David Norris (Independent)

No. 4 on today's Order Paper is the Defamation Bill 2006, which is listed for Committee Stage. However, two thirds of Members are newly elected to this Seanad and thus have had no opportunity to contribute at the most important level of the debate on this Bill. That is not democracy. This contentious Bill should be reintroduced on Second Stage. We are all aware that the Privacy Bill 2006, which is No. 8 on the Order Paper, is either in suspended animation or dead on its feet. It is important that we address these matters in regard to legislation.

I support Senator O'Toole's comments on those prudent people who availed of the SSIA scheme to accumulate savings. It is grossly wrong that those savings should be taken into account in the means tests for various welfare benefits. Senator O'Toole and I, along with other Members, raised this issue when the savings scheme was introduced and received ministerial guarantees in this House that this would not happen.