Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I never argue with the Cathaoirleach's rulings and I will not do so on this occasion. However, I am not sure the President is above all criticism. There are the person, the office and the personal opinions of the President. I have not read the speech so I will not go into it.

If we are to debate the 1916 Rising and its significance, we should not debate something which happened 90 years ago through the lens of today. At the same time, there was the Battle of the Somme and the extraordinarily romantic view of war which pervaded in Britain until Wilfred Owen and other war poets began to tell the truth about what war was like which led to the destruction of that romantic view. These events should perhaps influence how we judge 1916 as well. It was the beginnings of the realisation of what war was and the fact there is no romance about any war, however noble the cause for which it is fought. There are reflections which are worth making without making moral judgments.

On a few occasions over the past year or so I have raised the fact it is no longer possible to know in what country much of the clothing we buy is made. A very good campaign about who made the shirt on one's back is being run by an active group of people. I find it astonishing that we still do not know because in other EU countries, it is possible to find out. Marks and Spencer in Britain has announced a Fairtrade equivalent in the clothing area. Its problem is that it is very hard to get cotton which can be certified as being provided in a legitimate way.

The least we can do is ensure Irish consumers, many of whom are sensitive about this issue, are aware of where their clothes are made. I would say it is six months since I asked the Leader about this issue. I do not doubt her goodwill but somebody somewhere is not taking this issue as seriously as they should. It is an issue of concern to people. Fair trade in other areas is a significant part of the marketplace and it influences people's choice. If what they buy is cheap, people are entitled to know the reason is that it was produced via exploitation.

Speaking of exploitation, we need to have a major debate on partnership. A series of utterances from IBEC reported in today's newspapers suggest that Irish workers in Europe's most successful economy should accept below the rate of inflation wage increases. That suggests the grip on reality about which IBEC seems to talk has been lost by it. Those of us who will watch the extraordinary corporate indulgence on the margins of the Ryder Cup as the whole of corporate Ireland goes on a rampage of champagne drinking and high living will have great difficulties identifying——