David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State referred to hypocrisy. I remember hearing Ian Paisley speak about "high-pocrisy" and this is "low-pocrisy" if ever I came across it. Almost every spokesperson trotted out is a former Member of the House. It reminds me of Animal Farm, where, after a while, the pigs started standing up on their trotters and by the end of the book, they were indistinguishable from Farmer Jones, the oppressor of the animals. I see many people standing on their trotters speaking rubbish. I wish there was a little bit of honesty and refreshingly facing the truth. It is true this House has not been reformed and it is the responsibility of the Minister of State's party as well as every other party.

I have been calling for reform of the House for 30 years. It does not mean I will give up on it. It would be a disgrace if people wanted to give up on it. I will tell the Minister of State how ashamed his party is. For five and a half hours we did not have a single speaker from the Government side of the House until I rattled their cage and forced one of them out of their burrows. They are deeply ashamed and they have a hell of a lot to be ashamed of. The Minister of State said the Government gave a commitment; well, bully for him. Commitments were being handed around like peanuts. I heard some old one on the television speaking about the commitment given to the pro-life group. Who asked the Government to give such commitments? What was it doing? Every Government has done it. I was here when a Member of the House boasted about the fact another Government of a different complexion gave him a commitment to put in a protocol on abortion in a European treaty bypassing the people. I am fed up with the political parties giving under the counter commitments to secret groups, and all the rest of the rubbish about allowing the people to choose. The Bill is not about allowing the people to choose; it is about abolishing the Seanad. The word "referendum" does not occur once.

The Bill should have provided for two sets of circumstances. The Minister of State spoke about a preferendum. I never once mentioned the word "preferendum" in any speech I ever made. Give the people a fair choice. What the people are being given is a pig in a poke. I can see the poke, as can everyone else, but let us have a look at the pig. Give the people one good look at the pig the Government is producing outside of the nasty little poke which has been constructed for it.

The Minister of State had the gall to mention Mr. O'Keeffe, a decent man and honourable former Deputy. What is the Minister of State doing invoking the spirit of this man?