I request that sufficient speaking time be granted to allow all Members to make their contribution to the debate on the Marriage Bill later today. I have raised the matter of speaking time for Independent Members on a number of occasions since I was democratically elected to the House last year. I am long enough around to know that every organisation must have its Standing Orders in order to operate, but it is high time the Standing Orders of this House were examined and reformed as the institution itself needs reform. Having won, by way of an election, the privilege to serve my country as a Member of the House, I am committed to fully debating legislation and other issues as they are brought before it. I know also that the Members present, today and every day, are equally committed. However, there are those, a small few, who appear so infrequently in the Chamber that it beggars belief that they would accept a salary of €65,000 a year for the job. Clearly, their external occupations are more important than the important work of the national Parliament. What is worse is that some of them have speaking time and a higher priority than me, despite attending the Seanad and the Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection-----

With respect, the Senator is jumping the gun slightly. As I understand it - the Leader will clarify this - the debate that will take place later on the Bill to which the Senator referred will be open-ended. In other words, it does not have to be concluded this evening.

If Senator Gerard P. Craughwell was listening during the announcement of the Order of Business, he will know that there is no time limit on the debate.

I accept that, but there are issues and if I was allowed to conclude, it might help to clarify them. This House and its Members have long been accused of being a useless drain on public moneys. It is hard to defend this view when some who have been given the privilege of serving do not bother to turn up to debate some of the most important, humane and, perhaps, bravest legislation introduced in the Oireachtas in the history of the State. Worse still, if one of the habitual absentees was to turn up when there was just enough time remaining in a debate for one speaker, he or she would have priority over me-----

With all due respect, this is not an appropriate matter to raise on the Order of Business.

-----notwithstanding my attendance record.

Members may be absent for different reasons. It is wrong to cast aspirations by making general statements.

If the Leas-Chathaoirleach allows me to finish, he will understand from where I am coming.

I clearly understand.

I fully understand and respect the fact that Members are frequently away on business. I also respect the fact that the elected Members of this House in the way they participate show their dedication to it. I have sometimes sat here for a number of hours waiting to make my contribution, only to depend on the generosity of the Chair or another Member to share time. Sometimes I have been told there is no time left, as happened, for example, during the debate on the budget last week. I will be writing to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges today requesting an urgent review of the way speaking time is allocated. I will be asking how a group - in this case, the Independent group - can refuse membership to a Member who attends the Chamber while granting it to absentees, some of whom are rarely seen in it. I will be writing to the Taoiseach, as the leader of the Government-----

The Senator's time is up.

-----to ask him what briefing he gave to his nominees when he appointed them as I expect elected Members of the Seanad to speak for themselves.

The Senator was allocated two minutes, but he has already used four. I am trying to be fair to him.

I have 30 seconds left.

No, the Senator does not.

I request that I be given a further 30 seconds.

I ask the Senator to conclude. It would be more appropriate to much of what he has said to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.

Sometimes things have to be said in the public domain.

Not necessarily on the Order of Business. There are other ways of raising them.

Sometimes it has to be done this way.

I will allow the Senator ten seconds to conclude.

Like the Leader and many other Senators who are here because they want to be, I respect the privilege that goes with serving in this House. I want nothing more than to be allowed to do the job I was elected to do. In the future I want to ensure there will be time for every Member to add to whatever legislation will be brought before the House. I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for his indulgence.

In making his point the Senator prohibits me from letting Senator Fidelma Healy Eames speak as we are over time. He has referred to Members who come in late looking for speaking rights. He was over time, as a result of which we exceeded the time allocated. I am not trying to personalise the issue, but we are five minutes over the time.