David Norris (Independent)

I would like to second Senator O'Brien's suggestion that we take motion No. 9 today. Not including the question of the abolition of the Seanad in the constitutional convention would make the convention an absolute farce. I am a little worried by the way the Seanad is going. Yesterday again, we had no Order of Business and today, again, we have no Private Members' business. It is almost as if elements in this House were deliberately winding Seanad Éireann down, but I hope we will all fight against this and that people on the Government side will show their support on this matter.

I asked the Leader last week about the communiqué from the deputy Israeli ambassador and ask now whether there is a further update on that. I understand he has just transmitted the material I passed on to him. Perhaps he will add to that material a query as to whether the policy on these actions on the part of certain elements within the Israeli embassy extended also to Irish citizens. If so, that would be a very serious matter.

I would like to raise the issue of fishing and I am glad Senator O'Donovan has put down a matter for the Adjournment on this. The recent statistics that have emerged on this are a serious concern. The total catch in Irish waters last year was estimated to be worth €1.18 billion, of which we received about €180 million - in other words, the scraps from the European table. We have the richest fishing grounds in Europe, yet foreign vessels take the majority of the catch. Every year we are handing over €1 billion worth of fish, while our own coastal fishing communities are being deliberately deprived of the opportunity to make use of this resource. They must stand idly by and watch these enormous catches being landed by Spanish and other trawlers. I am relying for this information on an interesting article in the Cork Evening Echo by Tom MacSweeney, who has done such wonderful work on behalf of the fishing community.

Finally, I welcome, if that is the appropriate word for such a very sad document, the publication later today of the report on missing children and the HSE and the State's responsibility in this regard. I and a number of others, over many years, have raised not only this general issue but also specific cases in this House. It is a developing situation and one in which Seanad Éireann has played a significant role. The stories are extremely harrowing. There is a clear problem with regard to the guardianship by the State of these sometimes very troubled young people.