Before I call the Leader to announce the Order of Business I want to advise the House of the possibility that we will have the Speaker of the Malaysian House of Representatives with us during proceedings. I apologise in advance if I have to interrupt Members' contributions to facilitate this visit.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on flooding at Lough Funshinagh, to be taken at 3.15 p.m. and to conclude at 4.45 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes and that allocated to all Senators not to exceed five minutes, with the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 2, Research and Innovation Bill 2024 – Committee Stage (resumed), to be taken at 4.45 p.m. and to adjourn at 7 p.m., if not previously concluded.
This morning on the way to the House I took the opportunity to call in to Punchestown, which is gearing up for a tremendous festival. The festival is worth €60 million in the local economy so it is very important. I wish the team there, including the chair David Mongey and the racecourse manager Conor O'Neill, all the best for the week ahead. I was there for the launch of the HRI strategic plan for 2024 to 2028. It is a very important and ambitious plan. When we look at the figures we see that more than 30,000 people are employed through the horse racing industry. It is a notable industry worth €2.45 billion to Ireland. I wish HRI CEO Suzanne Eade and her excellent team well with it. There is a particular focus on equine welfare, which I welcome. That will be very important as we go forward. It is an industry that is very important to County Kildare and throughout Ireland. It is important that the Government supports it.
I want to briefly mention a public meeting I was at in Allenwood last night with Councillor Daragh Fitzpatrick. There was a lot of concern about the sewerage system there. I did not need to be at the public meeting to be aware of the issue because I have brought it to the attention of officials many times. Allenwood is a small rural village which has grown in the same way as many other villages and small rural areas in Kildare, Wicklow, Meath and further afield. The sewerage system is not fit for purpose. There was an agreement to have three phases but only phase 1 was implemented approximately 20 years ago. The community is still waiting for funding for phases 2 and 3. Trying to get a timeline or guidance from Uisce Éireann is very difficult. I want to do a shout-out for this. I have no doubt there are many small rural areas in this situation. We need to do a countywide and countrywide assessment on the need to have proper water and sewerage systems in place. This is the very least we can ask.
Last week I met Gareth Landy from Kilcullen. He has Klinefelter syndrome, which is also called XXY. It is a genetic condition which makes young men infertile. If it is caught early enough, there is every chance their partner will be able to conceive from their sperm. Through a sperm donor Gareth and his wife have four-year-old twins and they are very happy. He is doing his best to highlight this issue.
We speak a lot about women's health issues and infertility for women. I think Mr. Landy is right in that sometimes we put women through a lot of arduous testing and so on when the issue may be from the male side. We are going to do a briefing in the audiovisual room soon but I think we need to highlight the issue and support an earlier diagnosis, because help can be put in place.
I wish to raise the issue of a section 140 motion that was tabled at Dublin City Council yesterday evening. The motion, which sought to challenge the draft Dublin city transport plan, was brought by an Independent councillor, Damian O'Farrell. It is very commendable in that he pointed out that disabled persons' organisations, DPOs, had not been consulted regarding the Dublin transport plan. This plan will have major implications for more than 1 million citizens and Dublin people. It shows how the council has disregarded the components of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD. This sets out that deep consultation with disabled persons' organisations must be engaged in. One cannot just talk to service providers; one must talk to DPOs and have a close consultation with them. This is under Article 4(3) of the UNCRPD and is also de facto set out in section 69(2) of the Local Government Act 2001. With regard to that, the Government has fully endorsed the UNCRPD. The Taoiseach, Deputy Harris, has given a commitment to fully ratify all the protocols, including the optional protocol, within the life of the Government. Dublin City Council must have regard for the objectives and the will of the Government and the will of the people in this regard. The council cannot set that aside and disregard it. I am sorry to say that the motion put forward by Councillor O'Farrell was amended by other councillors to put in an add-on which amounts to a box-ticking exercise of talking to some DPOs later on.
This should really have been flagged to the chief executive because Dublin City Council's non-provision of an accessible version of the draft Dublin city transport plan to a DPO, namely, Voice of Vision Impairment, was challenged. It was found to breach the terms of the settlement of a Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, case from 2018. The council has even disregarded the recommendation of the WRC that it must seriously engage in close consultation. I ask for a meeting to be arranged between the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the DPOs that will be most impacted by this radical plan for Dublin transport. I welcome the plan, but it cannot be in breach of the UNCRPD.
