Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

In recent months the Government has adopted the Opposition's position on the early release of the killers of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe. I very much welcome the Government's change of heart and the fact that all of us now sing from the one hymn sheet. Can the Leader discover from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason those responsible for the killing of Detective Garda McCabe in Adare in 1996 remain as special status prisoners within the Irish Prison Service? It is an issue which must be addressed, not least because it was raised by the Garda Representative Association over the past 24 hours. The prisoners in question are common criminals who should be treated no differently from the other criminals within the prison system. It would be utterly wrong for their special status to continue to be observed and I ask the Leader to raise the matter with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. If time is available over the course of the next two or three days, I would like the Minister to issue a short statement in the House outlining his rationale for the continuation of special category prisoner status.

Last week, a very useful debate took place from the perspective of all sides on the Fine Gael Private Members' motion on the Government's plans for a second terminal at Dublin Airport, to which 20 of the 60 Members contributed. Can the Leader raise with the Minister for Transport the very serious matter which subsequently arose? When the Minister rose to speak in the House, he made — and I do not say this disrespectfully — a meaningless speech on the motion but the next day in County Wicklow opened his heart to the world and spoke of his preference for the governance of the new terminal.