Catherine Noone (Fine Gael)

I feel very emotional hearing Dr. Manning speak today. During the summer I had a little clarity and a good think about the opportunity we all have as elected representatives to this House. It is objectionable that this House is treated as a nursery and a nursing home, and I do not mean that in an offensive way to anyone. With the greatest respect to all my colleagues, this is a House in which we are supposed to speak about national issues. I am all for speaking about where one lives and where one is from, and I would be the first to do so, but we are elected to this House, first and foremost, to be national politicians and to raise national issues.

It is such a relief to hear what Dr. Manning said earlier. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with me in that I did not quite understand what it was all about. I do not have a question as such, except to ask whether Dr. Manning would be there as an ear for us if we need some advice to try to keep this place alive.