Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

The phrase "common sense" must prevail and I ask Senator Ellis, if he wishes, to pursue this on the next possible Adjournment. It is an urgent matter as a service has been given satisfactorily in a particular area. Removing the service defies commonsense as there is no service in the area to which they are moving it.

Senator Doherty also called for a debate on the Atlantic corridor and Transport 21, which I have no difficulty in allowing. The Senator spoke about two-plus-one lanes and the NRA. As we all know, the number of vehicles owned in Ireland has increased from 1.4 million in 2000 to 2.1 million in 2006, an increase of 700,000 vehicles. The road system from Mullingar to Longford where a two-plus-one lane system was proposed is already out of date despite only being first mentioned three years ago, because the population and number of vehicles on the road have substantially increased. That could be a positive sign. I have no difficulty in allowing a debate.

Senator Coffey called for a debate on local government funding. This is an appropriate time as the estimates are now being discussed by local authority members. There was also a call for a debate on landfills, for which I have no difficulty in allowing time. Senator Norris again called for a debate on the role of the Seanad. I understand the CPP will consider the matter very soon and I have no difficulty in allowing time to be allocated for that. It would be sensible to reintroduce the Defamation Bill on Second Stage, as 35 of the 60 Members of the Seanad are new since the Bill was previously on Second Stage.