Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

None of us was on the other side. I congratulate the Senator for going. She said she thought the Garda presence was high. However, if something happened we would be saying it was not high enough and asking where were the gardaí and why were they not doing their job. They did very well and it was good-natured. The piquancy of what he was doing at the window in his vest and the interview with Carole Coleman all lent to the whole scene. The Senator congratulated her ex-colleague.

Senator Feighan welcomed the new Iraqi Government but disagreed with an Irish Government spokesperson's claim that Carole Coleman's interview showed a lack of respect to the office of the President of the United States. I doubt that happened. We have all been used to trenchant interviews. I cannot understand how the man has got to where he is without doing a decent interview. I will find out if that message was conveyed.

Senator Bannon wants to enhance the status of the Irish language. We signed an all-party motion in this House on that matter, but the Senator wondered what the Government was doing about it. Senator Browne spoke about the register of electors. He has consistently raised that since the election. He has some bones to pick and we feel the same way on this side of the House about names being taken off the register. He asked about special needs teaching. They will be allocated this week when the schools have closed. Principals stay back to do that kind of work, but I know many parents are anxiously awaiting to find out whether their child will get one.

Senator Ross raised the issue of auctioneering. Membership of the working group has been finalised and the first meeting of the group will be held in the first week in July.