I join in the expressions of goodwill to the Cathaoirleach, staff and Members and express my sincere condolences to our Clerk, Mr. Martin Groves. I was not present yesterday to do so. I thank the Clerk, Mr. Groves, the Clerk Assistant, Ms Bridget Doody, the staff and the ushers for their kindness during the year.

I listened to the contributions of Senators. I also attended the joint committee meeting referred to as a substitute for another member. I was shocked to hear a certain Deputy insinuate that Senators had no right to attend or vote. We were too shocked to comment on the spot. The matter should be taken up at whatever forum the Cathaoirleach or the Leader considers appropriate. I regard it as a serious attitude for a Deputy to express that in some way we are an inferior species here and that the Constitution and Seanad stand for nothing.

This is the Upper House.

Yes. I come late to the case in Roscommon as I was not in the Chamber yesterday. I join Members who have condemned utterly the lawless behaviour of a bunch of vigilantes who acted in a paramilitary way to inflict serious injuries on other persons. Thank God, there was no loss of life, but it is nevertheless one of the most serious incidents of lawlessness in this country. Even though there was no loss of life, one is very much reminded of the atrocities that were part of our everyday lives when the provisionals were carrying out their outrageous campaign in the North. There are strong undertones of paramilitary organisation going on here at a time of significant difficulty in the relationship between these two islands and between North and South in the context of Brexit. I appeal to all parties to tone down their rhetoric, albeit in the spirit of Christmas, I will not mention a particular party. Law and order is important to people and parties in Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann have an obligation to support the forces of law and order and condemn outright the actions of illegal paramilitary persons. There is no place for balaclavas on any side of this debate whether they are worn by people protecting property or by people attacking life and property. I will not repeat what the Taoiseach said yesterday, but he spoke for every right-thinking person in Ireland when he said it.