On this historic occasion, it is not possible but to reflect on how fortunate we are to have a democracy in this country. We see how difficult the commencement of peace talks have been in Syria and the various appalling situations people are facing around the world. We in Ireland have a democracy where power transfers seamlessly from one Administration to another. There were many young people in the Visitors Gallery this morning and I hope that is something they will reflect on and take away from their visit.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for his courtesy in the past five years and congratulate him on his 23rd anniversary in the House. I thank, too, the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the staff of the House, all of whom have been the essence of courtesy and helpfulness to Members. As previous speakers said, the Leader has done an amazing job.

That is acknowledged by everybody. I wish him well and thank him. I also thank the Deputy Leader, Senator Ivana Bacik. I wish all of the retiring Members well, particularly Senators Feargal Quinn and Jim Walsh, long-serving Members of the House.

It has been a wonderful experience to have served in the House with people who are household names and whom I admired in many guises. I was an avid watcher of "Oireachtas Report" and saw many Members in action over the years. It has been particularly pleasant for me to see how courteous everybody was towards each other and how well everybody worked for the betterment of the country and to improve legislation. I never imagined that five years on from 2011, when the country was in a very difficult situation, we would now be heading into an election in a much more optimistic and positive place. The Government was given a job to do - namely, to fix the public finances and get people back to work - and, despite the fact that mistakes were made, we are, on balance, in a much better place today. I wish all of my colleagues who are contesting the general election every success. I hope they will vacate their seats in the Seanad and find themselves in the Lower House. I wish all of my colleagues who will contest the forthcoming Seanad elections well.

My experience in the past five years has been wonderful. I was astounded by the volume of legislation that came through the House, particularly in the past year. Many very difficult and significant issues that had lain around for quite some time were addressed during the lifetime of this Administration. I express my sincere thanks to everybody for their wonderful courtesy, support and guidance in the past five years. It is to be hoped many of us will meet back here in the next Seanad in the middle of April.

I, too, join colleagues on both sides of the House in thanking the Cathaoirleach, the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Senator Denis O'Donovan, and the Leader of the House, Senator Maurice Cummins, who has played an outstanding role. It should not be forgotten that he took a very brave and courageous stance on the referendum on the Seanad in effectively going against Government proposals, which takes a particular type of courage. That needs to be acknowledged.

I also thank Deirdre, Martin and all of the wonderful staff in the Seanad Office. On behalf of those of us who have had the privilege of being part of the Acting Chairman panel, I offer particular thanks to Ms Aisling Hart who has done an extraordinary job in ensuring the smooth running of the House. Hers is a name that does not spring automatically to mind but without her effectiveness the House might not have run as smoothly as it did.

I am sure both sides of the House would agree with me in singling out my friend and colleague, the Fianna Fáil Whip, Senator Diarmuid Wilson. I know that Senator Paul Coghlan will say his job as Government Chief Whip has been a difficult one and was a balancing act at the best of times.

Thanks to Senator Diarmuid Wilson.

He worked closely with Senator Diarmuid Wilson. It was much more difficult to manage the smaller group of Fianna Fáil Senators to ensure that we looked after our side of the House. He did that magnificently and there were occasions when he stepped into the breach, something that is not on the record, but I acknowledge it. That ensured the smooth and effective running of the House. I wish Senator Diarmuid Wilson well in the election, as well as all other colleagues who are running.

Senator Michael Mullins briefly touched on the camaraderie in the House. To the outside world, the cut and thrust of politics comes across through the media, but all of us who are Members of the House know there is collegiality. In a sense, we look after each other and life is not perhaps as difficult politically as the outside world might think. That ensures the effective running of this democratic institution.

I pay tribute to Senators Feargal Quinn and Jim Walsh, in particular. Senator Feargal Quinn has left an astonishing legacy. He has put 17 Bills through the House as an Independent Senator, which is an extraordinary record. Several of the Bills were successful and the Government took them on board. Irrespective of the other facets of his extraordinary life, he has left a rich legacy of legislation in this House and I wish him and his family every happiness in his retirement.

Senator Jim Walsh came into the House as a Member of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party and I am particularly pleased that he is leaving it as a full member of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party. He has taken stances and principled positions on issues that perhaps did not always generate unanimity. It has been his strength that he has stuck to his principles. I have had the pleasure of working with him on a group he set up in this House some years ago called the human dignity group. As the name suggests, it is about the preservation of human dignity and it has attracted support from all sides of this House and from the other House. That is his legacy and in a way, a voice has been stilled. I hope the stances, policies and principled positions taken by him on issues which are basic to civilisation and humanity will be continued in the new Seanad. I have no doubt that he, too, will continue in that regard.

I thank my friends and colleagues on all sides of the House for their continuing courtesy. To echo the words of Senator Terry Leyden, the nominations by the Taoiseach to this House were unique and unprecedented. Those of us who have worked with the Independent group know that the nominees have enhanced the House considerably with their presence. Irrespective of what they do, I wish them well in their careers. Some will be running for re-election and others may be bowing out of public life but they, too, have left a rich legacy in this House and I wish them well.

I wish to be associated with the tributes paid to the Cathaoirleach and wish him a happy 23rd Seanad birthday today. There were times when Senators would take issue with some decisions but he would disarm us completely with his charming smile and that would be the end of any issue we might have.

I also pay tribute to Ms Deirdre Lane, Mr. Martin Groves and all the staff who have kept me on the straight and narrow, especially when I was Acting Chairman. They guided and advised me on protocol, for which I thank them.

I pay tribute to the leaders of all the parties and the nominees. We have all got on well during the years. The tributes being paid to the Leader of the House, Senator Maurice Cummins, by the long-standing Members are the ones which carry the most weight. We do not know what previous Seanaid were like and how Leaders acted, but Members have paid tribute to Senator Maurice Cummins on bringing about great change, for which I commend him.

