Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)

I thank all Senators for their contributions to the debate on this Bill. Without attempting to be patronising, they were much more thoughtful and positive than in the Dáil. Despite the fact that I attempted to avoid decentralisation as an issue, the Senators rightly identified it as being part of this. I have no problem with that, but I did feel that some of the debate in the Dáil centred almost entirely on decentralisation. I do not know whether that was done to keep the issue to the forefront or to avoid attention to the Bill. The two issues are linked, of course, but not entirely as the Bill stands on its own merit.

I congratulate Senator Higgins on his recent election to Europe. We will certainly miss him around here. I am not too sure how he will combine the two jobs for the moment——