Order of Business - 21st June 2006

Order of Business – 21st June 2006
Mr. Norris: I share my colleagues’ concerns
about the extraordinary rise in house prices.
There is a middle class investment in this matter
and a paradox in that many people are quite
pleased by the situation. The aeroplanes going to
central, eastern and southern Europe are chocka-
block with Irish speculators who will make the
situation just as bad in Budapest and elsewhere
as it is here. We must bear this in mind.
Mr. O’Toole: Hear, hear.
Mr. Dardis: Cyprus.
Mr. Norris: Absolutely. The Senator is 100%
correct. It is wonderful that he is awake. He must
visit this side of the House. We have often
exchanged pleasantries across the floor of the
House.
I compliment Senator Morrissey on his courage
in suggesting that we should have a debate on
housing and the relevance of councillors and the
planning situation. The Senator is a brave man,
but I guarantee that he will not meet with
unqualified approval from that side of the House
or even certain sections on this side. I will not
hold my breath for that debate, but I will support
the Senator when he calls for it.
I will also support my colleague, Senator Ryan,
who raised the issue of the situation in the Middle
East. I would welcome a debate on, for example,
the implications of the EU-US summit currently
taking place and the statements of representatives
of the Government on this matter. In particular,
I wish to remark on how Mr. Bruton
appears to have caught the American infection,
that is, his linguistic system has suffered some
corruption.
An Cathaoirleach: The Senator should not——
Mr. Norris: I am asking a question. On the
wireless this morning, Mr. Bruton mentioned
combatants taken in battle in reference to the
inmates of the Guantanamo Bay concentration
camp. Will the Leader contact the Department of
Foreign Affairs and ask our representative, Mr.
Bruton, to explain to the people in which battle
a taxi driver was taken off a street in
Afghanistan? He should let us know what these
battles are. Let us start talking realistically and
have some real language.
Mr. Ryan: Hear, hear.
Mr. Norris: Senator Ryan is fully correct in
respect of what may be termed asymmetrical diplomacy
in the Middle East. Yesterday, three children
were massacred, but we have done nothing.
We have never operated the external association
agreement, including its human rights protocols,
in its entirety.
I welcome that the Government, through the
Minister for Education and Science, has indicated
there will be consultation with young people and
their representatives on the age of sexual consent.
This is an important matter that should be discussed
calmly and clearly. I agree with The Irish
Times, which today stated “Criminalising sexual
experimentation by young people will not
however, ensure abstinence. And it is wrong for
the Legislature to create a criminal offence and
then expect the law officers of the State to ignore
it.” The Irish Times is completely right, as this
is a tangled mess. As elected representatives, we
should try to untangle it.