Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am flummoxed by the Government's audacity to bring forward Bills that it purports to be in the interests of children when it already has a particular track record. Its legacy will be horrendous for children.

I support the call made by my colleague, Senator Darragh O'Brien, for a debate on and an appropriate commemoration of the millennium of the Battle of Clontarf. It would be a pity if such an historic event, in particular the part played by the High King of Ireland, Brian Boru, went unnoticed either by these Houses or the public at large. It is a milestone in the history of the country. Any of us who studied history at school will recall that it was a fundamental event in the history of the island. In some recent articles Brian Boru was compared with other great military leaders from across Europe and his military calibre and skills as a strategist were extolled. I put it to the Leader that the least that we can do in this House is have a proper debate to commemorate the occasion.

I wish to raise an issue related to the construction of pylons. As the Cathaoirleach knows, earlier today thousands of people were on Molesworth Street to protest and express their concerns about the issue. People from my own county have told me - I am sure many other Members have had the same experience - not just about the blight on the landscape but also about their genuine concerns about the health risks posed to their children in living under or adjacent to such power lines. It is time to have a full debate on the issue, particularly on the failure of EirGrid to engage properly and meaningfully on what is a source of real and genuine concern for the many people who live in the areas that will be affected by the project.