I wish to mention Senators who are retiring on this occasion, particularly those on this side of the House. I know that Senator Gerard P. Craughwell is retiring but perhaps I am mistaken.

You wish.

I received a telephone call from a councillor this morning to say the Senator was retiring.

I think he probably said I was retiring in his house that evening.

On a more serious note, I wish to mention two colleagues on this side of the House who are retiring. Senator Feargal Quinn has given many years of distinguished service not only to Seanad Éireann but to commerce, business, employment and economic activity within the State. I wish him and his wife and family well in the years ahead.

I also wish my colleague and friend, Senator Jim Walsh, well. He tells me that he was first elected in 1974. I was not even born then. That tells us something about the service the man has given not only to Seanad Éireann since 1997 but also to local government, the members of which - both town and county councillors - elect us.

He has done the State some service. I wish him, Marie and the family well in the years to come.

Senator Jim Walsh might change his mind.

Given that it is almost the last day as we know it, I thank the Leader of the House, Senator Maurice Cummins, the Deputy Leader and all colleagues on the opposite side for their co-operation. The Leader introduced changes which served the House well.

I pay tribute to the staff, to the Clerk of the Seanad, Deirdre Lane, who heads up the team and all of the staff in the Seanad Office who provide their services so diligently and professionally for us all. I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Senator Denis O’Donovan, for their excellent stewardship of Seanad Éireann in the past five years. It was non-partisan and always in the spirit of democracy. I wish all the Seanad candidates who will be looking for votes after the general election well in their endeavours. I am sure we will all be on the road at the same time.

On behalf of the Labour Party group, I wish everyone well and thank the Cathaoirleach and the Leas-Chathaoirleach and all the staff in the Seanad Office, especially the Clerk of the Seanad, Ms Deirdre Lane, for all the work and help they have given us over the years, I wish them the very best for the future.

I thank the Leader, Senator Maurice Cummins, with whom it has been a pleasure to work. I also thank Ms Orla Murray and the staff in the Leader’s office.

I wish all colleagues well and good luck to those running in the general election and in the Seanad election. It has been a momentous term and there will be a momentous few weeks ahead as we face into the general election on 26 February.

Like others, I pay tribute in particular to Senator Feargal Quinn who is retiring after 23 years in the House. As a fellow university Senator, he has been tremendously helpful to, and supportive of, me and the other university Senators. He has been a pleasure and a joy to work with. He is a model for us in terms of his activity and immense contribution to the Seanad over those years. I thank him for his time and public service.

I am glad that while business is wound up in the Dáil we will have important business here on what is effectively the last sitting day of this session. The Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosures) Bill 2012, which is a very important penal reform measure long promised by successive governments. It is great to see it being delivered today. I am glad we will finish that and the Energy Bill 2016. We will have proper legislative business in this House as befits the tradition of the Seanad on our last sitting day. I wish everyone well and look forward to the debate today.

Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil le chuile dhuine - chuile Sheanadóir anseo - as ucht an t-am suimiúil agus spreagúil a bhí againn le ceithre bliana anuas. I acknowledge this important day. I acknowledge the Taoiseach who nominated me as a Senator. It was a deep privilege for me to be inside, working in a democratic institution, albeit in grave need of reform, which is one thing we have not achieved. I appreciate that privilege and the cross-party support I have received as a Senator. The guidance of the Cathaoirleach throughout the past four and a half to five years was important, as was that of the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Senator Denis O’Donovan. In particular, I pay tribute to the Leader, Senator Maurice Cummins, who demonstrated grace under pressure at times. He did an extraordinary job, particularly at times when the Government did not have a majority. I pay particular tribute to Ms Orla Murray in his office.

On behalf of all our group, I thank and acknowledge Senator Ivana Bacik, the leader of the Labour Party group, and her colleagues. I learned a lot from her and admire her greatly for all the work she has done.

I acknowledge the leader of the Fianna Fáil group, Senator Darragh O’Brien, who is obviously busy in his constituency.

I wish all Senators running in the general election the very best. I do not have the courage to run for election but many others here do and I admire them for it. Some Senators are also becoming my friends because of the vote I might possibly be able to give them in the next Seanad election.

I give credit, in particular, to the leader of the independent Taoiseach's nominees group, Senator Jillian van Turnhout; her assistant, Ms Amy McCardle; my assistant, Ms Sarah Kelly, and at the Abbey, Ms Fiona Reynolds, for all of the work they have done in supporting me in the past few years.

I pay tribute to the Superintendent, Commandant Paul Conway; the Captain of the Guard, Commandant John Flaherty; and the head usher, Mr. Colm O'Rourke, all of whom, with respect, dignity and gentlemanly conduct, make it their duty to support us in our work. I also pay tribute to the staff of the Library and Research Service.

This is our last day and I agree with Senator Ivana Bacik on the work we have to do today. I know that the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 was contentious when it went through the Seanad. I am disappointed, on behalf of many NGOs, that the provision providing for the criminalisation of the purchase of sexual services has not been passed. We have advocated and campaigned for it and I hope to continue to do so in my role as a citizen in the future.

