Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join my colleagues in the expressions of sympathy on the unexpected and sad death of a former Member of this House, John Carty. As many have recognised, he was one of nature's gentlemen. I called to see him a few months ago and he was in fine form, which is an indication of how quickly life can change for people.

I ask the Leader if he would arrange for the Minister for Justice and Equality to attend the House for a debate on what has now become an epidemic of burglaries across the country. We have heard instances of such burglaries and seen them reported on television and radio programmes. My own local radio station, South East Radio, is conducting interviews on a daily basis with distressed homeowners who were recently burgled. This appears to be going on without any recognition from the Minister or the Department of Justice and Equality of the imposition on people, and particularly on elderly people, some of whom have had to leave their homes because of the experience.

I support Senator Power's call for the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to come to the House for a debate on RTE. RTE is required, under the Broadcasting Act, to be balanced. That these defamatory comments were made on the "Prime Time" programme and not challenged by the presenter-----