David Norris (Independent)

That was a very uncharacteristic remark from Senator Tom Sheahan who is a gentleman. I am glad he withdrew it immediately.

I am delighted that colleagues on both sides of the House referred to the leaking of a particular document to the finance committee of the German Bundestag. What has happened in disgraceful. People in this country are obviously of the view that this is a matter of importance and it is the subject of a leading article on the front page of today's edition of The Irish Times. Yesterday I raised this issue under Standing Order 30 and the Cathaoirleach ruled it out of order. He has my sympathy. Thereafter, the Leader informed the House that a particular Bill would be introduced next week when he knew that this was not correct. There is an urgent case to be made in respect of the revision of Standing Orders in order that we might have honesty, openness and transparency.

It is absolutely appalling that the Cathaoirleach informed the House that a matter of direct relevance to the people, namely, the fact that we have been told that we will require further austerity measures and possibly another budget and that we were obliged to scale upwards the level of State assets to be sold, a matter discussed by another sovereign parliament, was out of order. Members of the Bundestag were able to discuss what affected our people before elected representatives here were in a position to do so. However, that does not surprise me, although I am not criticising the Cathaoirleach. On a previous occasion when I raised something I considered to be a national emergency, namely, a strike in the ESB, I was informed that it was not a matter of national importance. Simultaneously, the then Taoiseach, Charles J. Haughey, was declaring a national emergency in the Lower House. These things make a farce of Seanad Éireann.