What I've been saying

Independent NUI Senator Rónán Mullen has called for legislation to protect the human embryo after today’s Supreme Court decision in the R v. R case.

"These are heavy days for people of goodwill at all levels of the Catholic church and outside it because of the abuse and the fact that the handling of these cases was characterised by massive incompetence, and sometimes more than that, and ineptitude farther back in the past."

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran. I welcomed the opportunity to hear the previous matter on the Adjournment. Some issues were raised on which Senator O’Malley and I could have interesting discussions in due course. My topic is the student services charges and the need for the Minister to clarify whether a significant proportion of the €1,500 student services charge is being used to fund aspects of higher education institution...

Last week, there was a report on a sad issue relating to children diagnosed with Down’s syndrome. In England, more than 90% of such children are aborted. It is sad that, in Ireland, the figure is something like 50%.

It has been said with some justification that patronage and the abuse of appointment to public office is the curse of our political system. Senator Ross, in this bill, has made a genuine and significant attempt at reform.

I strongly support the thrust of this motion and indeed I would endorse any sensible motion which would seek to support rural Ireland in these troubled times. The last year has been one of the toughest for Ireland’s farm families in living memory as rural Ireland has reeled from a series of economic shocks, any one of which would have been serious, but arriving together, have had a devastating impact on farm incomes and rural communities.