Rónán Mullen (Independent)

-----and while it may be an excellent idea that the President of Ireland would be present in a significant capital on that occasion, it is the one day of the year when we should not be quibbling about our Ministers going abroad and representing us, particularly at such a challenging time for the country?

An idea we should examine, and I do not know if the Leader would agree, is putting together some kind of international representation committee across the two Houses of the Oireachtas whereby people who are particularly versed in either languages or particular issues relating to countries would be involved in those visits. It is not enough just to have Irish people present in these countries, but Irish people who will put the best foot forward, get the message across and engage with different political systems and cultures. I ask the Leader for his view.

I welcome the Labour Party's document on penal reform. It is very welcome that the Labour Party, if it gets into Government, and that is not guaranteed, intends to bring in alternatives to jail for non-violent offenders. Ireland will be before the United Nations next year. Would the Leader agree that it is a scandal that St. Patrick's Institution is used for the detention of underage persons and that that is something on which this country has serious questions to answer? Would the Leader agree also that it is a scandal that at any time there are more than 540 prisoners accommodated in Mountjoy Prison and that overcrowding, rising violence and demeaning physical conditions put Ireland in the dock and not just the persons who, as a result of being in the dock, find themselves in prison? Will he agree that we have to reform our prison system to create alternatives to custodial sentences for non-violent offenders and that we would honour the dignity even of prisoners within the prison system, and be seen to do so, understanding that is part of the way in which we will rehabilitate people? It must be part of our prison system that we seek to rehabilitate and not just to punish.

I ask the Leader also to facilitate a debate on the current controversy about the Taoiseach's contacts with Seán FitzPatrick. I note and agree with what Senator Alex White said about easy access. He makes the point that is not the primary issue here, although he notes in passing that it is not acceptable that there would be such easy access to politicians. I recall an occasion, when Deputy Ruairí Quinn was Minister for Finance, that the Labour Party held a fund-raiser and access to the Minister for Finance was one of the carrots used to tempt people to the event.