Maurice Hayes (Independent)

I refer to the matter raised by Senator Brian Hayes and indeed to the fact that it was raised at all. I do not believe Members are in the least endangering the peace process or negotiations in Northern Ireland, as these are the very matters that need to be clarified by other parties in Northern Ireland. We have moved on from the guns, which have been largely silent for a while, to all these other activities. What is now required is the decommissioning of mindsets as well as other things. While the fact that it has happened might cause a flurry for a moment or two, raising the matter in the House can do nothing but good to the ongoing discussions.

I remind the House and the Leader that today is the United Nations World Day of AIDS. I ask the Leader to have the Minister of State with responsibility for overseas development aid come to the House in the new year to debate Irish aid to address this problem. It would be churlish not to recognise the American contribution to the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, as outlined by the American ambassador in today's newspapers. I hope any Irish aid would not be trammelled and restricted in the same way as America's by the refusal to help bodies advocating the use of condoms as a preventive measure.

I ask the Leader to organise a debate with the Minister for Education and Science in the new year on the OECD report on higher education, which would be very appropriate to this body.