Ivana Bacik (Independent)

It is interesting that we could not put any amendments through in the Seanad last night. I also want to ask the Leader why we are not having time to debate the report of an bord snip nua. The Seanad should be sitting for that next week. We are all under the impression that the report will be published at some stage next week. There has already been widespread selective leaking of some of its recommendations. One in particular gives me great cause for concern - the report that the Office of the Ombudsman for Children may be merged with another office. I ask the Leader for a debate on that because, in the wake of the publication of the Ryan report, it is vital that we continue to have an office with an independent role in scrutinising conditions for children, particularly vulnerable children in care.

I also wish to ask the Leader for a debate on rape law and how we can improve conditions for rape victims. I have just come from the launch of the 2008 report of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, which highlights the need for more debate on this issue.

I dislike ending on a discordant note, but I thought it was ludicrous of Senator Mullen to suggest that we should consider leaving the Council of Europe just because, as I understood him to say, three women are exercising their right to take a case to the European Court of Human Rights on an issue that is vital and which, they say, concerns a breach of their rights under the convention.