John Dolan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister yet again to the House. I particularly welcome all those in the Gallery. I will start by reading a poem Checking Out Me Historyby John Agard, which might be appropriate for a number of reasons. It reads:

Dem tell me

Dem tell me

Wha dem want to tell me

Bandage up me eye with me own history

Blind me to me own identity

Dem tell me bout 1066 and all dat

Dem tell me bout Dick Whittington and he cat

But Toussaint L’Ouverture

No dem never tell me bout dat

Toussaint

A slave

With vision

Lick back [the French]

[Lick back] Napoleon

Battalion

And first Black

Republic born

Toussaint de thorn

To de French

Toussaint de beacon

Of de Haitian Revolution

Dem tell me bout de man who discover de balloon

And de cow who jump over de moon

Dem tell me bout de dish ran away with de spoon

But dem never tell me bout Nanny de maroon

Nanny

See-far woman

Of mountain dream

Fire-woman struggle

Hopeful stream

To freedom river

Dem tell me bout Lord Nelson and Waterloo

But dem never tell me bout Shaka de great Zulu

Dem tell me bout Columbus and 1492

But what happen to de Caribs and de Arawaks too

Dem tell me bout Florence Nightingale and she lamp

and how Robin Hood used to camp

Dem tell me bout ole King Cole was a merry ole soul

but dem never tell me bout Mary Seacole

From Jamaica

She travel far

To the Crimean War

She volunteer to go

And even when de British said no

She still brave the Russian snow

A healing star

Among the wounded

A yellow sunrise

To the dying

Dem tell me

Dem tell me wha dem want to tell me

But now I checking out me own history

I carving out me identityMr. John Agard authored that poem. He was born in British Guyana of a Creole mother and a Scottish British army officer. It struck me as highlighting the importance of a dominant, sitting culture giving space to another culture.

Mr. Johnny Doran died in 1953 when a wall fell on his caravan on North King Street. He was a magnificent player of the fiddle. Many of us would have heard of Ms Margaret Barry or, if not her name, then recordings of her street singing.

I do not want to say much more other than to point out that we have the ball at our toe as the dominant culture. We have to learn to share and to use our two ears to listen and embrace. Senator McDowell made a point about the school needing to be a welcoming and warm place for everyone. In a republic, the school presents a great opportunity for everyone starting out. It is magnificent. I often give credit to recent Governments for what they have done for young pupils with disabilities.

I have known Travellers with disabilities. Listening to Senator Mac Lochlainn, I was reminded of one or two who found that they had to deny their own families. A wound was done to them. One person from the Traveller community, who has since become an important person - actually, I should not say that, as no one is more important than another, so I should instead say "well known and respected person" - was not allowed to have her family visit her in a particular institution. That was within the past 40 years. There is an ingrained problem. Legislation should not be necessary, but it has to be used in such circumstances.

I am happy to support this Bill and commend Senator Kelleher on what she has done.