Before we adjourn, I should like to say the customary traditional cúpla focal of thanks to those people who have been of help and support to us during the past session. I would like to first thank the Cathaoirleach, the Leas-Chathaoirleach, the Clerk of the Seanad, the Clerk Assistant and the members of the joint staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas who have been a great help. I want to thank the Official Reporters and Ushers who have worked with us day and night until very late hours. I also want to thank the members of the press who are here on a regular basis. I would like to thank the RTE staff, particularly those who report on the programme "Today in the Oireachtas"; I make that plug in the hope that we will get a little extra time on that programme. I should like to thank the various Ministers and Ministers of State who have been with us. Finally, I should like to thank the Senators, including my esteemed colleagues whose enforced absence means they cannot be with us today. I sincerely hope all those people will have a very enjoyable well deserved summer break.
Business of Seanad.
It gives me great pleasure to join in the vote of thanks proposed by Senator Fallon. It has been a fairly hectic and episodic session of the Seanad — the last few days, in particular, have been fairly hectic. The one thing which characterises this House is that any differences in the House are not carried outside. There is a very good sense of personal goodwill throughout the Chamber. In the spirit of the moment, I should like to apologise to Senator Mooney if I was a bit excessive today.
I want to join in thanking the Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach who have been extremely fair and even-handed in the business of the House. I should like to thank the Clerk, the Clerk Assistant, the staff of the Seanad, the Official Reporters and the ushers who have been of great help to us. I should also like to thank the press, especially those who are with us on a daily basis, Miss Mary Cummins, Mr. Barney Curran, Mr. Gene McKenna, and who tend to spend most of the time here with us. We get a very fair deal from their papers and from RTE in terms of reportage.
Finally, I should like to thank the Leader of the House and the Government Whip for their courtesy and co-operation and the members of other groups for helping the House to function fairly well during the last session. I have reservations about the last week but that is past now. I want to join in wishing everybody a happy summer break.
I should like to join in the general goodwill which has been expressed this afternoon and in particular to concur with what Senator Manning said about the genuinely good relations which exist between all of us outside the sphere of debate where sharp words are expressed from time to time and very determined views are placed on the record. Even last night, after a very vigorous debate, a number of us, including yourself, Sir, spent a few minutes together in pleasant conversation. That is the way things should be.
We look forward to the next session of the Seanad. I hope we will meet relatively early before the Dáil. We have a lot of legislative business to get through. I would like to express the hope that Senator Fallon's genuine attempts, which were very clear last week, to have a spirit of co-operation will continue. I hope — this is not at all intended to be cavilling or controversial — that there will be an end to any guillotine measures.
Allocation of time.
Whatever it is. A constructive approach will ensure co-operation. We will not always agree; if we did we would all be in the Government party.
I join with the Leader of the House, Senator Manning and Senator Norris in thanking the Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach for their co-operation during this session. I would also like to thank the panel of Senators who acted as Chairman when both the Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach were not chairing the sessions. I would like to thank the staff of the House, the Clerk, the Clerk Assistant, the Official Reporters and the ushers who helped the House to function properly. I would like to say a special word of thanks to the press, particularly those people who cover the Seanad, in good and bad times, in interesting and dull times; they were fair in their coverage. I thank the Leader of the House — he is a gentleman — a view shared by Members on both sides of the House. I would also like to thank Senator Lanigan and the Whips who worked with him when he was Leader of the House during the session. I did not find fault with him during that time. Indeed, I should also like to thank the Whips who were very pleasant and cooperative. I wish everybody happiness and enjoyment during the recess.
I should like to be associated with the many expressions of thanks and goodwill from the various speakers. It has certainly been quite an experience especially during the past week. I am glad that we are leaving the House today on a note of sweetness and light and I look forward to the next session where the same spirit of co-operation will perhaps continue. Thank you very much.
On my own behalf and on behalf of the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the panel of Chairmen, I would like to say a special word of thanks to all of you for your co-operation and understanding in difficult circumstances and to say that the spirit in which we close this session is one in which we should open the next.
I hope that you have a safe and enjoyable holiday period.
The Seanad adjourned sine die.