Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I thank the Leader of the House for his input in listening to Senators yesterday who called for the opening of the M9. I am glad that people are listening. The Minister for Transport obviously listened to the strong voices on that issue yesterday. The opening of the motorway is now going ahead on Monday. There has been confusion about the situation, which is a pity, but maybe we can learn lessons from it. It is opening for the overall good, and I urge the Leader and everybody here that we keep road safety at the top of our priorities in the Christmas period. It is something that we always need to talk about, and I welcome the opening of the M9 on Monday. It will contribute to road safety for those travelling from the south east to Dublin and back.

Christmas provides an opportunity for all of us to take stock, and 2009 has been a particularly difficult year. We need to take stock of leadership and review our personal, political and professional roles, and this time of year also provides an opportunity for the Government to review its role. The Minister for Finance recently said that we have turned the corner. I hope we have done so, but the evidence to date is that unfortunately, we have not turned the corner. I listened to what Senator Quinn said, and we do need to be hopeful and confident as we turn into 2010, because it is a very important year for us. I suggest that jobs and hope are the themes for January 2010. We should inject a bit of confidence in our debates and in the messages we are sending out to the wider community. There is a role for the Seanad and for the Leader in how he runs this House. He can make it more relevant and allow the views of Senators to be heard on the Executive policy the Government implements on behalf of the people.

Leadership extends beyond this. The unions need to take stock of what they have been saying quite recently. It is more important than ever that we have strong leadership, because we have been devoid of that over the past few years. When we look at the church, the banking sector and the Government, we find that leadership has been missing. My hope for the new year is that we see that leadership.

I take the opportunity, a Chathaoirligh, to wish you and your family well for Christmas, as well as the Clerk, staff and all Senators.