Order of Business - 12th October 2006

Order of Business - 12th October 2006
Mr. Norris: I support what my colleague, Senator Ryan, said about the situation in Iraq. It was the type of thing I said last night during the debate on whether we should transmit information to the United States Government. People talked about democracy but since Mr. Bush’s election, “democracy” is a word which makes me want to puke every time I hear it. We talked about democracy in the European Union and the way the European Parliament found out that what was being done in terms of transferring this information was illegal but what did it do about it? It was referred to the European Court of Justice and it found it to be illegal but it continued to transmit the information. How democratic is that? They are all sucking up to the United States.
Some of us raised these issues before when the Lancet produced figures over a year ago. It said that more than 100,000 had been killed but it was rubbished and the figure is now in excess of 600,000. The methodology was impugned. The methodology is irreproachable in this case which involved professional epidemiologists. There is no question of doubt whatever. However, we should not be surprised by the reaction. The US Government is deeply criminal. It advocates and practises torture, saturation bombing of civilians, assassinations and murder. It has managed to make a complete botch of the trial of its former ally,, Mr. Saddam Hussein. His trial has been vitiated by the way in which it was established. Prejudicial comments were made by the Government there assuming he was guilty before the trial even commenced. A number of advocates of Saddam Hussein were assassinated and then the judge was removed by the Government.
An Cathaoirleach: We cannot have a debate on that matter.
Mr. Norris: I call for a debate on the matter. I found the Leader’s comments on the Trinity College Dublin situation a little difficult to follow but if I am correct-----
Ms O’Rourke: Some 748 votes have vanished.
An Cathaoirleach: That is not relevant to the Order of Business.
Mr. Norris: I beg your pardon, a Chathaoirligh, it most definitely is and you know that and are just being roguish. It is relevant to the Order of Business because I put the matter down as one for the Adjournment debate as I was aware of it. It is quite scandalous and it fits in very much with what Senator Brian Hayes said about deficiencies in the electoral register. This was an administrative error. There is probably approximately one year to go before the general election and there is no reason these 742 graduates could not be included on the register. A statutory instrument was used in a parallel case some years ago and I call on the Minister, as I will during the Adjournment debate which I hope will be taken in the next few days, to ensure these 742 graduates are not disenfranchised.
11 o’clock
The issue of the special savings investment scheme is a scandal. Most of the wealthiest people in this country do not pay any tax. Even our valued and beloved Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, did not seem to pay much tax on the various gifts he received and yet people who have been encouraged to save will be penalised. At the time this scheme was launched, I heard senior members of Government on radio being questioned by concerned members of the public who asked if they would be pushed over the limit if they saved. They were told that would not happen. Those guarantees were given and they must be honoured. This is a sign of meanness on the part of local authorities. It is quite characteristic. I previously raised a case, which the Cathaoirleach may remember, where a blind student got a grant because he was so brilliant to do a PhD in history and the local authority tried to subtract the value of the grant from his blind pension. How disgusting, mean and cheese paring can we get. We in this House have got to stand up for the rights of the little people.