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Dáil Éireann debate -
Friday, 30 Jun 2000

Vol. 522 No. 5

Messages from Seanad.

Seanad Éireann has passed the following: Local Government (No. 2) Bill, 2000, without amendment; Gas (Amendment) Bill, 2000, without amendment; Hospitals' Trust (1940) Limited (Payments to Former Employees) Bill, 2000, without amendment; Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill, 2000, without amendment; Copyright and Related Rights Bill, 1999, without amendment, and Electronic Commerce Bill, 2000, without amendment.

As this is our last formal session, although the committees will continue to meet, on behalf of the Government, I wish you, a Cheann Comhairle, a good summer break whenever you get round to having one. I thank all members of your staff and wish each Member of the House a good and peaceful holiday. We have worked hard since Christmas. The House has done a good job for the people. I thank, in particular, the Leaders of the Opposition parties, Deputies Bruton and Quinn. On behalf of the Tánaiste, our Government colleagues and members of both our parties, I wish everybody a good summer break.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Cowen, accused me of love-bombing the Labour Party. The Taoiseach is now trying to love-bomb everybody. I reciprocate the good wishes the Taoiseach has extended to all Members of the House. I wish the members of the staff success through the summer in the great disruptions that the alterations will incur, for them especially and also for Members.

To those who may think otherwise, the House has no option but to return on the appointed day. This democracy continues regardless of any reconstructions. Under the Constitution this House can meet anywhere in Dublin, even if not in this Chamber if necessary, for purposes that are proper to the business of the House, so there is no question of us taking any kind of extended holiday or making use of reconstruction for any purpose other than that. This House will meet whenever and wherever it needs to meet to do the business of the people.

I wish Members opposite and on this side of the House the best for a well deserved rest. Part of the purpose of politics is to say hard things, but one always recognises that each person here is doing the best they can according to their lights.

On behalf of the Labour Party I express my appreciation to you, Sir, to the Clerk of the Dáil, the Clerk of the other House and to all of the staff in Leinster House at every level for the support they have given my colleagues and all of us here who have the business of democracy to do. Without their help we could not have done it. We have been working long hours in recent weeks, both here and elsewhere, and we could not have done that without the support of those people who have also been working here long hours, leaving here late at night and returning very early the following morning. I express our appreciation for that.

We are just three years into this Dáil and we have had five by-elections, four caused by death and one by resignation. I hope we do not have any more, because I would hate to see Fianna Fáil lose another by-election.

What about Labour?

I invite the Minister to compare the record. Three out of five is a rate we would be happy with in any direction. We have said what we had to say and, as Deputy Bruton remarked, politics sometimes requires us to say hard things. If anything I said was personally offensive—

Even to Deputy Roche.

—as distinct from being politically directed, I apologise. I was not trying to be personally vindictive but I was trying to be politically hard. I hope we will all be rested over the recess to return to the fray, which we will undoubtedly do.

On behalf of the Green Party, I thank you, Sir, and the members of the staff. I also thank the Chief Whip for his co-operation. He is the most valuable member of the Government, if it would only recognise that. He has done an outstanding job.

After today's bad tempered posturing it is time to get back to sanity. We need to get back to the committees and get our work done. I wish all, in Opposition and Government, a very successful recess. I hope we will all be rested at the end of September. We may have to be on the hustings in the autumn. I look forward to that.

(Dublin West): I wish the Government a cool summer because it will be a long, hot autumn.

I extend to all Members my best wishes. Pursuant to the order of the House of yesterday, the Dáil is adjourned until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 3 October 2000.

The Dáil adjourned at 5.25 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 3 October 2000.

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