An dtuigeann an Seanadóir é sin? I intend to speak about two matters that have already been mentioned. I congratulate the ladies international rugby team on their achievement at the weekend in Milan in unbelievable and abominable conditions when they added the grand slam to the Triple Crown they had won last month.

There is no way any man or woman could justify the payment of a salary of €900,000 per annum to a CEO or any boss. We have discussed these obnoxious salaries on many occasions in the House and I wonder whether there is anything we could about them. I was annoyed to read in a newspaper today that the man about whom I am speaking had signed an agreement in 2009 whereby he would receive a salary of €623,000. I cannot believe how it increased from €623,000 to more than €800,000 in just three years.

Is the Senator looking for a debate on this issue?

We will have to do something about it. We should debate the issue of salaries. Nobody can deny that there are men and women in this country and Irish men and women in foreign fields who might be willing to come back who are capable of running the banks or working as the CEOs of various companies for less than the outrageous salaries being paid. No man or woman could justify being paid €2,000 a day. I am calling for a debate on why certain salaries in banks that have failed the people and taxpayers have increased by 33% in the times that are in it. We urgently need a debate on the payment of such outrageous salaries to CEOs.