Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

I echo Senator Bradford's comments on the extraordinary electoral performance in Iraq yesterday. Over 80% of the valid poll turned out, particularly in Tikrit, which was the home of Saddam Hussein, the heart of the insurgency and from where the suicide bombers who have been killing innocent Iraqis emerge. One could not help but be moved by the filmed reports, especially on CBS television last night, where the reaction of other Middle Eastern countries was covered. Egyptian television interviewed an Iraqi woman who was crying when she came out of the polling booth. The interviewer asked why she was crying and she said they were tears of joy. That sends a powerful message not just to Iraq but those who have purported to speak for it. Another voter, as he placed his vote in the ballot box, said it was a vote against terrorism.

This also sends a powerful message to the coalition of the willing who remain in occupation in Iraq. It hastens the day when the people of Iraq will be able to take on board the right to rule themselves. Over 70% of the security forces who were there yesterday for what was thankfully a peaceful day were Iraqi, not American or other occupying troops. That should be welcomed. I hope the Leader will convey the sentiments of this House to the Minister for Foreign Affairs so that he in turn would congratulate the Iraqi representatives on an outstanding democratic performance in an area that has not traditionally been known for it.

In the new year, would the Leader consider asking the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to introduce the proposed broadcasting Bill in this House as a Seanad Bill, primarily because it would afford an opportunity for this House, as it always does so well, to debate this far reaching legislation? I am specifically concerned that RTE's public service mandate would be more clearly defined, not only in light of what Senator Mansergh said and what the Leader referred to last night. It was a shocking fall in standards from the "Oireachtas Report" team that they did not even feel it necessary to refer to the fact that this House is sitting today or that we have business.

If the Bill goes through, it will allow RTE to be given an enhanced public service mandate to broadcast to emigrants and to the Irish abroad. Under existing legislation it does not have a legal obligation to do that, its only legal obligation is to transmit within the 26 counties, and this would have a far-reaching and positive impact. The lack of RTE television programmes for our own people abroad is the main issue among emigrant welfare groups in Britain.

I take this opportunity to wish those who have families abroad who will not be coming home this year a happy Christmas. In the context of immigration into this country, we now have a reversal of what I and many others experienced of not being able to go home for Christmas. There are many hundreds of thousands of people in this country who will not be able to go back to their native countries and we wish them a very happy time in Ireland, their adopted country.