Like everybody else, I congratulate Mr. Martin Groves on his appointment. I had the pleasure of dealing with the man during one of the most stressful periods of his life, the by-election, and found him to be more than professional. It is a tremendous appointment and I wish him well for the future. I hope I, too, will be here for many years with him.

On the issue of President Trump, the press has a huge case to answer. On the day millions of women all over the world marched against President Trump, his press officer said the press had reported the wrong number of people who had attended his inauguration. What did the press do? It swallowed it. It is printing what he wants it to print.

For God's sake, what happened to the media that would hold people to account? What happened to the media that once would have questioned the likes of President Trump?

I also congratulate my colleague, Senator Billy Lawless. On Sunday evening in Chicago he was representing Irish people with fears. That was a brave thing to do for a man who worked and had his business interests in the United States. He was not shy today in standing up and criticising the new administration. We are extremely lucky to have a man of that calibre sitting in this Chamber with us.

On Brexit, with Senator Frances Black, I attended the seminar at Queen's University Belfast last night at which we had some of the greatest legal brains on the island speaking about the implications of the Supreme Court's ruling. I am rather shocked. It is the third or fourth seminar, debate or conference I have attended at which Brexit has been the topic of discussion. At one I was the only representative from this country. I understood Brexit was the single greatest issue facing the economy. Therefore, I am asking why members of the Government parties are not attending these meetings.

What meetings?

The one held in Brussels organised by Friends of Europe. It was a conference on Brexit.

Who was invited?

There were only two representatives from Ireland at the conference in Bratislava - Senator Terry Leyden and I. Last night at the conference in Belfast there were two representatives, neither of whom was representing the Government. Are we serious about Brexit or are we not? I am calling on the Taoiseach to make a state of the nation address on precisely what the Irish priorities are. I am not asking him to show his hand in the negotiations, but I am asking him to set people's minds at rest in order that we know what we are talking about. I have seen two people from the Taoiseach's office at committee meetings and they were really good as to what it was they were doing. I am asking that we have clarity quickly.