Order of Business - 28th February 2007

Order of Business – 28th February 2007
Mr. Norris: I completely agree with Senator
Maurice Hayes. I intended raising the same issue
and am surprised it was not raised earlier because
it is an absolute scandal. The Director of Corporate
Enforcement, Mr. Appleby, can claim a
remarkable rate of prosecution and success in an
area of business life where we expect high standards.
This sort of issue damages our international
reputation because it sends a signal that
we do not care much about ethical standards in
business. Two years ago, Mr. Appleby sought 20
staff but has been given none to date.
Ms O’Rourke: He was given four.
Mr. Norris: No, he was promised four but has
not yet been given them. On this occasion, I am
right. I will not rub the Leader’s nose in it but I
was also right yesterday. I can be wrong but I
know when I am right.
Mr. Minihan: Except when he is wrong.
Mr. Norris: The matter suggests that we are not
committed to the highest standards in business,
which is a pity and damaging to our economy.
I ask that the House considers non-Government
motion No. 13 on the Order Paper which
states:
That Seanad E´ ireann requests the Minister
for Foreign Affairs to seek the establishment
of a monitoring group to supervise the implementation
of the Human Rights Attachments
to the External Association Agreement
between the European Union and the State of
Israel.
I raise the matter in light of an excellent position
paper released yesterday by the Roman Catholic
bishops entitled Palestine-Israel, Principles for a
Just Peace. The spokesperson for the hierarchy
stated on the radio this morning that he was not
seeking any punitive action against Israel and did
not want to be seen as anti-Israeli or anti-Semitic.
taking place. Yesterday, I received a telephone
call in regard to the continuing illegal demolition
of houses of elderly subsistence farmers in the villages
around south Hebron. It is intolerable that
violence is being visited upon children and the
elderly or that the most rudimentary sanitary
facilities are being demolished in order to
degrade the Palestinian people. The issue also
highlights a element of hypocrisy. We claim to
have standards but do not operate according to
them.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach: Is Senator Norris
moving an amendment?
Mr. Norris: I am not moving an amendment
because I think that would be vexatious.
However, I call for a discussion on this issue,
which exposes the sham involved when we add
human rights attachments to international treaties
only to ignore them for pragmatic reasons in
the face of the grossest violations. During the past
week, both Jimmy Carter and the UN rapporteur
have described the situation in Israel as
apartheid.
An Leas-Chathaoirleach: We are not debating
the motion on the Order of Business.
Mr. Norris: In that case, I will address the issue
raised by Senator Glynn in regard to the case of
the 14 year old boy. We have to be careful
because it seems the newspapers may have
already prejudiced a possible trial through the
nature of their reports on the case. However, the
reports reveal that the boy concerned has been
dignified and honest in his approach to the
inquiry and in the way he answered questions. He
appears to have been surfing the Internet for
some time in order to look for gay sites.
This State has let down and abandoned young
gay people. There is no proper provision of education
for them in terms of modules about sexuality,
despite repeated requests. Last year, for
example, I highlighted a case involving the
suicide of a decent young man. We do not make
proper provision because there is resistance to
this kind of information. We cannot criticise this
regrettable situation unless we support young gay
school-goers. We do not do so at present and it
is hypocritical for us to bellyache about the issue
unless we support these vulnerable teenagers.