I am on a similar theme to that raised by Senator Clonan but with a different focus. One of the most welcome initiatives of our new Taoiseach, Deputy Harris, has been to set up a Cabinet sub-committee on disability issues, with a particular focus on children with disabilities. The sub-committee is up and functioning and being chaired by the Taoiseach in an active way. It is a very important initiative. Before I come to my substantive point, I wish to put on the record that, at numerous meetings between Cavan parents of children with disabilities and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, I have been very impressed by her genuine commitment to doing something on this issue. She has shown patent sincerity in this regard. I welcome that and I welcome the sub-committee but I ask the Leader to ensure, either through debates or bringing our view upstairs, that we make it clear that we must eliminate, or reduce to a period of weeks, the waiting lists for child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS.
To have people waiting for CAMHS in the obvious condition, state of mind, state of stress, state of anxiety or whatever that an adolescent would be in - it is by definition for adolescents - and to suggest they should be left up to a year waiting is an abomination. It is crazy. That condition, as the Leader and I know, is not something one can take chances with. CAMHS is really urgent. Obviously, assessments for autism and various neurological issues, assessments for disabilities, such as dyspraxia and dyslexia, and assessments for all disabilities that will impact on education and personal development have to be speedy. I would be interested in the Leader's reaction to this question and in what she might propose could be done about it from a Seanad perspective. This is above politics. It is not a partisan question. It is not a party political question. It is a human rights question; it is a human question. It transcends all issues. We have to throw ourselves at this one. It would be a wonderful legacy of this Parliament if there was real action here.
When coming here today, I was reflecting on a quote from James Larkin of 110 years ago, "Intolerance has been the curse of our country." Looking at some of the things that have happened over the past couple of weeks, it is unfortunate that 110 years after one of our greatest revolutionaries said that, we seem to be facing into it again.
In the part of Dublin in which I am based, over last week graffiti was sprayed on social housing. I will not read out what some of the graffiti said but it was absolutely appalling. It was racist, it was disgusting and it was embarrassing for the area. I spoke to a number of residents who were ashamed to look at that graffiti across from their houses. They were ashamed to think of what it would mean for people who might be coming to look to live in the area. I commend Dublin City Council on removing it. It was very quick to remove it, but that should not be how we operate.
People need somewhere to live. There is a points-based system. There is a public document that anyone can look at on how houses are allocated by Dublin City Council. There may be a delay in people getting houses because they had to be repaired and fixed and the local authority had to do things.
I will briefly reflect on a former leader of the English Defence League, EDL, who shared something online. I am somewhat stunned by the so-called "Irish patriots" cosying up to the EDL, which is based in a country we were colonised by for 800 years. I am not entirely sure where the patriotism is coming from. This is really disappointing. Many of the people I spoke to were appalled that this had happened in their constituency. This comes only a couple of weeks after the xenophobic attack on the two Croatian men who were beaten up, and one of whom, Josip Strok, subsequently died from his injuries. They were told to speak English in, of all places, Ireland. The cognitive dissonance that has to occur in order for someone to beat someone up, or actually murder someone, because Josip died from his injuries, for not speaking our colonisers' language leaves me somewhat befuddled.
There has been a trail of vandalism, arson and destruction across our country. We need only look at Aughrim. I refer to people who are just going to work, trying to do an honest day's work on a site, and trying to get an amenity ready for people to eat and socialise ahead of the summer season. The bullying, vile and intimidation tactics I have seen against those workers, people who are just trying to make a living, was utterly appalling and it is all being driven online by this rabid fantasy that is developing. Any building or any stone that is being turned at this point seems to become a target for something. This is no way for us, as a modern country, to live, where workers cannot go onto a building site because they do not know whether they will be intimidated. It is important we have a conversation about that in this House above party politics because we have always said that we are a land of welcome. Unfortunately, James Larkin's words are still ruling strong today.
This morning I would like to raise the issue of animal welfare.
The European Union is currently looking at regulations that set out to improve the welfare of companion animals, particularly cats and dogs, and this is welcome. I wish to flag my concern at the news coming out of Brussels with regard to the negotiations that the Government is siding with countries that want to reduce the regulation to allow non-vets to administer the euthanasia drug pentobarbital. This is concerning. We are a small country and we cannot use the excuse of remote facilities. It is also concerning given our history. We have seen this drug abused in the Ashton pound case, where it was administered orally to dogs who suffered horrendous deaths as a result. That case went all the way through the courts. It is deeply concerning that the Government is siding with countries that want to see non-vets administer this drug. One of the excuses given is that it could be used by dog-breeding establishments, when we have welfare concerns about those dog-breeding establishments as it is.