I have to pay a special tribute to my own leader, Senator Ivana Bacik. When we came into the House, we were newbies, we did not know the protocol and we were trying to find our feet but she has been an inspiration to us and a superb leader. Her guidance, expertise and knowledge have been invaluable to us and we have learned from her, for which I thank her.

I pay tribute also to our Whip, Senator Aideen Hayden, who has always tried to facilitate us. When controversial legislation was passing through the House and some Senators could not be here, Senator Diarmuid Wilson facilitated Senator Aideen Hayden and pairs were arranged for those of us who could not attend.

I wish Senators Jim Walsh and Feargal Quinn all the best in their retirement. Senator Jim Walsh will admit that we have not always seen eye to eye, but he has always been a man of principle and stood by what he believes. That is what defines him.

Senator Feargal Quinn has been nothing but a true gentleman in this House. I have never heard a bad word said about him by anybody. As I travel around the country and people ask about my days in the Seanad, the two Senators whom everybody will ask about are Senators David Norris and Fearga; Quinn. They are the two who will always be brought up. I can assure them they have made their mark in the Seanad.

In which order?

Whatever it is with the public, these Senators have made their mark with it. An odd time, I might hear another name but those are the two names that will always come up.

I wish candidates standing in the general election well. I refer to a few of my own colleagues and colleagues on the other side of the House standing in the general election. I also wish those who may or may not be contesting the next Seanad election well.

For me, it has been an honour and a privilege to have been elected to Seanad Éireann. I am honoured to have sat on the Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection, which is the committee that is dear to my heart and one that I probably would have been most au fait with. I have made many friends with whom I hope I will remain friends. Regardless of whether we are in the next Seanad, I hope we will remain friends through the years.

Something that kept coming up during my term in the Seanad was how difficult it was for parents who are on social welfare to put their children through third level education. Even with the special rate of the SUSI third level grant, it is difficult. The grant barely covers accommodation. There is also travel, books and the student's living expenses. Parents on social welfare just do not have the money to give them. We must develop some sort of system, even a loan system. It is difficult, in particular, for students who must repeat because such students cannot access the third level grant. That is life. Students fail examinations and must repeat them. I hope the next Government and, in particular, the Seanad, will moot a system where we can help those students who are in financial distress.

I welcome to the Visitors Gallery the actors and staff from the Abbey Theatre. We are running way over time. There must be some auditioning here today.

I will start by dispelling any doubts about my future intentions. I have had the car serviced and a new set of tyres put on it. The tax has been paid and I am on the road from tomorrow. I will be seeking re-election.

Out of courtesy, the Senator should wait until the general election is over.

I thank all Members of the House who are not running on the Labour Panel for supporting my re-election and promising to get votes for me, for which I really thank them.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for his kindness and for the even-handed way in which he dealt with me. As I travel around the country, I assure him I will seek his re-election because he is a decent guy. That is really important.

I thank Ms Deirdre Lane and Mr. Martin Groves, who got a fairly rough time during my by-election success, for the courteous way in which they took my rather irate telephone calls. I very much appreciate their even-handedness and the welcome I received when I came here.

I thank Fine Gael for bringing me here. When I ran for election, my son asked me if I was mad running for an election I could not possibly win. He asked me what sort of a clown I was. On the day I was elected, just before we walked through that door, he said, "Dad, when your posterior hits that seat in there, remember you will be one of the very few citizens of this country who ever gets to sit in one of those chairs." For a guy who started off as a private soldier in the Army, I cannot begin to tell the House the honour it has been to be here and to have worked with Members. I am glad I introduced the party Whips to the notion of working with Independents.

I know that bringing them to the table was like pulling teeth but I brought them there and I am delighted to see they have learned.

To my colleague, Senator Feargal Quinn, I say it is a terrible pity that he is going. I hope he will return to run seminars on how to deal with the electorate in order that Members will remember to take the latter into account.

With the forthcoming election, we are truly heading into uncertain waters. What way it will all work out, I do not know. I ask that when they publish their manifestoes, the various parties should indicate the red-line issues on which they will not negotiate in the context of a programme for Government. The people have a right to know what and whom they are electing and why they are electing them. I have started a "#getoutandvote" drive on Twitter. I do not care who people vote for so long as they vote. I have no time for people who complain about a Government and then do not participate in the political system.

I wish those who are retiring and those who are contesting the election well. As for those on the Labour Panel, I hope they come second to me. The best of luck to everybody.

As this is our final sitting day, like everyone else, I paya warm tribute to the Cathaoirleach. I sat in front of a number of chairpersons during my days in local government. The manner and professionalism with which the Cathaoirleach has chaired proceedings here and his fairness are an example. If they are writing a template on chairing, they should have a good word with the Cathaoirleach and Aisling in the Seanad Office about how she manages his offices and so forth.

I also pay tribute to the Leader, Senator Maurice Cummins, who is inspirational. This is my first time serving as a Member of the House but by all accounts he has set an unprecedented standard in the way he has done his business. I also acknowledge his private secretary, Orla, and, indeed, Frankie and Lauren and the staff of the House, all of whom deserve our praise. They are courteous beyond belief. I also thank Deirdre, Martin, Ronan, Niamh, Keishia - who came before Niamh - all of the ushers, the Journal Office staff and so forth for the way they look after us. It makes our job easier when we are dealt with by such courteous people.

Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill said he was not born when Senator Jim Walsh came into the House. I looked up the date of the 1974 local elections on Google and I can tell the House that I was 24 days old when Senator Jim Walsh was elected.

A baby.

Senator Jim Walsh's principled position is unflinching. He sticks to it because he believes in it and that is what politics is about. It is about getting elected and sticking to one's principles. If a lot of other politicians stuck to their principles, this country would be a far better place.

