John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

I join Senator O'Reilly in calling for a debate on the nuclear issue, a matter previously raised in the House by Senator Quinn. I ask the Leader for a general debate on the matter, which would be very useful given that we are in a nuclear area. There are new facilities for nuclear reactors to be much safer, where the irradiated material is held in steel spheres. It is even possible to shut down the cooling reactor and there is no meltdown. That being the case it is time for us to have that debate and keep it in the context of clean energy, nuclear energy and what the way forward is now.

I ask for clarification from the Leader about our role within Europe. We get many benefits from Europe. We also have responsibilities that are legally binding. One of the responsibilities includes allowing people from countries abroad to come here and get work. It is not good for any politician, particularly senior politicians, to be saying that they should be sent home after a few weeks if they do not have the means to support themselves. That is unacceptable today. Clearly people should be aware of the laws regarding the rights people have by virtue of our membership of the European Union and the rights to social welfare in other countries by virtue of ministerial orders that implement EU directives. It is as simple as that. We do not have discretion in this matter. However, we trade at a rate of €85 billion a year and our imports are in excess of €60 billion. We gain a huge advantage by trading with these countries. Naturally we would like to pick what is best for ourselves and not to have what does not suit us. However, we signed up for it and we must comply.