David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Without reflecting in any sense on the legitimacy of the recent by-election under the existing rules, that a person of any kind can be elected to a national parliament by an electorate of 200 votes is a real reproach to democracy and highlights the fact the whole Seanad apparatus needs to be reformed. Nothing has been done since we rescued the Seanad from oblivion.

So much has been said about the situation in Paris that very little more can be said. The thing that struck me most about it was the targeting of people in wheelchairs. It is abominable and beneath any kind of remotely civilised behaviour.

Speaking of civilised behaviour, I send my congratulations to the first people who embarked on same-sex marriage today in this country. That must be about the end of it now. I sincerely hope so. I wish them well.

There are two privacy Bills which have been lodged for many years on the Order Paper of Seanad Éireann and nothing has been done about them. I say this in the context of reports in the Irish Independentalleging child sexual abuse against a former Minister. It is a very serious charge and was leaked, I presume by the Garda. It is very shocking stuff. I heard journalists speaking immediately after this and they were all congratulating themselves on it as wonderful, a great triumph and a big scoop. The next day, however, they were rethinking things a bit and there were more sober voices. It is very shocking.

During the discussion, there was talk of victims. That seriously vitiates any possible forthcoming court case. There are only alleged victims at the moment. It waits for the progress of a legal case, if such is taken. One wonders will such a course be taken. I will not name the person involved. He is known to me and is a gentle, shy, diffident and very kind person. To be the subject of these kinds of allegations is fair enough but to have it bruited about and have newspaper reporters harassing him is very shocking. It is like the situation of Sir Cliff Richard in England, where the police alerted the media, in particular the television media. As a result, there were helicopters around when, without telling Sir Cliff Richard of the fact, they burst into his home and ransacked it. It was all on television and now the charges have been dropped. This man has had to forgo an honour given by the village in Portugal where he lives.

There is a strong case for looking at the operations of the media in this country.Most politicians are terrified of the media, and after my example during the presidential election campaign, when I was routinely libelled every day on radio and television and in the newspapers, I can understand why. However, we must have a little courage. The Government should examine the two privacy Bills with a view to moving one or other of them in the new year.