I rise to raise something that I feel very strongly about, and I am sure, and hope, that my colleagues in this House will feel equally strongly about the matter. I refer to the surreptitious attempt by management in the Oireachtas to cut the wages of ushers by 5.6% without reference to either House of the Oireachtas. This is an absolute outrage, particularly when the Tánaiste has said in the past 24 hours that tax revenue has increased, that the Government will now be able to spend on roads and all this kind of stuff. The ushers are people whose salaries range from €24,000 to €34,000.

That is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.

There are people in this House who live in County Dublin but get €25,000 in travelling expenses, which is more than somebody who joins the usher service would receive. We pay tribute to them on a regular basis in this House. We say how wonderful they are and talk about the way they look after us, and yes, indeed, they do. We are all part of a family and, therefore, are responsible for each other. It is disgraceful that people on such low wages should be subject to these savage cuts, particularly when we all know they must endure anti-social hours. Some of them do not see their children from one end of the week to the other. They are here sometimes until midnight or 2 o'clock in the morning. We should have some responsibility towards these people. These are our companions. These are the people who make life work in the Oireachtas. I appeal to the speakers who come after me to strongly support our colleagues and friends - the ushers in this House - and to reject any attempt by management to impose these cuts during a period when the country is recovering without recourse or advice from either House of the Oireachtas.

I move an amendment to the Order of Business: that we take ten or 15 minutes, a very brief period, immediately after the conclusion of the Order of Business in order to make statements. I appeal to the Leader of the House to allow for a short time of ten or 15 minutes.

That is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.

Yes, but we have an input into it. To hell with the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. Damn them if they are going to do this.

I cannot accept the Senator's amendment.

If they are going to put the screws on the ordinary workers in this House, then there is a moral obligation on us to protest about it.

I cannot accept the Senator's amendment.

Why not?

The matter is not governed by a Minister. It is the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission that deals with that issue.

We can make statements on the matter. We can make statements on the colour of the sky if we feel like doing so. It is entirely within our powers to have statements. How can the Cathaoirleach say we cannot make statements on this matter?

Amendments to the Order of Business are proposed by the Leader.

Nonsense; they are proposed. Come on.

It has to be the Government.

That is the fattest one I have heard in a very long time. They are proposed. Everybody has a right to propose amendments to the Order of Business.

Of course.

The Leader accepts them or rejects them.

It is the Government.

That is why I am proposing it. I request humbly that the Government, in the interests of the structures of this House, hold such a debate.

There is no member of the Government responsible for the matter.

That does not matter. We can still make statements. We make statements on all kinds of things that are not the responsibility of members of the Government.

The statements are made by the Minister and then the responses are made by the Minister.

Not at all. Statements are made by ordinary Members of this House. We had statements yesterday and it was not down to the Minister but the ordinary Members of this House.

I do not accept the amendment.

I am putting it anyway.

I call Senator Paul Coghlan. The Senator's amendment is out of order.

I ask the Leader to find a way in which we can reflect our disgust at the treatment of our fellow workers in this establishment.

It is not a formal amendment and is out of order completely. I call Senator Paul Coghlan.

I ask all the Senators who speak after me to support me.

The Senator is way over his time.

Only 25% of the Seanad is here. The way reforms have affected the Seanad has resulted in nobody being here for the Order of Business.

I call Senator Paul Coghlan.