Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join with Senator Reilly in calling for a debate on roaming charges. It is an issue for this island and is something the EU could try to regulate to a greater degree.

I want to mention cash for gold shops and query whether the legislation is close to coming before us. The current situation is like the wild west where thieves can present different items taken from people's houses. They do not need to have any ID. They are given cash, but if they were given cheques there might be some traceability. One or two gardaí to whom I have spoken are convinced that the cash for gold craze has led to a huge increase in the number of burglaries.

Today is the first world ovarian cancer day. It is designed to raise awareness of the disease worldwide. In an Irish context, between 1994 and 2010 an average of 376 new cases of ovarian cancer were presented in Ireland each year. It is very important to raise awareness because it has the lowest survival rate of all gynaecological cancers. Nearly 250,000 women globally are diagnosed annually with the disease and it is responsible for 140,000 deaths each year. Ireland fares quite well, ranking fourth highest in 30 countries surveyed, and has the highest mortality rate in Europe. There is much that can be done. The first step is awareness.