Shane Ross (Independent)

We intend to remedy that in the next 24 hours. We cannot give any guarantees, but we will do our best in the next 24 hours. I pay tribute to the Cathaoirleach's very even-handed management of this House. It is quite an achievement that he did not manage to expel Members of the House, many of whom would have liked to have been expelled on occasions for various good reasons. To be able to avoid doing so shows considerable skill as Cathaoirleach.

I welcome back the Leader of the House. As Senator Norris said, it is a great pleasure to see him back. He was a very fine Leader of the House and I regret the aberration of his absence. No doubt that will be remedied in the weeks and months to come. I wish him well and I wish him a long period in this House. I hope that during that period he will be able to lead the crusade for Senate reform which has been mentioned by Senators O'Toole and Norris, and others in this House today.

It is something of an embarrassment that certain things happen in this House when we try to pretend that they do not happen. I say in all seriousness to the Leader of the House that the commitment of Fianna Fáil to this House is wafer thin. I do not join in a very political way in welcoming all those appointments that were made. Senator O'Toole touched upon this subject. Some of those appointments were made to people who have stood for Parliament and subjected themselves to the democratic process. That is another argument. However, some of those appointments were made for purely party political purposes. There is no commitment from those people to anything except the political party in office. They show no signs of abilities in the parliamentary scene, although they show signs of great ability in the political scene. It should be recognised that those people——