Like other colleagues, I send my best wishes to the two young children involved in that horrific incident in Athlone at the weekend and I commend the gardaí on the speed with which they charged and brought a person before the courts. I will not say anything more on that other than to wish the two young people the very best.

The first I heard about the comments of Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, was when Senator Barrett raised them today. I know the Minister of State well and have huge respect for him. I am disappointed he made those comments. I was the Government Chief Whip during his time in this House and I certainly did not approach him nor do I know of any other colleague who approached him in regard to his continued membership of that Seanad and subsequent ones, which he alleges. I do not think it is in anyone's gift to decide who is and who is not a Member of this House other than those who are charged with the responsibility of electing people to this House and the Taoiseach of the day, who has the privilege of appointing 11 nominees. Some parties try to control who is elected to this House and I was a victim of such an attempt.

I support the call of colleagues that the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, comes to, and uses the privilege of, this House to name the alleged person because I am very much in the spotlight as the Government Chief Whip of that Seanad. I certainly made no approach to the then Senator Cannon in regard to the allegations he made. The onus is on him, as a Minister of State, to clarify the situation today, to lodge a complaint and to name the alleged person. I do not care whether the alleged person is a Member of this House or is no longer one; the person should be named if that allegation is correct. The Minister of State owes it to each of us to clarify that situation today.

I commend the acting Leader, Senator Bacik, for contacting the general secretary of Fine Gael and the Minister charged with directing the attempted vandalism to our Constitution by the Government. I note she did not get any response. Last Thursday, in the absence of the Leader, Senator Cummins, I asked the acting leader of Fine Gael in the House, the Government Chief Whip, Senator Paul Coghlan, to approach the director of elections and request that the posters which are at best telling untruths and at worst telling lies, which some colleagues called them, be removed immediately. Will he give an update on what contact he has made and if he is still pursuing the matter because these posters are still up, which is unacceptable? I commend every Member of this House on the effort he or she is making to save this very important pillar of our democracy.

I am sure we will get that answer now. I call Senator Paul Coghlan.

I would like to be associated with the remarks of previous Senators in regard to the appalling happening in Athlone and commend the gardaí on their investigation.

I am sure if the Cathaoirleach took up the invitation of Senator Norris to follow in the footsteps of his illustrious predecessor and speak to us from the floor of the House, he would have a full Chamber behind him. As many Members will know, I do not tweet so until today, I was unaware of the disparaging remarks from this alleged Fine Gael source regarding two of our foremost Independent Senators. All I can say is that I would not stand over them and would disown them, as I am sure the Taoiseach would do. We all stand in solidarity on that issue.

I can assure my great friend, Senator Wilson, that the Fine Gael director of elections is only too well aware of my views on this matter, and I do not want to go beyond that, but I have a feeling that my view does not carry much weight, if the Senator understands me.

Strange, that.

I assure the Senator that he is well aware of my views. I should not elaborate on what happened in another place-----

Please do. The Senator can use the privilege of the House.

-----enlodged, so to speak, within a room but as the Leader has often invited the Senator and me to do, he might discuss that with me later in my office.