Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

In an interview with Pat Kenny the Minister said in 1998 he clearly recognised the importance of this, yet he gave a very different advice to the Minister in 2001. I will be delighted to hear the Minister's response.

As Senator O'Rourke said, jumping into this issue with undue haste when it was clear there was no intention on the part of the Government that this would be part and parcel of the proposals to be put on 11 June is bad management. I ask the Government even at this late stage to work on the basis of consensus and to approach it from the perspective of the All-Party Committee on the Constitution.

Like many other speakers in this debate, I have a very positive experience of the issue of immigration. The new people who are coming to our country have much to offer. We have nothing to be frightened of in terms of the numbers who have come because they are very small. Without these workers our health service would crash and many other important jobs would not be done. My dilemma is that when this matter is put in the raw context of a local and European campaign, unfortunate things will be said, not so much in this House but outside the House. It will give succour to those people who have a very ugly view of nationality, citizenship and neo-nationalism. Senator O'Rourke's comments should be considered by the Government, considering the undue haste.