Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Leader has already commented on the issue of the amalgamation, to put it kindly, of the Irish Examinerand The Irish Times. This is an historic event for those of us who are daily readers of the Irish Examinerand what we at home call "the paper". The suppression or closure of a newspaper title is always sad. I am happy that both parties have confirmed they will secure as many jobs as possible in the amalgamation. The Examiner has a long history in Munster. It was a great newspaper for politics, current affairs and sport and one of the few papers that would report regularly on dog racing from the track. It would be interesting if The Irish Timestook up coverage of that sport. I wish them well and I know the Leader has already done so. It might be nice if we sent good will greetings from the Seanad.

I may not be here next week, which means I will not meet candidates who declare for the Presidency from this House. At the current rate, there will be three of them.I wish them all well. I understand from contacts I have had with county councillors who are friends of mine that county councils are keen to meet and to consider selecting or nominating candidates. That is a good thing. My party has taken a decision to support the incumbent and naturally, as a party member, I accept and will go along with that. I believe that a contest would be quite healthy. It is interesting to note that the founder of my party, Eamon de Valera, had a contest for his second term in 1966. The Fine Gael Party at the time had indicated that if he put himself forward as an Independent, as the current incumbent is now doing, he would not have been opposed. He decided that he was Fianna Fáil and that it would be misleading to the public to pretend otherwise.