I also request from the Leader of the House an update from both the relevant Departments - the Department of agriculture and the Department of the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys – around all of the promised reforms we keep hearing will come for dog welfare. We have seen the Government is good at setting up reviews, public consultations and working groups, but we never see actual reform taking place. We are still awaiting the guidelines for dog-breeding establishments to be put on a statutory footing. We are also waiting for the Control of Dogs Act reform and the Animal Health and Welfare Act reform. I was told my own legislation would be captured by this review of all dog welfare, yet it is almost three years later now and that loophole still exists. It is preventing young pups from being rehomed, as it is necessary to wait for legal proceedings to conclude before they can be rehomed.
I regularly talk about dog welfare in this House. I meet with the dog welfare organisations and they tell me the situation has never been so bad. They are inundated with surrenders and are over-capacity. They are dealing with cases of extreme cruelty and neglect like they have never seen before. They are crying out for these reforms and stronger penalties. Likewise, I meet with responsible dog owners whose dogs are on the restricted breed list. They are anxious because they were promised that when the Control of Dogs Act was going to be reviewed, decisions would be made. Now they wonder whether there will be restrictions around their beloved pets and whether their pets will be banned.
These delays are not helping the situation; it is only getting worse. I would like an update from the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, on all of those reviews and consultations.
I note the Leader has taken green principles to her heart of late, and I wish to raise the issue of bus transport. As part of the programme for Government, one of the headline figures is €1 million a day is spent on walking and cycling, which is positive, and on public transport. The issue that arises, however, is that there is no point saying we have additional bus services if the buses are not usable. I wish to draw attention, as I have done before, to route 431, which is from An Cheathrú Rua to Claremorris, and route 432, which is from An Cheathrú Rua to Clifden. These are scheduled Local Link services, so they do run and you can see them running. However, they do not pick up any people because they do not stop except at the main villages. For example, they stop at Ballyconneely and Roundstone, but they do not stop anywhere in between on the multitude of byroads, such as the Mervue Road or any other road. If you live halfway between Ballyconneely and Roundstone, you have two choices - you can go to one or the other. You can drive to Ballyconneely to get the bus to go to Clifden or you can drive backwards to Roundstone to get the bus to go Ballyconneely. It is nonsensical and the National Transport Authority is aware of this. It said it may look at additional fixed routes. That is an improvement but it still does not solve the crux of the problem, which is that it is not a flexible service. We need a flexible service that picks people up at the head of byroads and outside people’s houses. That is what we want to do. We want to encourage more people to use public transport and to leave their cars at home. Many people are past the age of driving or would rather not drive, and there are schoolchildren doing after-school studies who used to be able to get a bus but now cannot do so.
I again ask for a debate on public transport. I ask the Minister to use his good offices and write to the National Transport Authority to see whether we can have flexibility in regard to individualised routes.
I raise the issue of ash dieback and the €79.5 million package for farmers that has been announced by the Government. I cautiously welcome the package, and I will explain why in a moment. The package represents a significant change of heart on the part of the Government, which originally did not want offer a package in respect of ash dieback, a matter that has been raised many times in this House and in the Dáil. Clearly, the stage of the electoral cycle we are at has helped to progress the package at this point. We have the upcoming the local and European elections and a general election will be held in a matter of months, so political leverage has been used. We know that people are getting in the neck, particularly in rural constituencies. I travelled to a number of them-----
They were welcoming the package.
I particularly welcome it. Canvassing and reconnecting with the people on the doorsteps are working. This is democracy at work.
(Interruptions).
Senator Kyne is a long-standing Member of the Oireachtas. He had his opportunity. Let Senator Boyhan speak without interruption please.
Senator Kyne is keen on green issues this afternoon. It is about time. This is democracy at work. People in rural constituencies are giving it to politicians in the neck, so well done. The devastation caused by this fungus has a major impact on the incomes of pension funds, investors, farmers and foresters. That is why I cautiously welcome the package. Quite frankly, it is not enough. A farmer and county councillor from County Roscommon wrote to me today to say that he got a price of €3,000 to cut down one tree. These people are not covered in the case.
I thank the Leader for arranging the debate on Lough Funshinagh. I had the opportunity to meet many people at Lough Funshinagh on Sunday. The Leader also had the opportunity to do so last week, and people spoke highly of her and of the Minister. They thank the Leader for getting her feet into boots, as I did, and walking the ground and meeting the people. I thank the Leader for facilitating that debate this afternoon. I will elaborate more on the matter of my visit to Lough Funshinagh during the debate.
I wish to raise my concerns regarding the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee. I struggle to have confidence in the Minister and her Department. On her watch, a breakdown in British-Irish relations on the most serious matter of foreign policy is under way. The Minister was due to meet the UK Home Secretary, James Cleverly, yesterday to discuss strengthening the common travel area. The postponement of this meeting was an unmitigated disaster.
