Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I support Senator Quinn's point. I called for that Bill to be passed two weeks ago. The Bill is essential. Many small contractors are depending on it and I hope the Leader can facilitate the passage of the Bill.

I support the comments made by Senator Mary White in respect of suicide. I alluded to that two weeks ago when I spoke about an e-mail I received. We should commend Senator White on her absolute dedication to this issue. She has been entirely consistent and it is a terrible affliction on our country. I also welcome Senator Ó Murchú's comments on Nos. 14-16 Moore Street. It is essential it is retained.

I bring the Leader's attention to a report about a couple in Australia who have three sons and who are looking for a daughter through IVF. When the lady was pregnant with twins, she aborted them in order that she could get further treatment. She is now going through the courts to see if she can select the gender of the child. I put that with the report by Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which is part of the abortion industry in the US. Last year, they accounted for the deaths of 324,000 babies in America, from a total of 1.21 million babies who died at the hands of abortionists in that period. It is horrendous that this is happening. Abortion is "one of the gravest and most egregious abuses of human rights that human society has ever tolerated." I take that quotation from Lord Nicholas Windsor, who was the first male member of his family to convert to Catholicism. While I am speaking about that, given that we are in the dying days-----