Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Certainly, those who hide behind pseudonyms and anonymous profiles on social media do not deserve to be listened to anyway. They do not have the courage of their convictions to put their names forward, unlike many of us in this Chamber. I am worried about this.

I join with Senator McDowell in actively condemning the editorial decision by Newstalk to ban journalists from The Irish Times. It has no place in the modern republic. I am all for freedom of speech and diverging viewpoints and we may disagree. I was part of a number of referenda and election campaigns, as was Senator McDowell, and we disagreed vehemently on different things. We all have a right to express our viewpoint and to defend and make comment. I certainly think it was a bad editorial decision by Newstalk. I am not too worried if I never go on any programme again as a consequence of this, but that is a different by the by.

Senators Feighan and Ó Donnghaile indirectly referenced the issue of Brexit. The Taoiseach has been very clear, as has the Government, regarding the island of Ireland and our position regarding Brexit. Rather than condemning the Government, Senator Ó Donnghaile should compliment the Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, for working to ensure that we will not have a return to a hard border. They have been very clear about this. They have been very strong on this viewpoint. I certainly hope we can see it continue on an all-party consensus basis. As Senator Feighan said, Brexit is a catastrophe for us.