I was surprised to see farmers out protesting again today but I have much sympathy for them or all those who feel they cannot make a living after putting so much time and effort into a livelihood. We need to have a proper debate in this House on rural Ireland and putting a value on farmers, the sustainability of rural Ireland and farming and how much we value having fresh produce and good beef. Individuals and the supermarket sector as a whole must figure out whether we want decent beef and agricultural produce in future. I have started going to my local butcher because the beef is a little better and although I pay a little more, it is worthwhile. I have considerable sympathy for those farmers.

On the same matter, issues around death threats to certain individuals should be clarified. There is much hurt out there and if the parties are to go ahead with the task force and the mediation of some form of agreement, they must clear the air. There must be trust on both sides. I hope the talks will go ahead in December and the farmers will achieve some sort of satisfactory agreement. It is very much a long-term issue but we must all figure out whether we appreciate fully our access to good produce. I would like a debate in this House on the matter.

I also raise the issue of cycling in the city. Three weeks ago, a young man, Mr. Neeraj Jain, was knocked down, tragically, by a cement truck on the South Circular Road at the junction with St. James's Hospital. We know cycling is becoming more dangerous on the roads in the city. I commend Dublin City Council because as part of the Dublin agreement, councillors agreed to allocate 20% of the roads budget to increasing cycling infrastructure, which is very welcome. I also welcome the new laws coming into effect whereby fines of €120 for overtaking a cyclist in a dangerous fashion will be implemented. It is really important that we have enforcement. We have many great laws but the real problem is with enforcement of those laws. Perhaps the Garda Síochána will assign enough personnel to enforce cycling-related laws in the city.

I commend my colleague, Senator Craughwell, who is not here today but who spent some time recently cycling on the roads to see the issues on the ground.

We have not seen him since.

I do not know if he spent a week or a day doing it.

It was a day.

I commend him on doing it.

He will be doing the Tour de France next.

He is no Sean Kelly.

We all endure those problems. Last night I would have liked to have been a cyclist when I was leaving Leinster House. They were able to speed past all the traffic. It is a sensible way to do business but I would be too scared to cycle. I have tried it but until cycling infrastructure improves, many people will be like me and will not be comfortable cycling the roads.

With four by-elections taking place this Friday and Christmas just around the corner, there seems little doubt we are on the march to a general election early in the new year. It is my sincere wish, as it has been since I had the honour of being appointed to this Chamber, that I will leave this Seanad knowing that the Irish people have been given a chance to vote on whether their Irish brothers and sisters right across the globe will be able to vote on who our next President should be. I fully supported the Government's decision to postpone the holding of this referendum in the teeth of Brexit negotiations but if, as seems likely, we will have a degree of certainty surrounding Brexit following the completion of the United Kingdom general election, I strongly urge the Government to call a referendum before the St. Patrick's Day festivities.

What an amazing sight it would be for all the Ministers travelling across the world to interact with our diaspora having seen a referendum passed to give them a formal say in who should be the Head of State. I know in my adopted country of the United States the enormous depth of meaning the holding of this referendum would have for our community. St. Patrick's Day is a unique period in our calendar where every Irish person resident in this State recognises and sees just how global and broad-shouldered is our community. Beamed across the globe from Dubai to Durban and Singapore to Seattle, the whole world stops and pays attention to the community of this small island.

We know the economic and diplomatic value of our Taoiseach and Ministers travelling across the world and although there is always criticism of the cost of these missions, we never talk about the value to the State and taxpayer of what it means to our Irish community to be visited by their home Government. That value would be enhanced dramatically if we could deliver a referendum to give that community a say in who our next President should be. I am calling on the Government and all other political parties to support my call for this referendum to take place before St. Patrick's Day in 2020.