IT WOULD be a deliberate act of madness and ingratitude for Ireland not to host the Eurovision Song Contest next year, the leader of the Seanad, Mr Maurice Manning (FG), said yesterday.
"It would be seen as a vote of no confidence in ourselves."
He was responding during the Order of Business to comments by a number of senators who were on the competition. The issue was raised by Mr John Dardis (PD), who said it had been a tradition of the House to congratulate Irish winners, although "we seem to have become blase" about winning the contest.
Senator Dardis said it was right that Ireland should host the competition. But, he asked, if it was right to spend a large amount, of money hosting the Eurovision Song Contest - and he believed it was - was it right that "we could not spend any money on the World Equestrian Games"? He asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade, Mr Kenny, to make one final effort to ensure the games came to Ireland in 1988.
He also supported a call by Mr G.V. Wright (FF), for a debate on the beef industry. When the crisis broke, Senator Dardis had said it was the most serious economic crisis facing the State since the economic war. "It is important to say Irish beef is safe and that it can be eaten with confidence."
Mr Eddie Bohan (FF), said the Army, not the Garda, should be looking for cattle smugglers. He was outraged that 150 gardai were being transferred out of Dublin to the Border.
"We brave an army of 10,000 men who are doing nothing or very little and they are highly intelligent people," he said. "It would not take a nuclear scientist to recognise a truck load of cattle coming across the Border after 12 o'clock at night."
Referring to the beef crisis, Mr Feargal Quinn (Ind), said buyers from France and Germany told him they no longer buy Irish beef, not because they have any doubts about it, but because they could only put up signs in shops that the beef was French or German. There was a huge selling job to do.
Senator Quinn also urged the Minister for Tourism and Trade to find some way to recognise the value of having the Eurovision in Ireland. He believed it was a huge benefit from the tourism point of view.
"I was worried last weekend over the number of voices treating it as a failure rather than a success," he said. "Let's make sure we use the success as an opportunity."
