Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join with my colleagues in welcoming the Minister to the House and I commend Senator van Turnhout on bringing this motion before the House.

I say "Well done" to the Minister on having the referendum passed. If it were held next week, however, I do not think the Government would succeed in getting it through. People are deeply concerned. Why can the Government not reconsider the question of the respite grant, which is very valuable to the people involved? It would not be much of a climb down. I would not call it that. The same is true of the reduction in the children's allowance. If those decisions had been known to the public before the referendum I do not think the Government would have succeeded in getting it through.

It does not augur well for the Government if it proceeds with the abolition of this democratic House. In fact, it augurs very badly indeed.

Senator O'Donnell need not be worried or excited. I am going back to the motion.