I will conclude on a slightly depressing note, but it is important. One of the things we achieved in this Seanad through various Private Members' motions was to stop the amalgamation of various national cultural institutions, particularly those involving the National Gallery of Ireland and the IMMA and the National Library of Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland. Having lauded our Oscar nominees and international reputation, Ireland is still at the bottom of the European league for Government investment in culture and the arts. Council of Europe data show that in 2012 in Ireland just 0.11% of GDP was spent on culture and the arts compared with the European average of 0.6%. I hope the next Seanad, Oireachtas and Government will increase investment in the arts as a matter of priority.

I congratulate the Cathaoirleach. To the best of my knowledge, it is also his 23rd anniversary.

Is he retiring?

Five years.

You, obviously, have no intention of retiring and on that basis, long may you continue. I say to you and the Leader that the support this House has received from both of you, as well as from Ms Deirdre Lane and all of her team, has been greatly appreciated because a great deal has been achieved. I was first elected to the Seanad way back in 1993. I remember coming through the gates and assuming I would have to introduce myself, but I was delighted to be made welcome by the ushers at the door and everybody else. It seems that the team of people working in Leinster House make a huge effort, for which I thank them. On my first day the late Senator Mr. Tom Fitzgerald from County Kerry, whom I had not met previously, met me and offered to show me around. I got a great inkling of where everything was, what to do and what the traditions were. Approximately one week later the then Taoiseach appointed the late Mr. Gordon Wilson as one of his nominees to the Seanad. I had met Gordon a few weeks earlier and had the great pleasure of showing him around Leinster House. Even though I had never been around it myself, except with Mr. Fitzgerald, it was a great way to give the impression that I knew my way around. It is an example of how each of us was made welcome by so many others, including by Senators on the other side of the Chamber. I do not think the willingness and enthusiasm of Senators I have come across in the past 23 years are recognised enough.

I have been involved in a number of careers but in this one every single day from the first time I came into this House I have been fortunate enough to get a sense of achievement and satisfaction. There is a seanfhocal I remember well: éist le fuaim na habhann, agus gheobhaidh tú bradán - listen to the sound of the river and you will catch a salmon.

It is listening that has given us a great opportunity to be able to participate in so many different things. That is one of the reasons I sometimes feel guilty when people criticise the television view of the Seanad or the Dáil and see empty seats. They do not realise how much work is going on and how much work can go on not necessarily in the Chamber.

Years ago, I remember being asked to explain the word “management” in five words or fewer. We spoke about it a lot and came up with, “Management is getting results through other people”. That is what I have learned here in this House. It is about the ability of the Government, this and the other House to get results through other people. I found listening and getting results on that basis has been a huge success. It could not have taken place, however, without the enthusiasm, commitment and the dedication of so many people, both who work here and who have been elected to this House.

Last night, I checked the number of Bills I have had the pleasure of introducing in the House. I have introduced 17 Bills, some of which have become law and others which have become law in different cases. I would love to think it would be possible that somebody in the new Seanad will grab hold of those remaining Bills which have been prepared and will be able to continue with them.

The real challenge is to ensure this House is respected and regarded well. It could not happen without the enthusiasm we get from right around this House. I mention Senator David Norris, the father of the House, as our leader. There are also the other Senators on this side, Senators John Crown, Sean D. Barrett and Rónán Mullen, who cannot be here today. If we are going to succeed, we have to continue with the commitment, the dedication and the enthusiasm which I have seen here during the years.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing us this time to be able to say a few words. I offer everyone going for election every success, even the retiring but not very retiring Senator Gerard P. Craughwell. He is certainly not very retiring, in spite of that today. I wish him well. It would be a shame not to have his voice, along with all the other voices, we hear. Congratulations and I wish everyone going for election, whether for the Dáil or the Seanad, well and I hope we see them back here. I certainly intend to maintain my interest in what is going on here in the years ahead.

This is a day on which we reflect on the past five years and it is important that we thank people. I thank the Cathaoirleach, the Leas-Chathaoirleach, the Leader and the Deputy Leader, the Clerk of the Seanad, Ms Deirdre Lane, and all the staff in the Seanad Office, the ushers and everybody around the House who has helped us in the past five years.

During this term, we retained the Seanad, rightly so. I wish all incoming Senators all the best and hope their presence justifies why the Seanad was retained. These five years I have made many friends in this House and met many people whom I will not forget. Whether I get back here is up to the people when I knock on their doors in the next few weeks after the general election. I thank everybody for the courtesy and friendship they have shown to me.

I know that we cannot get a Minister to come into the House now but there is one issue which the new Seanad, or even the new Dáil, should look at. Yesterday, driving from Kilkenny, I filled my car with diesel which cost 99 cent per litre. When I got to Dublin, I noticed the price per litre was €1.06, €1.07 or €1.08. Somebody has to do something about this. The same company from which I bought my fuel in Kilkenny is selling it in Dublin for €1.06. Somebody is ripping somebody off. The oil companies have to be questioned on the price of diesel. We know the price of a barrel of oil has dropped to under $30.

I wish everybody running in the Dáil and Seanad elections every success. I hope many of us will be back.