David Norris (Independent)

If others are not interested that is just too bad. Like the Government, they are probably suffering from what I can only describe as political attention deficit disorder. I hope the Government will concentrate on this issue because action on it is overdue. We now have an opportunity to deal with it. Both women in the case were gracious in their comments on the judge, even though they must have been stung. I have been there, too, and know what it is like to face this kind of reversal, but they were gracious in what they said about the judge and the court proceedings. I have proposed such a Bill and we should press ahead with it.

Christmas has been adverted to and while Members of this House are in a lucky and privileged position, there are others in this city who are not. They include the homeless who are lucky to have Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy. One point struck me from listening to the radio news programmes, which concerned a ship that has been impounded in Dublin port. This is the second ship belonging to Norfolk Lines that has been found to pay less than €1 per hour to its employees, while others have not been paid at all. More than $200,000 is owed to the crew. This is a form of indentured slavery and must end. It is not appropriate to treat seamen in this way. We have seen the Irish Ferries situation and there have been difficulties with other shipping lines also. This matter should be resolved quickly because it is wrong to have people stranded aboard a ship in Dublin port with no income.