David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I agree with my colleague regarding government. The Bills Office would probably confirm what we all know - that there is a kind of constipation throughout the session and at the very end there is an effluxion or diarrhoea of Bills all over the place. Everyone suffers because of this. This is a departmental problem, not necessarily just in the Department of Health. Why is it that here in the Seanad we have statements on this, that and the other when we do not even take the Bills proposed by the Independent Senators?

I support what was said about Senator Burke’s Bill on medical insurance. I tried to force that because I felt he was coming under a certain amount of pressure from within his own party. I copied the Bill with three or four words changed and registered it but was told the Government would push it and that I would be impeding the matter. I urge him to push it. There was agreement on all sides. The Government said it agreed with it in principle but it would need some amendment. I cannot comprehend why the Government did not take that Bill and amend it on Committee and Report Stages. That should have been done. Senator Burke did this House a service by introducing that Bill.

There is a phenomenal lack of courage in political life. I exempt this Minister. He is not the most popular Minister. In this House he is all right, but in public he is everlastingly being battered -----