Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I can assure Senator Ross he has been an NUI voter for many years. I also support what Senator Hayes said about his absolute courage at all times. I remember meeting him here in 1988-89 during the talks with Gerry Adams, which had begun at that stage. I asked him if he was very busy meeting many people and he said none of the party leaders, including those of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or Labour, wanted to talk to him because he was in discussions with Sinn Féin. He is a man who has shown courage all the way through and I support very much what Senator Brian Hayes said about him.

Does the Leader feel she has been put in the extraordinary position of misleading this House by the misinformation which was given to her by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which insisted the Immigration Bill would have to be passed by last Friday? We now find it will not come back to this House earlier than the middle of next week. This is absolutely appalling. The Leader has been put in an awkward position. She and the Deputy Leader have discharged their position admirably despite all the circumstances, but it is unacceptable. Some points were made here last week that what was written down was absolutely immutable, and we said to the Department it would not last a week and were proved right, something we will say when the Bill returns to the House. However, there is a bigger issue. We are simply being kicked around at the mercy of the Department, which does not care about embarrassing Leaders, Deputies or Ministers. They will give them any kind of script to get them through. It is appalling and we should all agree that they be forced to give an explanation for those kinds of wrong advice and misinformation — I could use stronger words, but I do not want to embarrass the Cathaoirleach by doing so, though in the future I may have to do so. That Department badly needs to be shaken up, told who is in charge and that those who work there are servants of the State.