Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

That comment has probably scuppered Senator Landy's chances of getting tickets for the All-Ireland matches. He will have to go scurraging in Tipperary for the final. As the Cathaoirleach and some Members of the House will be aware, there was a time, not too distant in memory, when a former Cathaoirleach of this House absolutely resisted any reference to the GAA. The fact that he was a trustee of the organisation might have had something to do with it.

I share Senator Cullinane's concerns about the events in Belfast. It was depressing to watch the images coming from outside the Parliament building in Greece and then, on the same Sky News bulletin, to see young thugs - because that is all they were - firing stones and creating mayhem in a small Catholic enclave in Belfast. Contrary to what the Senator said - this may reassure him - it was made absolutely clear by both the assistant chief constable of the PSNI and the media itself that the initiators came from the east Belfast brigade of the UVF. It did not originate from the Catholic side in any way. This is the conclusion I and, I am sure, others came to based on the reports emanating from Belfast. This House should continue to be alert to any threat to the ongoing peace process.

I wish to refer briefly to the comments made by Senator Conway. I have no difficulty with the main thrust of what he said, but I suggest that the Leader might afford the House an opportunity at some time in the future, in the context of a debate on tourism, to try to reduce the cost burden on our hotel sector. As a former chairman of Fáilte Ireland North West, I was aware that whenever there were major events in the region, certain hotels would increase their prices, as happened for the most recent event in Dublin. However, if one looks at hotels.com, the worldwide website for monitoring hotel prices, one will see Ireland now has the cheapest hotel rooms in Europe.

We should be promoting a positive image of our hotel sector, notwithstanding the comments made by Senator Conway. He is right in defending the consumer, but there is another side to the story. It would be helpful if the cost burden on hotels were reduced. They are attempting to be as competitive as possible. One can get a four-star bedroom in this city throughout the year for between €60 and €75 per night, with all of the attendant services.

Regarding the matter raised earlier by Senator Healy Eames, last evening I raised a matter on the Adjournment relating to the withdrawal of school bus services from the Traveller community at Mohill and Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim. In his reply, the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy Ciarán Cannon, claimed the withdrawal of these services was an attempt to mainstream Traveller children into the school transport system.