Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, I was asked to support Senators McDowell and Boyhan on the invitation to the Russian ambassador to the House tomorrow. I rejected it because I thought the ambassador should be here as the embodiment of Russia. I have changed my opinion because I have been contacted by a number of people, some of them in the diplomatic corps. They say the ambassador should not be here. He would take away from the event and become the focus of attention. I will be supporting that amendment today with Senators McDowell and Boyhan.

The Minister of State with responsibility for transport called for the Defence Forces to be put into Dublin Airport to solve the security problem. Are the Defence Forces the only people in this country who can stop floods and fires and fill every goddamn gap there is? Any time there is a bit of a problem, we throw the Defence Forces at it. They are the poorest paid people, the most abused and lacking in respect in this country. It has to stop.