Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

I could think of plenty of answers to that. We welcome the Leader of the Opposition's strong statement here to the effect that the law should be enforced. Those of us who live in rural areas cannot understand the protest. We pay bin charges and have done so for years. In a wider sense, if people pay their charges they are entitled to have their bins taken and not to have the collection thwarted by those who seek to block it for their own ends. It is a clearcut case and it is appalling that people are being held to ransom and that there are widespread disturbances.

Senator Brian Hayes also wished good luck to the Irish troops going to Liberia. We had a very good meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs yesterday with representatives from the Army, the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs during which this was discussed. We all wished them good luck but I remind the House that this action must be formally passed by the Dáil. A reconnaissance group has gone first. That will be followed by the full complement when approved by the Dáil. We heard the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs on the radio this morning describing the elections in Liberia.

Senator O'Toole referred to the need for balance in the whole debate on the issue of bin charges, while expressing the clear view that people have a right to have their refuse collected when they have paid for that service. Senator Mansergh has already responded to Senator O'Toole's comments on the Taoiseach's reply to a question in the Dáil. On the question of Seanad Bills currently before the Dáil, there is what one might describe as a pile-up of Bills which have left this House and are awaiting attention or being dealt with in the Dáil. My office has had meetings with the Whips in the Dáil and it is up to them to clear the backlog. Next week, we hope to have the Bill dealing with provisions in relation to pregnant workers, involving the addition of a new section. I mention that by way of general comment.