Brendan Ryan (Labour)

It is wonderful to see the Fianna Fáil Party rediscovering its capacity to stand up to the minority that has been running its business for the past five years. We on this side of the House offer it our full support as it rediscovers its clout.

Yesterday in Istanbul, the President of the United States, for the second time in two days, attempted to interfere with the internal business of the European Union by telling us who should be a member of the European Union. I therefore propose tabling a motion in the House calling for the granting of statehood to the District of Columbia, which is the last colony of the United States whose citizens have no Senators or members of Congress and who have no rights to representation even though they pay taxation. It is grossly impertinent of the United States to tell the European Union how to do its business when it does not allow democracy within its own shores. I propose this House should, at an early date, discuss the deprivation of democratic rights from the citizens of Columbia. The United States should put its own house in order before lecturing the rest of us.

Could we, at some stage, have a discussion in this House on fraud and the seriousness of using somebody else's signature as a way of persuading people to take any action, whether it be to sell goods, to buy goods or to vote for people? It is a criminal offence. If large sections of our political system do not understand that it requires more than an apology to make up for a criminal offence, perhaps we seriously need a debate to clarify the ethics and the impropriety of fraud.