I will get to my question. I just wanted to congratulate Senator Feargal Quinn who was involved in the original trial in Wexford which has resulted in the withdrawal of 1 cent and 2 cent coins nationwide. As I stated last week, it costs 1.7 cent to produce a 1 cent coin and this is not sustainable. Other countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Belgium and Hungary have already introduced the policy of rounding. This policy will be rolled out here in the coming months on a voluntary basis. The coins in question will remain legal tender. I welcome this development.

Our thoughts are with the families whose loved ones died in Berkeley, California. My wife and I have five children, all of whom worked in the United States when they were students. Some of our grandchildren have done so also. The thought of receiving a telephone call to say that one has just lost one's child is horrific. While we are aware that five people were killed, there is a possibility that even more could die. Our thoughts are with all of those involved. What happened was certainly not expected. However, it has happened and we can only hope something can be done to relieve the sorrow of the families involved.

Our thoughts are also with the former employees of Clerys. This matter is a reminder of how long the store has remained in business. I think it first opened its doors in 1853, while Arnotts opened in 1841 and the Burgess department store in Athlone commenced operations in 1839. Some department stores have lasted quite a long time. We must remember the benefits we, as a society, have enjoyed as a result of competition, but we must also recognise that the only way one can remain in business is by pleasing one's customers and moving with the times. It appears that Clerys, which went through the hands of various owners, had difficulty in doing both. I hope a solution will be found for the workers involved who find themselves in such a difficult position.

I thank Senator Catherine Noone for her congratulations on the removal from circulation of 1 cent and 2 cent coins and for making a call on this matter on the Order of Business last week. Last year I was asked by the Central Bank to travel to Wexford and act as an ambassador for the removal of such coins from circulation. It has taken approximately one year to have all the coins withdrawn, but their removal is going to be of major benefit.

I was a little concerned listening to the radio earlier when it was stated the idea was to round up, but that is not the case. If it is 99 cent, one rounds up, but if it is 91 cent, one rounds down. If it is 96 cent, one rounds down; if it is 94 cent, one rounds up. In other words, there will be no cost to the public in getting rid of 1 cent and 2 cent coins. It worked well in Wexford and it was accepted by practically everybody there. We should encourage this and we should congratulate Senator Catherine Noone for pushing this.

Age Action Ireland combined with Ulster Bank on a great campaign to highlight the fraud perpetrated within families against older people. A good conference was held in Ulster Bank. The spotlight must be put on those who have deprived their older family members of their money, which they deserved. The action of Age Action Ireland and Ulster Bank deserve congratulations.

I join colleagues in extending my deepest sympathy to the relatives of the young people who lost their lives and of those who were seriously injured in Berkeley, California this morning. I heard a short while ago that my neighbour's son was in the building. While he was uninjured, he knew two of the young people who were killed. It is an appalling situation and I applaud the fact that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade deployed its consular crisis centre on the ground immediately in Berkeley to assist all the young people. In addition to those who were injured and who have lost their lives, many other young people have been traumatised by what has happened and they will need all the help they can get from the Department.

I share the sorrow for the workers in Clerys and the appalling manner in which the announcement was made last Friday. Everybody throughout the country feels for them. Clerys was an iconic brand through the years and many of us from the country on probably one of our first trips to Dublin as youngsters with our mothers would have visited Clerys. The shop has stood the test of time. It has been there since 1853, as Senator Feargal Quinn said. What has happened is appalling. I support the call for redundancy payments to be fast-tracked for the people concerned. I heard a number of the concession holders being interviewed earlier and they are in an awful position. Their stock is tied up and money is owed to them. We have witnessed a new low in business practice and in the light of this, a thorough review of how business is conducted in this country, particularly in the retail trade, is needed. If legislation needs to be amended to provide greater protection for workers, then that must be done as a matter of urgency. Issues arise from this Clerys scenario that we, as a Government, cannot ignore. I hope the people who have worked there all their lives and who were about to retire but who now find themselves out of work receive whatever basic entitlements they are due immediately.

I join colleagues regarding the case in Berkeley. On the morning of 9/11 my son was in New York and on his way to the Twin Towers. I pay tribute to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which worked overtime at the time to put parents' minds at rest. I recall that we received our telephone call at 7 p.m. to tell us our son was alive and uninjured. When I saw the photographs he brought home from New York, I realised how close he was. We have photographs of him standing looking up at the towers coming down. I am deeply sorry and I am fully aware of the pain and suffering parents are going through today.

I visited Clerys earlier with a number of Members of both Houses.

As previous speakers said, the need for the new owners to meet the workers and to sort out redundancy payments, pension entitlements, etc., is urgent.

In particular, I wish to speak about the collusion covered in a programme on RTE last night. It is no secret I served in two armies in my time and last night I watched in horror when I saw what I would call highly trained people on the Protestant side of Northern Ireland march around the place with the UVF and the UDA. When I saw what went on there, I was horrified by it. I know decent, good people on both sides of the religious and political divides in the North. In fairness, the IRA, who are no friends of mine, have taken some hammering over the years for the atrocities they carried out. We need to impress upon the Taoiseach the need now to open up what happened on the loyalist side and the collusion which took place. I am horrified to think people in high positions and political officers of the state of the United Kingdom employed soldiers to assist terrorists carry out their actions in Dublin and Monaghan and in the various killings which took place in Northern Ireland. We all know about the IRA ones. It is time we opened the door on what went on with the security forces in Northern Ireland. I commend the RUC sergeant who came out publicly on the RTE programme and RTE for the great job it did. I would like to see some action on this issue as soon as possible.