I join with colleagues in welcoming back Senator David Norris. It is good to see him.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business to ask that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, or whatever Minister is available, comes to the House today to discuss the new voluntary code of conduct on mortgage arrears announced by the Central Bank of Ireland and the personal debt crisis which is now the burden of so many households throughout the country. Mr. David Hall of New Beginning has said it is reprehensible that the Central Bank of Ireland has simply rolled over for the banks in this regard. FLAC has also expressed its concern about the new voluntary code of conduct. Some of the toothless measures in the old code of conduct, which at least prevented the banks harassing people by contacting them more than three times a month, will be removed. Now within 30 days the banks can set about repossessing a family home. Some 53,000 people are out of the moratorium period announced this morning. A further 100,000 people are in mortgage arrears and now the banks are in absolute control.

Yesterday I called for a criminal investigation into how the authorities in Anglo Irish Bank managed to force the hand of the Central Bank and demand what they wanted be done, but we now see it happening again. The Central Bank is rolling over in favour of the banks. This week we saw the Minister for Finance celebrate the new bank deal and how the EU will deal with bank failures in the future. More power to him for his efforts on our behalf in Europe but the public can legitimately ask, what is in it for the people? We put forward the Family Home Bill, the Debt Settlement and Mortgage Resolution Office Bill and countless other measures and proposals to give tangible support to people and to the silent crisis with which families throughout the country are struggling.

Today the Government's only act is to allow the Central Bank of Ireland to roll over and capitulate in favour of the banks. What is in it for the people? For that reason, we propose an amendment to the Order of Business because it is time the people got some level of representation and some bone thrown to them by Government and the EU for taking all of the pain in this crisis.

Could I clarify what Senator MacSharry is calling for? Is it a new code of conduct? What are the exact words?

My amendment states: "That the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, or whatever Minister is available, comes to the House today to discuss the new voluntary code of conduct on mortgage arrears announced by the Central Bank of Ireland and the personal debt crisis which is now the burden of so many households throughout the country."

I join with the Leader in welcoming Senator David Norris back to the House. The Senator was missed yesterday in the debate on the referendum Bill but we look forward to his-----

No doubt he will make up for that.

No doubt he will make up for his absence. We are delighted to see him back.

I refer to the new Central Bank of Ireland code for those in mortgage arrears. The number of mortgages in arrears by more than 90 days - almost 100,000, or 12.3% of mortgages - is extremely worrying. It is particularly worrying when we see homeowners' mortgages in arrears. It is undoubtedly the case that action needs to be taken and it is welcome to see a code of conduct. We can make very valid criticisms where the code of conduct appears to be too easy on the banks but there are some very welcome measures in it and we need to have a reasoned debate on it in due course. I am not sure rushing into it with slogans and sound-bites today is the answer but we should take-----

I have been talking about this since 2009.

Senator Bacik, without interruption.

This code has just been published and as I said, there are issues of concern in it, although there are some welcome aspects. I am very glad to see there will be no fast-tracking of home repossessions and no forcing people off tracker mortgages, both of which the banks wanted but did not get. We need a reasoned debate and to look at what measures in the code will help people in distress with mortgage arrears and at where it needs to be strengthened. We should have that debate in due course but I do not think it would be appropriate to have it today.

I welcome the publication yesterday of the scheme for the survivors of Magdalen laundries institutions. We might have a debate on that when we have looked in detail at the terms of that scheme.

Will the Leader arrange a debate in early course on the report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence on a review of legislation on prostitution which it published today? Senators Zappone, Mac Conghail, Conway and I were among those present for the launch of that report. It is a hugely important report which makes radical recommendations for reform of the law on prostitution. The report was conducted at the instigation of the Minister who is actively looking at reform of the law in this area. The Independent nominees to the Seanad initiated this review through their motions in this House, so it has an important ownership of the report. It would be great if we could have a debate on this report in early course. I will ask the Chairman of the committee, Deputy David Stanton, to write formally to the Leader to ask for that debate, as I have asked him to do in respect of the committee's report on penal reform.

Members will be interested to hear that the report on prostitution recommends that we adopt the Swedish approach to legislation where we criminalise only the purchase of sex and not the sale, so effectively we decriminalise those engaged in prostitution but we criminalise the purchasers. It would only be a summary offence, so it would be a minor offence only.