John Minihan (Progressive Democrats)

I join with other speakers in requests for a debate on waste management. My native city is not a tip and I do not support that contention. The vast majority of people in Cork support and comply with the waste management strategy and are law abiding. There are a few dissenters but the onus on us is to support the democratically-elected councils and managers. To suggest that we have dictatorial managers is unfair and untrue. Managers have a difficult job and such comments are unhelpful to people who are trying to comply with and support the wishes of an elected council such as Cork City Council.

There will always be difficulties in the area of waste management. I welcome a debate on the issue as it would give the House an opportunity to examine the finer points of such a strategy. Equally, I join with other speakers in welcoming the apology today by the British Prime Minister. However, we should not forget that the real perpetrators of the crimes of which those innocent people were wrongly accused were known to the Provisional IRA whose members happily allowed them to serve long periods in jail.