Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As my party's spokesperson on foreign affairs, I support the views of Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin on what is happening in Chechnya and LGBT rights.

I will raise a different issue. There is a long-standing tradition in this House which has been honoured to this day of encouraging independent thought, independent speech and the making of distinctive and personal statements. It is a very important input to political debate in this country. For that reason, I respectfully depart from the developing and growing consensus on the opening of licensed premises on Good Friday which I am against for a number of succinct reasons.I am against it on the grounds that, de facto,pubs closing on Good Friday is part of our national identity. It is distinctly Irish and has been for a long time.