Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

Our position this time is clear and unequivocal. The referendum should not just be about Éamon Ó Cuív and his position. He is one man and democracy is at stake. It was important for Senator Whelan to lecture us about a man going overboard and mistakes being made. Given that there was a motion before his parliamentary party not that long ago to silence one of its own Senators, I ask him to be fair on this issue. The Government parties need to put all of their efforts into the referendum. It is primarily the function of the Government side of the House, the Taoiseach and his Cabinet to sell the referendum. My party will play its part and all of its members here are in unison. The last referendum was on the legal fallout of the Abbeylara tribunal but it was badly sold. I am afraid again because this is the first referendum on Europe that the Government will face and it is a critical one. The onus is on the Government to ensure that it is passed and that shoe leather is worn out travelling around rural Ireland.