Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Perhaps it was a case of uisce faoi thalamh. This is a great opportunity for restaurants and they should now also function as cafés where one can have small portions of food with a drink.

Senator O'Meara wishes to stop the Garda Síochána Bill and she supports Senator Maurice Hayes in what he said on the matter. She also expressed concern at the outcome of the Morris tribunal. I agree with her call for a debate on asylum seekers. I cannot understand how people can be bedded in here for three or four years, with children in schools, and suddenly can be yanked away. It is awful and we are all hanging our heads on the matter. We are all citizens of the world.

It would be beneficial to have a debate on the report on pre-schools by the National Economic and Social Forum, of which Senator Mooney and I are members. The report is due to be debated by NESC tomorrow.

Senator Ó Murchú referred to the decision on the Irish language which gave us back our pride as a nation. He praised Stádas, the campaigning group, which should be congratulated. This House took an all-party view on the matter, as we did on provincial rugby some time ago. Senator Finucane expressed opposition to the café bar idea, as did his party. I approved of it and remember commenting that I could see myself swanning around in one.