My generation is the one that respected the likes of Senators Feargal Quinn and David Norris. I was a second year politics student in UCD being lectured on Tuesday and Thursday mornings by the Seanad's former Leader, Maurice Manning, when Senator Feargal Quinn was elected. Sadly, I did not have a vote then because I was an undergraduate. We spent our political careers admiring people such as Senators David Norris and Feargal Quinn, as well as Senator Sean D. Barrett who was a lecturer at the time and has proved to be a very outspoken person in the area of economics and on the rights and wrongs relating to it. It has been a great pleasure serving with people of such distinction.

I wish all those Senators who are seeking election to the Lower House the very best, particularly the Leader of the Opposition, a thorough gentleman, Senator Darragh O'Brien. He was very disappointed when he lost his Dáil seat on the previous occasion. I think he is going to be back in the Lower House, which will be a loss to the next Seanad. I tried it myself but, unfortunately, I did not get to the starting line on that occasion. I will hopefully be in a position to seek re-election to this House and what happens, happens. The past five years have been phenomenal in terms of the learning curve I have been on and it has been a huge honour to serve here. It is amazing how, over time, one develops a very deep, personal bond - as well as a political one - with all of the other 59 Members of this House.

I suppose the politics is what creates the personal bond. Every person in this House is here because he or she wants to serve and better Ireland. They want to see a better society at the end of the day. All of us have considerable regard for each other. I have served in council chambers where there was rancour and so on and sometimes it lasted, but I can say that the professionalism with which people have done their business here has been inspirational. It has been a pleasure to work with such a group of distinguished parliamentarians. Let us hope we see other days in future.

Like other colleagues, I join in the tributes paid to you, a Chathaoirligh. You have been very fair and impartial as Cathaoirleach. I know that there were rumours some time ago that you might not be contesting this election, but I am glad that you have clarified the position and I wish you well.

I thank the Senator for the clarification.

I also pay tribute to the Leas-Chathaoirleach, my colleague, Senator Denis O'Donovan. He was also fair and impartial and an excellent vice chairman. I pay tribute to Deirdre, Martin, Aisling and all the staff of the Seanad Office for their courtesy and help to me throughout the past five years and previously when I first became a Member.

I pay tribute to Senators Feargal Quinn and Jim Walsh who have announced their retirement. I pay tribute to other colleagues in the House who have decided not to go forward either in the Seanad or the general elections. It has been a privilege to serve with each and every one of them. Like Senator Michael Mullins, before I became a Member I was an avid follower of "Oireachtas Report". I soon went off it when I became a Member and I have not looked at it since.

It was a pleasure to meet Senator Feargal Quinn when I first became a Member. Yesterday, Senator Mary Ann O'Brien commented on how she went to one of his shops when she was starting up her business and introduced herself and her product. She was welcomed by the manager of the store, John Foy. John Foy learned a lot from Senator Feargal Quinn - he told me as much himself - and he went on to open his own supermarket in Cootehill, County Cavan. The supermarket is going from strength to strength and services not only Cootehill, but much of the surrounding area into County Monaghan and beyond. That is only one of the stories that emerged as a result of Senator Feargal Quinn setting up Superquinn. John Foy is one of thousands of people who went on to successful careers of their own as a result of working with the Senator.

I also pay tribute to Senator Jim Walsh. It has been a privilege for me to be a party colleague of his. I am glad to see that he is back in the parliamentary party, where he belongs. As has been said here, the Senator is a man of principle. I agree with most of those principles, but not all of them, and we have had discussions and disagreements in the past. With Senator Feargal Quinn, I wish them and their families many years of happiness together in the future.

Tributes have been paid to the Leader of the House as well and I agree with each of the positive comments made about him. I worked with the Leader when I was Government Chief Whip. We were elected to the House on the same day. We became very close friends when I became Government Chief Whip during the last Seanad. I thank people for their comments in respect of me and the job I have carried out during the past five years. The reason I carried out the job to the best of my ability is that I understood exactly where the Government Chief Whip of the day and his deputy, Senator Aiden Hayden, stood when it came to tight votes. In case any of my party colleagues are listening in, I was not a soft touch or anything like that.

Far from it.

I know all about that.

Only deserving cases were paired. I am glad to join in the tributes to the Leader.

I thank Senators Paul Coghlan and Aideen Hayden, the Whip and deputy Whip on the Government side. I thank my leader in the House, Senator Darragh O'Brien, and those who filled in for him in his absence for their help.

I thank all colleagues in the House, in particular those in Fianna Fáil and on this side, for their help in my attempts to defeat the Government on occasion.

Since starting out five years ago, we have lost three Members. Thankfully, it was through their own free will and not as in previous Seanaid when Members unfortunately passed away. I want to remember them today. I wish Jimmy Harte who retired recently due to illness and his family the very best of luck in the years ahead. Martin McAleese resigned for personal reasons, in that he was going on to do other things. I wish him well. Deirdre Clune went on not to bigger and better things but to a different place. I wish her well. She is not facing the uncertainty in the next couple of weeks that we are, but she was an excellent Member of the House and a good colleague. I wish her well, too.

Senator David Norris stated we would be moving from this beautiful Chamber to a lesser place. All I can say is that I hope I will be moving to that lesser place in the weeks ahead. I wish each and every Senator who is contesting the Seanad and general elections the very best of luck. I hope to be among their number in the weeks ahead. I thank everyone.

From one Burke to another, I thank the Cathaoirleach for the way in which he has managed the affairs of the House in the past five years. I thank the group leaders, in particular ours, who is the Leader of the House, for the manner in which they worked together to try to effect change.

