John McGuinness

Order, please.

When the two of you are ready, we can continue.

I call Deputy Cian O'Callaghan.

I thank the Deputies very much.

I reassure the Tánaiste and anybody else in the House that where they interrupt and the clock goes on, I am fair in relation to compensating on the other side.

It is very difficult at times-----

-----because, well, the show goes on. I call Deputy Cian O'Callaghan.

No pressure, Tánaiste.

Is the Bill being opposed?

Since this is a Private Members' Bill, Second Stage must, under Standing Orders, be taken in Private Members' time.

It is true to say, in the context of the people, that the State is the civil servants and the politicians, and it stands guilty of an awful injustice to the people in the Public Gallery, and to those within the system who are experiencing the chilling effect of this debate on what happened to the whistleblowers in the past and so will not come forward. The State should own up to its moral obligati…

Ms Julie Grace-----

Yes, I will conclude now. Ms Julie Grace should be recognised and it should be sorted without her having to go to Europe. Mr. Noel McGree lost his house. He was treated so badly-----

-----and still has not been compensated by the State. Should the Minister not just step in and say we have a moral obligation to fix the wrong that was done to that man and his family?

We must remember, a Chathaoirleach Gníomhach-----

-----that behind every single one of those whistleblowers and the ones who are silently waiting for something to happen-----

-----there is a family and a mental health issue.

We sat idly by-----

-----while all of that was put on them by the State and its agents.

Mr. Alo Mohan would be the same. I could go on and mention others.

I know I am abusing my time-----

-----but I only have two and a half minutes.

I want to say that if we only learned from the whistleblowers, we would save the State a fortune and would hail them as heroes and not describe them, as happened, as "disgusting".

They are not disgusting. They are, in fact, heroes.

I will fight my battles on this side.