Seanad debates

Thursday, 13 November 2008

11:00 am

Photo of David NorrisDavid Norris (Independent)

I support what Senator O'Toole said about the absence of serious business in the House. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. About one third of Members are present for the Order of Business. The numbers have been dwindling every day for the past two weeks, which shows that our membership feels we are increasingly irrelevant.

There was a good debate last night on the CAB. It is very important that we continue to look at the issue of gangland warfare. We should also pay tribute to Deputy Tony Gregory who first came up with the idea of linking social welfare, inland revenue and the police. That was resisted but the suggestion was eventually taken on board by the Government in establishing the CAB.

I was initially very heartened when I heard that this person, Gerard Dundon, was in jail, but I understand — I am prepared to be corrected — that he surrendered himself by turning up in an armour-plated vehicle. He summoned his cohort of supporters with a public address system and marched in triumph to the jail. That kind of vanity must be put down.

I support Senator Hannigan on the water issue. I put down motion 11 on that issue and perhaps the Leader will consider taking it at an early date. It is worrying that one third of our rivers are heavily polluted and that 50% of the ground water is contaminated by animal and human sewage. This is partly because of the policy of once-off housing that was very widely supported by rural Members. That must be examined.

The principal issue is that of cervical cancer and I strongly support Senator Fitzgerald on this. It is extraordinary that we are not prepared to pay a fraction of what we wasted on e-voting machines to save the lives of young women, which that vaccination undoubtedly will accomplish. I salute Deputy Jim McDaid for acting in concert with his Hippocratic oath and abstaining in a division in the other House yesterday. I have every respect for Deputy Rory O'Hanlon who is an amiable, decent man, and I know from reports that he is a good and caring general practitioner. However, I do not believe he can stand in the lists against a Nobel prize-winning scientist on the matter of the human papilloma virus.

Having heard a senior figure from the Bank of Ireland use the word "optionality" on the news this morning, I am really worried. As one who knows little about economics, I start to worry when I hear people such as this retreat into that type of jargon.

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