David Norris (Independent)

No, I am not. Not unless we get a commitment. Someone else can second it but if I did I would be contradicting what I said.

I am glad to see the motion on Haiti, in the name of the Government. It is very important that we do this. I was interested to hear an Italian earthquake expert noting that one of the difficulties is the number of groups trying to create what he called a bella figura. They are performing for the world stage. That happened tragically in Haiti before, after the typhoon or the tornado hit it. World leaders were queueing up to promise hundreds of millions of dollars but none of that came true. The Irish people have contributed magnificently and Hollywood has contributed an enormous amount of money. Thank God for that but we should bear in mind what was said by those two remarkable Irish women, Dr. Louise Ivers and Ms Gena Heraghty. I was proud to the Irish when I saw what they were doing. This was a film shown by RTE but recorded before the typhoon struck. They talked about the appalling conditions and the human solidarity with the suffering people. They were cradling children in their arms and saying that every human being has the right to be protected and to be shown solidarity on the difficult journey through life. It was only by accident that it was not them in that place. We must examine the history. I did not realise that after the revolution in 1804 the French crucified them for daring to throw off the yoke. They made them pay reparations until 1949.

I welcome the fact that part of the Oireachtas is moving out of here down to another noble institution, Trinity College. There will be an important debate involving Members of the Oireachtas. We have all been invited and I hope many will go. It is an important opportunity to make our case to the public. It could not be a more auspicious day. As the Cathaoirleach knows, that day, 2 February, is not only the day of the historic meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution in Trinity College, it is also James Joyce's 128th birthday.