David Norris (Independent)

I support the calls for a debate on salmon drift net fishing. I raised this matter previously, as have other Members, over many years. We know, for example, that the Government previously received scientific advice which it did not accept. The situation on fish stocks is now regarded as catastrophic, according to an independent group headed by Professor Tom Collins which has made a clear recommendation that drift netting should cease altogether. Although this is not required, the group also has suggested the provision of €30 million plus to compensate for the hardship of displaced fishermen. We should use a debate in this House to urge the Government to accept at last the scientific recommendations.

With regard to the tragic recent road accident, I send my condolences to the grieving families and community. I stated two years ago in this House that a clear profile was emerging and, tragically, at least some elements have been borne out by that dreadful accident. The profile is of young men travelling at speed on country roads in the early hours of a weekend morning, sometimes with drink taken. There were five or six elements, which I listed previously, and therefore we know the target group. There is a possibility, as Senator Brian Hayes stated, of installing a governor in cars. There is also a commercial product available, a device fitted to a car, that will alert parents immediately, wherever they are, to the fact that their car is being driven at excessive speed. This is a matter that we need to look at again.

This is quite a historic day. I have just come from the launch of an important document in the National Library. It was launched by the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy de Valera. It relates to a programme called Making Your School Safe and it has the endorsement of all the teaching unions, the Department of Education and Science, etc. It is about the alarmingly high levels of homophobic bullying in schools. This is a very destructive issue for young people and often it carries on into adult life with tragic consequences. In the past week, I have been dealing with two serious cases of bullying of adults in the workplace on this basis. It is time this was brought to an end. I was very proud of this country to sit in the National Library an hour ago as two young confident, courageous and articulate schoolgoing people — one man and one woman — talked about their experiences and demanded the right to be treated equally. The young man said somebody known to him had been bullied so much at school that he had to be hospitalised. He then left the school and education. That is a reproach to all of us.