David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to ask the Leader about the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill. We were left with a number of Committee Stage amendments pending and Report Stage is to come. I do not see the legislation on the Order Paper for this week so I take it that the remaining Committee Stage amendments and Report Stage amendments will be taken in the new year, if at all. I notice there is quite a lot of guillotining to occur today, which is regrettable.

I spoke on the health Bill dealing with raising the price of alcohol, and I spoke about it on the wireless also. The subject of people on social welfare was raised. I said, perfectly logically I believe, that social welfare was intended for the clothing, food and warmth of people in distress and that it should not be spent on drink. I indicated I felt there was a good reason for this given the plight of many people, including elderly taxpayers. Elderly, poor taxpayers do pay tax and I thought it offensive for their tax money to be spent on alcohol. That is a point of view. It led to a considerable schemozzle. Somebody wrote an article in one of those downstream newspapers in which it was stated the Dáil bar is apparently swimming with totally drunken Members of both Houses-----