David Norris (Independent)

Can I raise one final point? I heard the Leader of the House on the radio this morning. She performed extremely well. She called for clear and explicit sex education. We should have a debate on that. I was in Waterford a week ago and three wonderful and courageous women from Cork spoke on the issue of sexuality. All three of them had lesbian daughters. One in particular said that her child was doing extremely well until just prior to the intermediate certificate and then everything went disastrously wrong. Her daughter eventually recovered. She was 19 when she told her mother that she was gay although she first realised it when she was 12. The school provided nothing for that child or her parents. The mother attacked the system and asked where was the help from society when they needed it.

The briefing on the partnership Bill will take place between 3.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. in the audio-visual room. I mention that for the information of Members because apparently there was a mistake in one of the e-mails that went around.