Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join the Acting Leader in expressing my support for Janet Horner, Tania Doyle and all those who are campaigning at the moment and are on the receiving end of abuse. When we had a discussion here on the future of local democracy, one of the issues that arose was in relation to the time when there was a protest outside a Minister's house. We have seen that happen time and time again, but that is not a protest; it is intimidation. When you protest outside someone's private residence, you are not doing it to make a point; you are doing it to harass and intimidate them. As the Acting Leader has pointed out, how we are going to get people to put themselves forward for public office when that is happening? I hope the new criminal justice Bill will tackle the issue. It is important for us to hear that those who are harassing candidates are arrested and brought in for questioning, but we have not been hearing that. We are hearing that the harassment is happening, but we are not hearing that any arrests are taking place. While people are quite entitled to protest in a democracy, they are not entitled to intimidate people.

I also welcome more students from Tullow. They are transition year students and are guests of Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor. They are most welcome. They are off all projects for the rest of the week. If they get any more work, they can just say that they got an agreement from the Seanad. Is that agreed, Acting Leader?