Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

He cannot stand up. Senator Ó Murchú contributed a note of humanity and said the woman outside the gates should be invited in here and her case discussed. We should do that. The term "the woman outside the gate" sounds biblical in these days.

Senator Quinn spoke about the ETA bombs in Spain and said the time is right for a debate on Northern Ireland. We made a request regarding such a debate and await a decision. The Senator also referred to the row between the Cork pathologists of a particular hospital and the VHI.

Senator Kitt has shown terrific service leaving Athlone at 7 a.m. and arriving in Galway at 8 a.m. All the Athlone people rise very early and the service will be full.

Senator McHugh has the gift for putting his finger on an important issue, in this case breast cancer. I have always admired his openness to talking about this issue and putting the facts in the public realm.