Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

So do I. I wonder about the events in this House, how they are impacting on the public, how the public is reacting and the damage it is doing to the body politic. As a new Member, I am sometimes fascinated by the workings of this House. I was here the week before last for the various debates and votes. There were all sorts of arguments and rows about whether this House should sit these two days. My colleague, the Minister for Defence, Deputy Smith, dealt with the issues eloquently and made the point about the importance of these two days in the life of the Dáil and the importance of the debate. On a positive note, it was good to see so many Members, including prominent Members of the House, here yesterday. The Taoiseach was present, as were most members of the Government. All the leaders of the Opposition were present, including those whom some of the newspapers describe as prominent backbenchers, and the rest of us were here.

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