Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

With regard to Senator Finucane's point, while I accept that people have different viewpoints, everyone was pleased with the turnout on Saturday which, for a referendum, was high but not as high as people would have hoped in the context of the universal franchise. The fact that the referendum was held on Saturday and the fine weather, for which we cannot legislate, contributed to the high turnout. The result was excellent and people's voices were heard, loud and clear. I am sure the Minister for the Environment and Local Government will be giving consideration to this matter. A by-election in Tipperary was held on a Saturday, but this was the first national poll to be held on that day and it clearly facilitated people in terms of their getting out to vote.

Senator Hayes, who welcomed the fact that the debate on Northern Ireland is to take place today, and many others raised the extremely serious issue of child sexual abuse. The Senator stated he believes there should be time for reflection before people rush into making precipitate announcements which later might be found to be insufficiently comprehensive to enable the issue to be fully debated. I will return to this matter later in my reply and thank the Senators for raising it. They did so in a helpful manner.

Senator O'Toole referred to the results from the committee in which he and the other group leaders played a strong role. He also mentioned the child abuse issue, the law of the land and what we are not doing in this regard. We talk about the dreadful events that occurred, but what are we doing now to safeguard young people and children? I remember the warm sunny day in July 1991 when the Senator called to see me with the two primary school teachers who were concerned with getting the Stay Safe programme off the ground. I was accompanied by the chief psychologist and the assistant secretary in the Department with responsibility for primary education. We decided there and then to go ahead with the programme.

Senator Henry said that between 70 and 80 schools are implementing the programme, but we have to confirm that figure. All Members who spoke on this issue are correct. In all my time in public life I do not think I received as many bitter letters as on that occasion. I left the Department six months later, but by then the Stay Safe programme was started. The letters were from groups which chose to represent themselves as being in the top echelon of parents. They were determined that the programme should not be started. It was amazing. The tenor of the letters was that children should not know what they did not need to know. When one thinks about it now, one's heart aches.

Senator Ryan sought debates on the Flood and Lindsay tribunals. I am trying to organise those debates and will refer back to the House about them. The Senator also referred to child sex abuse and the equality legislation. Senator Higgins raised the famine in Somalia and the need for a debate on overseas development aid. This call was echoed by Senator Mansergh. It is time we held such a debate.

Senator Norris referred to child abuse and violence and asked that we look at the progress of equality legislation since its introduction. He linked the need to tackle violence to children with tackling child sexual abuse. He also asked that the Minister for Transport, Deputy Brennan, come to the House to discuss transport in Dublin. I know of old the Senator's strong concern about this matter. That concern was echoed by other Senators.