Since my experiences in the last presidential election, I could hardly be described as an admirer of the journalistic trade. However, I think what has happened in Independent Newspapers is an utter and absolute disgrace. Yesterday I attended a protest at the O'Callaghan Alexander Hotel. There are people who have spent decades in the service of Independent Newspapers and who are within six months of receiving their pension but who have been cut off with virtually nothing. Their pensions have been absolutely savaged. I refer to a company that is in profit. We have seen the case of Clerys where there was absolutely disgraceful behaviour. Somebody had the cheek to erect a Happy Christmas sign in the window of Clerys and I felt like throwing a stone through it the other day.

Why?

There is a defect in the law. Will the Leader to contact the Government and ask it to produce legislation to deal with this matter? In England a company that is in profit is not allowed by law to walk away from its obligations to pensioners and that is what should happen in this country.

I ask for a debate on transport, particularly in the city of Dublin. The city manager of Dublin has made the moronic suggestion that cars throughout the city should only be allowed to travel at 18.5 mph. If that were the case, cyclists could pass cars. The call has been made because the people in charge of Dublin City Council, formerly known as Dublin Corporation, hate motor cars. They do everything they can to create danger all over the city and are a liability in Dublin. I refer, in particular, to the spikes at the back gate of Trinity College, dublin and having two bus lanes but only one for cars on Pearse Street. Everything is done to stop people from using their cars. Also, due to work on the Luas system, the streets have been dug up all over the place. The new Luas system was an idiotic proposal. In the beginning, there were two separate lines that were totally unconnected and there was no spur line to the airport. I tried many times and we nearly got the powers that be to create an underground system.

I listened to Mr. Paddy Cosgrave from the Web Summit. He was asked how the summit in Lisbon had gone and his first reply was that it had been absolutely brilliant because there was an underground system at the airport. He said the underground system had made the difference between holding the summit in Dublin or Lisbon. Can we debate the need for an underground system? The matter has been masked. People have placed a veil across the matter and claimed there can be no underground system owing to safety concerns. That is absolute rubbish. It is the hatred of the two principal officials of Dublin City Council for the motor car. The real cause should be exposed as such. Citizens have a democratic right to use their motor cars, particularly those who live in the inner city like me. I can scarcely use my car because there are so many one-way streets and areas blocked off and because of the bicycle. It is absolute rubbish - here's to the motor car.

Keep the red flag flying.