I pay tribute to the staff for their dedication and commitment in the past five years to assisting Members in every way possible. I also pay tribute to the Oireachtas Library and Research Service staff who have always been helpful and those involved in drafting legislation who provided assistance when we were introducing our own.

In that regard, there is a role for the House in terms of Private Members' Bills. Departments need to wake up to the fact that not everything needs to come from them. Senators know what is required on the ground and when laws must be changed. If a Senator proposes draft legislation, Departments and Ministers should get on board. I have tabled three Private Members' Bills. While one was eventually accepted by the Government, I am disappointed that the others were not taken on board. Other Senators tabled Private Members' Bills. During my time in the European Parliament, people worked together around a table to find the best way forward. Every Senator wants to bring about the best changes for the people. That is to the forefront of our minds when we introduce legislation. It is important that the next Seanad take this point on board.

I pay tribute to those Senators who are retiring. None of us has any guarantee that we will return, but I thank those who will definitely not be back for their contribution in the past five years or even longer, in particular Senators Jim Walsh and Feargal Quinn. The latter is self-employed and has his own business. There is a lack of people from the business community in the Oireachtas. When the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party had 99 members, I worked out that 20 were teachers and only six of us had practised law. We need a balance and must involve self-employed people in the Oireachtas and in determining how to develop and grow the economy.

People from the private sector have a contribution to make and Senator Feargal Quinn has certainly proved this in the 23 years he has been here. I wish him well in his retirement.

The areas of health and housing are the two major challenges we face in the next five years. As a country, we have the second highest spend on health care in the European Union, yet we have quite an inefficient service. We face major challenges in this area, to which the next Government and Oireachtas will have to face up. We have a huge change in demographics in the next 15 to 20 years, for which we need to start planning. I do not think we are focused on it, but if we do not focus on it, we will have major difficulties in five, ten and 15 years time. These are two issues on which we need to focus in the next five years.

I come back to something Senator Michael Mullins raised regarding democracy. I worked on the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the European Parliament and the Subcommittee on Human Rights and travelled to a number of countries where there is no democracy. I travelled to one country where up to 10,000 young people carry machine guns, where every place one went on the street, every second person had a gun. At least in this country we have a democracy, which has been very good. We may not always agree with the Government and the Opposition, but at least we have a democratic system that gives the choice to people, who elect the Government of the day. That is something we should never forget. We have been so good in managing our affairs over the last 90 or 100 years and long may it continue. Now that we are coming to the anniversary of the 1916 Rising, there will be another 100 years where democracy thrives and the people have the right to change the law and to change the Government and not be dictated to by the people who carry guns and ammunition.

Ba mhaith liom comhcheangal leis na Seanadóirí eile agus míle buíochas a ghabháil leis an Chathaoirleach. Is post an-ghnóthach atá anseo agat. Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an Seanadóir Maurice Cummins, mar Leader an tSeanaid. Mar a dúirt an Seanadóir David Norris, is eisean "the best Leader ever". I can say that from my term in the Seanad, but coming from Senator David Norris, the Leader can very fittingly take a bow, as can the Cathaoirleach, given the way he has chaired.

Gabhaim míle buíochas freisin le Deirdre, Martin, Aisling agus an foireann go léir in Oifig an tSeanaid agus leis na huiséirí agus na gardaí atá ansin gach uile lá. Gabhaim buíochas le hOrla Murray freisin, atá in oifig an Cheannaire, agus lena fear céile, an Seanadóir John Crown. Táim ag ceapadh go ndúirt seisean freisin that he was retiring.

I said a few words yesterday about Senator Feargal Quinn. He is a man of the people as well as a businessman, a man of the Seanad and he has proposed much legislation. It is said that if one gives a busy person some work, it will be done. There is no better man to say that of than Senator Feargal Quinn.

Another Member of the Seanad who has done the Seanad some service in bringing forward legislation, with Senator Feargal Quinn, is Senator Jim Walsh. I have soldiered a long time with him and wish him well. He is a man of his word. What he says, he always carries out. I worked with him on the Local Authorities Members Association, LAMA, and note, in particular, the interest he took in North-South issues. I am a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly now, but when we were members of LAMA, along with Michael Lawlor, and setting up the Confederation of European Councillors, as we have seen with the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, networking on the ground was so important. We set up the North-South body of councillors, with Senator FeargalQuinn guiding it. It is a thing we will have to look at again because it is the bottom-up approach. The councillors are so important, as is networking and North-South co-operation. I will talk to Councillor Colm Brophy who is now president of the AILG and perhaps he will be able to carry it forward.

While I am talking about Senator Jim Walsh and co-operation, I want to particularly thank all of the Senators who served on the banking inquiry committee. I know that Senator Michael D'Arcy mentioned them yesterday. As Senator Marie Moloney said, the names of Senators Feargal Quinn and David Norris are often mentioned. I have heard Senator Sean D. Barrett's name mentioned with particular reference to his input on economics and to the banking inquiry since it was set up. I pay tribute to all those who spent hours and hours in the basement, including Senator Michael D'Arcy-----

Senator Marc MacSharry.

Senator Susan O'Keeffe.

Yes, Senators Susan O'Keeffe and Marc MacSharry.

The Senator has already mentioned Senator Sean D. Barrett.

As I said, they gave of their time when others were out pounding the pavements. Many of them are running for election. I wish them well. I wish all of my colleagues in the Seanad and in government who are running for election the very best of luck. I would also like to mention the co-operation we received from Senator Diarmuid Wilson. I know we had our spats on occasion but I want to refer particularly to the co-operation we received. We have seen how the Independent Senators, including those nominated by the Taoiseach, have co-operated, albeit not on every occasion. The Independents stepped forward in the context of bringing that out.

