Order of Business - 28th February 2008

Order of Business - 28th February 2008
Senator David Norris: I share the concern
expressed by Senator Fitzgerald about the appalling
tragedy in Drimnagh. That said, I know
Drimnagh, which it is a very pleasant area and the
people there are very decent. It was a corporation
estate and many residents had the opportunity to
buy their houses. They include a good friend of
mine who made a beautiful job of the house in
question. One must be careful not to tar an entire
district of Dublin because it is a place in which I
would be proud to live.
However, it is interesting that Senator
Fitzgerald raised the question of parenting, as did
many people who spoke about the killings on the
radio today. Among the points made about some
of the gangs of youths that go around was that
decent people are afraid to approach the parents
involved because they are even more abusive and
have threatened to let the children do precisely
what they want. This puts in context the very useful
debate held in the House last night, in which
one or two Members suggested that the only possible
family model was the heterosexual family
model, comprising a man and a woman. While
this model can be very good when it works, no
one has suggested that gay parents were involved
in any of these cases. Hence it is not universally
true that the panacea is to have a man and a
woman as there are highly dysfunctional families
that let down the whole of society. Moreover, if
one considers, for example, the question of the
Kilkenny incest case or sexual abuse of children
in general, it happens predominately in the home
and is perpetrated by one of the parents or a sibling.
One must bear this in mind when using children
to attack gay couples. While I am sure there
can be bad ones — I do not know of any — such
couples are obliged to choose and sometimes
even to fight to keep their own children. I know
of no gay family that has a reproach of this kind
on it.
Another interesting point to arise from this
case is that apparently, the children, young
people or whatever, were congregating in an
attempt to get drink. They asked the Polish
people to buy them drink and it was when the
latter refused that they were so savagely and brutally
murdered. In common with many other
Members — I do not claim a unique role in this
regard — I have raised the manner in which
licenses have been distributed throughout the
country. Every huckster’s shop is up to the ceiling
in wine, gin, beer and everything. When I said
this on television one of the judges sued RTE,
which of course collapsed like a paper bag and
paid up. Members should have a further debate
on this subject. I do not attack the family, which is
an excellent institution. However, Members must
recognise its blemishes and must not use children
as a weapon against gay people.
I wish to raise a matter that has appeared in
the Phoenix magazine and I have been contacted
by the persons involved. Two articles were published
that appear to set out to smear someone
who appears to be a very fine man. I refer to Mr.
Michael Semple, a diplomatic representative of
some kind in Afghanistan, who was paid through
the overseas development aid fund of the Department
of Foreign Affairs. Apparently, he now is
being hung out to dry, abusive articles are being
written about him and both he and his family are
highly distressed. The Minister for Foreign
Affairs should come before the House to make a
statement outlining Mr. Semple’s work. This man,
unlike the Americans, actually speaks the local
language, loves the Afghan people and has used
his understanding of the conflict in Northern
Ireland to help to resolve it.
This differs greatly from an occasion some
years ago when I was invited by the American
representative to a lunchtime talk to convert me
on the war in Iraq. I met their expert on Iraq
and when I asked him when he was last there, he
replied he had never been to Iraq. I then suggested
that he kept in touch through reading the
local newspapers but he replied he did not, as he
could not read or speak Arabic. It is no surprise
the Americans got themselves into trouble. The
case to which I refer involves a talented man who
understands the situation and who may have been
talking to some elements of the Taliban, which is
a highly complex organisation. One must talk to
one’s enemies to achieve progress. The Minister
should come before the House to defend this man
who does not have the money to take on the press
in an expensive libel case.