I support colleagues' comments about the proposed banking inquiry. What has been mooted is absurd because there is no politician who would not have commented on the issue in recent years. On the other hand, a "Coghlan inquiry" has a certain ring to it. Perhaps Senator Paul Coghlan, in his quasi-judicial role in the Oireachtas, might play a pivotal role in any investigation.

I join other speakers in raising the issue of the proposed charities regulator. That body must be established without delay and I hope it will be done next month, as indicated by the Minister. I have referred before in this House to the damage done by recent revelations to the public perception of the charities sector. The introduction of a quality standard mark similar to the Q mark for Irish products might be useful in terms of assuring the public that a particular charity adheres to certain standards such as publishing annual accounts, using a fixed amount of donations to pay for administration and ensuring all salaries are transparent.

Like Senator Martin Conway, it is my experience that for every substandard charity there are 100 good ones. However, after rugby matches and other events in Dublin, one often sees people engaged in dubious collections. We all must be prepared to request identification in such instances. The provision of a quality mark would offer reassurance to the public that moneys given are going to the designated charity. The issue Senator Martin Conway raises in this regard is important. I have participated in several 10 km runs and so on and one does wonder where the money raised actually goes. In raising these concerns I do not seek to deny that there are many charities making a positive and worthwhile contribution. The introduction of a regulator will be very welcome. I repeat my call of last week for a debate on the charities sector in the coming weeks.

I join colleagues in calling for a balanced approach in regard to the proposed banking inquiry. Any such inquiry should include Members from both sides of this House. There is no Member of either House of the Oireachtas who has not commented on what happened with the banks. That reality must not prevent anybody from sitting on the proposed inquiry.

As other speakers said, it is difficult to accept that it is almost 12 months since the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe who was a native of County Cavan. It is important that we remember him at his time, as well as his wife, two small children, parents and wider family. I take the opportunity to pay tribute to every member of the Garda Síochána, all of whom risk their lives on a daily basis to protect the people of the State.

I join other Senators in remembering the awful tragedy in County Louth 12 months ago when Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe lost his life. I hope media reports in recent days suggesting there might soon be a breakthrough in the investigation are accurate, for the sake of Detective Garda Donohoe's family, gardaí who lost a trusted colleague and the community around Lordship in County Louth. We must all give our full support to members of the Garda, many of whom operate in very dangerous circumstances in many instances.

I hope the membership of the banking inquiry team will include Members of this House as well as the Dáil. One could not find a person in this country who has not expressed strong views on the manner in which the banks operated in the past decade. It is ludicrous to suggest a public representative who uttered strong statements on the matter should be precluded from membership of the inquiry. I am sure every citizen holds and has expressed strong views on the difficulties into which the banking industry placed this country.

I very much welcome the announcement in recent days by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, that the regulatory office for charities will be established in the coming months. The entire charities sector is an amazing mess, with major irregularities being perpetrated on an ongoing basis throughout the country. As Senator John Whelan observed, it is an industry worth €6 billion to €8 billion and it is time we got to grips with it. The Government has cleaned up a great deal of mess since coming into office. The mess that is the charities sector will be addressed by putting the sector on a proper footing so that the people who depend on the moneys raised by legitimate organisations continue to benefit from them and we can all have confidence that the money given voluntarily by people out of their income is used for the purposes intended. I urge the Minister to proceed without delay to sort this area out once and for all.