Alex White (Labour)

I would like to join Senator Fitzgerald in warmly congratulating Senator Norris on the handing over of his papers to the National Library yesterday as the occasion was a great tribute to him. Senator Norris has been associated with the fight for gay rights for many years but he is not a one trick pony and he has made a huge contribution to a range of debates in this House and outside. The presentation of his papers yesterday is a fine tribute to him and will allow the wider community understand the various issues in which he has been involved.

Both of the previous speakers raised the issue of mental health and the events of recent days. I have been involved in a number of debates in this House on the success story known as the Celtic tiger but I feel if a person were to visit this country today and see the newspaper headlines of the past 24 hours he or she would be astonished to be told the country is regarded as a success. How can a country be described as successful when a single truck overturning at 6 a.m. in the capital city can bring traffic in there, and 20 to 30 miles outside, to a standstill and cause mayhem? Can a country be described as successful when parents of primary school children, of whom I am one, who spend such a large part of the year raising funds to keep schools operating, are told they must face further increases in expenditure in the form of water charges?

I echo the sentiments expressed by Senators Norris and Fitzgerald on psychiatric services. Can a country be described as successful when not only Opposition politicians seeking to attack the Government but professionals in the field say that psychiatric services are being dismantled? It is not a question of services merely being under funded but rather actively dismantled. At St. Brendan's Hospital, ten of the 24 secure beds have been closed. Is this indicative of a successful country?

Can the Leader find a Minister to take some responsibility? In the case of water charges in schools perhaps the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Mary Hanafin, or the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, could take responsibility rather than blame Europe and local authorities. Can the Leader find a Minister or member of the Government to facilitate a debate in this House on how the so-called success of this country is measured? As it is the season of goodwill, when the Leader is responding I ask him to refrain from giving us the weekly lecture on young Senators on the other side of the House getting uppity. I ask him to address the real issue, which is finding a way to measure the so-called success of our economy. What should the true measure be? Surely the three aforementioned issues bring into question the application of the word "success" to Ireland today.