I join in the welcome to Senator Craughwell.

He is a native of Galway. When he first approached me to vote for him in the Seanad by-election he said he wanted to test the democratic process in the Seanad. He certainly tested it. The road was rocky and uncertain but he has prevailed. I congratulate him.

Senator Craughwell’s presence in this House is also remarkable because he left school at the age of 16. He educated himself through the lifelong education process, a system that we now promote every day to our young people and went on to become the president of the Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI. By any stretch of the imagination that is a remarkable achievement. I have no doubt that he will bring much of that expertise, experience and diversity to this House. I wish him well and will be happy to work with him.

It is good news that we will have a positive budget today. The people of Ireland deserve it. I am particularly delighted to hear that there have to be more teachers because of the increasing birth and enrolment rates. One group of teachers I did not hear much about are guidance counsellors at second level. They are completely stretched. Could this House have a word in the ear of the Minister for Education and Skills? That is vital. Almost one third of first year students at institutes of technology drop out. Over 10% of first year university students drop out. One significant reason for this is poor course choice and lack of appropriate career guidance.

And bad teaching.

One career guidance teacher for 500 kids is pie in the sky. It is not possible to sustain that.

Will the Leader ask the Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney, to come to the House to discuss the Ebola crisis? It is growing more worrying by the day. We need to know that we are ready should anybody here be affected. We need to know what precautions and screening are being taken. I was shocked to hear him say on the RTÉ news recently that there is no need for screening at Irish airports because nobody comes into Ireland on direct flights from west Africa. That is immaterial. I might go to the United Kingdom and meet someone there who has come into the UK from west Africa. This virus is contracted by contact. Let us not be caught unprepared. I am talking about protecting our people. We need reassurance and to hear that statement, from the health and defence points of view.

Senator Healy Eames has raised a very important issue. This will have to take up a good deal of attention in the House in the coming days.

I also welcome our new Member, Senator Craughwell, and congratulate him on a stunning and dramatic political achievement. I congratulate and welcome his family too.

No doubt Senator Craughwell has heard Senator Wilson’s generous offer. The Government Senators, particularly the Whips, will hope that his experience of serving in the British and the Irish armies may lend a certain bipartisanship to his approach to politics. He may even have been offered generous pairing arrangements should he wish to absent himself on any occasion but the dynamic has changed. Those of us in this House who care and are serious about political reform should recognise the opportunity that Senator Craughwell’s election presents. The Government does not have a majority in this House. I am delighted by what Senator Norris said about conscience voting. I fully subscribe to it but it behoves those of us who care about political reform to sit down and talk to each other and present to the Government our expectations of what should happen now. Without in any way making presumptions about Senator Craughwell’s voting intentions, it is time for us to talk if we are to deliver to the public the important programme of political reform that Senator Quinn and others have done so much to champion in recent years.

I also welcome the re-announcement of the working group to examine the plight of long-term asylum seekers in this country. Of course we need the promised legislation that will guarantee a swift process for asylum applications.

In the meantime, we cannot overlook the appalling disparity in the conditions in which asylum seekers live. The amazing difference between the quality of some centres and of others, in terms of people's ability to live a normal life or cook a meal for their children, is simply unacceptable. I hope that is one of the issues the working group will take up and on which we will seek early improvement. Right now, people's human dignity in these centres is not being honoured and that has to change very quickly.

I congratulate our new colleague, Senator Craughwell, and wish him well in his term here. I also congratulate his family, who are justifiably proud of his great achievement. He showed great courage in contesting an election which 90% of the public expected to be a foregone conclusion and there are probably many people who are sorry they did not do the same. I am from Listowel and we had a very famous scribe there at one time who said if one only has a puck goat for sale, make sure one is in the middle of the fair with him. I think Senator Craughwell was in the middle of fair and it paid off. Like himself and our Whip, I, too, am a former member of the Teachers Union of Ireland and it gives me added gratification to see him here.

I join my colleagues in wishing Senator Craughwell well and I congratulate him. Senator O'Sullivan summed it up very well in that at the outset of this campaign, the general public and certainly those of us in the political system would have seen Senator Craughwell's nomination and subsequent election bid as a token gesture because of the precedence set down through the years of by-elections. I was also elected to this House in a by-election, primarily because the then Government held a majority. I am sure Senator Craughwell's time here will be well spent.

Senator O'Sullivan referred to the TUI. I live in Drumshanbo, County Leitrim, and all the teachers in the local vocational school, with which Senator Craughwell will be familiar, are members of the TUI and from that point of view, I have a certain empathy. I have no doubt Senator Craughwell will bring all of his experience and expertise in the education sector and beyond to the deliberations of this House. Once again, I congratulate him and his family as this is a very proud day for them.

Last but by no means least, I call Senator Craughwell, who is more than welcome to make a contribution.

Tá an-áthas orm a bheith sa Teach seo inniu. Gabhaim míle buíochas le gach duine. I am extremely proud to be here. I did not expect to speak today and thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for the opportunity. Now that I am on my feet, I could not let the day go by without doing so. Everybody has complimented and welcomed me and spoken about my family. My wife, who is here, has been through a lot with me down through the years. I have changed careers and moved from one thing to another and without her at my back, I would not be where I am.

My election to this House was the triumph of pragmatism over democracy. I am very proud to be here and I hope to work with both sides of the House. I take my lead from Senator Norris. I will be independent and will vote on each issue as it arises. I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and my now colleagues in this distinguished House.

Before I call the Leader, I wish Senator Craughwell good luck in this House. I am quite sure he will make a noble contribution and I wish his wife, Helen, and his son, the very best. It is a very auspicious and great occasion for him and his family and I hope he will enjoy the day, irrespective of the budget.