Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I concur with what Senator Tuffy said about the staff and everyone who has assisted the continuation of this debate late into the night. During my previous term in the Seanad between 1987 and 1989 the only legislation debated into the early hours of the morning was the Bill which dealt with the abolition of the county committees of agriculture, a matter which would have taxed the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, in a previous incarnation. We ran the ACOT Bill until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. and may do something similar tonight. On that occasion in 1988 we were dealing with a fundamental attack on rural Ireland. Tonight we are dealing with an issue of equal importance, an attack on the rights of the citizen.