Ann Ormonde (Fianna Fail)

I recognise the new agreement reached yesterday and echo the sentiments of other speakers regarding the effort politicians have invested in trying to achieve a new beginning in the North. Many politicians were involved in the process prior to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Following the Agreement, the Taoiseach, British Prime Minister and many politicians invested a great deal of time and effort trying to bring the process to a conclusion. Yesterday was a great day for politicians and I hope the media will take stock and recognise that we work hard behind the scenes, spending long hours negotiating and getting involved in a wide range of projects and discussions.

While it may not be possible to arrange a debate on excess packaging before the election, it is an issue about which I am concerned. Recently, I read a newspaper article which referred specifically to the Easter eggs that appear on shop shelves at this time of year. When one removes all the cardboard and plastic one is left with only a few sweets, which is excessive, misleading and costly.