Maurice Hayes (Independent)

I would not get apocalyptic about the court decision on the insurance issue. It appears that it was not saying that the board must pay legal costs. It was simply referring to whether a person wanted to have a solicitor and if he or she was prepared to pay for that service himself or herself. That does not appear to subvert the original intention of the legislation.

I support the request for a debate on Northern Ireland. I am prepared to reserve what I have to say until then. However, I would generally support the tenor of Senator O'Meara's remarks about the need for such a debate.

I also support the request for a debate on the tsunami appeal, particularly the way in which the funds from Ireland are expended and focused to help people get up and running again. We should also have a wider debate on poverty.

In passing, I pay tribute to the work of the civil servants in the Department of Foreign Affairs, by whom I was greatly impressed. They did the country proud. I met people in Northern Ireland who spoke with feeling of the support, help, compassion and efficiency they witnessed and of the courage of the people involved.

Regarding Senator Hanafin's request for a debate on mobile phone charges, Senator McHugh and myself have raised at different times in the past the particular problem of cross-Border phone charges. That involves more than roaming charges, which are penal. An effort should be made to introduce a single charge regime for the whole island.