David Norris (Independent)

Will the Leader respond to the series of questions I asked of him in recent days? The first relates to the situation of Ms Pamela Izevbekhai. I honour Senators Leyden and Ó Murchú for their strong support on this issue. I would be pleased to withdraw my motion in favour of an all-party proposal, which would be preferable. Like Senator Leyden, I have been the subject of anonymous contacts, although it was not a telephone call but an anonymous letter. Unfortunately, I threw it in the bin, as I do with all such correspondence, when I should have handed it to the Garda. The letter was accompanied by a newspaper article in reference to which I asked the Leader to raise with the Minister the apparent leaks from sources within the immigration service and whether there should be an inquiry in this regard.

I also asked him about certain matters surrounding the resignation of the chairman of the Equality Tribunal. The statement by the chairwoman of the Equality Authority was issued almost simultaneously with the announcement of that resignation, which had the effect of undermining it. Was that statement mandated as a result of a board meeting or was it a type of maverick action? The representative of the National Women's Council of Ireland has done the decent thing by resigning. The remaining members of the board should do the same. It is astonishing that they should so openly display the fact that they do not have the guts of a gooseberry compared with this wonderful woman who resigned in protest and in order to cease collaborating in the destruction of equality rights.