Does the Senator want an exit stratety?

I, too, join colleagues in complimenting the Members of this House who served on the banking inquiry committee. I congratulate them on finally managing to publish a report today. Unfortunately, there are so many dissenting voices that the majority report may only reflect minority opinion. It will not tell us anything new or anything we did not know already. We are all well aware of the failings of both the Central Bank and the Financial Regulator. We are also well aware that the inquiry was hamstrung by the legislation under which it was established in not being able to make any findings of fact or recommendations against any individual. That said, I welcome the debate the Leader has arranged on the report. Please God, there will be aspects of the recommendations made that will be useful in the future.

I very much welcome the announcement of the details of the €298 million investment programme for this year for regional and local roads. The funding package will allow approximately 2,000 km of regional and local roads to be maintained and improved during the year. I welcome, in particular, the inclusion in the programme of the long-awaited Dingle inner relief road.

I welcome the publication of the banking inquiry report despite all the hiccups, the threats of legal action, the problems about the date and all the rest of it. I compliment my colleague, Senator Sean D. Barrett, on his participation in this important report and also the other Members of the Seanad, particularly Senator Marc MacSharry. I was just out of hospital at the time the inquiry was established and it was my vote that put Senator Marc MacSharry onto the inquiry. I did it very deliberately in order to ensure there was not a Government majority, that the inquiry could not be used for political purposes and that it would be fully independent. I was astonished that the media universally picked up that it was a Fianna Fáil plot. Fianna Fáil was open-mouthed in astonishment when I voted the way I did at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges or whatever committee it was.

I am really saddened and shocked by the fact that certain documents are being retained out of the public view and that others will be destroyed. That is completely and utterly wrong. It is a matter of historical record and very important for the future that we should have such documents.

A spin-off from the period investigated by the banking inquiry was the devastating impact on the ordinary people of this country. At the very beginning of the financial crisis, I suggested the establishment of a Minister for home security to look after the interests of Irish citizens in maintaining possession of their homes. However, this was never done. It is a pity it was never done, particularly in the light of a case in Cork about which I heard about a couple of days ago. It is typical of a number of cases that have occurred. A woman was a tenant in a house in which she and her husband lived. Her husband had worked all his life but was injured a year ago and is out sick. They have two children and assorted pets, animals and this, that and the other. They had always paid the rent. They were in receipt of rent supplement and the rent was slightly higher so they paid the difference themselves. They were tenants in good standing. There was no blemish on their record but there was a dispute between the landlord and the banks and now the banks are having the family evicted onto the side of the road. That is utterly shocking. There is all this blather about 1916 and all the rest of it. Evictions had ceased in Ireland by 1916 but they have been reintroduced with the support of the Government. That is absolutely shameful. Something should be done. Legislation should be introduced in order that if there was a dispute between the bank and a landlord, a tenant in good standing would have his or her rights supported by the State.

Like other Members who have spoken on the banking inquiry, I congratulate all of the Senators who put in more than 400 hours' work, including during holiday periods and the summer recess. They have put in the effort. The result might not be exactly what everybody wants because we would all like to see inquiries being able to make findings of fact more than recommendations. Senator Sean D. Barrett has issued a separate paper which would make good reading. I will bring it to the attention of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party because I respect his views. His approach is preferable to those who jump up and down about the inquiry and say it should have done something that it could not possibly do because, at every turn, the hands of members were tied behind their backs as a result of threats of legal or other action. I accept that we must have a separation of powers between the State and the Judiciary but I believe it would be good if we could make available more powers for internal inquiries such as the banking inquiry. That is something the next Government should consider.

I bring to the attention of the House a problem that has arisen with the mosquito. Members might not think that we have mosquitoes in Ireland, but we do and it has been found that the Zika virus which is transmitted by mosquitoes can cause birth defects. The virus was previously confined to South American countries but a new case has been found in Denmark and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued an alert because three cases have also been identified in the United Kingdom. With the summer Olympics coming up in Brazil, everybody should be warned, especially women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant, who travel on holidays or for work reasons to countries in South America. The virus can survive in water under plants and can cause birth defects. Recently, more than 1,000 babies have been born with microcephaly in the countries affected. A person in Denmark is currently being treated. There is no cure but the condition can be prevented. Caution is advised. I raise this issue because there are mosquitoes in Ireland. I do not intend to scare people, because the Zika virus in not present in this country, but there are three cases of the virus in the United Kingdom and citizens should be on the alert and make sure when they travel that they have protection against mosquitoes.