Brendan Ryan (Labour)

It is high time for the House to debate the Middle East. The participation of Ireland, through the European Union, on the assault on the people of Palestine and their elected Government is a particularly shameful moment. Moreover, it is a peculiar and confused morality which lectures one side for firing rockets while asking for restraint when the other side does so, or which is quite correctly horrified when children are killed by one side, but which almost leaves out the killing of children by the other. Apparently, this is because it did not aim at the children, who simply happened to be there.

This took place as recently as yesterday, when people, including children, were killed. Apparently, if there are children in a building when Israel decides it wants to kill someone, that is tough on the children. This is what Ireland supports when it subscribes to the world assault on the people of Palestine for not electing the Government which some people think they should have elected. Such a debate is desperately needed.

I would also welcome a debate on public sector broadcasting because those who lobbied me and others in both Houses for a proper licence fee have a right to an explanation. Senator Norris listed the people and a programme that have been dropped. As a friend of mine in Cork said, it appears that RTE Radio's philosophy is that during the day it should have neither culture nor culchies. All those with accents are being taken off the programme to give a bland, Dublin-based succession of people who sound the same, are the same and meet RTE's peculiar criterion.