Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support Senators Darragh O'Brien and Colm Burke on the urgency of the life-saving drug for cystic fibrosis. We are talking about lives and lives must come first. The Government must please wake up on the issue. I would appreciate if the Leader could communicate the issue to the Minister for Health.

I agree with Senator Lorraine Higgins on the issue she raised. The flooding is most serious in Craughwell, a little bit south of where I live. It is in east Galway but the very same issues arose in Carnmore, Claregalway and Oranmore. Why are we not flooded out now? It is because we got the work done. An Bord Pleanála time limits must be looked at in cases of flooding emergency. People's homes are ruined. They are out on the street. The very special project of Thoor Ballylee in which I was involved, which reopened this year for the 150th anniversary of the birth of W. B. Yeats, has been flooded again. We opened it on the basis that it could be flooded again but it is wrong that the Government does not look at cases of repeated flooding. I am not being overly dramatic.

My final point today is about the "RTE Investigates" programme. I completely agree that using public office for private gain is wrong; it is unlawful and it is a disgrace but some of the techniques used by RTE were also less than honourable. I question practices such as offering confidentiality. One does not guarantee confidentiality if one does not give it. It showed the reporter, Nina, promising confidentiality. That is wrong. Neither did the programme offer balance. The reason I know that is because I understand from TheJournal.ie that Councillor Tom McHugh from Tuam was on record as saying to the journalist that he would not take anything for private gain but that was not shown. Why was that balance not given? This was a disgraceful practice but it brings every politician's reputation into disrepute. RTE has questions to answer about its practices. Equally, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. If that was an acceptable technique, when pro-life groups brought undercover proof to the floor of this House that the Irish Family Planning Association and other abortion agencies were recommending-----