Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I am not coming down on one side or the other, but I am worried about crossing that border. Senator Fitzgerald is correct that it is long past the time when the by-election should have taken place.

The Government acted with alarming alacrity in response to the decision of the High Court yesterday. On the basis of the importance of the Houses of Parliament regulating their own affairs, it took a decision last night of which I approve. Similarly, this House took a decision last night. It may not be completely in line with the Government's policy, but the Seanad is a House of the Oireachtas and its decision was made democratically. The motion asks the Government to extend immediately the right to vote to graduates of all universities from 1 January. I ask the Leader to do what he believes is right in this regard. Will he now put it to the Government that it should give effect to the will of the Seanad? Will he obtain for us a formal response from the Government? The speech made yesterday by the Government cost it the vote last night. It was mocking and disgraceful. That is the reality; I do not want to move further into the debate.

The Green Party should note that there is now an open goal. Action on the decision taken can be conceded at no cost to the other side of the House. This should be done to show we believe in what we say. Given that we regulate our own affairs under Article 15.10 of the Constitution, we must realise that if it is acceptable to go to the Supreme Court, it is also acceptable to put in place what we have decided on.

We should consider positive developments. Having listened to the analysts, I do not know what we can read into the figures for two good months in which the level of unemployment has dropped other than to say I am delighted with this.