Brendan Ryan (Labour)

Not for the first time the Labour Party is in the position, via its leader in this case, of having to inject a bit of reality into the nonsense Fianna Fáil goes on with before elections. Sometimes Fianna Fáil persuades people, as it did in the last general election, and then must face the truth afterwards. This time, I suspect, it is not persuading people. The obviously inappropriate response from the public gallery, but nevertheless very indicative response, to Senator Norris's point that the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources will be based in one of the few landlocked counties suggests that the public has copped on to what this is all about.

(Interruptions).