Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Sometimes it is the small things that trip one up. Mr. Joe O'Toole represented everything that was great about a Senator. He came from an academic background, he was secretary general of the INTO and brought a bit of cop-on in here. Better still, young fellas like myself who did not have confidence were made to feel confident because he showed us he was prepared to listen. The same goes for Senator Norris and many more. I look forward to debating the amendments on Committee Stage. We need to get a fair balance and one that brings in all the various aspects of this country, including the diaspora.

I will finish by referring to Irish soccer. In 1987, there were not too many members in the Republic of Ireland's supporters club - maybe 17,000 or 18,000 - and soccer was almost a minority sport. The majority of people - approximately 3,000 - who came back for an Ireland-Belgium match were from London and the UK. They formed the backbone of the Republic of Ireland's supporters club and were more Irish than we were. It is wonderful to see that we were able to extend that franchise to people in London, where I could have grown up, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Northern Ireland. I support this wonderful initiative.