I congratulate the Minister for Education and Skills on her announcement yesterday of the introduction of politics and society as a new subject on the leaving certificate curriculum. If it does nothing else, I hope it will inform students of how important it is that everybody who has a vote goes out and uses it - both in the Seanad election and the general election - because that will determine how we run the country. The new leaving certificate subject, politics and society, will educate people on how important this is. We have seen its importance for people from every sector of society. I think that is where the Seanad has been seen. There are people from all sectors of society in here. As I have said, I wish everybody the best of luck going forward. I will finish by saying a big "Thank you" to all of the staff.

I have to say I did not enjoy a single day of my first three months in the Seanad. To be honest, having come from 25 years in local government and having served as chairperson of my local county council, I could not take it into me. I could not understand the disrespect to the Chair from different sides of the House. I could not understand why Senators desisted from doing what he said when he stood up such as, for example, when he said time was up. That was one of the first things I noticed. I am glad to say things have changed. I have enjoyed my five years here. I have made many friends whom I hope to have for life. I will not be voting for Senator Maurice Cummins this time. He will be getting my No. 2. I acknowledge the contribution he has made. I am after getting a slap on my bottom. I have made the wrong decision as usual.

It was not me.

I acknowledge the contribution of the Cathaoirleach. It annoyed me for the first few months - it still does - that the Chairman was disregarded and people were disrespectful to him.

The Senator's time is up.

I do not think I have interrupted a single person in the five years I have spent here. I honestly hope I have not. I did not interrupt the Chairman.

The Senator interrupted me on a number of occasions.

I can tell the Senator that I am going to interrupt him in one minute.

I acknowledge the contributions made by the Deputy Leader and the Leader of the Opposition and by all leaders and Whips.

Everyone has mentioned Senator Feargal Quinn. I would like to recall something that happened when I was a young man. Senator Feargal Quinn may not recall this because it was not today or yesterday. I was sitting at a lunch table in Dundalk with Senator Quinn and some of our mutual friends. A guy came in at approximately 1.15 p.m. and said "Feargal, you are not going to be pleased with what I have to say to you." I did not know what he was about to say. I recall what he said and Senator Feargal Quinn's response. This guy said a major competitor was coming to Dundalk. I will not name the company concerned.

I will never forget the business head the Senator had then. He said to the man that his wish was that the competitor would occupy the shop right next door to him, Lipton's. The man asked why and Senator Feargal Quinn said it was because he would have the bargains and the competitor the footfall, but that he, the Senator, would gain from it. I never forgot that. I know of shops that have objected to competitors arriving, but the Senator welcomed it. I agree with one of my Seanad colleagues who said we did not have enough business heads in both Houses of this establishment. Well done to Senator Feargal Quinn who has contributed to politics in the same way as he contributed to business in Dundalk and other parts of the country.

Many Senators have already traversed the country four and five times. I have done it only once. Senators, including any Fianna Fáil councillors who come to the Cooley Peninsula, will be hit by the telephone and Internet reception. On Monday of this week, I witnessed a councillor taking a call on a mobile phone with his head out the kitchen window to get a reception. Internet and telephone receptions on the Cooley Peninsula are practically non-existent. We will be hit by this.

The Senator will not be there for the next couple of months.

One will need reception in travelling around the country.

I have had a few blips with my health in the past four or five years, but, thankfully and touch wood, it is nothing serious. However, I do not and will not forget the individual whom I and others call "the gentlemen of the Seanad," Senator Diarmuid Wilson. When I needed somebody to stand in for me or pair with me, he said, "Scobie, whatever you need is forthcoming."

I acknowledge the contribution of the Leas-Chathaoirleach who allowed me to continue on a few occasions when I should have shut up but did not. It has been a happy five years and I have made some great friends. I acknowledge the contribution of the Independent Senators. At this late stage, I acknowledge the contribution of our newest member, Senator Máiría Cahill, who has been here for a very short time. As far as I am concerned, she has made a significant contribution to the Seanad.

I had not intended to speak as I was sitting in my office listening to everybody else’s contribution, but I decided I would. I did not believe I would ever in my life use the phrase "Senator Scobie". I thank the Senator very much for his remarks.

I became a Member a very short time ago. I was somewhat nervous coming here because, although one is used to watching people on the television making their contributions, one never believes in a million years that one will be sitting among some political heavyweights here. I became a Member with the intention of raising specific issues and believe I stand on record as having done this. I treat people the way I am treated and in the way in which I find them. I thank everybody right across the House for the very decent way in which I have been treated. I believe I have made some very good friendships, certainly personal friendships, along the way. It is a great honour and privilege to be in this House, as I said when I came here at the start of November. It is particularly good to have some Northern representation. I have treated my role very seriously and have very much enjoyed my time here. Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir.

I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on the way he ensured order in this House in the past five years. I thank Deirdre, Martin and Aisling. The Leader of the Seanad, Senator Maurice Cummins, has done a fantastic job and has been very fair to all the Senators across the House. Well done to him and everybody in his office. They have been very approachable and efficient.

I congratulate Senator Paul Coghlan, whom I have known for a long time, on his job as Whip. I know that we have our own little situation, but I am still very fond of him.

It is reciprocated.

I wish all those Senators who have completed a term of five years and decided not to go forward for election again every success in whatever they choose to do. I wish Senators Jim Walsh and Feargal Quinn a very happy retirement. If Senator Feargal Quinn gets a little bored, it would be a good idea for him to open a tie shop. I have a good eye for fashion but have never seen anything like the ties the Senator has worn.

I agree with Senator Colm Burke in that I hope the next Oireachtas will have more businesspeople. This is very important.

I thank Senator Diarmuid Wilson for finding me to be a deserving case on all those occasions on which he gave me a pair. It is sometimes not easy when one has family and lives down the country. This can give rise to difficulties, a few of which I had myself. I thank Senators Diarmuid Wilson and Paul Coghlan for being understanding. I hope I will be re-elected to the House.

