I hope so, and I will not mention private conversations.

I congratulate Senator Norris on another sterling performance on the "Today with Pat Kenny" show on RTE Radio 1 this morning. I am sure many of the Members heard it. I have no doubt that if that man gets enough access to the airwaves, I would be very sanguine about the outcome of any referendum on the abolition of the Seanad.

Hear, hear.

I would not hold my breath waiting for the Taoiseach, or the Führer, Enda Kenny, to take him up on his offer of a debate. I think that is highly unlikely.

On a more serious matter and referring to what Senator Coghlan said, I do not think we can pass too lightly over the allegations made about bribery in the Chamber. It is too serious a matter for that. In my Second Stage speech-----

I was not being flippant. Senator Norris raised it.

-----I referred to Grattan's Parliament and what the old Gaelic writers said about it at the time was mealladh breabadh agus bagairt, which means persuasion, bribery and threats. That is how that Parliament was suppressed.

Hear, hear.

At the time I made a point to making sure that I was not making any allegation of bribery. I said certainly there were threats and we know that and a lot of persuasion was going on but I am not so sure about the bribery aspect now.

However, I am not so sure about the bribery aspect now. We must examine this, even if we are in the dying days of the session. The idea that anyone's vote or silence could be bought is a very serious issue and it must referred to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.