Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes. Next Tuesday on the Order of Business - an intelligent one - at 11 a.m. we will have an opportunity to wish people a happy Christmas. I apologise to Members that we did not have an opportunity to engage in a longer debate because of the state of flux in the Dáil, but there is a timetable to which we agreed at the leaders' meeting last week for the business to be conducted. It will be a long day.

I thank the leaders of all the groups for their co-operation during this term. There has been a very positive working relationship. We can put the swords back in the scabbards for a moment while I thank all of the leaders and the Whips for their co-operation. I also thank the staff in the Seanad Office. There was very positive engagement at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges on the need to reinforce and strengthen the Seanad Office because we have dedicated individuals who do extraordinary work on behalf of the people and who sometimes do not receive the credit they deserve. They are under the watch of Mr. Martin Groves and do Trojan work, for which they should be acknowledged and thanked.