Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In the seven years I have been in the Seanad, this is the first time I have seen a Private Members' motion from the Opposition being addressed with no Government Senator present in the Chamber. For the first full 15 minutes, there was no one in the Chamber. Then Senator Conway came in, just at the very end of the presentation, and half an hour in to this debate, there is still no Fianna Fáil Senator present.We are being told that the welfare and safety of workers in the public health service is an important issue, "extremely important", according to Senator Conway, and yet of the 40 Government Senators, we had one who arrived after 15 minutes and we had a second one, Senator Kyne. No one from Fianna Fáil has bothered their backside to even come into the Chamber. I appreciate it is not a regular thing but I have to point this out because it is hugely disrespectful both to my colleagues in the Labour Party and to this Chamber.