Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I join Senators Norris and O'Toole in calling for an urgent debate on fisheries. We all send messages of support to the Minister for Communication, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dermot Ahern, at this critical time when quotas are being determined. As they will determined this side of Christmas, I ask the Leader if such a debate can be held now or as soon as possible.

I also ask the Leader to ask the appropriate Minister – I do not know whether it is the Minister for Health and Children or the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform or whether this matter comes under the licensing laws – to take up the matter of spiking the drinks of young people, girls in particular, when they are in pubs and nightclubs. This is a very serious matter and such incidents are a regular occurrence. Many such cases go unreported. I personally know of the daughters of two families who had their drinks spiked as a result of which one was the subject of a sexual assault and the other the subject of an assault. This is a very serious issue and I would appreciate if something could be done to address it.