I empathise with Senator Norris about the missive he received from Allied Irish Banks. I had a Visa card from Allied Irish Banks and it was funded from my bank account in Ulster Bank. I got a similar demand to explain how I had accumulated all of my wealth across my life for simply having a Visa card that was funded by a standing order. This shows the ludicrous aspect of some of the regulations that come from Europe. I have no doubt that there could be a case made for special vigilance in respect of those people who wield particular power in European member states to keep an eye on egregious financial transactions relating to them. The form Senator Norris received was one which was applicable to opening a new account, asking where this money was coming from and questions of that kind. An asinine form was sent to him when, I presume, he has been banking with that bank for some time.

Over 70 years.

Over 70 years, which is quite absurd.

The other thing that is offensive about it is the title of PEP - a politically exposed person. Again, that is a presumption that those of us in this House require special supervision in respect of our financial affairs over and above members of An Bord Pleanála or you name it. Do they get this kind of treatment? I do not think they do.

The Mafia.

All our business is done in public, and certainly when one is not an officeholder, one is assumed to be a "politically exposed person" requiring this special treatment when those people who have huge discretionary powers - county managers, members of An Bord Pleanála and planning officials - have far more day-to-day power and far more potential to abuse that power than being a Member for Trinity College and the National University of Ireland in this establishment or whatever, so I do empathise with Senator Norris in that respect.

Those regulations were made without any input from this House because it is part of the same old malaise. We do not ever have any foresight as to what is coming at us from Europe.

Yes.

It was fine to coast along on the coat tails of the United Kingdom and hope that they would examine these things and weed out the excessive or repugnant aspects of European legislative initiatives. They are no longer there. I repeat the following point, which I have said this before in this House, and I will keep saying it. We talk about being politically exposed, but Ireland is now politically exposed in Europe. We do not have the manpower, the studies and the input into what is happening in Europe. We have lived a charmed life on the coat tails of the United Kingdom. Our whole Government mechanism is now going to have to be tooled up so that it can perform its correct function. We, in our recently revamped Houses of the Oireachtas, have got to take our role seriously, under the Lisbon treaty, in terms of European legislation. Before we get worried about buttons and all the rest of it, and I am sorry Senator Norris thinks he is paid buttons-----

Rather cheap plastic buttons and nothing like the twice our income raise that civil servants are giving themselves.

Things are bad enough.

Before we, as a country, get trapped into considering the irrelevant and the insignificant for electoral advantage or political sniping, let us remember that this country is going towards Niagara in terms of its complete exposure as a result of taking no active part in the generation of European legislation.