Order of Business - 24th November 2010

Order of Business – 24th November 2010
Senator David Norris: I wish I could agree with Senator Keaveney that the international media was hanging on our every word, as I doubt it. My more modest wish is that the Irish media would occasionally pay a little bit of attention to the House, but that is unlikely as long as we run it like the Ballymagash amateur musical and drama society. The named officers of the House are responsible for that, so I must put the wish to one side.
Three factors should be examined, those being, the markets, hedge funds and ratings agencies. The markets are in turmoil and we are constantly being derated. The attitude out there is that Dublin will be taken out first, then Madrid. A great deal of attention is paid to freedom of information requests on expenses claims. I have received another request and I am happy with it. Let us have a bit of openness about the bondholders. I want to know who they are. I want to see a list of their names.
Senator Niall Ó Brolcháin: Hear, hear.
Senator David Norris: I have some idea of who is on it. I want to know who are behind the hedge funds. They are gambling against us. I want to know who is operating in the markets. A market is where items are bought and sold. The future of the Irish people is being bought and sold over their heads. It is slavery and nothing else.
Senator Fidelma Healy Eames: That is right.
Senator David Norris: We should listen to people like David McWilliams. Yesterday, I referred to the solution, namely, a shares for equity swap in the banks. It would wipe out €120 billion. David McWilliams was discussing it again this morning. He was right. We should consider doing this. It is perfectly clear to even a two year old that one does not solve a debt crisis by miring oneself endlessly in further debt.
Senator Ciaran Cannon: Hear, hear.
Senator David Norris: As long as the Government refuses to listen to creative solutions, we will fall further into the mire. It will pinch. I honour and respect my colleagues from all sides of the House who pointed to where this will hurt. It is not an abstract question. It is about people losing jobs and homes.
Yesterday, others and I attended the launch of the White Ribbon Campaign. It is called “The Other Half” and relates to the increasing risk of violence against women. Where there is domestic tension over budgets, paying bills and so on, violence against women will increase. This is the price paid.
The money has not gone away or evaporated. Rather, it is going into certain little pockets and I demand to know to whom they belong. I want to know who is in the hedge funds, who is running them and who is controlling the bond markets.