David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I had not realised that so many of my colleagues would refer to the death of William Trevor. I am very glad they did. I think it shows what a literate and cultivated House this is. I had the pleasure of meeting William Trevor approximately 25 years ago when I made a BBC television programme with Frank Delaney. He was a most modest, unassuming and charming man. He had a very sharply defined way of dealing with character in his short stories. I found some of the stories quite shocking. One of them was unbearable to read. It was about somebody who went away from a flat - I think it was in Brighton - and left the butler in charge. The butler gradually took over the flat. When he invited his friends in, they created devastation until the owner of the flat unexpectedly came back. I could hardly bear to read the last sentence. He also illustrated the lives of the Protestant community in rural areas and small provincial towns. He was 88. It is not a huge tragedy, but it is a moment to remember his quite extraordinary contribution to Irish literature.

I would like to pick up on what Senator Bacik said about President-elect Trump, if indeed he was elected. I say that because the American system is quite extraordinary. Given that Hillary Clinton got 2 million more votes than him, one would imagine that she would be President. She got the second highest number of votes ever received by a candidate in an American presidential election.