Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

Déanaim comhghairdeachas leis mo chara, Senator Wilson. Little did I think when we were in college together that we would end up in Seanad Éireann.

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Education and Science to the House so that we may have a debate, in light of the planned reform of the leaving certificate, taking cognisance of the fact that the views of teachers should be taken into account, given that they are primarily responsible for education.

I do not want to rehash the debate in the House last week, but I request the Leader to seek clarification from his colleagues on the Government benches as to whether they are happy with the current recruitment freeze in the health service and the cutbacks. Perhaps he will give his answer to the House because it is clear from listening to Members opposite that everything is not rosy in the garden. It is somewhat akin tothe old story that while Rome burned Nero fiddled.

I have a serious matter to raise about which I want the Leader to seek clarification from the Taoiseach, as Head of Government. It concerns the allegation, and I stress that word, that a serving Member of the Government, as reported by a journalist on a radio programme last week, has admitted to taking cocaine. It is a very serious allegation. We need urgent clarification since the use of cocaine is increasing. While I accept the Government has an active anti-drugs strategy co-ordinated by a Minister of State, it is important that Ministers are answerable to the Oireachtas. I ask the Leader to seek clarification, accordingly. The Leader will agree that it would be inappropriate for a Minister to take drugs. The quotation was, "Yes, I take drugs, only coke, and I am not the only one". That is quite a serious comment. If it is true it deserves to be answered. If it is untrue, then the Ministers concerned deserve to have their names cleared.