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Seanad
‹ An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

Brexit rhetoric and salvation banter

Summary

Senator Norris denounced Brexit figures and a reported famine remark, prompting extended humorous exchanges about hell, purgatory and religious salvation. The section remained largely banter and reactions to his condemnation of Brexiteers.

David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

I congratulate Donald Tusk on telling the truth about the situation in Europe. He is 100% right when he speculates about the particular place in hell reserved for those idiotic Brexiteers who launched this without any plan. It is rather interesting to hear the squeaks of protest from the British Parliament. What a laugh. Who do they think they are fooling? They can dish it out but they cannot take it. A Government Minister said that Ireland should be visited with another famine to starve us out of the backstop. How is that for insensitivity? The shrinking violets of the Palace of Westminster take some taking.

It is wonderful to hear a refreshing dose of the truth from Donald Tusk. I sincerely hope that those people who have landed Europe into this catastrophic situation go to hell. The unfortunate thing is that I have not believed in hell since I was a small child. It is absolute rubbish to think that an all-wise, all-merciful, all-good and all-seeing God would visit an eternity of torment on poor little fragile human beings. It is absolute nonsense. I wish there was a hell, especially created-----

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Paul Coghlan An Leas-Chathaoirleach Fine Gael

You mean we will all be saved, please God.

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

No, I am not quite sure about that.

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We might see it sooner than the Senator thinks.

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

Members of the Anglican Church in Ireland will certainly be saved. We cannot speak for the rest, we can just pray for them and hope they do well.

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Paul Coghlan An Leas-Chathaoirleach Fine Gael

I thought we were all Christians.

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

I hope that God will create a special hell for the Brexiteers. It is interesting that the dishonest people who spoke in the House of Commons ended the sentence with the word "Brexiteers" and did not complete the sentence. The sentence is only sensible when it is completed. The word "Brexiteers" is followed by the words "who launched it without a plan". That is the active thing. Of course, they should be condemned. Donald Tusk was perfectly right. Well done, Donald.

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Hell is a bit extreme.

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I thought Senator Norris was a Christian.

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

I am.

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Paul Coghlan An Leas-Chathaoirleach Fine Gael

He is, too.

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Frankie Feighan Senator Frank Feighan Fine Gael

I agree with my colleague, Senator Norris. There have been many sane voices in Westminster, however. I am thinking of Dominic Grieve, Keir Starmer and many more. It is unfortunate that over the last two or three years, we have heard from people like Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg who do not represent the British people. I hope that this has been a dose of reality from Donald Tusk, and Senator Norris is right.

In the Catholic Church, as Senator Norris may know, we have purgatory.

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

That is not half severe enough.

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Frankie Feighan Senator Frank Feighan Fine Gael

I am not sure if it is still there, but we went to purgatory to atone for our sins before we went to heaven. Hell was the last place we wanted. I am not as well-versed, as I should be.

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

They got rid of limbo-----

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Frankie Feighan Senator Frank Feighan Fine Gael

Limbo is gone. I thank the Senator for that.

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David P.B. Norris Senator David Norris Independent

Except for the dance.

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