David Norris (Independent)

I support my colleagues, particular Senator Mary Ann O'Brien, who spoke about the children's hospital. I think this is an absolute disaster. I raised this issue a number of years ago and suggested that it be sent to an international review panel, including planning and medical experts. It would have taken about a month to six weeks, but that was not done. It actually suited me to have the hospital where it was, in terms of the metro, but I think one must put the children first and this is a disaster because there will be no other appeal. This is a decision on an appeal. I do not know what can be done about, but something needs to be done pretty urgently, perhaps the aspects that conflict with the visual amenity can be amended in some redrawn plan, but we must act urgently for the sake of children.

On the question of privatisation of State assets, I am horrified at the notion we should be grateful for being allowed to use one third of our own money. That shows an extraordinary degree of obsequiousness. Selling off utilities is almost always disastrous. Let us look at the ESB - the parallel is in the privatisation of energy in America, particularly in California which gave us Enron, a lovely bonanza for the public. It led to bankruptcies, people losing their pensions, higher costs and massive electrical blackouts across the State. That is what one might possibly expect. With regard to Coillte, imagine selling the forests of Ireland. Let nobody who votes for this ever again talk about the use of Irish oak, of Irish timber for the building of the British Navy, because we are flogging it off wholesale. It reminds me of James Joyce, when he said that there were people who would not only sell their country for thruppence but they would get down on their bended knee and thank the Almighty Christ that they had a country to sell. That is what is going on, which I think is appalling. I notice that the newspapers reported that one of the companies tendering for Coillte was headed by the former Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern. That is interesting. What about access to the walks in the forest? What about safeguarding the situation? I speak from experience in my family where a relative sold trees but did not specify a date by which they had to be harvested.