David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It would be useful if we were to recognise the presence in the Visitors Gallery of heavily decorated UN volunteers from County Carlow. They have done the country proud.

I refer to the passing of President Fidel Castro. I am old enough to remember the regime of Fulgencio Batista which he ousted. It was a filthy, disgusting, criminal conspiracy against the Cuban people. Thank God, Fidel Castro stood up to it. Subsequently, I visited Cuba and was immensely impressed by the urban farms, the medical services which they exported to crisis points internationally as a humanitarian gesture and the education system, but, of course, there was an embargo imposed by the Americans. They embargoed everything and tried to crush Cuba which they invaded. They helped to bring down civilian aircraft with bombs and made 40 attempts at assassination. Naturally, there was a reaction there. I do not commend the behaviour of the Castro regime for the way it closed down journalists, but it was understandable in a state of war. It was also extremely ignorant and stupid in the way it harassed gay people in Cuba, about which I protested. However, if one looks at the American experience, democracy was attacked everywhere it turned up in South America.They destroyed Nicaragua and established the School of the Americas. They should be ashamed, not the Cubans, a valiant people struggling for the rights of humanity.

I wish to raise a question I raised here previously, namely, the mistreatment of gay couples, particularly in the Civil Service, who have recently got married. Marriage has only been allowed since last year yet a technicality is used to deprive the spouses of their pensions if they did not get married before 1980. They could not do it. It was impossible. They were not allowed to marry so it is a complete nonsense. I utterly condemn the niggardly, miserable and wretched attitude of Trinity College, my old employer, in harassing a very distinguished French lecturer, David Parris, who attempted to establish his rights. The same applies in respect of the European Court of Human Rights. I accept that in the major aspect of this, the court did not have jurisdiction because leeway is allowed for different countries but I condemn Trinity College and its insurance company for their shamelessly stingy approach in this area. A tiny number of people are involved.