I am preparing a report for the EU Affairs Committee on the future of European Monetary Union and the challenges that it will face. This is now becoming very topical. if you have any thoughts on this subject please let me know.

This morning we had a very wide variety of issues raised on the Order of Business. They included NAMA, jobs, the quality of TV reception in Cavan, the performance of the Minister of Education and deer.

I raised the attitude that some are taking to Ryanair now. There appears to be a growing distaste for the spirited hustling approach of Mr O’Leary. But this is exactly the kind of attitude we need in our businesses abroad. We can’t speak out of both sides of our mouth on issues like this.

Our healthcare system is a mess. Our healthcare spend has quadrupled since 1997, yet Irish citizens still receive a standard of healthcare well below the EU average, with huge waiting lists, overcrowding of hospitals and a two-tiered system which is both inefficient and unfair.

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Since 2007 there has been a 155% increase in the number of young people signing on. One in three men under 25 are now on the dole. We should not be forcing our young people to emigrate: we must provide opportunities here in Ireland.

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I’ve long heard it say that no one resigns in Irish politics. The events of yesterday made it four resignations in the last few weeks. I suspect yesterday might have the most serious consequences of all of them.

We won’t find a ’smoking gun’. There won’t be a picture of a FF Minister hunched over a fax machine with a letter in his hand. But that’s not the point.

Trust between the Government Parties took a serious blow yesterday. It will create the environment within which the death of a 1000 cuts will start.

More subtly FF won’t be able to accuse FG and Labour of not been able to work together in Government if they are up to these antics themselves.