Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

It is often said that a week is a long time in politics. Last week certainly gave meaning to that phrase. It began with Deputy Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach and Leader of Fianna Fáil and by Wednesday he had announced his resignation, effective from 6 May. By the end of the week Deputy Brian Cowen had become Leader-elect of his party. It is extraordinary how, in politics, events can gather momentum and pace. So much happened last week that it might serve as a warning to the Seanad that we cannot take breaks at all.

Party leaders in the Dáil paid tribute to Deputy Bertie Ahern last week for his hard work during his tenure as Taoiseach. I, too, wish the Taoiseach well as he departs office and thank him for his service and efforts. While we have many disagreements on policy, it must be recognised that for the Taoiseach, politics was his life. He brought great energy and dedication to the office of Taoiseach and played an enormously significant role in the Good Friday Agreement and in Ireland's successful European Presidency.

An issue that emerged in this House, just before the Easter break, concerned the position of the illegal Irish in the United States. The Taoiseach has yet to address the US Congress and I ask the Leader to raise this issue with him. We had a somewhat unsatisfactory discussion in the House in this regard before the break and we were working on an all-party motion. However, a number of reservations were expressed by Members as regards the approach the Taoiseach had taken. Perhaps this issue could be raised again when he addresses Congress.

While paying tribute to the Taoiseach and wishing him well, it is worth noting that the date of his departure was brought forward because to remain in office would have been a distraction, as he admitted, owing to the evidence before the Mahon tribunal and the unanswered questions. However, I welcome the fact that the focus has returned to the many issues of concern such as the economy, rising levels of unemployment and the health service — we have another disturbing study, the O'Malley report — and I hope we have the opportunity to discuss these matters in the Seanad.

I want to focus, however, on the very disturbing reports of crime in Limerick and around the country, as reported in today's newspapers. It must strike horror and a chill into all our hearts to see what is happening with regard to the murder of those three young men. We raised these concerns on this side of the House on a number of occasions, most recently in the aftermath of the killings of the two young Polish men. Senators on all sides called for an immediate debate on this matter. I shall move an amendment to today's Order of Business so that we may have a debate on law and order and the challenge which these gangs pose to the State, the Garda and increasingly, communities.

A local Limerick priest, Fr. Joe Young, referred yesterday to the fear among residents in the local community. I do not believe it is acceptable in a democracy that communities are frightened to give evidence, that they consider law and order to be out of hand and that illegal groups are running the streets — not the communities and not the Garda. I should like today to move an amendment to the Order of Business to ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to come to the Seanad and address this issue. The issue has been raised not just on this side of the House but across the Seanad on a number of occasions in recent weeks.