It is not just south County Roscommon but rural Ireland that is being decimated. It is one of the major failures of the Government.

I agree with Senator Michael Mullins's comments on Ibrahim Halawi. It is a disgrace and sad reflection on the justice system and the Administration of President el-Sisi in Egypt that once again Ibrahim Halawi has been incarcerated because of the failure of the legal system there.

I also join the Senator in condemning the bombing of the hospital in Afghanistan. The United States previously chastised the Russians for what they were doing in Syria. The bombing of the hospital in Afghanistan by a US military aircraft is a resigning matter at some level within the US Administration, but we have not seen or heard anything in that regard.

What we have been hearing recently about NAMA, in particular its proposed sale for €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion of loans which it purchased for €31 billion, is alarming and warrants debate in this Chamber. The private equity companies and others who are buying these loans are making 50% to 100% profit on some of them. This is the result of a failure by the State to properly set targets. I believe NAMA should be seeking, at a minimum, a 50% return on that investment.

On the Seanad by-election, I have no doubt that it will be overtaken by a general election. It appears very obvious that the Taoiseach is set to cut and run. Despite the best wishes of the Labour Party, it will be cut adrift to stormy political waters within, probably, the next two to three weeks. The self-congratulatory comments from the Government benches, of which I am sure we will hear more in the next few weeks and during the election campaign, ring very hollow to the many people who have been badly affected by the failures of the Government, in particular. The situation in relation to the banking inquiry which was mentioned by Senator David Norris is a good reason to call a general election now. The establishment of that inquiry was a political ploy by the Government. I would welcome a debate on the matter.

The Government has also failed to bring about any public service reform. Irish Water speaks for itself. The people will give their verdict on it when approached on the doorsteps. Homelessness is at an unprecedented level and measures to tackle burglaries have been a complete failure. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, and her predecessor, Deputy Alan Shatter, have been two of the worst Ministers for Justice in the history of the State, yet they are being applauded by Members on the Government benches for all they have done.

We also need a debate on the issues of bankruptcy and insolvency. Repossessions are being ratcheted up. The Government is running to the public to avoid any fall-out from its failure to manage the banks, the actions of which resulted in the crash of the banking sector.