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Seanadóir Paddy Burke as ucht an obair a rinne sé mar Chathaoirleach le cúig bliana anuas. Ba mhaith liom fosta mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le Deirdre Lane agus a foireann as ucht an cuidiú a thug sí, ní amháin domsa ach do gach Seanadóir.

I thank the Leader for being such a good Leader and the Chief Whip, in particular, for the cross-Border task force, on which he did a great job, and for keeping us in line.

With regard to Senator Feargal Quinn, the Russian novel and the Irish short story have the same feature, which is called the "críoch ciorclach," or the circular ending. The people of Dundalk have a fondness for the Senator, but they were a wee bit annoyed with him that he went down to Drogheda and helped it. Perhaps he will come back to Clanbrassil Street with an overarching plan for the regeneration of the town of Dundalk, seeing as he made his first billion in that town.

Two points stood out for me in the Seanad. As education spokesperson, I noted that we were the ones who introduced the Education and Training Boards Bill and the further education Bill. It is important that we raise the status of vocational education and skills training. The education and training boards are doing a good job in this regard. As all, or most, of the amendments came through this House, we can take special pride in it.

I support Senator Jim Walsh in his comments on Justice for the Forgotten. We need to keep the debate going here. We cannot allow the issues not to be explained fully to the people. There is no hierarchy of Irishness. When someone stands up and says he or she is an Irish republican, he or she should note that we are all Irish republicans. We live in a republic.

I was on Raidió na Gaeltachta yesterday and someone rang in and asked me in a friendly way whether I still supported doing away with the national anthem. Senator Feargal Quinn raised the subject of the national anthem on one occasion and I added to his remarks by saying, just for debate, that we should do away with it altogether and have another one. The caller made a remark to which I was not able to reply.

He said on a radio programme that it had been sung in every school in Ireland, but I would have told him that it was not being sung on the Shankill Road or in east Belfast. I love the national anthem and still get choked with emotion when I hear it. However, we must remember that when we make a statement about something, we might not always be inclusive or working on an all-Ireland basis, but that is a debate for the next Seanad.

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Senator Denis O'Donovan, who always gave me more time than the Cathaoirleach did.

The Senator is way over time.

Nílim ach ag magadh.

I had not intended to speak, but the Cathaoirleach indicated that he wanted me to do so and manners are important in all of our lives.

The Senators used beautiful words when referring to our amazing leaders and the ushers, but "thank you" is what I want to say to everyone. My time here has been the fastest five years of my life. I am a confident person in the food business and out and about, but it took me a long time to find my feet in here. However, they have been the most decent, welcoming and polite group of people.

As I got out of the traps early yesterday with my comments about Senator Feargal Quinn, I will not say anything about him today. He was embarrassed yesterday because I piled adoration on him. I said nothing about "St. Diarmuid" yesterday, but we will leave that for another day.

Sadly, I am not running again, although I am only 55 years old; therefore, Senators may see me again in five years time. However, the Senators who are re-elected will see a lot of me because I am dedicated to children with disabilities. The Jack & Jill Children's Foundation and all of the families to which I am connected on the medical cards issue will be part of me forever. I am not going away in that regard.

I am very upset about the way we treat the environment in Ireland. The Senators know my views on fluoride, and we will not start that debate now, but this is the only country in Europe that puts that strange stuff in the water. I will not go away on that issue either.

I love business, food and chocolate. I love entrepreneurs. I believe in the island of Ireland and its greenness. In what other country in the world can one take a satellite photograph and get the real thing? It is green; therefore, I will never stop in my belief in that regard. I told the Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, the other night that he had been a brilliant Minister. Ireland has taken off in terms of exports. We are over the €12 billion figure and on our way to reaching €19 billion by 2025. I hope the Senators who return here will remain focused on that issue, which is indigenous. As it belongs to us, we should stay focused on it.

I am not saying goodbye to any of the Senators because I will be in here morning, noon and night. However, I have three people over 90 years old with whom I hope to spend more time. I will spend a little more time on my business for a while, but I will be plugged into what the Senators are doing in this House also.

Senators Diarmuid Wilson, Seán D. Barrett, Imelda Henry and all the Senators who return will see a good deal of me. The Leader is down the road from me in Waterford. I will stay plugged into what this House is doing because it is the best club and the greatest honour to be a Member, but we will not stop in terms of our will to change things and do better.

Senators can stop using the word "retirement" when speaking about Senator Feargal Quinn because he has so many plans. He is launching a new book in May. He has a new television series planned that will take him a year to make. His beautiful wife Denise is thinking of divorcing him because she never sees him. She never will see him. For the record, he is not retiring.

I thank Deirdre and the staff. We would not be here but for them. I agree with the comments about the parliamentary reporters. I do not know how they do it.

I heartily agree with all the fine tributes to the Cathaoirleach, the Leas-Cathaoirleach, the Leader of the House, the Leader of the Opposition, Deirdre and her staff, and the staff in all the sections of the House including the Library and Research Service and the ushers. Everybody has been very kind to us.

I pay tribute to those Members who have announced their retirement, including Senator Feargal Quinn who trained a good man in John Foy, as well as Senators John Crown, Fiach MacConghail and Jim Walsh. I can assure Senator Jim Walsh that if I am fortunate enough to be back here and have anything to do with that body, once the sensitivity of the timing is approved, that issue will not go off the agenda.

My colleague, Senator Aideen Hayden, has referred to the fact that we did not lose any legislation. Were we not fortunate? Technically, we were in a minority, but we never lost any aspect of legislation. The Government may have been caught once or twice in terms of inconsequential motions, but that did not do any harm.

That is the way I am peddling it.

