Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also express my sympathies to the family and friends of Jonathan Corrie, who died just yards from this Chamber. However, homelessness, and the result seen yesterday of somebody dying on the steps of Parliament, is the thin edge of austerity. That is what it looks like when services are cut and when funding has been withdrawn from mental health services, from alcohol and addiction programmes and from housing programmes. Consequently, I support my colleague in seeking an immediate debate on this matter. I also support a debate on the teachers' strike. Members have a light itinerary today and the fact that the teachers' unions and the Minister are not in here debating this issue today shows the Government does not seek debate in this regard.

Most appalling is the deafening silence from the Government when it comes to the fact that every piece of communication from this island is being listened to and monitored by the British Government. This is being done without a single word from the Government, as though that should be normal behaviour between alleged friends. The next time Senator Paul Coghlan meets the ambassador, he might ask him to stop listening to his telephone calls.