Dominic Hannigan (Labour)

I join other Senators in congratulating former Senator Alan Kelly on his election to the European Parliament. The rap song he used summed up his campaign and gave me one of my favourite lines, namely, "his opinion isn't outdated like lino in kitchens." I am sure he will do very well in Europe. He received 60,000 votes this time, as he did two years ago when he ran for the Seanad. It is clear that he will have a very long career in politics and we wish him well.

However, the haste of the Green Party and Fianna Fáil in trying to fill his seat is somewhat unseemly. With all respect to failed candidates in the recent local elections, I do not think Seanad seats should be handed out to failed candidates at local elections. The last thing we can afford is to bring this House into further disrepute. The Taoiseach should seek to appoint qualified people to the spare seats an a meritocratic basis rather than engage in partisan favours. I ask the Leader to pass those views to the Taoiseach.

I refer to the Karen people of northern Burma. The European Union has complained to the Burmese Government about the fact that it has driven 3,000 Karen people into northern Thailand. The Burmese Government claims it is an internal matter and that the European Union should not become involved. I ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Martin, to plead with the Burmese to show some consideration to the human rights of the Karen people.