That just sharpens us.

What can I say about the Opposition Whip, Senator Diarmuid Wilson, who was Government Chief Whip in a previous Parliament of which I was honoured to be a Member? He made my job very easy. Members have heard all the tributes paid and he deserves them all. I did not have to do a lot on many occasions. He used to refer me to the foreign office, but that was a joke between us. We always got on very well and managed to agree on many issues. The wording for one or two motions were agreed on an all-party basis, thanks be to God. He referred to Senator David Norris speaking about moving from this Chamber to a lesser place. I hope I will make it to that lesser place with him.

Senator David Norris, the father of the House, was as interesting and amusing as ever when he referred to all of us on this side of the House voting for our extinction in terms of abolishing this House. That was never the case. As true democrats, we passed the legislation to allow the people to have their say, but I dare say that in the secrecy of the ballot box we did the right thing. I say, "Well done," to all Senators. We will met anon. God bless.

I, first, thank the Cathaoirleach for his indulgence in terms of my position as Leas-Cathaoirleach in the past four years and eight months, to be precise. I thank those who paid compliments to me, although I am not sure whether I deserved them. I thank the staff here, Deirdre and Martin, the Captain of the Guard and the Superintendent.

It is a special day for Senator Jim Walsh, to whom I wish every happiness in retirement. It is a long time ago since I canvassed with him in New Ross, although not on the same panel.

I refer to the inimitable Senator Feargal Quinn who says his piece quietly. He reminds me of the village schoolmaster, "that one small head could carry all he knew", but when he spoke he spoke eloquently and to the point. He will be a loss to this House, but I am sure there are others outside it to replace him.

The one thing I have learned about politics - I am around a long time - is that there is no security of tenure for any of us. My sister sent me a text message this morning as soon as she heard that the Dáil was dissolved stating it was 29 years since I had first decided to run for the Dáil. In that regard, I feel a weight off my shoulders; I am relieved. I say to those who are thinking of running on the Agricultural Panel that I will be on it and will be a thorn in their sides. However, it is surreal for me not to be running in the Dáil general election for the first time in what is almost all of my adult life. To see Members today who are retiring from this and the other House is surreal also.

The most phenomenal achievement in the past five years of this Seanad occurred when the future of this elegant and noble Chamber, the Upper House, was put to the test. It was a mistake by the Taoiseach to go down that road, but a message was sent to this House by the people not alone in terms of saving the Seanad but also about reform. There has not been enough done in that regard. That is an issue the next Seanad and the Government might re-examine because it is important that we do it.

It is also important to compliment the Leader of the House, with whom I have had a great working relationship.

He has done a great job. I also compliment the Government Whip, Senator Paul Coghlan, and Senator Aideen Hayden, as well as our own leader, Senator Darragh O'Brien, who is on the trail. I wish everyone success, whether in running for the Dáil or the Seanad or not running at all. Politics is difficult. There are Members present who think we will be back in three months time, but we may not be. It could be me who may not be back. It is an uncertain lifestyle. I often wonder if I made the right decision when I came to the fork in the road and had a choice of continuing in the legal profession or pursuing a career in politics. However, I am now on the road and there is no turning back, but I have had a good innings.

I thank everyone from all sides of the House, including Independent Senators, for the camaraderie I have experienced here. By and large, party politics are left aside when we are in the House. That is very important. The Seanad is different from the other House. If there are issues to be dealt with, we try to deal with them and leave the veil of political parties outside the Chamber. I understand the Cathaoirleach's indulgence. This is like mass on Holy Saturday, probably one of the longest masses of the year. This Order of Business has been extremely long, but it is probably the last in this Seanad.

Members have referred to Senator Diarmuid Wilson. We are supposed to have a Whip on this side of the House, but, unfortunately, he does not have a whip. He has a fur or sheepskin whip because he does not lash too hard with it. This should be recognised, but he deals effectively with business and that is what is important.

I wish all of my colleagues luck, whether they are running for the Dáil or the Seanad. There are a few tough months ahead of us and there will be winners and losers. There will be the vanquished and the victors. Sometimes, in politics this is a hard pill to swallow and I have swallowed it many a time. I hope on the road ahead it will be a little sweeter.

There I was thinking the Order of Business would be very brief this morning, but it is only right and fitting that we reminisce and reflect on the five year period of this Seanad. Looking back, there were five referenda, as well as a presidential election, while quite a volume of legislation passed through the House. The five important referenda included the children's rights referendum, as well as the referendum on marriage equality. There was also a referendum on whether the second House of the Oireachtas should continue and, in their wisdom, the people decided to retain it. Naturally, I think they made a very good decision. There were two other referenda on judges' pay and Oireachtas inquiries, an issue which may be revisited.

I take the opportunity to pay tribute to the Cathaoirleach and the skinned. They are important people in keeping the House running in a seaman-like manner. I mention running the House in a seaman-like manner as I see a gentleman in the Visitors Gallery, Mr. Enda O'Coineen, who travelled around the world on his own. The Cathaoirleach and the skinned did a wonderful job in steering the ship through what at times were stormy waters, for which I pay tribute to them.

I also pay tribute to Deirdre and all of the staff in the Seanad Office, as well as all other staff in the Oireachtas, including the ushers and the stenographers. I pay tribute to my own staff, Orla, Frankie and Jason, who also stepped in.

We have worked as a team during the past five years and our strong point has always been the scrutiny of legislation. This is something the House does very well and I hope it will continue to do so. It is something that has been commented on by Ministers from all sides, past and present. We do not guillotine debates on legislation too much in this House, which is the way it should be. It is only in circumstances where emergency legislation is being dealt with that debates should be guillotined. On one occasion I recollect a certain Minister insisting on the debate on legislation being guillotined and suggesting the Taoiseach would be rung to make me guillotine it. I told the said person that if he rang the Pope, the debate would not be guillotined and it was not. Its role in the scrutiny of legislation has been the most important aspect of this House.

