Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I take this opportunity to compliment the Ceann Comhairle and the commission. The Government might learn from the commission in that when it gets a budget it could come in under budget. I thank the commission members for the excellent job they have done on behalf of the elected representatives because sometimes in this House we are afraid to represent ourselves. Civil servants and Ministers are good at doing that but we often forget about the Members. For many years in this House we were left behind and we were afraid of the media. I say to the members of the media — there are not many of them here — that their needs are met in this Bill because the facilities they use in this House come out of the costs of running the Houses.

I welcome the call for more members on the commission. I do not mind who becomes a member. I thought the Independent Members were represented. Senator Joe O'Toole is an Independent Member and an excellent representative. I have worked with Senator O'Toole, not as a member of the commission but on the Committee on Members' Interests and a more able or excellent representative one could not meet. I am not an Independent Member but I would not object to him representing me as an Oireachtas Member because he is a very able man.

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