Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The team has a wonderful record in Europe. Turner's Cross will be a fortress tonight.

Senator Mulherin raised the issue of the Cabinet's decision on the patient safety Bill. It is an excellent decision by the Government and I hope that it will overcome the shortcomings that have been identified in the HSE cervical cancer scandal.

Senator Butler was right to mention the legacy of our quarries and to remember the two young lives that were lost. I sympathise with the families.

We in Cork would be happy to give England the World Cup and Cork rather than Limerick the All-Ireland. The issue of the fodder crisis is exercising farmers. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has set up a fodder group, led by Teagasc. It met last week to address the effects of the warm weather, which has slowed down grass growth. The Minister has been communicating daily with the various stakeholders.With the current spell of warm weather, it is a particularly stressful period for livestock and farmers. The advice from the Department is that the Minister will continue to monitor the situation. There is a need to monitor this with a view to taking action in the autumn. I will endeavour to have the Minister come to the House to address the matter.

Senator Paddy Burke raised education and the school building programme. He argued that the continually evolving curriculum is putting pressure and strain on school buildings and classrooms which need to be changed to suit the modern-day style of education. It is a very important debate.

If Senators McDowell and Craughwell are amenable to the request to suspend the sitting between 6 p.m. and 6.30 p.m. I would be happy to do that. If we go for the full hour, we will resume again to sit from 10 p.m. until 11 p.m. Rather than divide the House, I would be happy to suspend from 6 p.m. until 6.30 p.m. if that is what Senators want.