David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to return to something I said yesterday about the way business is ordered in this House. It is instructive that there is a sprinkling of people - maybe half a dozen - from the two Government parties, two Opposition Senators and two Independents here. There are considerably more people in the Gallery. I have always said that it does not really matter when legislation is being discussed whether there are Members present because Members are in their offices preparing amendments, reading material, etc., and they are watching the television monitor to see when their time to come in is approaching. However, for the Order of Business to be so very thinly attended is regrettable. For most of my time here - I am here nearly 30 years - it was always the most heavily attended part of the day's business and it was lively. We now commence business in this House in a ragged way. I would not like to see the business disintegrate and I would urge that we would rethink this system.

The only other point I would make is-----