David Norris (Independent)

Since the House is in such good humour, should we not recognise what a beautiful day it is and what a relief it is in a period of global warming to see a bit of ice, frost and snow? I agree with Senator Mansergh that we should be very concerned about climate change and that is why I have a number of items on the Order Paper in that regard. I hope that at some appropriate time this issue will discussed in some detail. It is worrying when one sees the way political leaders tack into the wind. It is not very dignifying to see Ms Merkel, for example, championing the automobile industry of her country while holding the Presidency of the EU. We would give a lead if the Oireachtas required all its joint committees to have an environmental audit because so much of the work we do has, in one way or another, an environmental impact.

I laugh when I hear people talk about the water supply and so on. This is a damp little island and we are subjected to perpetual deluges of rain. It is a simple problem of bad management and the sooner the county councils and other authorities wake up to this and do their jobs, as they are supposed to, the better.

I disagree with my colleague, Senator O'Toole. Everybody does not agree there should be an amendment protecting the rights of children in the Constitution. I do not; I never have. It is not because I am inimical to the rights of children but because this is another fudge. What we want is an article guaranteeing the rights of the individual. Let us have that instead of this gimmicky politics coming up to a general election trying to sentimentalise the issue and get votes. Let us address the real issues of equality and copperfasten, as they did in the 1916 Proclamation, the rights of the individual.

Can we have a debate on the health service which does not only involve scoring party political points, because we really need to look at the issue? Yesterday, the issue of MRSA was raised. Today, we hear there is no hot water in unit 3 of the James Connolly Memorial Hospital. How can we expect people to wash, or be washed, if there is no hot water? There is no signing facility for patients who are deaf. They cannot explain their symptoms. Worst of all, the situation of Mr. Neary is yet again to the fore. We have been very badly let down by the medical profession.