It is appropriate today to commemorate the war dead of the appalling battle of Gallipoli, as Senator Paschal Mooney said, and to mark the anniversary. I join him in commemorating the many thousands who died so tragically and senselessly in that battle.

In the light of the calls we have been making during the week for a debate in this House on a drugs strategy, I very much welcome the announcement that the Minister of State, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, is to be appointed today as a Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy. I think he will do an excellent job in that role. I am really pleased that a Minister of State will be taking charge of the national drugs strategy. I know that the Minister of State has committed himself to reducing drug related deaths, of which there were more than 600 in Ireland in 2012. It is a serious human tragedy. In the light of that appointment, we might ask the Minister of State to come to the House at the earliest opportunity to address us on his programme of work for the coming year.

I note and welcome the announcement yesterday that a company called Zalando would be establishing 200 jobs in the Dublin south inner city. The Tánaiste, Deputy Joan Burton, was in attendance to mark the announcement. She noted that it highlighted Dublin's strength as a centre for digital excellence and as a city in attracting these hugely important tech jobs.

On the issue of the AIB and distressed mortgage holders, many in this House have looked for a debate on it. I welcome the indication yesterday that the standard variable rate would be cut by AIB. That would greatly alleviate distress for many thousands of mortgage holders, but it is clear that more needs to be done. We are aware that the Government has announced it will bring forward a package of measures. Certainly, the change to the bankruptcy law is one of those measures that must be addressed by the Government as part of that package. The Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform under the very able Vice Chairman, our own colleague, Senator Aideen Hayden, played an important role yesterday in keeping the pressure on AIB to ensure rates would be cut. We need to have a debate on the issue with the relevant Minister in attendance to hear precisely what package of measures for distressed mortgage holders is planned by the Government.

I renew my call to the Leader for a debate on measures to prevent any future dreadful deaths of migrants seeking to enter Europe. Today EU leaders are meeting at a summit. I hope they will be looking at creative measures to alleviate this problem and address the serious issue of the many thousands of migrants seeking to enter Europe and the appalling human tragedy caused by people traffickers who put them out to sea in boats that are not seaworthy.