I thank the 16 Members who contributed on the Order of Business. I note regarding the amendment proposed by Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell that the Minister is not available today but he will be here on Wednesday when he is prepared to make time available after he deals with his Bill for statements on the matter the Senator raises. I will come back to her comments later.

Senator Mark Daly raised the issue of housing. The Department is working on the approved housing Bill and residential tenancies Bill. It is intended that the legislation will be published this term with a view to enactment. To be fair, it is important to acknowledge that the Government has not been stalling this in any way.

Senator Daly also referred to the issue of corporate manslaughter. Last week, the Minister came to the House at Senator Daly's request. I refer Minister Daly - Senator Daly, I mean, albeit perhaps a future Minister - to the Minister's reply. When I called the Senator "Minister", there was a chilling effect.

I will not be that bad. Do not worry.

I will not read the Minister's reply to the House but Senator Daly must be fair here. We have never, on this side of the House, blocked a Bill coming in. The Senator made a request to us and the Bill passed on Second Stage. The Minister made a very clear point to the Senator last week and he needs to be fair about it. It is the Minister's understanding that it is not expected that such Bills will not be accepted without due consideration. The Senator should also read what the Minister said about the aspects of the Bill which require further consideration and the fact that the legislation sponsored by the Senator is almost identical to the Bill published by the Law Reform Commission. The Minister repeated in his reply to the Senator the offer of further engagements with officials and indicated that if Senators considered that it would be helpful, the Department was open to other suggestions they might have. As such, the Minister has an open door for the Senator.

I know. We are only at it 14 years.

To come in and pretend otherwise is unfair.

All we want is the amendments which were promised last year.

To listen to the Senator this morning, one would swear there was no engagement or willingness to get involved.

There are no amendments.

The Leader should not open the gully trap.

The gully trap needs to be plugged as well or the water will keep leaking.

The Department is working on the insurance (amendment) Bill to implement the recommendations of the Review of the Framework for Motor Insurance Compensation in Ireland report and it will be published soon. As the Senator knows quite well, the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, when he was Minister of State at the Department of Finance, set up a working group, with which the Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy, is engaging. Senator Craughwell, in his contribution, referenced his own story. If one were to listen to Senator Mark Daly this morning, one would never know there was a 14% decline last year in the cost of car insurance and that, since 2016, there has been a 20% decline. A point that Senator Mark Daly did not reference this morning was that between 2003 and 2016 there was a 70% increase, the most of which was in the Senator's party's time in government.

There is no legislation.

I am just saying-----

The Government promised legislation. I asked where was the legislation the Government promised. The Government has not brought in the legislation. A minuscule drop in some areas does not make any difference to those concerned, including the Men's Sheds and the businesses that are beholden to pay enormous costs-----

I cannot allow Senators to come back in.

-----because of inaction by the Government. That is all I pointed out.

The Leader to respond.

I fully understand the protestation of Senator Mark Daly because I would be embarrassed at seeing those costs under the reign of Fianna Fáil. The Senator is correct though. We should not put up a barrier and the insurance companies must have a social responsibility to organisations, such as the Men's Sheds or community associations. I agree completely with the Senator on that because those organisations are providing a significant service to the community and they are an inspiration.

The insurance companies have only an obligation to their shareholders under the Companies Acts. The Government has a social obligation. That is who has a social obligation.

If the Leader and Senator Mark Daly both continue to interact, I will suspend the House.

As the-----

Does Senator Mark Daly want the House suspended?

All right, we do not want the House suspended.

It is not allowed. Everybody gets a chance and sometimes the Leader might do best not to antagonise the questioner.

I thank the Cathaoirleach.

We can continue.

The working group has been set up. Where I again agree with my learned colleague is that the cost of motor insurance is unacceptably high. What we must have, though, which Senator Mark Daly has not said-----

Is legislation.

It is not just legislation. You come with a one dimensional view to life and you are always right.

Through the Chair.

Here we are in the House that legislates. I wonder what I am supposed to be doing. Where is the legislation that the Government promised?

This is the reply to the Order of Business, not Senator Mark Daly's hour.

Senator Buttimer will be a contrary ol' man.

The Leader is anxious to conclude.

We have distinguished visitors in the Gallery and I welcome them. We must look at what are the costs associated with why the premiums are so high, whether it is the compensation system and what are the other factors around the cost of insurance being so high, and that is what the Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy, is committed to and what Government has started. Reductions of 14% and 20% are a good start. I accept we have, to borrow Fianna Fáil's famous phrase, "a lot more to do".

Senators Craughwell, Bacik, Gavan, Norris, Devine and Coghlan all made reference to the eighth amendment and the vote that will take place on Friday. I will not - the Cathaoirleach will be glad - engage in a party political reply. It is in the hands of the people to make a decision on Friday.

Like many Members of the House, I was privileged to be a member of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. I chaired the Joint Committee on Health and Children which dealt with the protection of life during pregnancy legislation. I respect that within this Chamber there are differing viewpoints, as there are in Irish society.

This referendum is an important one. Senator Gavan is 100% correct. The only way we can change the present system is by voting "Yes" on Friday. If we vote "No" on Friday, the status quo remains. It is completely disingenuous of one side of the argument to say that we can change and deal with the so-called "hard cases". The hard cases are about the lives of those who have been affected - women, their husbands or partners-----

And children.

-----and children. Without argument, I accept that. However, there is no way that we can change the present constitutional arrangement unless the people vote "Yes" on Friday quod erat demonstrandum.

Well said.

I respect, as I stated at the beginning of this debate, whatever way the people will vote but I hope that the people will go out and vote and that they will vote in a compassionate and genuine way. I will not give a lecture to anybody today, but let us be fair. There is only one way we can change and deal with life in general, and that is by voting "Yes" on Friday.

I might interrupt the Leader briefly to welcome a delegation.