Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is important. It begins with the allocation of space, resources and money to carry out research to carry out parliamentary functions. Suddenly it is whipped without thinking. Taking resources from somebody who has been duly elected, man or woman, young or old, is not right. Anybody can see it is utterly not right.

I will do whatever it takes to ask the Minister to do the right thing. If he wants me to do a cartwheel down the steps I will do it, or I will genuflect to him, because it is the right thing to do. This is not about egos, power, numbers or voting down people. Let us do the right thing because it is right. The 166 of us here obviously know it is the right thing to do. Why can we not try it just once? We might get changed behaviour. If we keep doing the same things again and again any psychiatrist will tell us we will get the same results. Any psychiatrists worth their salt will tell their patients to stop doing what they are doing if they want a different result. The results are not good but we can change them by changing our behaviour. I humbly entreat the Minister from first-hand experience to try it. It is well worth it.

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