Order of Business - 7th March 2007

Order of Business – 7th March 2007

Mr. Norris: Yesterday, I briefly mentioned a
protest that was taking place outside the gates by
a group of Kurkish people. The Kurds are among
the most oppressed people on the planet. They
have been denied a homeland, their territory has
been carved up, their villages bulldozed, women
raped, men tortured and families driven through
minefields. There is a point here for us as parliamentarians
because yesterday a Kurdish politician
was sentenced to six months in prison for
referring to the Kurdish leader Abdullah O¨ calan
as Mr. O¨ calan. One gets six months imprisonment
for calling him “Mr.”. What kind of a democracy
is that, yet it is trying to enter the European
Union? This is a matter we should take very
seriously.
I am sure you, a Chathaoirligh, as a regular
attender over many years at the interparliamentary
union, will know that the group takes very
seriously the rights of elected members. A strong
protest should go to the Turkish Government
about sentencing to six months in prison a man
simply for using the word “Mr.”. I remember at
the first foreign affairs committee which was
established that the entire Kurdish representation,
12 to 15 members, was put in prison. I
cannot recall whether it was for speaking Kurdish
but it was something like that. This is a matter we
should look into.
I have great sympathy for the people in
Procter & Gamble. Once again business management
took the procedure of not informing the
workers first but informing the media through a
press release. This is wrong. It is not good PR but
this is the way American capital works. Senator
Dooley is beginning to realise that now after the
way in which they all lick-spittled over Bush as
hard as they possibly could in the desperate hope
of keeping their own airport open.
An Cathaoirleach: Through the Chair.
Mr. Norris: He stuck a good one in their eye
just now in his little deal with the EU, so one can
sell out on human rights as much as one wishes
but one will get damn all back from the
Americans.
I have the greatest pleasure in finding two
items of disagreement with Senator Mansergh.
The first is the business that we are all in favour
of the 12.5% corporation tax deal. On the surface
it is quite a good one but Professor Anton
Murphy, who discovered the black hole in the
Irish economy a few years ago that had to be very
well looked at, was on the airwaves a couple of
days ago and pointed out the dangers of this
because if this situation is addressed in America
as Barack Obama had suggested that it may well
be, there will be a flight of that kind of capital
too. Professor Murphy pointed out that there
were a number of companies with about a dozen
employees who were reporting profits of hundreds
of millions of dollars that were not made in
this country. We were being used to launder the
money. We are the new Cayman islands. Beware
of false profits because when that goes out all one
is left with is a house of straw.
An Cathaoirleach: The Senator has been
afforded great latitude.
Mr. Norris: I am calling for a debate. On a
more spiritual note, I also disagree with Senator
Mansergh about the prayer. I said this a long time
ago. I do not think it is appropriate. It is wrong
to say that everybody here agrees that “every
word and act of ours shall be inspired from
Thee”. There are people who are agnostics and
atheists. In the other House there were Jewish
Members and there have been Muslim members.
Why should they have to expect that every act
and word of ours comes from Jesus Christ?
An Cathaoirleach: I thank the Senator. The
point has been made.
Mr. Norris: I am a regular church going
member of the Anglican community and unlike
Senator Mansergh, I can recognise the graces and
melody of Cranmer’s prose and one does not
achieve it simply by sticking in the word “please”.
An Cathaoirleach: Order, please. There are
many Senators offering. Please allow Senator
Maurice Hayes make his contribution so that
others can be facilitated.
11 o’clock
Dr. M. Hayes: I support the call for a debate