-----the people will not be given their chance in a referendum vote.

But the time has come, Chair, for people----

-----in both Houses to stand up for their rights as elected public representatives-----

-----and to insist-----

-----this measure is properly-----

-----considered before it becomes part of our law at constitutional level.

I wrote to the committee and-----

-----I asked for a private session of the committee to consider what we would do. That is the reasonable thing to do. Instead I get this insult to parliamentary democracy.

The public will not see any of that, as you well know.

As you well know, this will be done behind closed doors.

On the day that is in it, I will commence by expressing my own personal thanks to the Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, for all of the work he has done for Ireland during his period as Minister, Tánaiste and Taoiseach. They have been stressful and hard years and I fully understand the toll that such service can take on people who have dedicated themselves to public elected office. I want to thank him for one thing in particular, for which I will never cease to be grateful. When Sergeant Maurice McCabe needed an ally …

Did the Taoiseach show Senator Horkan the paper?

He is building a gallows this weekend.

I want to mention a matter today of considerable importance. The European Commission has imposed a lump sum fine of €2.5 million and a daily fine of €10,000 on Ireland for failure to transpose the audiovisual media services directive. This House established a committee, after grave difficulty and resistance from some quarters in the permanent government of Ireland, the function of which was to oversee the implementation of directives. We have had a number of meetings of that committee and we have been almost consta…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." This is a special and unusual Bill. It arises in the circumstances that ESB, through a subsidiary company called Gort Windfarms Limited, took a lease of property in the mountains between counties Clare and Galway. It built a wind farm on the land it leased, with a considerable number of wind turbines and enough capacity to power 30,000 homes. As a result of the construction, it appears that a peat slide took place in a gully about the length of the distance from th…

Do not exaggerate.

I will surprise and shock Senator Boylan by saying virtually everything she said I agree with, except for one bit, which is that she wants this place torn down and €200 million worth of investment to be smashed up. There is potential for huge environmental damage from the remedial works she wants undertaken to make an environmental point. That is a big mistake. I invite the Senator to read the inspector's report and then read the decision of An Bord Pleanála; one is good while the other is complete rubbish and an a…

Removing them from that environment will be a massive operation. I was glad Senator Kyne said local opinion is with us on this. It was suggested at the time that some environmentalists locally were wholly opposed to this. Possibly there were a few but we spoke to local people from the community when we visited Derrybrien and were satisfied the people of Derrybrien were with us and wanted that installation kept. Not the noisy couple of sandal-wearers who may or may not have written a few letters of protest, but the …

On my behalf and on behalf of my colleagues in the Seanad Independent Group, I want to be associated with all the tributes that have been paid to John Bruton in the national media and most especially in this House. What I want to say about John Bruton can be reduced to one sentence: He was a genuine, authentic, honest and brave character. As Senator Joe O’Reilly just said, you knew exactly what he thought, and he was honest in all his opinions. Senator Joe O’Reilly mentioned that he was in college with Finola. I wa…

I want to say in respect of the appearance here today by the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donnell, that he stayed in his seat as a courtesy to the House. It was not the case that he was sent in to deal with a matter on which he had no expertise. Senator Clonan was rightly outraged that the Government effectively tried to get him to pull the debate and did not even arrange to send somebody else in. It was simply proposing to leave that seat empty. The Cathaoirleach may deal with that, but I want to put on record my s…