John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I join with Senator Brian Hayes and others who have requested a debate on gangland crime. The situation has become worse since last evening.

I agree with Senators who have raised the issue of agriculture. I have been seeking a debate on the WTO talks for over a month, so perhaps we could have such a debate in the near future. I am glad to see that some Fianna Fáil Senators appear to have found their tongues on this matter. The talks are vital to the future of agriculture in this country. Yesterday, a report was published which outlined the fact that the number of full-time farmers will drop from 40,000 to 10,000. That is a startling statistic. It would be useful to include in the debate the broader question of the future of Irish agriculture.