Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

When I became a Member, I thought that this was going to be an independent open-thinking objective Seanad and we were going to act as a great check on the great Executive. I do not see or hear any checks and I believe the Seanad must stand up because we are selling our State assets under the radar. We are being advised by people from New South Wales. I suggest that this island should float out to New South Wales, because everything that happens there seems to be very good for Ireland.

We do not need to sell the national lottery licence but we need to renew it. Selling it is a lie but we should renew it. Senators need to stand up for that. This is being done because it is suggested we need the money for a children's hospital. We can get the money for a children's hospital if we look at the money for good causes - last year ¤200 million went to good causes. If we were to forego those for one year we would have the money for the children's hospital.

Coillte is now separating trees from the land. I have never heard of anything so ridiculous. Even if we have to separate trees from the land, why can we not harvest them?