Order of Business - 6th November 2008

Order of Business - 6th November 2008
Senator David Norris: I support Senator Fitzgerald’s remarks about the deferment or cancellation of the cervical cancer vaccination programme. That is regrettable because it could, apparently, save the lives of 200 young women every year, or at least prevent them from getting cancer. It is a simple regime involving three injections, but at €600 it is costly. That means that, once again, the wealthy people in our society will avail of it and the disadvantaged will be further hurt.
There appears to have been a lack of coherent thinking on this issue. The programme was announced but we now know from the freedom of information inquiry RTE made that the Health Service Executive felt it would be virtually impossible to roll it out before 2010 at the latest. There is a significant problem, therefore, in that respect. A woman who had been successfully treated for cervical cancer was on a television programme last night. She was naturally apprehensive about her daughter and felt very aggrieved that this vaccination programme would not go ahead.
Yesterday, we spoke in glowing terms about President-elect Obama and I have not changed my mind, but yesterday was a day for celebration and praise, which was very justified, and we all felt elated. President-elect Obama has shown himself to be judicious and restrained, qualities I admire but do not always emulate, and that was clear throughout the election. However, there were one or two occasions on which I was concerned. For example, he said he would authorise military intervention in another sovereign state without notification — I refer to Pakistan. That is a big mistake. I believe that was said because a type of Dutch auction on military options was induced by the McCain camp, but that is a dangerous way to proceed. He was shown in a clip last night saying, “I will kill Osama bin Laden and I will destroy Al-Qaeda.” That is inflammatory rhetoric. I hope he will, in practice, go back to being judicious because it is not a question of the name, the colour or the personality of the person, it is a question of the policies, and if he goes on with that kind of approach I will oppose President-elect Obama as much as I opposed George Bush, not that he will be aware of it.
Senator Liam Twomey: The Senator need not worry.
An Cathaoirleach: On the Order of Business in Seanad Éireann.
Senator David Norris: On the Order of Business, there is somebody here who will be aware of my comments and with whom I usually agree, namely, Senator Hannigan.
With regard to the Russian matter — it is all tied in with Obama — and its decision regarding a possible citing of military equipment in the Kaliningrad area, we have never tried to understand the Russians. There has been no attempt to do that. It has all been completely one-sided. It is very useful in these areas to look at the mirror image or reverse it and see what the position would be if the boot was on the other foot. If, for example, what the Americans and NATO have been doing with regard to Russia had been attempted by the Warsaw Pact, if they had put missiles in places like Mexico, Venezuela and so on — they tried it in Cuba — and enlisted them into the Warsaw Pact, there would have been hysteria from the Americans.
An Cathaoirleach: The Senator has done a good job of making the point.
Senator David Norris: It is necessary that we get a balanced view.