The Fianna Fáil Party's view of Irish history, as outlined by Senator Thomas Byrne, is rather charming in its simplicity. We would all love to live in the simple black and white world that it portrays Irish history to be.

That is a stupid thing to say. What is the Senator talking about?

It fails to acknowledge the complexity of the positions, the motivation and the actions that lead to the formation of the State. Lest there by anyone in any doubt about how Fianna Fáil rewrites history in a self serving type of way, we note that the only thing Fianna Fáil can say about the Rising today is to focus on a negative thing on the day the Government announced the purchase of Moore Street National Monument.

That is a load of nonsense. The Senator is missing the point.

The day that something really good and positive happens, the Fianna Fáil Party focuses on the negative.

The Senator is missing the point

Let us recall this is the party of men who stood in the General Post Office in 1916

I hope that is not the reason the Senator stood up.

The men who stood in the General Post Office in 1916, de Valera and Lemass, were the founders of the party that brought this country to ruin 100 years after they had made a stand in the GPO.

Lemass and de Valera

The Senator just got out in time.

What would they be thinking today?

Lemass and de Valera set up democracy in this country

I support the Senator's view that there should be an early debate to tease out different positions.

I hope that is not the only reason the Senator stood up.