Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

-----by becoming a eurosceptic party. It is quite pathetic.

The question I had intended to ask if Senator Leyden had not made such a silly intervention is whether the Leader would consider inviting the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Deenihan, to the House in the coming weeks to discuss the Government's concept of a decade of commemoration.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Ulster Covenant, there was the 1913 lockout, the First World War, the 1916 Rising, the Anglo-Irish War, the treaty and the civil war. All of these need to be debated and commemorated with sensitivity. I would like that debate to be instigated.

I did not agree with Martin McGuinness's interesting contribution last weekend to the effect that the next few years could see a referendum in Northern Ireland on the future of the Six Counties. However, that issue could form part of our debate on commemorations. This Seanad has not debated the broad aspects of policy on Northern Ireland. Perhaps the Leader could try to set aside time for such a discussion.