Last week, the Joint Committee on Justice discussed the many issues around migration at this time and, most notably, the fact that the Minister asserted that 80% of those coming into our asylum system are coming through Northern Ireland. This means that the most important international treaties we should consider at this time are with the British Government.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated that he has no interest in doing a deal with Ireland given that Britain’s attempts to return asylum seekers to France have been unsuccessful. This means we, as a nation, can expect to get a raw deal unless we start to assert our own interests. It is costing Ireland far too much to run and to continue to mismanage a broken, overflowing and under-resourced asylum system. We need significant, bold changes because we are on the cusp of becoming a pawn in the EU versus UK stand-off on migration. We need radical intervention now.
I ask the Minister to finally put the Irish people and our wishes first. We need only look to towns such as Newtownmountkenny to see where the public stands on this matter. Listen to the people. Stop trying to appease international forces. I call on the Minister to do this and to reconsider her position.
The amateur theatre community in Ireland is very much alive and is going from strength to strength. I congratulate Kilrush Drama Group which won the all-Ireland confined drama finals in Mountmellick, County Laois, last weekend. The group is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its foundation. For a small drama group to have this success is an amazing achievement. To the the cast, the crew and all involved in Kilrush Drama Group, we send our congratulations. The all-Ireland open drama finals, which will be held in Athlone, are drawing near.
There will be nine groups taking part, three of which are from County Wexford. Certainly, in the south east, theatre remains very much alive and active and it is providing so much joy in all of our communities.
The review on Garda vetting was due to have been published by now. I previously had a Commencement matter on this. This is to deal with a number of issues but, in particular, as colleagues will know, the problem whereby a person may be Garda-vetted for one organisation or employment but then, if he or she works for another one or volunteers in another area, must get Garda vetting again. This review started three years ago and it was due to have been published by now. Will the Leader, on our behalf, ask the Minister for Justice to come in to take statements specifically on this issue?
I welcome the town and village funding announced yesterday by the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. There are a number of projects in my home county such as a community park in Ballinalee and a project with a district development association in Edgeworthstown where a derelict building was purchased under the building acquisitions measure. We secured funding of more than €379,000 to develop a special needs-specific playground in Longford town. It is something I am passionately involved with, along with my colleague Councillor Peggy Nolan. Yet, we are in a town where we do not and are not going to have a summer programme put in place for kids with special needs or for kids with the highest needs. We are yet again going to have another summer in which families will struggle to get support for their children.
I chair an all-party parliamentary group on autism following the issuing of our report last year. We met last Thursday. I wish to highlight the issue again that there are approximately 8,000 pupils across 130 special schools in the country, and while 50% of those special schools provided the programme for kids with the highest needs, only 14% of the children actually got a programme. This puts serious strain on parents but it also leaves the kids missing out and regressing when they come back in September.
I would like a discussion on this issue with the Minister of State with responsibility for special education. I know significant work has been done over the past 12 months by introducing a portal whereby staff from the therapies and colleges, ECCE staff and student teachers can put themselves forward to work. Even though they are doing this, schools are saying they are not providing the programme, even though there are staff able to provide it. It should be compulsory. There should not be a question of any special school in the country not providing it. We need a discussion on it and to highlight this issue. I publicly call on every single special school in Ireland to put in place a summer programme. We have seen an example last year at Rosedale School in Galway where 30 staff were employed from the portal. Those 30 staff actually worked in respite as well. It is important that this happens.
I highlight a situation that has been developing further over the past week in our universities. I am a National University of Ireland Senator. I rarely speak about the universities exclusively but, right now, they are at the centre of some of the debate and activism we are seeing from the public demanding action in respect of Gaza and in terms of international human rights and international humanitarian law. For context, the last of Gaza's 12 universities was demolished by Israel in January. There are now no universities in Gaza because they have all been demolished and, in some cases, the museums which were attached to them have also been demolished. They were not accidentally hit, but demolished.
In more than 34 universities across the United States, we have seen solidarity encampments set up, mirroring the anti-Vietnam war protests in 1968. As at that time, and you would think the world would have learned something since, we have seen violent responses, heavy pressure and arbitrary discipline from university management and police. That is heavily armed forces being deployed against peaceful protest.
Indeed, in Ireland, we have not seen leadership from our universities.
