I welcome Amy Rose Harte to the Gallery. If Jimmy were here, he would be having a great time talking about the qualification last night, and I am sure he would be giving me a bit of a ribbing for Limerick's capitulation when the team went to Ballybofey to play Finn Harps. Ba mhaith liom a rá leis an Seanadóir Ní Chathail, a clann agus a cairde agus le Páirtí an Lucht Oibre that today really is their day. Senator Cahill is very welcome to the House.

I read with interest Mary Minihan's article in The Irish Times yesterday in which she gave five reasons it is hard to be a "Nordie" south of the Border. I will not start singing Gene Autry's "Down Mexico Way", but her first reason was we think they talk funny. I am sure Senator Cahill will have no problem making herself understood in the Chamber. She joins a long list of illustrious characters, including Martin McAleese, John Robb, Brid Rogers, Sam McAughtry, Seamus Mallon and Gordon Wilson. Gordon Wilson and Seamus Mallon in particular had a vision of a just and peaceful society in Ireland. They were voices of reason and integrity and they spoke against what was a warped ideology tearing our country apart at the time. Senator Cahill has laid down the gauntlet today by bringing in members of the Rape Crisis Centre and those affected by abuse, and I am sure she will be a strong advocate on their behalf as well as being someone who will speak out against criminality on the island.

The same warped ideology I mentioned, which thrives on disenfranchisement, marginalisation and deprivation, manifested itself in Paris at the weekend in the very shocking attacks made against innocent members of the public. We need to learn the lessons of integration from our European partners, particularly countries such as Denmark which has had issues with integration in Copenhagen, but countries such as France, Belgium and others. What we do with direct provision in this country leaves much to be desired, and anything which would drive young men to wear a suicide belt and carry an assault rifle and do what they did on the streets of Paris cannot be condoned.

I am sure Ireland's neutrality is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice and Equality.

Our neutral position in the international community is an issue held dear by many citizens in this country. The continued use by the US military of Shannon Airport flies in the face of that neutrality. This issue has been advocated very strongly by An tUachtarán, Michael D. Higgins, and it has been argued for very strongly by the Labour Party. I hope it will step up to the plate again and call for this debate to happen sooner rather than later. The Social Democrats will be against the airport's use and we advocate a phase-out. I hope the Government will support that.

Is that Social Democrats policy? That is news.

I thank everybody for their good wishes and particularly Senator Craughwell for his constructive advice. I hope to watch Senator Craughwell in the debates over the next few weeks and follow his good example.

The Senator will have more quality.

It is a huge honour to serve in Seanad Éireann and I have my friends and family here, including my five-year-old daughter, Saorlaith. I was going to say she was being uncharacteristically quiet, but she has actually fallen asleep.

It happens in here too.

I also pay tribute to Senator Jimmy Harte, who has experienced a horrific number of years. I had the privilege of speaking with him last week and I am glad to say he is slowly but surely making a great recovery. I also thank the Harte family in its entirety for their support, particularly Jimmy's daughter, Amy Rose, who has looked after me so well over the past number of weeks. There has been a great Northern tradition of representation in the Seanad. I have not had the privilege of meeting all the former Senators but I am lucky to have met and have the support of Mr. Seamus Mallon and Bríd as well.

I echo the heartfelt sympathies sent from this House to the people of Paris and I strongly condemn the very cruel attacks that took place at the weekend. I ask the Leader for a debate on sexual offences and abuse. I am thankful that the directors of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and One in Four are here today, and I welcome them. I ask for an indication of when Committee Stage of the sexual offences Bill will be taken.