Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

With regard to Senator Darragh O'Brien's amendment and Senator Ivana Bacik's response, there was more than €500 million in cash when the Government decided to sell Aer Lingus, for which the pensioners make a more deserving case than the shareholders of British Airways. I still oppose the deal. The document in the Oireachtas Library of a mere two pages is totally inadequate to address the economic issues involved.

I refer to the Taoiseach's visit to Kingsmill recently where he met Mr. Alan Black, one of the survivors of the massacre. At the time there was great goodwill and the hope that in that case and the Ballymurphy case, another site the Taoiseach visited on the same day, documents would be brought forward, but that hope is fading. I hope the Leader can make the case to the Taoiseach that the goodwill exhibited to him on that day be retained.

On an item of happier news, I note the election of Dr. Louise Richardson, a TCD graduate, as vice-chancellor of Oxford University. She attended the Ursuline Convent in Waterford. I am sure the Leader will agree that the possibilities for co-operation between TCD, Oxford, Waterford and the Ursulines made for a great achievement by Dr. Richardson and perhaps she is a person we might ask to address the House in the future because she has achieved such a position of eminence in education. Great credit is due to the people of Tramore, her school, the people of Waterford and TCD that such an eminent honour has been attained by an eminent Irish scholar.