
Yes. The Government is in charge and put this programme together in the full knowledge of the condition of the public finances. In fact, there was more revenue from taxation in those finances than was expected. It is about time the Government delivered on those promises.
I join my colleagues in welcoming the farmers of Ireland to Dublin on their important mission.
The people outside the gate represent a vibrant and thriving industry that has the potential to dig us out of our economic difficulties. There is confidence in agriculture and today's announcement by the Kerry Group is further evidence of a thriving and vibrant industry. The forthcoming CAP negotiations will be very significant and the farmers are fortunate to have a Minister of the calibre of Deputy Coveney representing them at the negotiating table. I have no doubt that the outcome will be to the benefit of Irish agriculture.
I echo the call for a debate at the earliest possible convenience on banking and support part of what has been said by Senators on the other side of the House. However, there are other areas of banking that we also need to review. The mortgage interest rate increases are unacceptable. We have also had the recent discovery of the mis-selling of insurance products by the banking industry. A significant number of people were forced into buying a product they did not need and from which they could derive no benefit. The recent Ulster Bank fiasco can be thrown into the mix. The recent Credit Review Office report showed that 100 cases were overturned where the banks refused businesses badly needed finance. Those matters warrant discussion in this House. From time to time there has been overcharging of customers. We have reached a stage with banking that this House needs to debate and discuss it. We need to hear from people at management level in the banks about how they are running their business, how they are making so many mistakes and how they can justify their recent significant increases in mortgage interest rates.
I ask the Leader for a debate in this House on private schools, a matter that has been covered on the airwaves in recent days. I believe the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, and the Minister of State, Deputy Kelly, are correct in saying that private education should be private and should be paid for accordingly. I do not want the taxpayers of Donegal to be paying for the private schools in Dublin or in other parts of the country. The €98 million spent on subsidies to private schools should be broken down and if that amount is saved, some of it should be given to the small rural schools in County Donegal that are suffering. I would expect Senator Ó Domhnaill on the other side to agree with that. The debate on private education is important. Regardless of whether one flies with Aer Lingus by first class or economy class, we still get to the same destination and we do not need champagne to get us there. The route to education is quite straightforward and no one should be given a leg up in the education system as families are suffering enough in rural and other parts of the country. I ask the Leader for a debate on the subsidy paid to private schools.
That is not what the Senator said last year before the budget.
I also call for a debate on the report of the Ombudsman for Children. She is a remarkable servant of the State who has done us proud. She indicated there was a substantial increase in the number of complaints made. Interestingly she said she specifically chose individual cases which would highlight principles and affect the entire system so that it was not just one individual case. She went on to make a point very close to my heart. She said that very often the bureaucracy was more concerned with protecting the system than protecting the children. The children absolutely must come first and that is why it is so important that we support the referendum on children's rights.
Continuing from that, I am very concerned at the situation regarding the national children's hospital. We were promised that it would be operational in 2016. What a fitting commemoration of the moves to found this State with the Rising of 1916. However, it seems that the children may, once again, be betrayed because if the Government continues with this toing and froing I do not see how the hospital could be built by then.
It is a shame that the children will not be cherished in 2016 in the way they should be by the building of the hospital. I was impressed by Dr. Coulter-Smith from the Rotunda who said that this decision should be a decision in the interests of the children rather than a political one, as it now appears to be. I very much hope this will come about.
I agree with the remarks made by my colleague from Sinn Féin on the IMF report, which is from where many of the difficulties that have arisen are coming, including the removal of special needs assistants, the closure of hospital wards and so on. All of this penury and misery comes from the IMF, which has now acknowledged that those of us on the left were right when we said that austerity coupled with tax and cuts would drive us into recession. We have been the good citizens of Europe and have been punished for it. It is harrowing to think of the whole of democracy in Greece starving because of this. There has been much talk of the visit of the slave master from Germany to Greece to see how people, while starving, are progressing, which is a reproach to all of us. The principle enunciated by Emily Logan in regard to the children hangs over this. They put the preservation of the system above the welfare of the citizen, which is always wrong. The welfare of the people in a democracy must always come first.
I wish to raise the issue of private schools. I do not agree with my colleague. I believe any decision to pay less to one area of education over another would give rise to constitutional issues.
We are already doing that.
It is an issue that needs to be carefully debated. All children are entitled to equal access in terms of funding of education. We need to be careful on that issue.
