Joe O'Toole (Independent)

She will never recover from that and her reputation will be sullied. It will be thrown at her and she will be made responsible in many ways. We can understand the other levels of media coverage, but to use and abuse someone who inadvertently happened to be a witness and had no hand, act or part in the act, in this manner is completely and utterly wrong. We should have a view on the matter and ask the appropriate committee which deals with the media to raise this issue. I believe in the freedom of the media.

Irish hospitality and our céad míle fáilte will be severely tried and tested in late June this year when the so-called leader of the so-called "free world" comes to visit Ireland. We are being abused as part of the American presidential election. The Government will be embarrassed by it and many of us will not be able to sit silent when President Bush visits this country. We will show him respect as the leader of an important country. However, we also have a political responsibility to make our views known in the strongest possible way. Nonetheless, control in these situations can always be difficult. The Government should ask President Bush to reconsider coming here. If he wins the election next year, he should visit after the election when it cannot be used as part of his involvement in a campaign in the United States. This is not a good time. Such poor timing would be an embarrassment to our Presidency and we should not support it.