I pay tribute to colleagues who are retiring. I did so yesterday in the case of Senator Feargal Quinn. That he has introduced almost 17 Bills in the period he has been in the House bears testimony to the amount of work he has done and the esteem in which he is held by all colleagues on all sides. Senator Jim Walsh has also been in the Seanad for quite some time and I wish him well in his retirement. We have had many differences, but we have agreed on several occasions, too, on which I compliment him. As Senator Paschal Mooney said, he came here as a Fianna Fáil Senator and it is only fitting that he leave as a Fianna Fáil Senator.

Other colleagues who have announced that they are retiring include Senator Fiach Mac Conghail who has been a wonderful advocate for the arts. I agree with him that the issue of arts funding will have to be examined by the new Government.

Senator John Crown has also been a wonderful Member of the House. He was insightful and on many occasions his knowledge was very important when considering Bills dealing with health matters. We will certainly miss his expertise.

Senator Mary Ann O'Brien has indicated today that she will not be standing again. She contributed to debates on many Bills and certainly displayed her expertise last week when dealing with the horse racing Bill. Her in-depth knowledge of the industry surprised many.

I wish all Members who are retiring and all those who will be contesting elections, be it the general election or the Seanad election, every success. It has been an honour to be Leader of the House for the past five years, but I could not have done it without the help and co-operation of each and every Member. I thank all Members for their assistance.

Mr. Enda O'Coineen is most welcome to the Visitors Gallery. There will be many Enda O'Coineens in the next few months, although it is only around Ireland they will be travelling. I wish them well.

I thank the Leader for the way he has conducted the business of the House in the past five years. I also thank the Leader of the Opposition, Senator Darragh O'Brien; the father of the House, Senator David Norris, as well as the Government and Opposition Whips and various group leaders. It has been a great honour and privilege to serve as Cathaoirleach for the past five years. I am one of the few to come into the House who has not stood and never intended to stand for election to the other House.

It is never too late.

I have been fully committed at all stages to this House. I believe in the Second Chamber and was delighted when the people made the right decision a number of years ago.

Some Members are retiring. I have been in the House with Senator Feargal Quinn for 23 years and it has been a great honour to serve with him. He has been a very strong and well respected voice in this House. When he spoke, people listened to what he had to say.

Senator Walsh Jim and I go back quite a long time. I knew him before I came into this House through the Local Authority Members Association and the local authority system. As he has been a public representative since 1974, it will be quite a change for him when he leaves public life. I wish him well in his retirement.

All of the Taoiseach's nominees were an inspiration to this House and all of them are present bar one or two who may be standing for the Dáil. It was great to hear different voices from those from the parliamentary parties and political parties. I believe it was inspirational of the Taoiseach to nominate people such as Senators Mary Ann O'Brien, John Crown, Jillian van Turnhout, Marie-Louise O'Donnell, Fiach Mac Conghail and Katherine Zappone.

This was a different Seanad from all the others of which I have been a Member. We had Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Labour Party, Sinn Féin, the Taoiseach's nominees, the university Senators, the other Independent Senators and, as it turned out, Renua. It was a very different Seanad from all of the others. I believe all of the legislation that went through this House was well scrutinised. That is what this House is about - scrutinising legislation - and that is what the people decided was best for the country.

I thank the Clerk, Deirdre Lane; the Clerk Assistant, Martin Groves, as well as Jody Blake, who was here for two and a half years of this Seanad. I also thank Jason, Keishia, Ronan, Niamh and Aisling, the secretary to the Cathaoirleach, who regulates the Chair. They have done a wonderful job during what was a difficult five-year period in that the Government did not always have the majority, amendments were brought in late and so forth. I compliment the staff. It was a great honour to work with them and to see how it works from the other side.

As Senator Diarmuid Wilson pointed out, there are three other Members who started out with us, Martin McAleese, Deirdre Clune and Jimmy Harte, two of whom retired and one who went to the European Parliament. I wish the three of them well, Jimmy Harte in particular.

By and large, this was an excellent Seanad. When I look around, I see quite a number of Members who will not be back. It will be a changed Seanad, just as this Seanad was much changed from the previous one. I wish anyone who is standing for the Dáil the very best of luck and the same goes for all Members who are standing for the next Seanad election. While this may not be our last meeting, we may not get the opportunity to say this again. I wish them all the best of luck.

In a glaring omission, I forgot to thank the Deputy Leader, Senator Ivana Bacik, who has been such a wonderful stalwart in the past five years. I also thank the other people who make the place tick, the Whips, Senators Paul Coghlan, Aideen Hayden and Diarmuid Wilson. Most of our people, when they come to the House, would say: "I must get on to Diarmuid for a pair," and I would have to say, "We have a Government Whip, you know." I did not know who was the Government Whip for a long time. I thank the Whips, as that was another glaring omission on my part.

I want to be associated with the thanks exprssed to Senator Ivana Bacik who did an excellent job when the Leader was not present. This House is not run by any one person. It takes everyone here to contribute to the running of the House. I also take the opportunity to compliment those from the House who have served on the commission, as well as the Ceann Comhairle, who deserves congratulations in that regard. The commission runs the Houses of the Oireachtas and there are over 1,200 people here, between Members, staff, ushers and so on. It is a huge organisation, when we think of it. The Ceann Comhairle did a wonderful job in chairing those meetings and running the Houses, for which I thank him. I wish everybody well in the future.

Senator John Kelly has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, "That No. 11 be taken before No. 1." Is the Leader willing to accept the amendment?

I am willing to accept it.

Is the amendment agreed to? Agreed.