Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I call on the Government and our Leader, in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to liaise with the archbishops, Eamon Martin and Diarmuid Martin, on the proposed visit of Pope Francis to Ireland. It would be an ideal opportunity to address the joint Houses of the Oireachtas. He has a natural connection to Dublin as he lived here for over three months and this would be an apt forum from which to reach out to the whole country. I call on the Leader to speak to the Taoiseach and, when the plans are made for the Pope to visit the country, arrange for him to address the Houses of the Oireachtas.

I welcome the slight improvement in councillors' pay and conditions but Senators of my own party have discussed it today and we cannot stand over the exclusion of councillors from Dublin, Galway and Cork. If this Bill comes before us, as it is due to do in April, we will not support it and there will have to be amendments to enable its passage through this House.