Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise a number of points. Today, Pieta House launched the Mind Our Men campaign, which is its latest initiative on suicide prevention and, in particular, promoting what all of us can do easily in looking out for the men in our lives, be it wives keeping an eye on their husbands, sisters on their brothers, work colleagues on their work colleagues, friends on their friends and so on. It involves some simple steps, and I ask that Members take a minute today to go on to the Pieta House website today and view the Mind our Men page, which gives some important points people can usefully embrace in what is a challenge that all of us are anxious to meet.

As the Leader is aware, we launched Actions Speak Louder Than Words some weeks ago. I hope time can be made available after Easter for all Members to debate the merits of that campaign, which was welcomed on either side of the House. It is important that we adopt such a strategy, which could be improved in some ways if people see fit.

I am sorry to take an adversarial line but this issue must be raised. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, would come to the House today and explain to the House, and ultimately to the people, in particular the people of Meath East, the reason the opening hours of the polls for tomorrow's by-election have been manipulated in such a way as to ensure a low turnout. This is especially so in the case of areas such as Ratoath and Ashbourne, which in recent years have had the highest increases in population for towns anywhere in the country, and given that the opening time of the polls have been reduced from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and, incredibly, from 10 o'clock to 7 o'clock in the evening, which will disenfranchise the many young families and many of the people who may wish to exercise their democratic right to take a view on the fact that nothing is being done to help them with their negative equity mortgages or to enhance what they are trying to do to mind their children, and that nothing has been done to allow them have their voice. Instead, it would appear to any objective commentator that what we have is a cynical attempt to manipulate the electoral process to ensure those in the most populous areas, those people who are suffering the most, will not be in a position to cast their vote for whatever candidate, be it the Government candidate, the Sinn Féin candidate or our own colleague, Senator Thomas Byrne. One thing is certain. All of the candidates were entitled to an even playing field, and that has not been afforded to them, which frankly appears to be cynical tampering with and rigging of the electoral process by the Minister, Deputy Hogan.