David Norris (Independent)

I agree with Senator O'Malley in that there are vested interests, but that is why they were there. The trade unions are an interest group, as are the employers and the Government. I was impressed by the remarks of Mr. David Begg and other union leaders, namely, that their vested interests include a significant and superior vested interest in the welfare of the country. They are prepared to do a deal, but only one that can be sold.

There has been much bumbling and fumbling around in the dark. Some debates in the House have been without substance because nothing was placed before us to be properly debated. We were debating in a vacuum. It is nonsense. We need decisive action and the Government must bring the country behind us. It is a question of confidence. I am not an economist and I know little about these matters, but I listened to a commentator this morning say that a part of the borrowing problem is the way in which we are estimated internationally and that, unless clear action is taken, we may be downgraded. Germany is paying 3% on its borrowing. We are paying 5.5.%. That will get worse. This is clear, practical and tangible. We will pay more unless we can demonstrate that we have the capacity to address this problem seriously.

Can we examine the implications of a very interesting but rather sad report published yesterday? It was carried out by the Children's Research Centre in Trinity College Dublin and the School of Education at University College Dublin and concerned the mental health of young gay people. The material it confirms is shocking. I suspected it might be like this from my own experience. Some 80% of the wide variety of students interviewed by these two major universities experienced homophobic bullying in school. I cannot think of any other group that would experience this level of bullying. A total of 40% have been threatened with physical violence and 25% have actually been kicked, punched and beaten. I am part of that 25%. Would any other group tolerate this? This raises again the question of the appropriateness of the exemption of the churches from the operations of the Equality Agency because regrettably this prejudice comes from the churches.

The great poet, Seamus Heaney, launched Yeats festivities last week in Sligo. Unfortunately, however, a very important Yeatsian environment is being tampered with. Fort Louis is a house once owned by the Yeats family with which the young poet was familiar. On page 53 of his Autobiographies, he gives a charming account of sailing a toy boat on the little stream in front of the landscaped garden of his great-uncle's house. Now the stream will be culverted, the trees removed and that aspect of our cultural heritage will be obliterated. While this is a matter for local decision, will the Leader be kind enough to draw this to the attention of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to see if something can be done to protect this place? The work is being undertaken only to prepare the way for some kind of ribbon development that probably is not necessary in Sligo.