While I agree with Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell’s amendment to the Order of Business, I am calling for a special debate on the North of Ireland. The situation there is in crisis mode. Sinn Féin and the DUP, Democratic Unionist Party, are singularly incapable of governing in the North and do not seem to want to govern. The Irish Government is also allowing the British Government and the parties in the North to direct affairs and be involved in talks, playing a backroom role itself. A recent statement from Theresa Villiers, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, referred to the subsidiary role of the Irish Republic in the talks in the North. This is a breach of the practice and agreements over the past several years. Fine Gael and the Labour Party do not have an instinctive appreciation of the relationships which helped bring about the peaceful situation in Northern Ireland. I also do not believe Sinn Féin and the DUP are capable of governing in the North without some serious input from the Irish Government. I am calling for a debate on this issue.

I am also calling on the Deputy Leader to ask the Government to take much more of a role in the North of Ireland. Deputy Eamon Gilmore, when Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, took a disgracefully side-line approach to the North.

That is unfair.

It is a fact. The current Minister, Deputy Charles Flanagan, is slightly more involved. He needs to get in there, however, representing this country and the people of Northern Ireland who are misgoverned by the Sinn Féin and DUP governing arrangement.

I second Senator Thomas Byrne’s amendment to the Order of Business.

Was it an amendment?

It was not actually. I called for a debate.

I am happy to support that call for a debate.

I support the call for a debate on Northern Ireland. I am glad he raised this issue because it has concerned me, as well the general public, for quite some time. With all due deference to my colleagues, Senators Mary White and Mark Daly, among others, doing great work on the Good Friday Agreement committee, we are sleepwalking through the situation in Northern Ireland. I have been following the North closely and believe it is a very fragile situation there. It is far more serious than we think. Although the focus is rightly on the terrible incident involving Ms Cahill, for which I hope she will get full justice, there is a dysfunction in governing there. Whatever about the Government here, we can have our rows and ructions between Fine Gael and the Labour Party, but they will still work together in some shape or form for what they believe is the good of the country. The two parties in the North in government cannot even look at each other.

This peace process is not finished. The actual term “peace process” has become totally devalued and we need to forget it. We need to have a fresh look at it with a new impetus from the Taoiseach. It is the one area in which he is not particularly proactive. It is important the Taoiseach of the day should give leadership. All taoisigh, going right back to W. T. Cosgrave, have shown leadership on the North. I was very shocked to hear W. T. Cosgrave’s grave was desecrated. It is an absolute disgrace because he and his family have given tremendous service to this country.

The Commission for Energy Regulation is before the environment committee today on water tariff principles and proposals.

The Government has made a hames of Irish Water. I met a number of the workers who were installing water meters over the weekend. They are not getting bonuses, nor did they draw up this crazy scheme. They are paid to install meters and have thus far installed 450,000 in extremely difficult circumstances in certain areas. As usual, the man with the shovel is getting it in the neck, although he is not responsible for what has taken place. He is earning his wages and should be respected.