John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I join Senator Callely in asking the Leader for a debate on the food supply chain and on agriculture in general. The Government made a commitment a number of months ago to the introduction of a statutory code of practice for the activities of the large multiples with regard to suppliers. The Leader should indicate when he expects this statutory code of practice to come into play and should state when a facilitator will be appointed to draw up such a code of practice. Although the former European Commissioner, Mr. David Byrne, was appointed initially, he withdrew and no one has been appointed to the position subsequently. I ask that someone be appointed to that position as a matter of urgency and that the Leader should highlight this issue outside this House.

In addition, I join those colleagues who have sought a debate on how Members can best commemorate the 1916 Rising. I agree with Senator Buttimer's comment that it is not the preserve of any particular group of individuals as people from all current political parties and those who are not from political parties are represented in the stream of Irish opinion that was part of the 1916 Rising, to which I also happen to subscribe. However, I also ask the Leader to facilitate a full debate in this House on the Irishmen who fought in the First World War. I refer to the denigrated bunch of people who joined the British Army or perhaps the ANZAC forces, many of whom lost their lives. Moreover, many of them returned home and fought subsequently in the War of Independence. In many respects, they are a group of people who are written out of Irish history completely.