Rónán Mullen (Independent)

I draw attention to the heartwarming news of the opening yesterday of the State's first hospice for children. The LauraLynn Hospice Foundation is doing great work and deserves the support of everyone. I note that it is something that is coming from the people and the community. To my knowledge, it has not received grant aid from any Government agency. In particular, I read about the story of young Grace Akognon, who was born at 33 weeks in the National Maternity Hospital in Holles Street. She has many challenges as a result of being born premature but also, because she is the daughter of an asylum seeker, it is an even more challenging situation, with minimal resources being made available to that family in the Balseskin reception centre. The Laura Lynn foundation is a godsend to that little family unit because of the respite care it offers. It is a real sign of hope in our times that people come together to do this kind of thing in our community.

It contrasts as well with what can happen in other countries. It is not that long ago since a Dutch health researcher recommended to that country's Government that it would allow physicians to euthanise new-born children, not merely based on their actual suffering but on foreseen suffering. That strikes me as a much more despairing approach to the challenges that can face human beings. I hope we in this country will always adopt the hopeful approach of helping people to address their challenges and help them to an improved quality of life.

It would be appropriate for us to wish all the candidates in the presidential election a fair wind. I want to make two points which can fit in to a discussion that perhaps we should have in the Seanad at some stage in the near future. First, the Presidency, despite its denigration by some in recent weeks, is an important office and is more than merely symbolic. The President of Ireland represents the country to itself and abroad. There is a major dignity attaching to that office. For that reason, it is right and proper, and to be expected, that there will be hard questions asked of each candidate in the coming weeks. We have a right to expect that those hard questions would be asked and that they would be answered, which is not the same as negative campaigning.

Second, the nominating procedure has been a subject for discussion. If we are to discuss this, it is better that we discuss it soon because if we start it at some time in the term of the new President, it could be seen as a reflection on him or her. I would offer this advice to myself, to colleagues and to present and future politicians, that we should not be ashamed of doing our constitutional duty, exercising our judgment in favour of candidates whom we would like to see in that most high and important office and not nominating persons whom we do not want to see in that office. Looking over our shoulder to find out what public opinion or the dominant media are saying is not the way to go. It is not a good future for Irish politics if that is all that we ever end up doing when we have important decisions to make. Let us not be ashamed of carrying out our constitutional functions. I would ask for that particular point of view to be taken forward into a debate, which I hope we will have soon and which I hope the Deputy Leader can facilitate, about the way in which candidates for the Presidency are nominated.