Joe O'Toole (Independent)

We can certainly raise issues for debate in the House. The acting leader of the Opposition stated we could be discussing today positive proposals on the legislative changes required to deal with the Limerick issue and others. We can certainly do that. If business is so light in the Seanad with no legislation coming through, we should look to this side of the House for matters for discussion and in those circumstances there should be an increase in Private Members' time.

The Leader promised me two and a half weeks ago that he would allow time for a debate on the education cuts but that debate has not yet taken place. It is interesting that the issue of radon gas has become more important than dealing with education, despite the fact that the Minister for Education has gone back on his tracks. After promising the world there would be only 200 job losses in education, we are now told there will be 1,000. How can we have confidence in somebody who does not know the difference between 200 and 1,000? Those cuts are just in respect of one area. We need to ask questions to the Minister and hear the answers. That is the only honest approach. The Minister is backing off and does not want to talk about these matters.

I thoroughly support the view that the Government should have more to do than protecting the President of the Czech Republic, Václav Klaus, from the Irish media. The more we hear about him, the better it is for all of us. The Government was very light in its criticism to the effect that it was inappropriate of Mr. Klaus to act as he did. It is the essence of irony that a man who claims the European Union interferes too much with the work of national governments sees no problem in arriving in a state, as upcoming President of the Union, and interfering with its national policies and issues. Will the Government ask him how he manages to marry those two positions? We are aware of many of his other daft ideas. I do not deny him his entitlement to be against the Lisbon treaty, that is not the issue, but we have ways of doing business that should be respected.

One reason many of us supported the Lisbon treaty was to ensure our national sovereignty would be protected. Mr. Klaus takes the opposite view and does not recognise any contradiction in coming to Ireland to interfere in respect of a very sensitive issue that is being dealt with by the Irish people and the Government. The Government should take a much stronger line and indicate its absolute disapproval and rejection of the way he has behaved.