Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I record my appreciation that the Leader has acted on her promise on the last day of the last session to hold a debate on child care and early childhood education. I am pleased to see such a debate on today's Order of Business.

I agree with the points Senator Brian Hayes has just made about circumstances in the North of Ireland. The general thinking appears to be that we will have the opportunity for a full debate on the matter next week, which I hope the Leader will confirm. It is crucial to examine the direction we take now and to think differently. I recall that when I was first elected people were not speaking to John Hume because he had opened the discussion and debate with Sinn Féin-IRA which led to many developments including those of this week. We should not forget that fact. Everything must begin somewhere.

The challenge facing us now is to recognise that the greatest difficulty in the North is old fashioned class politics. Protestant working class estates have been left without any hope, opted out of the establishment and have no trust or confidence in the political system. They see no gain, progress, improvement or future in political activity. We should recognise that what has happened in the case of Sinn Féin has been a development into constitutional democratic politics. The same process must be sold, fed and energised in Protestant working class communities in the North of Ireland. Friends of mine in the trade union movement in the North say that is the greatest challenge and most difficult task facing us. A greater value has been placed on education on the Catholic side, especially over the last three generations, as it was seen as the way to escape the oppression which was suffered certainly until 1970. A similar development is required in Protestant working class communities. We must focus on the task and seek answers. I look forward to a fuller debate on the matter next week on the confirmation of the Leader.

I remind the House that I intend to bring to its notice, as no doubt will my colleague from Kerry, Senator Coghlan, the antipathy in the town of Dingle to the fascistic manner in which its name was changed without consultation. This undemocratic approach is something we must consider in the context of empowering and enabling local people to take control not merely of placenames but of their destinies.