Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire go dtí an Teach. My contribution will be brief. Yesterday, I spoke about the value of our secretarial assistants. I will not go through all of that again. I acknowledge and admire Senator Craughwell for his intervention. The Leas-Chathaoirleach also referred to the matter. I fully understand, acknowledge and agree with almost everything that has been said by Senators across the House. On this issue in particular, it would be a mistake to cause a division. I want to put something on the record, and I do not want to politicise this. I assure the Minister that, from Fianna Fáil's perspective, because we were referred to, we have discussed this at length at meetings of our parliamentary party. Our Senators' group has discussed this constantly. We have discussed it with our assistants. The Minister knows this. I want to put on the record that we are fully behind upgrading these positions. It has commenced. I do not know how long it will take. I hope it will be a short process. I want to put it on the record that Fianna Fáil is fully behind supporting what is going on and we will work to bring this change about.