Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 May 1995

Vol. 143 No. 8

Order of Business.

Mr. Manning

On today's Order of Business it is proposed to take items 1, 16 and 17. Item 1, the Committee Stage of the Arterial Drainage (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 1995, will be taken until 6 o'clock. There will be a sos from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. If item 1 is completed before 6 o'clock, I propose to have discussions with the Opposition Whips to see if we could take Report and Final Stages as well. That depends on having the agreement of the House and on how much progress has been made.

Item 12, Motion 16 will be taken from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Item 17, which might be more profitably transferred to a forum in Bray, will be taken after Private Members' Time and not more than 40 minutes will be devoted to it.

Mr. Wright

The Order of Business as outlined by the Leader is agreed. In view of newspaper speculation and certain spokespersons suggesting that Sir Patrick Mayhew and Gerry Adams will meet next week, I would ask the Leader to arrange a debate on Northern Ireland. I know the Leader is committed to such a debate, but I believe that now is the time for this House to take the opportunity of airing its views.

Mr. Fitzgerald

I refer to a matter that I have raised before with the Leader. This is European Nature Conservation Year and, in addition, the annual general meeting of the Whale and Dolphin Society is being held this month. In 1991 the then Taoiseach declared all the waters within our jurisdiction as a sanctuary for whales and dolphins. In view of these facts, I would ask the Leader for a discussion to coincide with the world meeting that is being held in Kilmainham. Perhaps we could welcome these people to Ireland.

Mr. Mooney

Give them a free ride on Fungi.

An Cathaoirleach

Is Fungi coming?

Mr. Fitzgerald

I will bring up Fungi.

Mr. Kelleher

May I ask the Leader to convey my thanks to the Minister for Enterprise and Employment for his announcement yesterday, shortly after I had called for more money to be allocated to the community employment schemes?

Mr. Magner

Fair play to you.

Mr. Kelleher

It was greatly appreciated and I am confident that the support of the Independent Senators was an important factor. If the Leader wants an amicable arrangement in this House in future all he has to do is be as responsible as he was yesterday in every other matter.

Mr. McGowan

I ask the Leader to provide time and to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry to come to the House to discuss milk sales, because milk is being retailed in Northern Ireland at a rate which is one-third cheaper than in the Republic. This is the only food product which is totally out of line with its European price, to the extent that Strathroy Dairies, from Omagh, County Tyrone, are setting up in Dublin to take advantage of the £110 million per year milk sales in the city. This Northern firm is moving into the city because of the racketeering of those who price milk from a cartel position.

An Cathaoirleach

A question for the Leader, please.

Mr. McGowan

I would not speak on this subject if farmers were benefiting but they are not receiving the rewards of the high price of milk. It is past time that the Minister told the nation how he can stand over a retail price of 110p to 116 p when it is one-third cheaper in Northern Ireland. I feel obliged to raise this matter in the House and I ask the Leader to arrange for a debate. I hope we receive an answer which satisfies the milk consuming public.

Mr. O'Kennedy

I ask the Leader to convey our congratulations, which I presume will be spontaneous and unanimous, to Mr. John and Mrs. Pat Hume on being once again selected as Europeans of the Year, in this instance by a prestigious French publication. If all public representatives from all sides in the North showed the same commitment to peace, sincerity and courage as Mr. Hume, we could move together towards greater harmony and reconciliation.

I also raise again the issue I mentioned yesterday. I hope the Tánaiste can make a public statement about the developments in Bosnia. This morning the Secretary General of the UN made the outrageous statement that because the warring parties are not behaving reasonably and are not prepared to reach agreement, the UN is considering a withdrawal. That is a shameful abrogation of responsibility. What about the women and children who are being killed every day?

I ask the Tánaiste, representing the views of everyone, to totally disassociate ourselves from that shameful abrogation by the UN. Hopefully, this will set the standard that we are concerned for human beings, even if the warring factions, whom we deplore, do not behave according to the standards we would expect from them.

