I support Senator Crown on the issue of private health insurance. I work for many insurance companies in my other job. Their practice is generally to avoid paying when they can; that is just how they operate. People should be warned that they should read the small print. I agree with Senator Kelly in that even those of us who should know better do not always read the small print. In many instances, people find out about problems with their health insurance cover when they are most unwell and in a very vulnerable state. This issue should be debated, not least because of the serious rise in the cost of health insurance, irrespective of the company one is with. We could very usefully debate this in the House in the very near future.

Let me raise an issue brought to my attention by a councillor in Dungarvan, of which issue I have no doubt the Leader will be aware. There has been an increase in rates of between 30% and 100% for many of the businesses in the town. One business saw an increase of 1,100%. Can one imagine this? The increases are devastating for the retail sector, especially in a small provincial town. I am concerned about a precedent being set for other small towns. We should invite the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to the House to discuss this in the very near future. The rates increases are stifling small towns.

I was surprised but highly irritated when I read the newspapers on Sunday to see that supermarkets are still peddling below-cost beer aggressively. Incredibly, beer in Tesco was cheaper than water and other soft drinks during promotions that were advertised in many Sunday newspapers last weekend. I am often slagged for being a killjoy in this area but it should be noted I enjoy a drink as much as the next person. However, what is occurring is clearly wrong in every sense. How on earth can beer cost less than water or fruit juice? What sort of message is this sending out? Retailers are selling beer for just 65 cent per bottle while bottles of water are retailing at 90 cent. This highlights the need to stop the below-cost selling of alcohol with immediate effect. I do not know what is happening with the alcohol strategy but understand issues arise over the advertising aspect. We have heard much debate in recent surveys that has centred on alcohol sponsorship. A far simpler, quicker and more effective way of reducing dangerous and excessive consumption of alcohol by young people, and people at home in a less controlled environment, is to end the below-cost selling of alcohol. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Alex White, should be invited to the House to discuss this ever-worsening and very serious problem.

As I am sure others have done, I welcome the First Lady of the United States and her family to Ireland. I hope they have enjoyed their brief stay. They have done the country a service by raising its profile and drawing attention to our tourism product. I thank the US President, Mr. Obama, for having had the foresight to quote William Butler Yeats while he was here and for never missing an opportunity.

He quoted incorrectly.

It was not incorrect.

It was in the wrong context.

We will forgive him. Even I will forgive him.

Following a very successful Yeats day in Sligo last Thursday, I thank Senators for their good wishes. In advance of the visit of Prime Minister Abe of Japan to Dublin tomorrow and to cement the links between Ireland and Japan which promise enormous economic, tourism and cultural benefits, I thank Ambassador John Neary who will host a Yeats' day event in Tokyo on Saturday for a wide group of people. I will have the pleasure of speaking at the symposium with the ambassador. Cultural and international links are being built. I ask that at some point we have a discussion on whether we can invite other people to come to Ireland. We can ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, to invite others to come to Ireland to enjoy a variety of activities. We are very good at inviting journalists from other countries to come to Ireland and write articles in their newspapers. Perhaps we might short-list four or five interesting people from across the world to come to Ireland to enjoy our company, beautiful sites, culture and so on. There have been calls for another debate on that issue. I, again, thank Members for their good wishes. We had a great day and celebrated Yeats in style.