Order of Business - 30th November 2005

Order of Business – 30th of November 2005

Mr. Norris: I support my colleague, Senator
O’Toole, in his call for a debate on Irish Ferries.
Virtually everybody agrees that the buccaneering
attitude of Irish Ferries towards its employees
and the thuggish way it introduced people to its
ships, effectively smuggling security officers
onboard, is just not tolerable. The President of
Cyprus attended today’s meeting of the
Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs
and indicated that the Cypriot Government is
unhappy about the reflagging issue, although it
may be compelled to permit Irish Ferries to reflag
because of its obligations under international law.
However, it was very interesting that the President
himself raised the subject and received a
round of applause at the meeting.
I have tabled a motion under Standing Order
29 requesting that this matter be discussed today
as a matter of national priority and urgency. A
similar motion was successful in the other House
yesterday so it will be interesting to see the progress
of this one.
3 o’clock
I ask for a further debate on Iraq. I propose
that we follow the example of the British Parliament
and ask the Leader to establish a crossparty
parliamentary committee to
investigate flights through Shannon.
The pattern of flights in the UK is
the same as in this country and they are concerned
that the situation implicates Britain in torture
and extraordinary rendition.
Mr. Chris Mullin, a former junior Minister at
Westminster, expressed his concern on television
last night. The aeroplane that lands at Shannon
was in the background of the shot throughout the
programme, detectable by its registration
number. We know the nature of the torture,
namely, they drown detainees and revive them
and use electric drills on them. What does President
Bush have to do before the Taoiseach acts
or says “Boo” to the Americans? Does he have
to establish extermination camps in Shannon?
Mr. Ryan: Upset the Roman Catholic Church?
An Leas-Chathaoirleach: Is Senator Norris
asking for a debate?
Mr. Norris: I ask for a debate and ask the
Leader to establish a cross-party committee, as
they have in the British House of Commons
because of concerns that their people are implicated
in this filth. That aeroplane is a pariah and
should not be permitted in Irish airspace.
I support Senator O’Toole and am grateful to
him for raising the subject of gay priests and the
Vatican. It must be viewed in the context of our
own responsibilities. We permitted the churches
to get away with an exemption from the operation
of equality law. They have shown themselves
to be unfit. If we are responsible to the
citizens of this country, including gay citizens, we
must re-examine that exemption. A moving
article in today’s edition of the Irish Independent
told how a lovely young man in Donegal killed
himself because of this situation. His sister, to
whom I pay tribute, gave interviews on radio and
in the press in which she laid the responsibility at
our door because there is no educational programme
in this area.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach: Is the Senator supporting
the call for a debate?
Mr. Norris: I support the call for a debate
because it affects the lives and survival of people
in this country. I ask the Leader to seek a reexamination
and possible amendments to
equality legislation to prevent a church that has
behaved so viciously toward gay people from outlawing
decent people, putting them out of their
jobs and, sometimes, their homes simply because
they support a gay lifestyle. What does that
mean? I saw an article in the Irish
Independent——
An Leas-Chathaoirleach: We are not having
the debate now, Senator Norris.
Mr. Norris: ——where the Pope is described as
using Italian fashion, handmade wristwatches and
a very attractive male secretary. Does that mean
the Pope supports a gay lifestyle? Perhaps he will
comment on it.