David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to raise two questions with the Leader. First, Standing Orders and procedures of the House have not kept up with modern technology. I say this because of mobile phones. To my great embarrassment, my mobile phone has gone off on one or two occasions recently, for which I apologise. I have the simplest of mobile phones. I was offered an upgrade, but I asked for a downgrade because I wanted to have the simplest mobile phone. I have what is called a builder's phone - one can drop it into cement - but I still have difficulties switching it off. I am going to leave it in my office and anybody who wants to contact me can leave a message. It is very undignified that practically every person in this House - I will not name and shame them - from the highest office to the newest backbencher is twittering and tweeting from the Chamber when he or she should be attending to our business. It is disrespectful to the House and also dangerous because these accounts are hooked into newspaper links and so on and calculated for grandstanding. I suggest the Leader, in co-operation with the Cathaoirleach, consider a ban on mobile phones. We should be required to leave them outside. In the 1920s and 1930s, when Fianna Fáil first joined the Dáil -----