With the exception of University College Galway, they have not even called for a ceasefire. There are students and staff who have taken action. The very fact that they are studying in the social sciences or in medicine, or in any of the areas affected, namely every area of a normal civilian society, means they can see how those areas are being affected by the actions of Israel. They have been taking action and they have also been facing pressure. I want to acknowledge the UCD students' union president, who was injured while protesting at an event last week featuring former US Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
I think it is really important that our universities make a stand and make themselves clear now. They are a part of the public space that we share and they have a responsibility for leadership. That is about being neutral, standing up for principles and not necessarily just looking to where the money is. I would like the Leader to organise a debate in respect of Horizon funding post 2020. We know there are attempts right now to redirect the funding to military purposes and we also know there are attempts to say that Israel should no longer be receiving our public money for research, particularly for military research as is now proposed.
Like others this morning, I welcome the announcement of the €79.5 million towards the crop affected by ash dieback and the growers who have been affected big-time on this. It is an issue I have raised previously. I warmly welcome today's announcement which will go some way to compensate those people and help them to get a crop reinstated. As everyone will be aware, nothing could compensate the people for what they have lost in their investment and the hardship they have personally gone through. I commend Limerick and Tipperary Woodland Owners, the group that lobbied strongest and hardest on this. We have had representatives before the agriculture committee on numerous occasions and indeed the issue has been raised in this Chamber on numerous occasions.
While I genuinely welcome this, and while it goes a long way towards compensating people, I have to add that the last issue I raised in this Chamber about ash dieback was that of roadside trees and the danger they pose. This scheme will only focus on plantations and people who have planted forestry. There is not a road or side road in any local authority area or parish in Ireland that does not have ash trees that are dying because of this disease. They are a danger in storms but some are so badly decayed they will fall without a storm. In all my dealings with this, the problem I have run into is the fact that it is cross-departmental. Once you start talking about roadside trees you involve the Department of Transport. Then it becomes a local authority issue so you are talking about the Department of local government. It is not actually an agricultural issue as such. Maybe the Leader could facilitate a debate with whichever Department she thinks can make progress on this, or maybe she could manage to get three Ministers in here for one debate.
Following on from Senator Kyne's request for a debate on public transport, I noted in our emails this morning an update from Irish Rail. The details in the update are very welcome. It is great that in the first couple of months of the year, 10.8 million people travelled by train in this country, up 13% on the same period last year. It is great news in terms of the Foynes to Limerick city line, which has not been open in 25 years. The developments there are very welcome. What is most concerning is the piece in the update about the intercity line from Limerick to Galway, specifically at Ballycar on the line from Limerick to Ennis. It is deemed now, according to the update, that in 2020 the cost of rectifying this issue was €16.5 million. I would suspect with construction inflation it is probably now more like €20 million. We are investing in extra lines, extra routes and extra rail lines, yet there is an intercity rail line that was closed for a month, from 24 March until 20 April, because of flooding. The €20 million will have to be found. Some Department is going to have to lead on it. Some Minister is going to have to put their hand up and take responsibility, whether it is environment, the OPW or transport, or a combination of all with one Minister leading.
It has to be resolved. We cannot have a situation where it is a bus service for a month. A month was actually quite good this year because the last time it was closer to a number of months and we were just lucky that it was not closed for a number of months again.
The numbers of people who are travelling from Limerick to Ennis and Ennis to Limerick are increasing exponentially on that rail line. They deserve the same service as people travelling from Limerick to Dublin or from Dublin to Cork. They deserve to travel in the knowledge that if they do buy a yearly ticket they will be travelling by train not by bus, and that they will get to their destinations on time.
As part of the debate here and also as a supplementary point perhaps the Leader, Senator Chambers, will write to the various Ministers and ask which of them will put their hand up and take responsibility.
I must first say that I stand in solidarity with the Minister for Justice, Deputy Helen McEntee and with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman. The hassle these two representatives had to go through in the last number of weeks has been absolutely appalling. I just wanted to put this on record.
Yesterday the National Museum of Ireland launched the Mincéir archives. One of my good friends and colleagues, whom many Senators in the House have known for years, Oein DeBhairduin, is leading out in recognising Traveller history and in bringing Traveller culture to the front of Irish society. When we had Travellers here for a discussion in the Seanad on 18 April, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, said that we were the heart of Irish culture. I genuinely believe that. We in the Traveller community have never give up our souls.
There is a schoolbook, Let's Discover! Sixth Class History. Nowhere in this book does it speak about Traveller history or does it even name Travellers. Yesterday sixth class students from Shellybanks Educate Together National School signed the book for me and asked if I would deliver a message for them and for the museum: that this is what a history book should look like. It should include us, we who have always existed in this country. Traveller history should be included for primary schools and secondary schools so that Traveller children feel valued, and most importantly that it will give all our children the opportunity to learn about Traveller culture and the Traveller way of life.
