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Seanad
‹ An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

Section 39 workers and procedural dispute

Summary

Senator O'Loughlin first tried to use a spare minute, then spoke at length about the Hamas attack and Gaza before attempting to switch to supporting section 39 workers. The Chair insisted the two-minute slot allowed only one item, leading to a prolonged procedural exchange before the matter was closed.

Thank you. I know the Cathaoirleach will give me the spare minute that Senator Dooley had left.

Comment on this
Jerry Buttimer An Cathaoirleach Fine Gael

I will not. It is a two-minute slot with one item.

Comment on this

You are very hard on me.

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Jerry Buttimer An Cathaoirleach Fine Gael

I am not.

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You absolutely are, given I saved your skin earlier during the Commencement debate.

On a serious note, it is nine days since the horrific Hamas attack. The scenes that are unfolding on our screens, phones and televisions and reported in newspapers are shocking in terms of the atrocities that have been committed, the children who have been murdered and the people who have been held hostage. Let us think about Gandhi's words, "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind," and that is exactly what is happening at the moment.

We have all received a lot of emails. One of the most poignant emails that I have received, as I know many of us did, was from an 11-year-old boy called Rian Tighe, an Irish boy who lives in Portugal. He asked what is wrong with the world and said that boys and girls his age should be thinking about football or wanting to meet someone like Lionel Messi as opposed to seeing bombs and people being killed. The boy begged all of us to do what we could to ensure that peace would happen. That is a very important message from a young boy who cares about his peers who live in Gaza and Israel.

I want to raise section 39 workers.

Comment on this
Jerry Buttimer An Cathaoirleach Fine Gael

I thank the Senator.

Comment on this

I have 25 seconds and I want to speak about the importance of supporting section 39 workers.

Comment on this
Jerry Buttimer An Cathaoirleach Fine Gael

To clarify, it is one item per Member in the two-minute slots and that is the item the Senator has raised. I am being consistent with the application of the Orders of the House.

Comment on this

So the Cathaoirleach is giving me four seconds.

.

An Cathaoirleach: No, I am not.

Comment on this

So the Cathaoirleach is not giving me anything.

Comment on this
Jerry Buttimer An Cathaoirleach Fine Gael

I am not having a row.

Comment on this

You are having a row.

Comment on this
Jerry Buttimer An Cathaoirleach Fine Gael

Senator, it is a two-minute slot now and Members can raise one item. I am applying that consistently across the board and not being unfair to anybody. Thank you, I appreciate the Senator's co-operation. It is not just me but that is the way of the House and if the Senator wants to change it then I have no problem with that. Has the Senator concluded?

Comment on this

I am not allowed to speak any more.

Comment on this
Jerry Buttimer An Cathaoirleach Fine Gael

Go raibh maith agat.

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