A number of speakers have expressed solidarity with the people of Newbridge on the loss of their credit union but the events of recent days are disappointing not only to the people of Newbridge but also to this House and the High Court. This House has once again been treated with contempt by the Government in the way the matter has been addressed. This day last week I asked the Minister the plans for the future of Newbridge Credit Union but I was told they could not be discussed due to the fact that the High Court had issued an order. Yet again, however, we find the Government telling the media its plans before it informs this House or even the High Court.

The events of recent days have sent shockwaves throughout the credit union movement. The speed with which the Government acted using these special powers - powers which were intended for its dealings with banks - was incredible. Now the people of Newbridge are left without a credit union. The Minister and the Department are sending mixed messages to the 2.8 million people in this country who are credit unions savers.

I have accepted the Senator's Adjournment motion which will allow him an opportunity to discuss this issue tonight.

Thank you, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. I am raising very specific questions on the Adjournment. My request to the Leader that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, come into the House is relevant to the Order of Business. We need to hear from the Minister and a statement on what the Government intends to do. Will there be better consultation with ordinary people, the people who have put together the credit union movement brick by brick, or will there be mergers and takeovers of credit unions by stealth, including their being merged into banks? That would not be in the public interest. The last thing the people of Newbridge or anywhere else need is another bank. The Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, is saying Newbridge is the only place where this type of merger will occur, but the Minister is saying one quarter of credit unions might be in trouble. It seems, in this case, that the credit union was treated like another failed bank, which clearly it is not. There should have been more consultation, including with the communities served by the credit union. The members who are ordinary people are the owners of the credit unions. I ask the Minister to come to the House in early course to discuss the issue. I hope there will be an end to the situation where information on such matters is communicated to the media before it is conveyed to the Dáil and the Seanad. I do not believe the bogus claims that people are bound by confidentiality in a context where selective leaks are being made to the media, as I believe happened in this case. Above all, however, there must be consultation with the Irish League of Credit Unions and ordinary people who wish to retain a credit union facility in their community.