These days there is very little in the way of real politics. It is all entertainment. We have people like Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage and this afternoon we were treated to an extraordinary concentration on the doings of local authorities and grass cutting. For a national parliament, it is obviously just naked electioneering. We have had the odd laugh out of this mongrel Government, but nothing in the wildest extremes of my imagination could conjure up a situation where there would be a Cabinet crisis over the conscience of Shane Ross. It calls to mind the resonance of the War of Jenkins' Ear. It has a lot more to do with Shane Ross trying to take a poke at the Taoiseach.

The Senator is out of order. Will he pay attention, please? He should refer to the Minister properly by his title.

I am sorry.

The person to whom the Senator refers is now a Minister. Will he, please, refer to him correctly?

I beg his pardon. It is the conscience of the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross. We have had this fabulous - I use the word in its correct application - resonance with the War of Jenkins' Ear. It seems that it is avoiding the issue altogether, which is the repeal of the eighth amendment. The Attorney General is usually quite cautious and says things are unconstitutional and we have to take her word. There is such a thing as Cabinet confidentiality. All the medical experts in charge of maternity hospitals tell us this is defective. Unlike Mr. Cabinet Minister Gove, I would be rather inclined to listen to the experts from time to time on the odd chance that they might have something informed to say on the subject.