Fiach MacConghail (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the re-election of Barack Obama as President of the United States. Of course, for an Independent Senator such as me to send him congratulations from the floor of the Seanad is like The Skibbereen Eagle keeping an eye on the Emperor of Russia many years ago. His election means that we can breathe a sigh of relief this morning with regard to international politics.

I remind the House that the Independent group has tabled a motion for this evening on the trials and challenges of the social welfare appeals system. Its an important issue. We have just returned from a FLAC briefing that was held at 1 p.m. I know that most Senators come across this organisation on a daily basis. The bizarre amendment proposed by the Government side is long. It is longer than Finnegans Wake and probably less understood. I ask the Leader to adopt the spirit of the motion tabled by the Independents, which, similarly to our previous motions, seeks transparency and reform. I ask him not to provide Senators with three pages of a press release and waffle. An amendment should be useful and answer the questions contained in the motion.

There has been a lot of debate following Gabriel Byrne's comments on The Gathering and the relationship between the Government and the Diaspora. He wished The Gathering well, as I do, and I support it. More importantly, he highlighted, although this was not picked up, the lack of strategic thinking at Government level. We should look at what has happened to the National Library of Ireland, the National Museum of Ireland and Culture Ireland. The Labour Party has undermined the National Cultural Institutions Act 1997, as presented to the House in 1997 by the current President, Michael D. Higgins.