Ba mhaith liom focal nó dhó a rá faoin Seanadóir Norris freisin. I just wanted to congratulate Senator Norris on a significant personal milestone. I am sure it means the world to him to have all of us queuing up to throw rose petals at his feet. No one is worthier in this Chamber because it is a special day for Senator Norris. Many other Members know him much better and much longer and are much more authoritative in their assertions. While there are many issues where he and I would diverge in our opinion, there are many more where we are completely in concert. As a voice for progress and voice for social justice in Ireland he and I are very much at one.

Given the subject matter and the contributions in recent weeks and months, I bring to Members' attention the Gaelic Voices For Change initiative. Past and present GAA county players will sleep out to raise awareness of the escalating housing and homeless crisis in Ireland. The event is supported by the Gaelic Players Association and the Women's Gaelic Players Association. They have announced that sleep-outs will take place in Dublin, Belfast, Portlaoise, Galway, Cork, Limerick, and Carlow. More locations will be announced in the coming days. Players and squads wishing to register can do so online until next Monday. They are also looking for help and volunteer action in respect of tea and coffee, food, sleeping bags, music and everything else that can be done to assist them to highlight a serious issue that blights our society. As we head into the Christmas period in particular, though it should always be to the fore of our minds, it shows an example of the best of the GAA and that Gaelic ethos that county players, both current and former from across the various codes, are queuing up to take part in this initiative on 16 December. I am flagging this to Members to encourage them to look out for it in their local area and to lend it whatever support they can and to allow it to act as a reminder to us who actually have a degree of influence and political clout to do more in respect of our homelessness crisis.

I join with all my colleagues in congratulating our good friend and Father of the House on his 30 years and seven months. It is a great record. Senator Paddy Burke will be trying to catch up with him. He mentioned the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. I did not realise the Cathaoirleach was the Holy Ghost.

I thought it was obvious.

I wish himself and Senator Paddy Burke well too. I hope that Senator Norris will be here for many years to come and I hope to spend a few years here myself with him. We are all willing to serve. There have been many stories about David. Senator Paddy Burke told me a good one about times past when turf was being brought up to that big house Senator Norris is maintaining on North Great Georges Street.

When one is in the Chair and Senator Norris is in full flow at whatever stage of a Bill, it can be a trying experience. He tested me once or twice when I was up there as Chair. We enjoyed it. He was always good and gave great value. He was very insightful when he got into the detail of whatever he was dealing with. It is true that he has been a very true Trinity stalwart. He has upheld the position with great dignity. Please God we will all be around here for another while longer.

I join other colleagues in paying tribute to our good friend and colleague, Senator Norris. He is the longest serving Senator since 1937, which is a great record to have. In paying tribute to him, as has been stated here, he was the champion of the underdog. He always took on causes that were not popular. As we all know, there was no sex in Ireland until 6 July 1962 when Gay Byrne and the "Late Late Show" came about and there were no gays in Ireland until 30 years and seven months ago, when Senator Norris started campaigning for equal rights in our society. I wish him well. As a conservative liberal, which is how I classify myself, I disagree with much of what he stands for. However, I stand for his right to campaign for it.