Mr. Mooney

Will the Leader ask the Tánaiste to convey to the Embassy of the United States the full and enthusiastic support of the Irish people for the continuation of the International Fund for Ireland, especially in the context of the Border counties and the peace process? Attempts are being made in the US by Senator Jesse Helms to cut off foreign aid in its entirety. If that were to succeed, there would be a loss of £20 million to the IFI in the current year. That would have a subsequent impact on small Border towns and villages which receive the money.

I hope that by rising today some publicity will be given to this matter because the support for the IFI in counties on both sides of the Border and by people from both communities cannot and should not be underestimated. I ask the Leader to convey to the US authorities and the US Senate that the vote should succeed and IFI funding should continue.

Mr. Wilson

To underline what Senator O'Kennedy said, I suggest to the Leader that this House send a note of congratulations to Mr. John Hume MP, MEP. Even those who are politically opposed to him in Northern Ireland are beginning to realise the immense contribution he has made to peace, not just in the North but on this island. It would be fitting if this House sent him our best wishes and congratulations.

Mr. Magner

On behalf of the Labour Party, I join with Senator O'Kennedy in congratulating Mr. John and Mrs. Pat Hume on yet another accolade for peace. I also support the comments of Senator Mooney on the International Fund for Ireland. In company with the Tánaiste, Senator Maloney and Senator McGowan, I saw the difference the IFI makes to Border counties when I attended the opening of the heritage centre in Lifford last week. It is a meaningful fund for Northern Ireland and the southern Border counties and it has and will continue to have the support of the Tánaiste, the Labour party and the Government.

Mr. Manning

First, I congratulate Senator Roche on his selection as by-election candidate last evening. If he had voted for himself, he would have had an even bigger margin.

Mr. Dardis

He is supporting the Leader's campaign to maintain the voting margins in the Seanad.

Mr. Manning

Senator Wright asked for a debate on Northern Ireland. The date remains to be confirmed but it is currently scheduled for 1 June, in two weeks. The Tánaiste will be present.

Senator Fitzgerald has on many occasions raised the European Nature Conservation Year. I will almost certainly be able to make two hours available next week to debate that issue. It is often appropriate to get away from pressing political matters to discuss an issue of more fundamental long term significance.

I am glad Senator Kelleher realises the efficacy of the Seanad and I am sure the most pressing consideration in the Minister's mind when coming to that decision was the Senator's intervention yesterday.

Senator McGowan raised milk sales, with which there has been a problem for some time. My best information is that no one has a difficulty with Northern firms selling milk into the Republic, or firms from the South selling milk into Northern Ireland, because there is a free market. If the Senator feels there is racketeering or a cartel in operation I will try to make time available to air these matters.

I am glad Senator O'Kennedy, supported by Senator Wilson and Senator Magner, mentioned the award to Mr. John and Mrs. Pat Hume because it gives us an opportunity to join in the congratulations on his achievement yesterday, an award he and his wife so richly deserve. As Senator Wilson said, it is only now that many who were opposed to Mr. Hume realise he is one of the true statesmen to emerge from the troubles of the last 25 years, with great vision and a capacity to stand by that vision and bring people together. All Members will join me in sending congratulations and I thank Senator O'Kennedy for giving us the opportunity to do so.

I conveyed Senator O'Kennedy's views on Bosnia to the Department of Foreign Affairs, so it is in no doubt as to the views of the Senator and the House on the matter. Not for the first time Senator Mooney raised the International Fund for Ireland. I will convey his feelings to the US Ambassador this morning, I think she is aware of the view of the House. It is a subject we should debate at an early opportunity.

Order of Business agreed to.

An Cathaoirleach

There is a vote in the other House and the Minister is detained. We could adjourn for five minutes or until he arrives. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Sitting suspended at 10.50 a.m. and resumed at 10.55 a.m.