Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Catherine Ardagh referred to the national children's hospital and the community benefit programme, which is very positive. It would be no harm to have something like this considered on a national level.

The Senator also raised the issue of plastics, in which I also take an interest. I am particularly interested in microbeads and understand legislation will be brought before the House in early course. As I am as keen as the Senator to advance it, I will bring to bear any influence I have on it.

What is happening in Syria is horrendous. The people there need to have peace brought into their lives.The Tánaiste will be in the House on 7 March next for resumed statements on foreign affairs. It is important to point out that people who have already spoken in that debate will not be able to speak again. Senators who have not already participated in the debate will have an opportunity to raise these issues. I hope they will do so. I have no doubt that the Tánaiste is as keen as we are to bring whatever influence he has to bear on the situation, which has been raised by various Senators this morning.

Senator Black and others referred to the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. Credit is due to the members of that committee for the work they do. The Senator made the important point that those looking at the situation in the North from the outside see it as polarised and sectarian. That is the way it has been for too long. I must say I am not very familiar with the programme highlighted by Senator Feighan, to whom I will return. I can well imagine the desire on the part of certain presenters to hold on to the fight for the sake of the fight, rather than actually playing some role in potentially helping the problem. I think it is the sectarian nature of the problem in the North that has really presented the problem. It is why we are where we are today. There is no sense in fuelling that. Senator Black suggested that the Tánaiste should meet certain voices. The reality is that those voices are dampened out by these extreme voices. That is what happens in general in life. If the Tánaiste has not already met people like that, I cannot see any reason he would not do so. It is certainly something that could be raised in the context of the debate on 7 March, if the Senator has not already spoken in that debate.

Senator Conway-Walsh concurred with others on the issue of the North. She also congratulated the justice committee on the wards of court report. Senator Wilson also spoke on this extremely critical area. Obviously, the recommendations need to be implemented. I think we would all be ad idemon that.

Senator Conway-Walsh also referred to seaweed. I have a personal interest in seaweed because I think it is a fantastic product with positive components that are good for one's health. It helps with thyroid difficulties, from which many people suffer. It is a brilliant product. Some friends of mine have a cosmetics company that uses seaweed. It is a wonderful product. I would like to think that the people who are closest to it benefit most from it. On the face of it, I would certainly concur with the points made by the Senator. I do not know whether the Senator and her colleagues have raised this issue as a Commencement matter-----