Seanad debates

Thursday, 10 November 2005

10:30 am

John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)

It would be appropriate for us to have a full debate on the situation in Northern Ireland. There has been a reluctance, because of events, to discuss the matter here but we have a good record in the House and in this period of relative calm we probably should discuss it and the reasons for that are twofold. The first is the matter raised by Senator Brian Hayes and the other is the one raised by Senator O'Toole. We all regard it as distasteful to see people on the run being given a concession whereby they can return but we must accept that this was part of the Agreement. There are many parts of the Agreement that each group of people found distasteful but to which they nevertheless signed up. I am prepared to accept it on that basis but Senator Hayes made a good point about people who were forced out of the country by the actions of paramilitaries, and that aspect should be examined carefully. If those people wish to come back to their communities they should be able to do so. There is another dimension to it and that is with regard to people who were killed and whose bodies were never found. The paramilitaries on both sides have a serious obligation to do whatever they can to ensure that the loved ones of those who were summarily executed can be recovered.

With regard to the matter raised by Senator O'Toole about members of the Northern Assembly speaking in this House, these issues have been discussed by the committee on Seanad reform and also by the All-Party Committee on the Constitution and the views are in the public domain. I share the Senator's views on the issue but the Seanad is a possible vehicle whereby there can be an audience for those people, and that is different from being represented here because the question of representation without taxation remains a valid one.

The other matter I want to raise is the World Trade Organisation talks and the curious position taken up by Commissioner Mandelson, who appears to have sold the pass before we even got into the talks. Farmers accepted a very painful CAP reform package on the basis that it would position the Union for the talks and now they appear to have been sold down the river to some extent. That issue must be discussed on the floor of the House.

I had not intended to speak about the matter of the churches but I will now that it has been raised. My party, the Progressive Democrats, has always adopted the position that on matters of this nature we can express our personal views. We are not bound by a party Whip.

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