Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Cassidy for sharing his time. I congratulate the Leas-Chathaoirleach on his unanimous selection and election. His appointment is well deserved. I have experienced Senator Burke's work in the House during the past five years and I am delighted, as a Connaught man, at the appointment of a man from the west.

I could criticise the Department and say it was slow in introducing the legislation but I was in that Department in 1991 and 1992 and am therefore reluctant to criticise the civil servants. I negotiated quite an amount of derogation when I was negotiating the Single European Act and may have been in some way responsible for the delay in its implementation.

Ireland was one of the first countries to introduce a tax concession for authors, thanks to the late Mr. Charles J. Haughey, who introduced fantastic legislation which even benefited Mr. Conor Cruise O'Brien. The latter availed of the concession for some of his writings——