Order of Business - 7th November 2007

Order of Business – 7th November 2007
Senator David Norris: I join with Senator Fitzgerald and others who commented on the tragic situation of the women who attended Portlaoise hospital. I do not know at what rate such machinery goes out of date or whether 15 years is excessive, but it is intolerable that we might have equipment that does not function properly because it is dirty. There is a serious issue of cleanliness and hygiene throughout the hospital system and a problem with management. Management did not address the issue because if it did so, it would have led to expenditure.

There is plenty of expenditure for managers but, in the interests of patients, there also should be expenditure for services and equipment.
On 18 October, I raised the fact that the Defamation Bill was being introduced on Committee Stage rather than on Second Stage. At the time, the Leader, Senator Donie Cassidy, said it would be sensible to reintroduce the Defamation Bill on Second Stage as 35 of the 60 Members of the Seanad are new since the Bill was previously discussed on Second Stage. Does the Government propose to be sensible, as Senator Cassidy said, or does it propose to be foolish as newspaper proprietors would wish?

A Senator: Foolish.

Senator David Norris: Can we have a debate on rendition, perhaps when the Irish Human Rights Commission issues its report on that subject? I understand the report will be very damaging. The head of the commission, former Senator Maurice Manning, is a pretty restrained person with a distinguished record in this House. He indicated that the Government had been trying to interfere with this report and that if it continued to do so it would have "a bloody fight on their hands". The commission has been infuriated by the Government's attempts to soften what may well be a damning report on rendition. It will confirm what people, especially those on this side of the House, have had to say about the subject.
Perhaps we can examine an issue of concern which was revealed in the The Sunday Tribune last weekend under the heading "Gardaí remove non-EU students from school". If this report is correct, it is an astonishing thing to have the country's police force entering the education system. The report stated: "Several school principals in Dublin's inner city have been contacted by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) in the last six months and told that some of their students will have to cease attending immediately, regardless of what stage they are at in their education." The principals in these schools are outraged by this.
It would be appropriate if at some stage we paid tribute to the extraordinary work of Nuala O'Loan who has just retired as Police Ombudsman in the North of Ireland.

Senators: Hear, hear.

Senator David Norris: She carried through this extraordinarily difficult task - being attacked sometimes from both sides simultaneously - with grace, dignity and professionalism. I hope the person who succeeds her will exhibit the same qualities.