Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

Is it appropriate for the Seanad to offer its support to Derry in seeking to be designated the UK city of culture? Could we, particularly in the current climate, add our voices to the many that see value in driving this idea? I express my interest in the issue because anything that will place the focus on Derry will also place a focus on the north west. Therefore, those of us living in its hinterland should add our support. We should add our voices so as to promote the development of the north west that would be assisted by the designation of Derry as UK city of culture.

I empathise with Senator Ó Brolcháin, whose office was attacked recently. As someone whose family home was also attacked on a couple of occasions recently, such attacks are an indictment of the way people think on how they should approach and deal with those who have been democratically elected. We need to have a strong debate soon on what we see as the future of our democracy and the kind of republic we want for the future. As we move closer towards 2016 and a commemoration of the events of 1916, we must embrace all of the people on the island of Ireland. Therefore, we need to discuss our vision for this new republic and deal with what we consider to be unacceptable behaviour in a democracy. We do not want to witness more intimidation.

On Iarnród Éireann, a long time ago I raised the issue of the running of the Enterprise train service between Dublin and Belfast by Translink and Iarnród Éireann and their exploitation of those passengers who paid in euro. However, they continue to refuse to show the exchange rate between euro and sterling. In recent years they have exploited passengers by using an exchange rate of 69 cent. This is another example which shows what has gone wrong in the transport industry.

Senator David Norris: Following on what Senator Fitzgerald said about the need whistleblower protection, I propose a change to the Order of Business. I suggest that, immediately following the conclusion of the Order of Business, we take motion No. 17 on the Order Paper which was brought forward by me and a number of other colleagues. It addresses the remarks of the Director of Public Prosecutions and particularly the question of whistleblowers. I raised on the Adjournment the very serious matter of dishonesty on the part of one of the biggest banks in the IFSC, in the massaging and non-revelation of defects in liquidity ratios. It received very little publicity initially, but then a large article which did not refer to the debate in the Seanad was printed in The Irish Times, while on Sunday a very incisive article appeared in The Sunday Business Post. The story was also taken up in Süddeutsche Zeitung. The reason I raise the issue today is that the person who was my informant on that occasion effectively lost his job as a result. We have no whistleblower protection and should address the matter immediately. In the Dáil the Labour Party produced a Bill to tackle the issue. We could discuss that Bill this morning.: These days I rarely speak about the subject of homosexuality, either domestically or internationally. However, my attention has been drawn to a case in Malawi, a country to which we give large sums of money in aid. Two young men, Mr. Steven Monjeza and Mr.Tiwonge Chimbalanga, held a public ceremony of commitment in December. They were arrested at the end of that month and accused of gross indecency under the British statute that we have abolished in this country. There has been an attempt to subject them to forcible anal examination which has been described by Amnesty International as contravening the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. This is a very human story and they are extraordinarily courageous people, to whom I have sent a message of support. Tiwonge said: "I love Steven so much. If people or the world cannot give me the chance and freedom to continue with him as my lover, then I am better off to die here in prison. Freedom without him is useless and meaningless." His partner, Steven, said: "We have come a long way and even if our family relatives are not happy, I will never stop loving Tiwonge." They deserve our support. I ask the Leader to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs to ask it to intervene and express our strong condemnation of this violation of every human principle of decency through the torture and imprisonment of these young men who have so courageously stood up for the principle of human love.