Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

People are entitled to express a view on the issue. I do not believe many people are likely to switch their votes and vote in councillors to local authorities on the basis that they agree with their views on a referendum. There will be such a variety of candidates on each side that people must make up their minds which party they support. They will make up their minds based on what representatives of these parties are saying on the doorstep about local election issues.

Senator Walsh made a statement which is true and Senator Terry will be replying to him so she might as well reply to me too. I have been accused of being responsible for racist deportations, engendering a racist referendum proposal and playing the race card. I have read all the articles in the newspapers about these issues. I will not dignify their writers by naming them, although I will state that some of them should keep taking the tablets. However, it is their prerogative to write this kind of stuff if they want to.

People are entitled to be passionate on this subject but I am trying to be rational and reasonable. I will take the slings and arrows of political debate. I have reasonably broad shoulders and I am quite happy to take a certain amount of abuse. However, as Senator Walsh said, all of these accusations about the motives of others have come from the people who are opposing this measure. I have not impugned the motives of the Labour Party, Sinn Féin or Fine Gael for taking the stances they have.