Seanad report: Labour and Progressive Democrats members called for a zero tolerance policy in relation to the consumption of intoxicants by all workers responsible for railway safety.
Derek McDowell (Lab) and Tom Morrissey (PD) disagreed with a provision in the Railway Safety Bill 2001, under which offences would be treated in the same way as those committed under the Road Traffic Acts.
Transport Minister of State Ivor Callely said railway unions must be consulted in the drafting of binding codes of conduct within each railway undertaking. It would be a criminal offence to be intoxicated while working on the railway. Powers were being provided for the random testing of safety critical workers in circumstances which were reasonable. The Attorney General had been conscious of its limited application to a specific category of workers, and the potentially catastrophic consequences for large numbers of people of mistakes in the operation, maintenance or repair of the railway system.
Mr McDowell said he believed strongly that they should not go down the road of permitting workers responsible for the safety of hundreds of people to take even one drink.Mr Morrissey said the huge investment in transport had to be accompanied by work practice reforms.
Several Fianna Fáil members voiced trenchant criticism of Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary, who was described as "a rich pig" by the leader of the House, Mary O'Rourke.
Martin Mansergh (FF) said the airline boss's contention that the Dublin Airport metro plan was a waste would probably go into the annals as the "foggy, boggy" remarks about Knock Airport had done. The Government was putting investment into a facility from which Ryanair would benefit to a considerable extent. Referring to "absolutely outrageous" remarks made in that context, Dr Mansergh said: "I resent the attitude that if you are sufficiently wealthy and successful you can be arrogant, you can be rude and you can attack the Taoiseach in terms that even the Opposition would hesitate to use". The reason Mr O'Leary was objecting was that he had been hoping to build his private terminal.
Ms O'Rourke said she did not know why there was not a revolt about the language this individual used about the democratically-elected Taoiseach. There was such a thing as manners but he did not have any. What a silly person he was.
Tim Dooley (FF) said this person was trying to blackmail the Government into pandering to his agenda.
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Ms O'Rourke said she was at the end of her tether in relation to her efforts to find out is there was any truth in claims that Shannon airport was being used for the illegal transfer of prisoners by the US for torture abroad. She had been met with stonewalling when she raised the matter with the relevant department recently.
Mary Henry (Ind) said it was important that the House continue to express its concerns about this matter.
Brendan Ryan (Lab) said a British newspaper had suggested yesterday that prisoners were being interrogated for the US in countries which were probably EU members or aspiring members. If the EU did not now guarantee that the standard of human rights which it claimed to uphold was being upheld in the teeth of pressure from the US, the whole concept of the EU as a space of freedom, democracy and human rights was gone.
David Norris (Ind) said they knew that the Gulfstream plane which had gone through Shannon repeatedly was involved in criminal activities. There was a prima-facie case that crime under international law continued to be committed. Irish citizens had repeatedly given this information to the police at Shannon but they had done absolutely nothing about it.