Another issue of concern is that of illegal drugs and the problems we face in this regard, in particular in the Cork area. I understand - I am open to correction on this - that as many as nine people have died over the past few months as a result of the use of illegal drugs. There were a further two deaths during the past week. There is a need for a debate in this House and throughout the country on how we are going to address this growing problem. It is becoming more serious and will not go away. Drugs are freely available in all parts of the country, including in villages and towns. We do not appear to be making any progress in reducing access to illegal drugs. There was a major challenge to this issue in New York, which achieved some success. We need to seriously examine what we are doing wrong, and right, and what we need to do to change the culture among the younger generation in this country in terms of illegal drug use, thus ensuring no further deaths as a result. We need to have an urgent debate on this serious issue at an early date.
The Government has imposed on two of Ireland's pillar banks, Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Banks, a combined lending target of €21 billion for small and medium sized enterprises, SMEs, over three years from 2011 to 2013. Both banks were required to sanction lending, including lending for working capital purposes. The combined target of €21 billion was sanctioned to provide new or increased credit facilities to SMEs. The banks committed to lending SMEs €3 billion in 2011, €3.5 billion in 2012 and €4 billion in 2013.
There will be a debate on small and medium enterprises week following the Order of Business.
I have a question for the Leader which I believe is appropriate.
Okay. I was only reminding the Senator that there will be a debate on that issue following the Order of Business.
One would not want to be repetitive.
That is not the point. I want to put my question to the Leader.
Will the Senator, please, ask her question?
On Monday, the Irish Examiner had a wide-ranging interview with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton.
My colleagues on both sides of the Chamber know I have raised on many occasions with the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, the lack of finance available to small and medium companies. According to the Irish Examiner yesterday, the Minister stated banking has completely recoiled from lending to small businesses, that this must be rebuilt and that we must we re-do the finance system. Are Opposition Senators shocked?
Will the Leader clarify what the banks and Government define as "new lending"? Company credit renewal cannot be defined as new lending, which is the key term. I am sure all Senators who have a nose for business know that, yesterday, John Trethowan of the Credit Review Office issued his ninth quarterly review. It criticised the refusal of the pillar banks to back small and medium enterprises and highlighted the need for more funding to be approved for these hungry firms. Their importance to our economy cannot be underestimated, with more than 195,000 such enterprises employing more than 850,000 people. Will the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to come to the House to explain why in an exclusive interview with the Irish Examiner yesterday he stated there is no doubt banking has completely recoiled from lending to small businesses when on many occasions he has adamantly insisted they were lending? According to the banks they have delivered their targets, but what are these targets? Do they involve companies adding to an overdraft? I want to know the basis of the €3.5 billion a year the banks state they have given to companies. Is it new loans or rolling over overdrafts? What collateral do they demand from the business people? It is all about jobs and nothing else.
I beg the indulgence of the Leas-Chathaoirleach as I paint the scenarios of payment protection insurance fraud on customers; bad management decisions resulting in hundreds of thousands being unable to get access to their own cash; increasing interest rates unilaterally without consultation with the Government or the Central Bank; the second worst lending record to the SME sector, only behind Greece; and, more seriously, the erroneous and defamatory reporting of people's credit histories to the Irish Credit Bureau. This is not happening in any maligned banking utopia; it is happening here in Ireland. Despite the lawless state in which Irish banks, State-owned and otherwise, exist, our Financial Regulator is yet to intervene, while the Central Bank appears to be vocal on macro issues only and not national banking issues of paramount importance.
What is happening is a scandal. Five days ago I first raised the matter of data audits revealing the misreporting of credit histories of thousands of customers to the Irish Credit Bureau by Permanent TSB and AIB. On that day I wrote to David Duffy, the CEO of AIB, and Jeremy Masding of PTSB to request them to right this wrong and defamatory act with regard to credit reports for their customers and make a goodwill gesture to those whose details they erroneously and adversely entered. I also requested they establish a helpline to deal with the issue and ensure anyone using the helpline would be reimbursed. Their lack of response shows a complete failure by these banking institutions to make themselves accountable to the public for their negligence in dealing with their customers' credit histories.
