David Norris (Independent)

I welcome and celebrate the decision to sign a contract for the building of the cystic fibrosis unit at St. Vincent's Hospital and warmly congratulate those splendid young people with cystic fibrosis who have led such a courageous and dignified campaign, including Ms Orla Tinsley and Ms Gillian McNulty who have done the State and fellow patients a great service. This is a good day and I look forward to the building being opened. While it will not be ready until 2012, Members on all sides of the House have strongly supported the project.

I support the remarks made by Senator Harris. We are a wonderful people and have extraordinary resources of talent. The one area in which we excel is showing imagination, creativity and what Senator Harris described as improvisation.

We all receive interesting messages from people around the country and Senator Cannon came out with some useful suggestions yesterday. I have received communications from a woman who has called for the creation of a State agency to take over idle buildings in prime tourist spots such as along the banks of the River Shannon and turn them into tourist facilities. If we were to advertise these abroad, people would come and spend their money. We should let those who own idle houses wash their faces.

I have one negative question. When will the Oireachtas address the legal implications of the state of our knowledge, practice and science in the field of assisted human reproduction? Yet again the newspapers are reporting on a judgment in which the Oireachtas has been chastised by a judge for its indolence in not addressing this fundamental human problem. There was an effort made to address the issue by a distinguished former Member of the House, Dr. Mary Henry, who placed a Bill on assisted human reproduction before it. Let us take on the subject and look after the welfare of citizens.