I bring this issue forward today to also say we are still waiting for the Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018, on which former Senator Colette Kelleher worked really hard. The can is getting kicked down the road. That Bill is still on Committee Stage. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education is working really hard to try to get the Minister to work with us and pass the Bill but it is nowhere in sight. Can we please work at having Traveller history in primary schoolbooks?
I am a bit disappointed that Senator Boyhan jumped the gun on the Lough Funshinagh issue considering that Senator Dolan and I have led on that. Thanks to the Leader we will have a very good debate on the matter coming up shortly. When it comes to the debate I hope the first two speakers will be Senator Dolan coming from Ballinasloe and me coming from Roscommon.
I support the comments made by Senator Eileen Flynn on what has been happening to the Ministers, Deputies McEntee and O'Gorman, and to our former Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar. What was done to him recently outside a coffee shop is absolutely shocking and deplorable. It is only right that we show our support for those three people here today.
A situation has arisen, which was discussed at a public meeting I attended last night in Williamstown on the Roscommon-Galway border. The area is losing its very much loved GP after 13 years in the community where he was just a brilliant doctor. He is moving on with life and he is moving to a different part of the country. He is entitled to that. A locum position has been advertised but the first time it was put out the HSE received only one reply, and I am told the person did not turn up for the interview. The HSE has advertised the position for a second time and there is not much interest in it. This will affect some 1,000 patients. There were about 80 people at the public meeting last night.
People who might have to change tablets from week to week, and this does happen, are concerned that their doctor being gone from the local health centre will perhaps mean they will have to travel out farther and this is going to be a real inconvenience. This situation worries them from a health perspective. I am asking that the Minister for Health or, since he is often very busy, some of the Ministers of State in his Department would come before the House to address this issue. Again, this is an important issue for the community around Williamstown. The further benefit of getting a locum in there would be to allow some patients from other doctors, who are located not too far away and who are overworked, to be treated as well. This is my request. I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Leader.
I feel like I am repeating myself here, but I must bring up the freedom flotilla again today. I spoke about it last week. For those who do not know, this is a convoy of ships staffed by doctors, nurses, activists and human rights observers dedicated to breaking the illegal siege of Gaza in order that they can deliver lifesaving food and medical supplies to starving Palestinian civilians. These volunteers are drawn from all over the world. I believe there is an Irishman on board. There are also relatives of important freedom fighters like Che Guevara and Nelson Mandela. Their intended action is being blocked because of US pressure on Turkey, where the flotilla's boats are currently docked, and on the nations whose flags those boats are flying. This is why it is being blocked. It is about the flags.
Delaying the delivery of aid will have deadly consequences for the people of Gaza. We all know Israel is using starvation and disease as weapons of war. This is blatantly a war crime and clearly violates the provisional measures the International Court of Justice imposed on Israel in response to the case taken by South Africa under the genocide convention. Ireland has joined calls for the blocking of aid to stop and we have, thankfully, refused to go along with the now thoroughly debunked attempted smearing of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, UNRWA. I am very glad to hear we have increased our support for that vital organisation. I am very proud of this action.
I do believe, however, that Ireland should allow the freedom flotilla boats to undertake their journey flying our flag. This would be fantastic. We cannot just allow Israel to veto the delivery of lifesaving aid. We cannot allow efforts to deliver lifesaving aid to be blocked by Israel's allies. We should break the siege and save the children of Gaza from a prolonged and agonising death from hunger. It really would be fantastic if Ireland would allow the freedom flotilla boats to sail while flying our flag. This is my request today. If we act, I believe others will follow. Go raibh míle maith agat.
I thank the Senator. Anois, glaoim ar an Treoraí le freagra a thabhairt ar ár ngnó.
I thank all the Senators who contributed on the Order of Business today. Senator O'Loughlin was first. The Senator acknowledged the beginning of the Punchestown race festival this week and the major contribution the horse racing industry makes to Ireland. This is the case not just in Kildare but right across the country. The industry is worth €2.45 billion to the economy and nearly 31,000 people are employed in it. The industry is extremely important, and I wish all the organisers of the festival the very best this week. I have no doubt that people will have a fantastic time while they are there. I also acknowledge the massive effort being made this year in terms of equine welfare. It is a very worthwhile thing to highlight in the context of the festival as well.
On the issue regarding the sewerage system in Allenwood that has been highlighted by Councillor Dara Fitzpatrick, working with Senator O'Loughlin, a public meeting was held last night to discuss the matter and the prospect of working with Uisce Éireann to address it. There are challenges in this regard at times, but the need to progress water and sewerage schemes is important, especially in the context of delivering housing in densely populated areas where the population continues to grow.