It is important that we do not forget the significance of these errors. To input an adverse credit finding against a customer in Irish Credit Bureau records is to suggest he or she is insolvent, which gives the message that the person cannot pay his or her debts as they fall due. This is not only defamatory with ramifications for a person's good name, but it may prevent the person from obtaining finance. It is clear from the banks' actions that they are not listening, they are not interested in listening, and they do not care what unmitigated mess they inflict on the lives of their unsuspecting customers. So far, the response of Permanent TSB and AIB has been lamentably poor. We need the Minister for Finance, the Financial Regulator and the Governor of the Central Bank to intervene in the matter. I can confirm that in the absence of the rogue banks responding to me I have been left with no alternative than to make contact with the aforementioned to hold them to account for their negligence. It is clear that we, their customers, still rank bottom in priority despite all of the guarantees to the contrary.
We must be mindful that it was we, as taxpayers, who bailed out these institutions whose response is to affect the lives of their customers in such a negative way. On behalf of those people affected by erroneous reporting of credit histories, I want to know whether Irish banks will ensure their customers can have peace of mind. I have failed to be convinced of this thus far. In the circumstances, I reiterate my calls made during the Ulster Bank fiasco for a banking inquiry to get to the bottom of the continuous and horrendous mismanagement by the banks' directors.
I call on Senators to support the amendment.
I remind Members that of all the speakers today, only two people complied with their time constraints. I get criticism outside this Chamber for being lenient. I like being fair but when some people look for an inch, they expect a mile. I am sure Senator Paul Coghlan will respect the wishes of the Chair.
I subscribe totally to the view regarding the Chair's total fairness in all matters. I also join colleagues in welcoming the representatives of the farmers of Ireland to Dublin today. Having spoken to a number of them outside on the street and within the House, they know they have a very able advocate in the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, and that they have little to fear. Please God, things will go well.
I also very much welcome the support for the Kerry Group with regard to the jobs announcement but perhaps even more particularly for the deal with China last week with regard to milk powder products and flavourings for the vast Chinese market. This is a huge breakthrough that is very much to welcomed. I salute the dynamic leadership of Stan McCarthy and his team who are doing a wonderful job. We have seen the shares rise to €40 and I would advise Members that they will reach €50 yet. It could be a good tip.
In respect of SMEs, I very much welcome the recent report of the credit reviewer, John Trethowan. Thanks to him, an extra €10 million of credit that banks were not making available is being made available. Equally importantly, the 850 jobs have been secured and protected as a result. We should not lose track of that. There are many issues, some of which are diverse and contradictory. I suggest Senator White listens to Pat Farrell, her former general secretary, a man I know and trust. He has given his word-----
Why is the Minister saying-----
Hold on.
The Senator does not know what his own Minister is saying.
That is a very respected paper but it is not always correct, no more than any other paper.
The Minister said that the banks have completely recoiled from lending to small businesses.
Senator Paul Coghlan to continue, without interruption.
We might have a debate on banking and sort out some of these matters.
Ba bhreá liom freisin fáitle a chur roimh fheirmeoirí na hÉireann agus iad tagtha go Baile Átha Cliath inniu. Is léir gur cuid lárnach agus fíor-thábhachtach i saol na tíre é saol na talmhaíochta. Caithfimid a chinntiú go bhfuil ar chumas daoine óga sa talmhaíocht ach go háirithe a ngairm bheatha a leanúint agus nach bealach chun bochtaineachta a bheadh i gceist ann. I add my voice to those welcoming our farmers to Dublin today. Farming is a vitally important part of our national life and some of the best of what we are is to be found in farming communities. It is a time of optimism in farming with the possibility for it to contribute to our national recovery. I think of the proposals in Food Harvest 2020. It is always important that we do not have the politics of envy around farming and that people recognise the sacrifices made by and the unsociable hours worked by farmers. Ensuring that people can not just make a living in farming but a decent living should always be central to national policy. We should look with great interest at the numbers of young people coming into farming life and ensure that they are able to continue that essential part of our national life.
I was not educated in a fee-paying school but I very much disagree with the Minister of State for Public and Commuter Transport, Deputy Alan Kelly, and wonder where he is coming from and who in government put him up to saying what he said. I dislike the politics of envy.
Based on figures of the Department of Education and Skills, it has been shown that those in fee-paying schools cost the State approximately €3,500 less than others. If this is multiplied by the number attending fee-paying schools, one arrives at a figure amounting to tens of millions of euro. This is quite close to the sum it is claimed would be saved by ceasing the funding of fee-paying schools.
