Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

I would like to add my voice to those calling for a lifting of the go-slow. The passport service is second to none, and everyone in the House has received a tremendous service from the Passport Office over the years. I hope it can get back to full capacity and get the emergency passports, in particular, out immediately. I am inundated, as all of us are, with calls and requests for passports for serious cases. I hope that the staff will see sense and return to full working. I ask the union to call the go-slow off.

Will the Leader of the House arrange for a confidence debate in this House? This House provides a tremendous service to the people. There are 60 Members of the House who are working to ensure democracy is retained. We scrutinise legislation here and give a good account of our stewardship. I served in the other House and as a Minister of State and I found this was the most effective place to amend legislation in a positive way. The expertise in this House cannot be got in any other House because of the way it is structured. Other countries in Europe - France, Britain, Germany, the US, Canada, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan - all have two chambers so why should we-----