Mary White (Fianna Fail)

We have spoken a number of times about the disrespect shown for this House. I ask my Fine Gael colleagues to personally ask the Taoiseach to respect his party members in the Seanad by coming to address the House which is part of the Oireachtas under the 1937 Constitution. It diminishes the status of this Chamber that the leader of the Government has not come here. To be honest, if we were in government, we would insist on the Taoiseach coming to the House and different Taoisigh did come here on many occasions.

Yesterday I spoke about the speech made by Nancy Pelosi, the most powerful woman ever in American politics, in which she spoke about e pluribus unum. I was shocked to discover that she had visited Leinster House yesterday. Why did she not come to the Seanad? I had my photograph taken with her and was absolutely delighted-----