We must recognise that everybody has a right to an education. It is entirely appropriate to pay for the teachers to educate pupils, regardless of their means. We should, by all means, tax those who have more, but I would not like to see circumstances in which only the rich could afford to go to fee-paying schools. Fee-paying schools have, by and large, contributed to a culture of solidarity. In this regard, I am familiar with the great work being done by the Holy Ghost schools, for example, and their work with Aidlink, a related charity. I know that students from St. Mary's College in Rathmines go, in great solidarity and with the proper spirit, to Ghana very regularly. They do not go for a holiday. This activity is not just happening in fee-paying schools. Is would be wrong, however, to engage in the politics of envy and to try to portray the matter as one in which well-off people are funded at the expense of the poor. That is not what is happening because it is cheaper to fund the education of a person who is attending a fee-paying school as his parents are already making sacrifices to contribute to his or her education. It is good that parents are ambitious for their children's education. We should encourage that.
We need to work against disadvantage in education. While we already do so, it is not enough. We must stop targeting others who, on the surface, appear to have more but in reality are making more of a sacrifice. The appropriate approach is to promote a culture of excellence, sacrifice and participation by parents, who, in some cases, forgo holidays and other privileges because they want to invest in their children's education. I wish them good luck. Let us stop sniping at them and trying to put them in a more disadvantageous situation.
My colleagues have been talking about mortgages and the effect of the increase in the mortgage interest rate. What was said is very true. Many of the people who are dramatically affected by mortgage repayments are those living in apartments throughout Dublin and most urban areas. I refer to those who bought apartments at the height of the Celtic tiger and whose properties are in severe negative equity.
I welcome the recently introduced legislation to deal specifically with people who are living in apartments. The Property Services Regulatory Authority was established under the Property Services (Regulation) Act in 2011 but the problem is that significant numbers have not yet registered. I want to know why. Service charges within the apartment complexes concerned were supposed to have been monitored and administered under the legislation. I would like to know exactly what is happening, if anything, under the legislation. I would like a report on how successful the legislation has been, if it has been successful at all. Many of the common areas in the apartment complexes are to be transferred to owner-operated management companies from NAMA builders and broke developers. Very little has happened in this area.
The multi-unit developments legislation introduced in 2011 was designed to deal with the gross injustice affecting people who spent money genuinely to try to create a home for themselves in a what was a very difficult environment some years ago. I want a debate on this issue. The thousands of people in their 20s and 30s who paid vast amounts of money deserve to know how successful are the legislative provisions.
The Senator's time is up.
Many others exceeded it.
The Senator is testing my patience.
I welcome the farmers from County Clare who attended today. The IFA has done the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, a great favour because it strengthened his hand in negotiations in Brussels.
The Senator has made his point.
Will the Leader allow time for the reintroduction of the NAMA and Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Transparency Bill 2011? As of August, 2,500 properties had been sold by NAMA for €4.6 billion, yet the Minister for Finance is unable to tell us how many of those were sold in an open and transparent manner. NAMA refuses to tell him how many were put on the market, publicly advertised or sold in private back room deals. As the Taoiseach indicated at a British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly meeting, some developers are buying back their own properties.
The Senator knows that is not correct and that developers are constrained by the law and rules.
NAMA paid €32 billion for those properties-----
(Interruptions).
I ask Senator Daly to conclude and ask his question.
NAMA paid €32 billion for those properties, yet we do not know and the public is not told how many of them have been sold in an open and transparent manner, as is required under the NAMA legislation.
Disgraceful.
They were within the law.
Did Fianna Fáil not introduce that legislation?
We introduced it, but the Government is not enforcing it.
This is like the Ku Klux Klan.
Previously, I asked that the Attorney General attend the House under Standing Order 56, yet she has not appeared before us to explain----
Does the Senator want a second bite at the cherry?
-----why NAMA is not selling property in an open and transparent manner. Under the legislation, NAMA must sell those properties as if they were State assets, which must be sold by auction or tender. As Senator Paul Coghlan is aware, most of the time we only find out after the event that properties have been sold. In some cases, the people who took out the large loans in the first place are the buyers. The programme for Government reads: "We will insist on the highest standards of transparency in the operation of NAMA, on reduction in the costs associated with the operation of NAMA, and that decision-making in NAMA does not delay the restoration of the Irish property market".
We are constrained by the law that Fianna Fáil introduced.
The highest standards of transparency are not being achieved by any measure.
The Senator's point is well made.
(Interruptions).
Senator Paul Coghlan is being very awkward today.
I offer my sincere apologies, but I am being provoked.