David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yes, but I imagine it will be another acknowledgement. Therefore, I want to push for a visit through this public forum and let the people of Ireland know that the Government is sitting on the matter and doing nothing. We have a new Minister from my county, County Laois, who may have something done about it. At this juncture, I wish him and all of the other new Ministers well. However, I would like to see a little action. There is a kind of selective democracy. The Church of Ireland Archbishop repeatedly asked about Bethany Home, as I did, but the Government ignored him. I cannot imagine it ignoring the Roman Catholic archbishop.

There was a question on the process of nomination regarding the presidency and its financing. I have no intention of running for the presidency again. Some 96% of the people at the Constitutional Convention supported a motion in my name in this regard, but the Government did nothing with it. It has done the same on the Pope's visit, which is most regrettable. I ask for some action. If the Government does not want the visit to take place, let it have the courage to state it does not want to have the Pope in Ireland and sign in the name of its constituent parties, Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party.