Eamonn Coghlan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Craughwell's call for a debate on bullying, particularly that which occurs in the workplace. A friend of mine had some serious issues as a result of bullying but, fortunately, as a result of the support and assistance he received and through the efforts of his family, he did not go down the road of committing suicide.

I wish to offer my condolences to the people of France and to the families of the ten French citizens who lost their lives overnight as a result of a tragic helicopter crash in Argentina. These individuals were in the prime of their lives and were seeking further challenges by taking part in a reality TV show. There is an old saying which goes "Once an Olympian always an Olympian". I wish to acknowledge the two Olympians, Camile Muffat, who won an Olympic gold medal in London three years ago, and Alexis Vastine, who won a boxing medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, who sadly passed away as a result of the tragic accident to which I refer.

One never knows what lies around the corner or what tomorrow will bring. On that note, I wish to acknowledge the great work done by a sportsman who has represented Ireland across the globe. I refer to the great Graeme McDowell who, through his GMac Foundation, flies seriously ill children from the Royal Hospital in Belfast and Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin and their families to Florida in order to put light back into their lives as they seek to deal with their illnesses. Well done to GMac who is doing this without seeking publicity. He just wants to give something back because he is fortunate enough to have been sufficiently talented to succeed in his support.

I also wish to acknowledge the achievements of another Irishman, Mark English, who at the weekend won a silver medal at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Prague. Mark is currently attending UCD, where he mixes his athletics training with his medical studies in an attempt to further both careers. I hope that, please God, he will represent Ireland proudly at the Olympic Games in Rio next year. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Irish Sports Council, which has been supporting Mark since he was 15 years of age. Mark is moving slowly and surely in the right direction and I am sure we will see many more great things from him in the future.