Single elections naturally attract significant and prominent media attention and we only have to reflect on previous presidential elections in this country. These, however, went beyond the point of proper examination and scrutiny and turned out to be unnecessarily bruising affairs. One would only have to ask the father of this House, Senator Norris, for his personal experience. These elections intruded into people’s private lives. That is not good because it will disincentivise people from getting involved in politics at a time we want to attract people into this space.

There is a by-election later this week. By and large, this has been a clean contest and while I hope it will be a Green Party success, the campaign is a great credit to each candidate and to the media, which has restored some much-needed faith in politics. I do not want people to be scared; I want to encourage people into politics. I am naturally delighted that so many people have got to know the Green Party candidate. She has been a sensation-----

I do not think that the Senator should canvass in the House.

-----as has each and every one of them. I sense the camaraderie when one canvasses. We are all in politics together and there has been a mutual respect among everyone. They know that it is a tough business.

I am glad it has not been a bruising business on this occasion.

The European Commission has stated that there has been an alarming decline in pollinator species with 10% of bee and butterfly species nearing extinction. The loss of wild pollinators is a cause of concern because 80% of crops depend in part on pollination. According to the National Biodiversity Data Centre, one third of the wild bee population is facing the threat of extinction. At Castletown House in my home county, in the constituency of Kildare North, the people there have done amazing work nurturing the meadows at the front to feed the wild insect population. That large grassland of meadow at the front is now full of clover, buttercups and many types of grass. Rory Finnegan, the head gardener there, recently gave a wonderful public talk organised by the Green Party in Kildare. I commend everyone who is working on this, including the Native Irish Honey Bee Society that has, for more than ten years, been deeply concerned about the hybridisation of the Apis mellifera mellifera strain. It has called for a ban on the importation of non-native honeybees. Ireland is the last stronghold in northern Europe of the black native honeybee and we should protect it. The other bees are less frugal, prone to swarming, aggressive and they will dilute the black native Irish honeybee that is special and unique to Ireland.