Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Well done. It was very effective in the overall settlement, that the minors were made wards of court. The Senator also said that we should make known our opposition to Mr. Howard. He went on to make other allegations about what the Chinese are doing.

Senator Morrissey spoke about the opening of the port tunnel and the effect it will have on the M50, as well as the gridlock he experienced today. He also called for a debate on Aer Lingus. He referred to the former CEO of the company and how effective he was and asked if we wanted to return to the previous model. He asked about the situation of the pensioners now and how it is to be resolved.

Senator Coghlan spoke about the refugee appeals board. He also called for a debate on the Great Southern Hotels, to address the advertised sale date and how we can best safeguard the land adjoining the hotels. Senator Ormonde spoke about asylum processing. She argued that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform gave direction and leadership. She also expressed concern about the entry criteria for medical schools.

Senator Quinn raised the matter of the Garda reserve. He argued that if one was selling a new product in a shop, one would endeavour to excite the consumers and bring them along with one. In that context, he asked if the reserve should be a pilot arrangement initially, which is an interesting suggestion. He also spoke about the Kyoto Protocol and carbon emissions and noted that in the United Kingdom, towns were picked out and details supplied of how they were fulfilling their Kyoto Protocol obligations. He asked if the same could be done here.

Senator Mooney spoke about those who influence share buying and argued that the public should be told about them. He also referred to the undocumented Irish and the US Senate debate on the reformed legislation. He also referred to the New York hurling team and wondered whether they will be able to return to Ireland for the Ulster championship final.

Senator Browne asked, with reference to Aer Lingus, if consumers would get a good deal.