Order of Business - 26th March 2009

Order of Business - 26th March 2009
Senator David Norris: I share the views of Senators Fitzgerald and O’Toole with regard to the satirical portrait of the Taoiseach. There may be a slight sting attached to it, but the Taoiseach is a man of strong satirical humour. I am very glad he was not consulted about the reporting of this matter to the Garda. There is a very long tradition of political satire. One need only think of Rowlinson, Gillray and Hogarth. The Prince Regent was subject to considerably worse than anything suggested by the portrait of the Taoiseach. I compliment Anne Doyle for keeping a straight face, although there was a twinkle in her eye. The news item gave the people some degree of amusement without causing any great harm. The lack of proportion shown in reporting it to the Garda and the charges - incitement to hatred, indecency and criminal damage for the hammering of one nail into a wall - make the situation farcical.
There are occasions when people are properly outraged. It would have been far better to concentrate on the planned crucifixion as entertainment in a Wexford night club, where somebody representing the figure of Jesus Christ is to be nailed to a cross and whipped by dancers. The owner of the club has said it will be done in a fun and light-hearted way. He said that many young people forget what Easter is about and that this will bring it to their attention. That is preposterous, hypocritical rubbish.

An Cathaoirleach: Talk to the Leader and see what he can do.
agree with Senator O’Toole on Mr. McCaughey’s resignation. Large numbers of legal and accounting firms in this country specialise in advising people under the law to do what he did. If a businessman or woman hands over their affairs for advice, they are entitled to take that advice. It was extraordinarily disingenuous of Pat Kenny yesterday, when discussing this with a serious politician, to ask-----

An Cathaoirleach: The Senator should not name people who are not here to defend themselves

Senator David Norris: -----why this had not been addressed in legislation. When told it had been addressed, he said he knew that. If he knew it, why did he ask the idiotic question to which he already knew the answer?
Will the Leader raise again the issue of line rental for telephone services. Our charges are the highest in Europe - I have raised this matter repeatedly. We nationalised ground rents and abolished them in the name of the Republic so why can we not abolish line rentals? Eircom is a company which was asset stripped, picked dry as a herring bone and tossed back into the marketplace by one of our leading capitalists, and now people are demanding the renationalisation, at public expense, of this facility. Charges here are 66% above the average for line rental and, under the guise of capitalism, there has been no investment in broadband whatever.

An Cathaoirleach: The Senator has made his point.