The celebrated American humorist Robert Benchley wrote a hilarious essay called "Down With Pigeons" in which he imagines that the pigeon population has an attitude towards him and is always out to get him.

When he goes to Trafalgar Square or St. Mark's Square, he imagines that all the pigeons have gathered there on purpose just to do him in. Where is this leading? I have nothing against pigeons - I can take or leave pigeons - but I am very much against seagulls. I think something needs to be done to address the seagull problem in this city. People may have been listening to Joe Duffy on the radio last week. It seems that the seagulls have lost the run of themselves completely. In the apartment block I live in, it is impossible to get a night's sleep.

The Senator is losing the run of himself.

It is the last day. Give me wings. They are very raucous and are keeping people awake. They are getting so cheeky now that they attack young children and dispossess them of their lollipops and stuff like that. It might be funny to many people but it is a serious issue in the city. They really are vermin. They are scavenger gulls and dump gulls. They do not look for fish anymore; they want to eat human waste. I am saying that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government should look at that issue in a serious manner. It might be funny but if one listens to the details on the radio show, one will learn that it is anything but.