David Norris (Independent)

I congratulate the Government on its very remarkable victory. It is an endorsement that it has produced a most interesting programme for Government. I congratulate the Minister on his success in his election which I watched with great interest. I took considerable pleasure, entertainment and delight in certain aspects of his very feisty campaign. I am very glad that proper vote management resulted in the election of Deputy Mathews. I am sure the Minister will agree that he is a most remarkable man who has advised me and others in this House on the economic situation. He has been a beacon of intelligence and I am delighted he is part of the victorious Government.

There were suggestions that there were divisions — there were obviously separate interests — between the Labour Party and Fine Gael, but as happens almost inevitably, these have been brought into alignment and it has the possibility of being a very successful Government. I will not speak at any great length because we had the opportunity earlier having met once since the general election to debate the very important matter of the Bill concerning the construction industry introduced by Senator Quinn. I would like the Minister to give an undertaking to the House that this will be carried through to completion as it deals with an extremely important matter. It shows the Seanad has much more than a symbolic function to perform. I accept absolutely what Senator Boyle has said that such a reference underestimates the significance and value of the Seanad.

I would welcome the Minister giving to the House information on the priority to be given to mental health services. One of the matters we will be discussing today is a mental health Bill concerning the specific matter of the use of electroconvulsive therapy, ECT, on patients who have not given their consent. It is an attempt to discontinue this practice which is generally regarded as being unhelpful. We need a full and thorough revision of the mental health Bill and an examination of the role of mental health in this country. I have been surprised and heartened by the way in which people have responded to initiatives I have made in recent weeks in the area of mental health.

I respectfully ask the Minister to take back to Government the hope from this House that however long Seanad Éireann survives it will be treated with respect. It has not been treated in such a way in the past by any Government that I can remember. It has been abused very considerably and the ordering of business has been chaotic. We have just learned within the past half an hour that we will meet again tomorrow. As a busy man, the Minister will understand this is very difficult and I am not sure who to blame. It is the way the Seanad has been run for the past few years and it is simply not acceptable if we are looking for a professional level of commitment.

I tabled an Adjournment matter for today but for some reason we are not allowed to have Adjournment debates. No proper reason has been given to me and the matter I would have taken up is the question of the way in which our entire hotel industry is being undermined by hotels being run in the interests of NAMA. They can compete in an unfair manner because they can introduce below-cost pricing. That will destroy the family hotel business in Ireland. I would like the Minister to examine this. Will he examine the possibility of bringing the Competition Authority into the equation? It is very clearly unfair competition.

With regard to current difficulties, obviously matters concerning the tribunal are not going to be heavily advertised here today. On a matter of principle, a Labour Party Minister, Justin Keating, introduced principles known as the Keating principles which meant the Irish people reaped the rewards from our natural resources. I would like this Government to revisit those principles in order that the Irish people would benefit. The reason I mention this in the context of the tribunal is that I cannot take sides on the issue.

It seems to be a very confused business and raises the question of whether tribunals that last 13 years, cost hundreds of millions of euro and have to apologise during the course of their investigations for errors that have been made are good value for money. I am not capable of answering that, but I have to raise the matter. Why do we sell utilities such as this if an individual — I cast no blame on the person, he is a very decent man — can make €250 million and his partners, a Swedish telecoms company, can make €1 billion out of our utilities? Why should the taxpayer not benefit? Imagine how many schools and facilities for the intellectually challenged could be built with that money. I would like the Keating principles to be revisited.

I am glad my friend Senator Boyle mentioned the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act. I know the Minister has played a useful role in these matters, going back a very long time. We do not always see eye to eye and I am quite sure we will continue not to see eye to eye, but that is what makes life interesting. The Minister will correct me if I am wrong but I believe he was one of those in Fine Gael who stood out and filibustered against rather mean minded amendments tabled by his party. That took moral courage and if I have not thanked him publicly, I would like to do so now. Nora Owens, Mary Banotti and various other people were also involved, and I salute them for having done that. I hope the 150 amendments that would give teeth to the implementation of the Act are passed. I ask the Minister to remind the Government that I got a commitment that the amendments would be retrospective.

This Government will probably be in situ for the anniversary of 1916. I hope I will be here as well, either in this House or in a more elevated position. I say that because I know some people have said the men and women of 1916 were terrorists. I would like to have the opportunity in 2016, in whatever position, to scotch that and say they were not terrorists. They were people of prophetic vision and extraordinary chivalry. I know what a terrorist is, it is somebody who uses civilian casualties and delights in gore to advance his or her political agenda.

When Pádraig Pearse saw there was an increase in civilian casualties he cancelled the Rising. Everyone can support the ringing words of the Proclamation to cherish all the children of the nation equally. One of the ushers in the House pointed out to me that in 1916 women did not even have the vote, yet the men and women of 1916 addressed the Proclamation with full equality to Irishmen and Irishwomen. I hope I will be here in some official form in 2016.

It was wonderful to hear the Minister speak about the visit of President Obama. Well done to President McAleese who was blown out of her house in the Ardoyne and who reached out to the Orange people and invited Queen Elizabeth to come here. If she can do that who can dare to naysay her. Roddy Doyle has a wonderful imagination and took the idea of a man with his two children telling them he was under a black dog of depression and that they were to shout, "Brilliant". That is what we need.

I will end on a contentious note. As one who was instrumental, as I am sure the Minister knows, in establishing the first Israeli ambassador here, I welcome what his colleague said, namely, that he hopes during the period of this Government to be able to recognise an independent Palestinian state and perhaps have an embassy for it here in order that the representatives of the Palestinian and Israeli people can meet as equals in diplomatic service in this country which has resolved similar problems.