Eoghan Harris (Independent)

I wish to return indirectly again to the question of political life. I was perturbed last night to hear two political commentators say that the Lee issue illustrated the gap between the insiders in politics and the rest of the country on the outside. That is a very pernicious doctrine. I seek a proper debate in the House on political life.

Following on what Senator Fitzgerald said, I remember doing a programme on mental health 30 years ago and the switchboard in RTE was blocked for three days because it was the first time the issue of mental health was raised in respect of Johnny McEvoy. Nothing changed for the better until politicians got to work. Ken Loach has admitted that the film "Cathy Come Home" did not get a house built in Britain. Publicity does not get things done until the political process goes to work. Someone has to mediate between the majority who would grab it all and the minorities whom Senator Fitzgerald spoke about, namely, the mentally ill, the Halifax workers, people with mortgage problems and the marginalised. That could be one of the great functions of the Seanad. Let us keep the pity for real pitiful cases.