Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle) | Oireachtas source

Before the Taoiseach replies, I want to mention that I have the pleasure of chairing the bravery awards, which we have moved to Farmleigh. The committee includes the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, the Lord Mayor of Cork, the chairman of the Red Cross, the Cathaoirleach and myself. To be honest, the stories we have received from throughout the country are astonishing in terms of the acts of bravery performed by people we never read about. The biggest problem we have is to try to get people to make submissions. One particular case that will always stick in my mind is that of two young guys who, while on their way home after celebrating their leaving certificate results in Fermoy, noticed smoke coming from the upstairs window of a house. They broke down a door and went in, through thick smoke, risking their own lives. They pulled out somebody who was unconscious, brought him out and resuscitated him on the footpath.

The person told them there was another person inside. One of them took off his jacket and went back in - there were flames at this stage - and dragged out the second person. I never read or heard about this, but these are the sort of things that are happening. We present the awards in Farmleigh each year and the amount of goodness that happens that we never hear about is incredible. Perhaps I should not intervene as Ceann Comhairle, but as chairman of the bravery awards I will mention the incredible information that comes to us. We are very careful about the level of awards we grant depending on the acts performed.

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