An important issue was also raised concerning Gareth Landy and male infertility. It would be worth having a debate on this subject at some point. We might look into doing so in the future.
Senator Clonan spoke about the Dublin transport plan and the fact that disabled persons organisations have not been consulted. He has asked for this to take place and has requested a meeting in this regard with the Minister of State, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, and the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I ask the Senator to write directly to both the Minister of State and the Minister. I would be happy to endorse the need for this meeting to take place.
Senator Joe O'Reilly welcomed the establishment by our new Taoiseach of a Cabinet sub-committee on children with disabilities and early intervention. This is probably one of the most important issues the State has to deal with. It is an issue that all of us as public representatives deal with weekly. It is extremely harrowing to see the impact on children and families when early intervention does not happen.
It is a lost opportunity for that child. I wish the Taoiseach well, and former Taoiseach Varadkar, as he chairs that very important committee.
Senator Hoey spoke about the levels of intolerance in the State. We are living in challenging times and people feel unsafe. She asked whether this is still a land of welcomes. I think we are still a land of welcomes. I do not believe we are a country filled with hate, but people are concerned and fearful and it is part of our job to deal with that and to provide factual information rather than leaving a vacuum there. We have to deal with migration, which is a huge challenge not just for Ireland but for every country, and one that is here to stay. People are fleeing war, persecution, changes because of climate and economic desperation. There are many reasons people are coming to the country. Recent events, especially those involving Northern Ireland and the UK, have been quite unhelpful. I might remark on that further when I get to Senator Keogan's comments, but I take on board the points Senator Hoey was making about how we want to continue to be the land of welcomes that we have been and which I believe we always will be.
Senator Lynn Boylan spoke about animal welfare, with particular reference to dogs. The Senator has regularly raised this issue over the last four years and been a real champion of dog and cat welfare, especially dog welfare. I will seek an update from the Department of agriculture on the promised reforms we have been looking at for a number of years. The Ministers, Deputies McConalogue and Humphreys, are keen to progress that, so we will seek an update for the Senator.
Senator Kyne acknowledged my genuine interest in green issues. I thank him. That has been there for quite some time, but it is important to always highlight our tackling of climate change. I concur with his remarks on bus transport in rural areas. There is certainly a push to get people out of their cars and we would love that to happen, but it is just not a practical reality on the ground in rural Ireland because we do not have adequate public transport. Local Link has been a massively valuable service right across Galway, Mayo and all rural areas, but we should be looking at stopping closer to home. It is ridiculous to send somebody driving one direction to go the other direction. It is just not workable. If we are serious about investing in public transport, we must have a tailored approach to rural areas that fits the lifestyle of rural people.
Senator Boyhan spoke about the ash dieback announcement today, as did Senator Daly. Senator Daly has previously raised the issues and the challenges there. It is a hugely welcome announcement by the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, that €79.5 million is being made available to complement the existing scheme of €160 million. It is retrospective, so any farmer or landowner who has already carried out clearing works or replanting may still apply. It is a hugely significant sum of money. My understanding is that the average plantation is about 3 ha, so people could be looking at a payment of up to €15,000 or maybe more. It has been a huge strain on farmers and landowners, especially when at a time when they are under pressure anyway because of the terrible weather. It has effectively been raining since last July and to get this boost shows that the Government delivers. The Government has delivered in this space and it is down to the work of the Government parties that this scheme is in place and that there is money there to look after farmers and landowners. It is a really welcome and positive announcement from the Department of agriculture.
Senator Keogan spoke about the Minister for Justice. She will appreciate I am not going to get into comments on the Minister specifically, but the comments coming from the British Prime Minister probably should be viewed in the context of elections coming up in a couple of days in England. His comments were disgraceful, quite frankly. He was riding roughshod over British-Irish relations. The blame rests squarely with the British Prime Minister and the UK Government and not our Government on that. We did not provoke this particular fight, but it is important to remind politicians across the water that the Irish people and the British people value the relationship between our two countries and it is to be protected. We went through a very turbulent period during the Brexit negotiations where relations were not good. We have got them back on track and got the institutions in Northern Ireland back up and running and it is hugely regrettable that what look like comments related to the upcoming elections have been allowed to damage relations here. I am a big believer in diplomacy and in politics. This is a solvable issue and a shared challenge. Neighbours should work together on this and absolutely, we need to work with the UK on migration. It is an obvious point. We are also a member of the European Union. That is club we are in and we have to work there as well. One does not prevent us from working in the other space. The two have to work hand in hand.
