Jim Higgins (Fine Gael)

Yes. I strongly advocate that we hold public hearings and bring in outside expertise to assist the committee in its deliberations.

The composition of the Seanad is an issue which will be central to who should be involved. I have held the view for a long time, by virtue of the fact that we have our much cherished diaspora overseas, that there should be some overseas representation. Successive Taoisigh have, generally speaking, used their 11 nominations discerningly in terms of bringing together both sides of the community in Northern Ireland – people with particular cultural and artistic backgrounds – in order to infuse different viewpoints and degrees of expertise to the debates here. I am at a loss to know why all Taoisigh have failed to recognise the existence of Irish communities overseas. It is 20 minutes by plane, if one takes what Senator O'Rourke's good friend Michael O'Leary—