Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I am not a star or celebrity unfortunately.

I am sure the Deputy Leader will respond to the unfair allegations about the Minister for Transport. It is extraordinary that the Opposition has twisted and turned the simple and sensible suggestion he made.

In the absence of the Leader who is a former Minister for Education, and a good one, will the Deputy Leader comment on surveys from the National Youth Council of Ireland published in this morning's media? It should be of real concern to all politicians in both Houses that a nationwide survey of youngsters aged between 15 and 17 years indicates that not only do most of them not know who their MEP is, but they find it very difficult to name even one Dáil Deputy in their constituency and, most appalling of all, more than half of them cannot name a local councillor. Who is teaching the thousands of school children who have been coming through this and the other House over the years as a result of the very welcome introduction of civics into the school curriculum, and what are they being taught? Surely there is an obligation on us as politicians.