Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

He will. The Senator also referred to his visit to Trim to examine where a new hotel is being built. He also said Members were rightly not enthusiastic for the Centre for Public Inquiry. We are not enthusiastic about it because we do not know what it is about. Now we see there will be another Comptroller and Auditor General. Senator Quinn asked for a debate on this issue and we will see what can be done.

Senator Mansergh raised the matter of the Northern Ireland peace process. The Taoiseach concentrated on persuasion which I believe is his forte. I join with others who have paid tribute to Senator Mansergh. From what Fr. Alec Reid, the Reverend Good, Albert Reynolds and others have said, it is clear he was at the very heart of the process. It was great to see this expressed. Great lustre shines on the House that such eminence is in our midst. I thank Senator Mansergh. While I know he will blush and give out to me about this, I wanted to congratulate him.

Senator O'Meara raised the issues of early childhood education and the Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill. However, the Bill is only in the Dáil now. In the last parliamentary term, one of her colleagues suggested we should franchise out our facilitators for getting Bills through the Dáil. Next week, Senator White will introduce a Private Members' Bill on flexi-time for working parents which will add to the debate. The Government and potential Governments must approach this complex issue carefully. It is not about throwing tax reliefs at this, that and the other. Children are complex human beings and parenting is a complex operation, as Members are aware. Not enough emphasis has been placed on the father and mother who elect to stay at home as childminders. There is no doubt that a constitutional issue is involved and woe betide any Government that would seek to ameliorate one side of the equation and not the other. This will be a complex debate and we will have to be very careful in approaching this issue. Senator O'Meara also wants a debate on the national treatment purchase fund which would be useful.

Senator Maurice Hayes gave recognition to Senator Mansergh, Fr. Reid and ReverendHarold Good. While not taking from Fr. Reid, Reverend Good was so definite that one could not but believe him. Senator Maurice Hayes made the point, rightly, that it was an entirely unnecessary war. However, this week is still a good week.

Senator Coghlan raised the issue of the Great Southern Hotel Group. I want to know why he and I did not meet this summer. I did not receive any invitation.