Order of Business - 2nd February 2006

Order of Business – 2nd February 2006

Mr. Norris: I welcome the remarks of Senators
Brian Hayes and Mooney on the Shot at Dawn
Campaign and congratulate them on raising it in
the appropriate forum, namely the British-Irish
Interparliamentary Body meeting. They have
done some extremely important work. I must
take an assertiveness course, because I raised this
issue first. I raised it consistently over——
Mr. B. Hayes: My apologies.
Mr. Norris: It does not matter. The most
important thing is to get something done about
it. As I have noted previously in the House, the
New Zealand Government really put this issue on
the agenda. It not only exonerated its own troops
but honoured them publically. These poor creatures
were slaughtered for reasons like refusing
to put on a wet filthy cap in the middle of a bombardment.
It was a disgrace and a vile thing to
happen.
This is cystic fibrosis week. It would be useful
if this House discussed this issue for a number of
reasons. I feel strongly about the matter because
I have encountered a number of people with the
condition. For example, I had an extremely
remarkable, charming and intelligent student in
Trinity College who greatly impressed me and
who continued with her work despite her great
difficulties. I have known a number of people
with this tragic and awful disease and they are
gentle, decent people. This country has the highest
rate of cystic fibrosis anywhere, and one in
116,000 live births has this problem. While in the
North of Ireland, the average life expectancy of
someone with this condition is 34 years, in the
Republic, it is 17 years. Why is this? Surely when
we have this problem in our midst, we should
direct our energies, resources and facilities
towards it. We should conduct research and be
the world leader in this respect. I would welcome,
perhaps in the context of a debate on health
issues, the House pressing for such people to be
given a decent opportunity of life. Many initiatives,
such as the provision of isolation units could
be taken. However, I will not anticipate the
debate.