Senator Malcolm Byrne congratulated the Kilrush Drama Group on its recent accolade in amateur theatre. I will certainly request a debate on the Garda vetting review. I am not sure where that is at. I will contact the Department and see whether we have any update on that as I appreciate the Senator has already raised this as a Commencement matter.
Senator Carrigy welcomed the town and village funding from the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. She was in County Mayo yesterday to make the announcement.
We had three projects in Mayo as well, one of which related to the Order of Malta in Castlebar. It was very welcome. It is great to see the funding going into towns and villages throughout the country. The Department has been very successful in supporting rural areas. The announcement yesterday was very welcome and shows that the Government is delivering for communities everywhere.
I take on board the Senator's point about children with additional needs and the need for services throughout the year. We can request a debate on that with the Minister of State with responsibility for special education. It might also be worthwhile for the Senator to table a Commencement matter in order to get an answer a little sooner.
Senator Higgins spoke about universities and students taking the issue of Gaza to protest, particularly against a heavy response in US universities. I do not intend to comment on what Irish universities have or have not done but I take on board the Senator's comments. The question of Horizon funding might also warrant the tabling of a Commencement matter.
Senator Paul Daly referred to the issue of ash dieback.
Senator Conway spoke about public transport and welcomed the update today from Irish Rail.
Senator Flynn expressed her solidarity with Ministers who have been under severe pressure, in particular Deputies McEntee and O'Gorman, and I concur with her remarks. The levels of abuse and vitriol being directed at politicians are totally unacceptable. We are driving people out of public life. I have no doubt that not just Ministers but every Member of the Houses is questioning their future in politics and whether the juice is worth the squeeze. There has to be a level of civility and decency in public life if we want people from all walks of life to come into these Houses. For too long, we have taken a hands-off approach, and the mentality among politicians is just to keep the head down and plough on, but that is not going to work anymore. If we want to protect our democracy, which is under threat not just in Ireland but across the globe, we have to push back on the treatment of politicians. Abuse, whether online or in person, and protesting at people's homes is not okay, and I know that Senator Malcolm Byrne has a Bill which deals specifically with that issue.
Senator Murphy also stood in solidarity with the politicians I just mentioned. The Senator mentioned the Lough Funshinagh issue. We will have that debate shortly, and we look forward to it. Along with Senator Dolan, Senator Murphy has been to the fore in raising the Lough Funshinagh issue and making sure it was at the top of the agenda in the Seanad. He alerted me to the issue and I had the opportunity to visit the site. He had said to me that the videos and photographs did not do it justice, and how right he was. When I saw it with my own eyes, I really had not been expecting it to be as bad as it was, to be frank about it, so I was glad to facilitate statements on the issue today and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, for agreeing to come in. We will have that full debate shortly after the Order of Business.
I take on board the comments about Williamstown and the loss of the GP there. This is a hugely difficult matter in rural areas. In fairness to the HSE, it does advertise the positions, but we are finding it difficult to attract GPs to move to local areas. The rural GP is a very specialised position in the community. They are on call all the time and it is a very demanding job and a big responsibility. We have to look at how we can attract and retain GPs in rural areas, not least given a lot of our GPs are heading towards retirement and will at some point be looking to move to that next chapter. We have to ensure that service, therefore, in areas throughout the country. I hope a GP will be found soon for the area.
Senator Black spoke about the freedom flotilla, the blockade of Gaza and the prevention of aid, aid workers, journalists and medics getting in. What can we say at this point? There is a united front in both Houses as to the appalling, barbaric attacks by Israel on the people of Gaza, including children. For generations to come, people will view Israel through the lens of what it is doing now, and it has done huge damage to its own state. Many people in Israel do not support what is happening, and while we condemn the 7 October attacks, what has happened since then has been so disproportionate and inhumane. We have repeatedly called for a ceasefire and sometimes I feel it is falling on deaf ears. It is beyond the powers of this Chamber to achieve that, but it is still important to continuously debate it and highlight it in this Chamber. We will not look away and we will always push for a ceasefire and peace in the region. I thank the Senator for continuously raising that matter in the House.
Order of Business agreed to.
Before I ask the Leader to propose a sos, cuirim fíorfháilte roimh chuairteoirí an Leas-Cheann Comhairle, an Teachta Catherine Connolly, agus roimh an Leas-Cheann Comhairle féin chuig an Seanad. I also welcome Deputy Grealish and the Claddagh Residents Association to the House.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 3 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 3.17 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 3 p.m. and resumed at 3.17 p.m.