Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Senator Brian Hayes, the Leader of the Opposition, told us he attended a poignant service for those who lost their lives to drugs. He welcomed yesterday's judgment of the Supreme Court. We are always quick to decry court judgments but we would all welcome this judgment, although one should not comment on any judgment of the courts. Nonetheless, the lessons from the judgment were very strong and should impact heavily on those who engage in that type of trade.

Senator Hayes was also full of admiration for Sr. Bríd Smith, who took her equality case. It was wonderful, because I am sure it was difficult for her to say that she had gone to a pub, even with her dog. When I saw it on the television I was startled momentarily until I realised she had gone there for coffee. Even if she had gone for something else, what harm? She was great to take the case. I was pleased that the new pub owners said they were not going to engage in further infringements of the Equality Act.

Senator O'Toole, who has had to leave the Chamber, welcomed the decision referred to by Senator Hayes and the fact that the scales had fallen from the eyes of Ryanair as regards people travelling who are visually impaired. I agree with that. He raised an interesting point as regards cars for the disabled. If someone is blind, he or she cannot be licensed to drive a car, but somebody will be driving on his or her behalf. In such cases the driver should be entitled to the disabled driver's allowance.

Senator O'Toole also raised the matter of the particularly brave civil servant, which I do not want to go into as it is right we do not identify such people by name. I fully agree with the demarcation. I have always adhered to this convention in the various Departments in which I have worked throughout my public life and I have never met anyone who wanted it changed.

Senator Ryan raised the fact that Dublin City Council will not recognise the blue form which disabled people put on their cars to enable them to have particular parking spaces. As he rightly says if a disabled person comes to Dublin in his or her car and displays the blue form and the council authorities refuse to recognise it——