Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

We agree to the Order of Business as proposed by the Leader and I thank her for so quickly organising the debate on Northern Ireland, which will be very useful in terms of getting the response of Government in the House and the response of colleagues to the current situation there.

I would like to raise an issue arising from a report in one of today's newspapers to the effect that the Catholic bishops may veto a merger that is likely to take place between the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland and the Scout Association of Ireland. As Members know, scouting in this country from the early part of the last century was divided on denominational lines. The notion that the Catholic bishops could veto such a merger is quite sectarian and I ask them to reconsider such a position, if that is the position.

I also say to the bishops through this House that this State lectures the citizens of Northern Ireland on a regular basis about tolerance, reconciliation, and the need for ecumenism on all sides, but we need to show these values in this State too. Is it not outrageous that 30,000 kids cannot come together in an organisation which has done so much to help children over the past 100 years or so, since the days of Baden Powell? This House should take a firm position on this issue and support the merger between the Catholic Boy Scouts and the Scout Association of Ireland at a time when it is difficult to get volunteers to help such organisations in their excellent work. I take this opportunity to make this point on the Order of Business because we should say it. We always speak about reconciliation in Northern Ireland. Let us show some reconciliation in this State too.