Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

I will not name all the Senators who made the points because we all know who they are. They are all worthy of consideration for debates in the House but if we allowed time for all the debates requested of me today we would be sitting five or six days. We have Private Members' business, about which we all know, and three matters can be raised on the Adjournment. Perhaps colleagues would assist the Leader in trying to facilitate all the worthwhile calls made to have these debates.

The Leader of the Opposition, Senator Fitzgerald, proposed an amendment to the Order of Business to debate the Shannon issue. As Members know, the Shannon issue will be debated in the other House this evening. I agree with the view of Senator Fitzgerald and many other colleagues that this matter is urgent. A debate would be worthwhile and I will allow time for that. I will meet the leaders after the Order of Business and the election of the Leas-Chathaoirleach to determine if such a debate can take place at the earliest opportune time. The Minister is in the ante-room waiting to come into the House to take the Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill and I ask colleagues to try to facilitate us to ensure some part of the Bill can be discussed by 5 p.m., which I have already proposed. Otherwise, we can sit very late tonight.

We have no difficulty on this side of the House sitting until 11 p.m. or midnight if necessary. If that is what colleagues wish me to do, I can consider that but I have to ensure a Minister is available. It is pointless having a debate on this serious issue, which will affect so many people from Kerry to Donegal, without a Minister present. My party, Fianna Fáil, can be proud of what we did to put Shannon Airport in place. I remember my late father telling me at the time that a very senior member of the largest party on the Opposition side of the House stated that only rabbits and hares would run on the runways of Shannon. We were creating that airport under Seán Lemass more than 50 years ago.