There is no such convention. This is a manufactured piece of nonsense.

I have been a Minister and I have been Tánaiste. I understand the constitutional position of the Government. The Government exercises the executive power of the Irish Republic, but that has nothing to do with whether this House can say that it accepts the verdict of an informal or a formal tribunal. The line purveyed by the Minister of State is based on a completely flawed understanding that this House is perfectly free to say that it accepts the verdict of a particular tribunal, formal or informal, national or int…

I am quoting the Minister of State's script which shows - and this is the big thing-----

Excuse me. Do not interrupt me. You had plenty of time to deliver your-----

I ask the Minister of State to stop interrupting. The simple fact is that he came in here with a script which was circulated in advance. The script was prepared by people in Iveagh House. It is a shameful script. To his credit, the Minister of State departed from it because it is so shameful. That is what has happened here. In the context of China, Iveagh House has been pathetic. I was in Taipei - Senator Horkan was with me - I went to the European Union representative office there. I found out what they thought ab…

I agree with Senators Currie and Gavan about the report on collusion. It is welcome to see an acknowledgement of the truth of that collusion coming forward. There is more to come on that front. I also believe there is no hierarchy among the dead or the victims, on either side of what was a dirty war in Northern Ireland. The grief and suffering of the families of one side is more or less the same as the grief and suffering of the families of another side. In that context I wish to point out that, last week, there wa…

I endorse what Senator Chambers said about women's menstrual health. I want to raise another issue on which she may agree with me. The state of the Defence Forces in Ireland has been run down deliberately and systematically by Government after Government to the point where they are no longer fit for purpose. The Reserve Defence Force, formerly Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil, FCÁ, has effectively been contracted to nothing. It is a shadow of its former self, just as the Garda Reserve was simply binned because it was inconven…

Hear, hear. It is demoralising-----

I welcome the Minister. I fully support this legislation. The need for An Garda Síochána to modernise its structures is beyond contradiction. I recall that when I occupied the current Minister's office I introduced the Garda Síochána Act 2005 as part of the reorganisation of An Garda Síochána. However, we knew at that time it was very definitely only the first stage of a much more radical programme of reformation that was necessary. One of the things I remember being conscious of at the time was that the Garda dist…

I join in and identify with the remarks made by my colleagues about the debt we owe to the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Clerk's office and the other services that keep us going. I wish to express my gratitude for the politeness, courtesy and solid support those offices have given the Members of this House. I speak on my own behalf and that of my colleagues in the Independent Group. I wish to move an amendment to the Order of Business, which is to take the motion in my name and my colleagues' names, No…

I heard what the Acting Leader said about having the matter debated. I do not want, in any sense, to diminish the capacity of people to contribute on the Uyghur subject. If the acting Leader is signalling that time will be made available in Government time to consider this report in the new year, I would be prepared not to put it to a vote today and divide the House. I was just looking at the particular paragraph of No. 91, motion 2, and at the other motion on Mr. Richard O'Halloran. It is nine months since I stood…

In the limited time available to me, which shows that this is normally seen as more or less a rubber-stamp debate, I will say a couple of things. I am reading some biographies of 18th century English politicians and the whole idea of appropriation was considerably important as the only means their parliament had over their executive, in the form of the king and his ministers. Controlling supply was the huge mechanism of control. Of course, in a constitutional democracy, Dáil Éireann can vote no confidence in a Taoi…

Not when I am the only one who is awake.

I am very comfortable with the Senator.

Is that 8 km of track?

Senator Gavan mentioned the question of funding the Limerick regeneration project. This is covered by the expenditure in section 1. I simply wanted to say that the social difficulties that existed in Limerick and its suburbs in particular were very apparent to the Government of 2002 to 2007. I visited Limerick on a number of occasions as the Minister with responsibility for justice. It became rapidly apparent to members of the Government at the time that it was not simply a matter of law and order. There were deep-…

Amendment No. 2 has been ruled out of order.

Is the Senator pressing the amendment?

Does the Minister of State wish to reply?

When is it proposed to take Report Stage?