Michael McCarthy (Labour)

I warmly welcome and congratulate Senator Carroll. I hope he will have a very long and successful career in politics and that he will find his time in this House as fulfilling and enjoyable as the rest of us do. I am sure his membership will go a long way towards ensuring the sanity of the Government Whip who has been trying his best to win votes over recent months. I wish Senator Carroll well and hope he will have a very fulfilling and rewarding experience in this House.

While I recognise that the Leader is making time available for a roll-over debate on flooding and is taking into consideration the views of many Senators, an hour is insufficient for the debate. If I had my way, I could speak for at least half an hour to reflect the experiences in west Cork over the past week. I propose that we make our Private Members' slot available to the Leader this evening to allow for a meaningful and lengthy debate on flooding and a ministerial reply.