Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

I second the amendment to the Order of Business, proposed by Senator Leyden. The Sinn Féin Senator made a very telling point in his contribution this morning. To omit Sinn Féin from the democratic process and the exercise we had here yesterday with a very important visitor from Europe could send out the message that it is a negation of democracy. In many ways it also makes a mockery of our aspiration to an all-island political interaction. In the future we should endeavour to ensure Sinn Féin will be given that opportunity. A contrived sanitisation of a debate such as yesterday's does not do any credit to this House.

Senator Eamonn Coghlan recently asked for a little more positivity in our debates, given the depressive situation in the country. Listening to Newstalk this morning, I heard an example of that positive approach. It was made by the female Deputy who was at the centre of the debacle in the Dáil yesterday. She immediately wanted to get on to the real issues concerning the country and she listed those issues. She could be a role model for us all in public life, by dealing with the fundamental issues that are causing so much suffering. I will give an example. We often talk about the people of no property and we can now add to that the people of no means. To think that a man would jump into the river and risk his live to save his pet rabbit tells us something about society today. That was all that man owned in the world, but he had such regard for that little animal that he was prepared to risk his life. He could also be a role model for those who are suffering at present.

We can use all the rhetoric we like and come up with all the flamboyant policies we like, but at the end of the day, we are still not focusing on real people in this country. The suffering on the ground is unreal and unbearable. We should all keep that in mind in our future debates. When I was on the other side of the House, I used to ask the Opposition to help and assist. We should be doing it now from this side of the House. The Government has a difficult task to do. Let us not be scoring points at this time, but let us work as a team-----