I will now call on the soon-to-be - perhaps, maybe, possibly - next father of the House, An Seanadóir Paddy Burke.

He is going in the spring.

Senator Burke has big shoes to fill.

I support Senator McDowell's call to provide time to do justice to Senator Norris. He is a great character. When in full flight in this House, there are none better than the Senator. He is so entertaining. I do not think this Chamber will see the likes of him again. He is unbelievable.

I compliment the Government on bringing forward an increased cost of business grant. I hope it will be brought in efficiently and will go directly to businesspeople. Many small businesses are in a lot of difficulty and going through a very difficult period. Significant extra costs have been imposed on small businesses over the last 12 months, some of which are kicking in now. Whether it the cost of an extra bank holiday, sick pay or whatever else, there are huge impositions being made on small businesses. I compliment the Government on bringing forward the increased cost of business grant. I hope the grant will not be eaten up by professionals and will go straight to the business community, whether through rates relief or in some other form the Government may decide. I hope the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney, will come to the House to set out the basis on which the grant will be provided. It is very welcome and the quicker it can filter down to the business community, the better.

I support Senator Paul Daly's comments on ash dieback, which is a huge problem throughout the country. I wonder how many of the trees that fell in the recent storm did so as a result of ash dieback.

Senator McDowell is full of surprises. Not only is he an outstanding public representative, author and jurist, but he is now an investigative reporter bringing us breaking news from Trinity College.

I am getting ready for the new university constituency.

I think so. There will be time to pay tribute to David. It is one of the greatest boasts of my life that I have shared a Chamber with him for 16 or 17 years, and we will have so much more to say about the great work he did.

I was given an opportunity last evening to meet the family of little Emily Hand - her father and her sister - and some other people from Israel whose families have either been slaughtered by Hamas or are currently being held captive by them. It was a very sad and poignant occasion. I was struck mainly by the dignity and the fortitude of the families. I have to say that, honestly, I did not witness any hatred or undue animosity against their adversaries. They were philosophical about it and all they really want is to see their people freed.

As Emily Hand is one of our own, as an Irish person, and we are always supposed to look after our own first, I would appeal to everybody in this country, no matter who they support. People are entitled to support Israel, as I do, or they can support Palestine, and even Hamas, if they wish - that is their call - but surely we can unite about the plight of an Irish girl who has now celebrated her ninth birthday in the horrors of a Hamas tunnel. God knows what condition she is in mentally and physically. I am appealing to everybody. I think we have had enough of protests of one sort or the other. It is pretty one-sided, and we know that. We know who is winning the propaganda war but, in the long term, what we need is peace - a peace that will last and a peace that will attain the security of the people of Israel, to which they are entitled.