James Heffernan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Amy Rose Harte to the Gallery. If Jimmy were here, he would be having a great time talking about the qualification last night, and I am sure he would be giving me a bit of a ribbing for Limerick's capitulation when the team went to Ballybofey to play Finn Harps. Ba mhaith liom a rá leis an Seanadóir Ní Chathail, a clann agus a cairde agus le Páirtí an Lucht Oibre that today really is their day. Senator Cahill is very welcome to the House.

I read with interest Mary Minihan's article in The Irish Timesyesterday in which she gave five reasons it is hard to be a "Nordie" south of the Border. I will not start singing Gene Autry's "Down Mexico Way", but her first reason was we think they talk funny. I am sure Senator Cahill will have no problem making herself understood in the Chamber. She joins a long list of illustrious characters, including Martin McAleese, John Robb, Brid Rogers, Sam McAughtry, Seamus Mallon and Gordon Wilson. Gordon Wilson and Seamus Mallon in particular had a vision of a just and peaceful society in Ireland. They were voices of reason and integrity and they spoke against what was a warped ideology tearing our country apart at the time. Senator Cahill has laid down the gauntlet today by bringing in members of the Rape Crisis Centre and those affected by abuse, and I am sure she will be a strong advocate on their behalf as well as being someone who will speak out against criminality on the island.

The same warped ideology I mentioned, which thrives on disenfranchisement, marginalisation and deprivation, manifested itself in Paris at the weekend in the very shocking attacks made against innocent members of the public. We need to learn the lessons of integration from our European partners, particularly countries such as Denmark which has had issues with integration in Copenhagen, but countries such as France, Belgium and others. What we do with direct provision in this country leaves much to be desired, and anything which would drive young men to wear a suicide belt and carry an assault rifle and do what they did on the streets of Paris cannot be condoned.

I am sure Ireland's neutrality is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice and Equality.Our neutral position in the international community is an issue held dear by many citizens in this country. The continued use by the US military of Shannon Airport flies in the face of that neutrality. This issue has been advocated very strongly by An tUachtarán, Michael D. Higgins, and it has been argued for very strongly by the Labour Party. I hope it will step up to the plate again and call for this debate to happen sooner rather than later. The Social Democrats will be against the airport's use and we advocate a phase-out. I hope the Government will support that.