On a personal note, it is very sad for any Minister or somebody who pursues a career in any walk of life but in particular in politics which is a very public career to be forced into a position where he or she must resign. I suppose many of us would empathise with Deputy Alan Shatter in that regard and regret that it has come to this. On the other hand, it was probably a year overdue. Some 12 months ago, I raised in the House the fact that when the Minister released information which had been given to him in confidence by the Garda Commissioner that was of a politically sensitive nature, it raised questions not only for the Minister but for the Commissioner. Both have resigned in different circumstances. At the time, I felt the issue needed to be dealt with in a much more transparent way.

Like others, I join in the expressions of good wishes to Deputy Alan Shatter's successor who was Leader of the Opposition in this House in the last Seanad. She carried herself with a great degree of decorum and, as was said, was always measured and reasoned. I hope she does a good job in that most important Department she now controls.

I wish to raise an issue which also involves females, namely, the abduction of more than 250 young girls in Nigeria. I am pleased but disappointed that it has taken many weeks for the western world to put this on its radar in terms of addressing it. I do not know whether it would have happened but for the fact the World Economic Forum on Africa is taking place in Nigeria this week. It is appalling that the organisation Boko Haram has been allowed to create carnage in the past few years, in particular for Christian communities and woman in northern Nigeria which it is now extending throughout the country. I hope bodies like the United Nations which get involved in many pseudo campaigns on various issues will focus their minds on the substantive issue of life and death for the people affected.

Yesterday more than 100 people were killed in Nigeria by this organisation. I call on the Deputy Leader to arrange an early debate in the House, specifically on Boko Haram, with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in attendance. More than one year ago I tabled motions on the Adjournment on this matter which I have raised at meetings of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade. We need to concentrate and the world needs to act with greater decisiveness on such serious human rights violations.

One issue has dominated the Order of Business today, the resignation yesterday of the former Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter. We also had the announcement while we were sitting of the appointment of Deputy Frances Fitzgerald as Minister for Justice and Equality, the appointment of Deputy Charles Flanagan as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and the moving of the defence portfolio to the Taoiseach. As others have stated, I very much welcome the separation of the justice and defence portfolios and the appointments of Deputies Frances Fitzgerald and Charles Flanagan who, as other colleagues stated, have strong track records. Many of us who served in this House with the Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, when she was Leader of the Opposition were very impressed by her and have been impressed by her work as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

With regard to the former Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, almost everyone who spoke paid tribute in some form, even those who stated they disagreed with him, to his outstanding record of accomplishments, his enormous appetite for work and the reform agenda he was in the process of pushing through. He has left a strong legacy after three years in office in terms of the reform of personal insolvency law, the legal profession, sexual offences and criminal legislation generally, particularly landmark legislation on community sanctions which are being debated at pre-legislative stage in committee. His commitment to equality has been commented on, as was his commitment to family law reform, his piloting of the child and family relationships Bill with which the committee is also dealing and his commitment to immigration reform. He has done a huge amount of work which we all hope will be continued by his successor, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald. As many Senators pointed out, he was a very regular attender in the Seanad where he commenced a lot of justice legislation. I am sure we all hope his successor will do the same. He always listened and engaged in debate. Senator Feargal Quinn commented in particular on this aspect. Even where he disagreed with points made, he would engage on and debate them. He often accepted amendments from many of us, such as those from Senator Jillian van Turnhout. We must pay tribute to his work while we congratulate his successor. In the Dáil this morning, on behalf of the Labour Party, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, praised the record of the former Minister and his tenacity and determination to change Ireland for the better. Having stated this, we all acknowledge, as Senator Susan O'Keeffe and others stated, that his resignation shows a recognition of the need for accountability in government and also shows a respect for whistleblowers, which is important.

Senator Paschal Mooney objected to the Order of Business, while Senator Jillian van Turnhout stated she would oppose it. As I stated when announcing the Order of Business, it is not what we would have wanted.