Joe O'Toole (Independent)

Fáiltim go mór roimh na daoine nua atá tagtha isteach sa Seanad inniu. Tá mé ag tosnú leis na entrances and exits, etc. I welcome the new people — fáiltím go mór roimh an fhear nua ó Chorca Dhuibhne atá istigh anseo den chéad uair. In addressing a word of welcome to Senator Dorgan from west Kerry, I say to my friends on this side of the House that the word on Senator Dorgan is that he comes from sound Blueshirt stock on his side of the peninsula. I will allow him to answer that for himself. I ndáiríre, I welcome the new Members and second the Cathaoirleach's words of congratulation. As an Independent Member, I see no difficulty in Senators going for election to the Dáil and vice versa. I do not understand people who try to juggle these matters and say it should not happen. As an Independent Member, I have a very strong view on this in other contexts.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for his commitment to this House over his period as a Senator and as Cathaoirleach. During his time in the Chair he has extended his friendship to Members on all sides and made no distinction at any time between Government Members and other Members. I acknowledge and appreciate that. The Cathaoirleach has also shown flexibility, beyond a shadow of a doubt. I hope the former Members who have left and gone to the Dáil will recognise that the Order of Business over which he presided in this House is far better and more acceptable and more topical than the Order of Business in the Dáil. The Cathaoirleach is to be congratulated on that. The Cathaoirleach has also extended to Members on this side of the House, as well as to Members on his own side of the House, the hand of friendship and fairness. Go raibh míle maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. Tá an-jab déanta agat. Táimíd thar a bheith sásta leat. Go n-éirí go maith leat amach anseo.

As we move on to the business of the day, I wish to state, now that we are in the middle of this embarrassing, unrepresentative, undemocratic, anachronistic, elitist Seanad election process that we do not want any more committees, any more reports, any more discussions. Let us grasp the nettle and put into play change. I would like the new Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, who has strong views on this matter, to be invited to the Seanad to give an outline of how he intends to implement the recommendations of the Seanad Reform report to give every citizen a say in the election of the second House of Parliament. Is náireach an rud é go bhfuil próiséas den sórt sin againn faoi láthair. Everywhere I go I hear nothing but complaints about the current process. It is an embarrassment and it is time to change it.

Four or five months ago there was a media brouhaha on the subject of drugs coming in through the private airport in Lucan. I pointed out to the House at that time that it was a bit of a joke, given that one can bring a boat into any port in Ireland without any type of strict procedure coming into play. Let me give a simple example that the Members can take away from here. I heard the suggestion on the radio programme "Morning Ireland" that we need a fleet of boats and an extra platoon of soldiers. We do not need that. In France there are people sitting at radar stations around the country. These radar stations can cover 100 miles of coast and every boat coming into that area can be seen. The ships are radioed and requested to report what they are carrying, where they are going and from where they came. It is done in the language of the ship. If a satisfactory answer is not forthcoming, the matter is dealt with. We do not need a huge customs force or a huge fleet of boats. We do not need to change the law. We need to be sensible. Mizen Head, where last night's incident happened, is the most south westerly point of Ireland. It is a dangerous place to go in a boat at any time, not to mind in the middle of the night in winds of force 6 or force 7. With a couple of radar stations, one at Mizen Head, one at Rosslare or Tuskar Rock, and one in between, the whole south coast could be covered. A person sitting in an office in Dublin looking at a screen could ring the local coastguard and request that a particular boat be contacted and if there is no response a cutter can be sent out to it. It would be easy and would not require a change in the law. I do not want to see a raft of legislation to deal with this. It can be done.

I have put two sensible proposals to the House. The first is that the Seanad be reformed. The second is that the import of drugs into this country be stopped immediately.