Senator John Gilroy asked for a debate on the issue of insolvency. We are trying to arrange that debate with the Minister for Finance.

Senator Diarmuid Wilson called for an all-party approach to the issue of councillors' pay. I agree completely with him. The Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, was in the House half an hour ago to take a Commencement matter on the issue. I stress that the Minister meeting the representative associations is key. I agree with the Senator's sentiment that we should adopt a united approach to this issue and think this House has done so. Even Sinn Féin at the LAMA conference agreed that there should be a united approach to it. What has upset councillors is the circular issued only a couple of weeks ago on subsistence payments. If a councillor attends a conference and a meal is provided, he or she is docked about a seven hour subsistence payment, amounting to about €35. This is crazy and I am sure it does not apply to officials in the Department or any other official when they attend conferences. This matter will need to be addressed as part of the negotiations. It is welcome that the Minister of State said she would ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, to meet the representative associations because that would be the first step. Anything Senators could do to help in facilitating the talks and reaching a solution would be welcome. I agree with the Senator in that matter.