I was unaware of that. I will refer to another item of legislation. The Taoiseach has often threatened to introduce legislation to allow the regulator to ensure additional charges or increased interest could not be imposed on persons struggling with their mortgages, yet since he made that claim, on two occasions AIB has increased its variable interest rate which exerts hard pressure. Does the Government have plans to introduce legislation to give power to the Central Bank to deal with this matter?

My second question relates to the budget which will be announced in December. We see from the report of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul that many families are planning their finances for next year accordingly. Will the Taoiseach indicate whether this will be the last budget to be announced in the month of December? Is it the understanding that next year's budget will be announced earlier, both as a result of European rules and in consideration of the level of spending in the domestic economy in the month of December?

No decision has been made about the budget for 2013. The Government will decide the matter in due course.

Last year I wrote to the regulator on behalf of the Government about the banks. I made it perfectly clear that if the regulator required further powers or authority, the Government would be willing to grant them. The regulator responded to the effect that he did not consider it necessary at the time to look for increased powers from the Government. That is the current position. If we receive a request from the regulator for further powers in his dealings with the banks, the Government will respond positively.