The Order of Business is No. 1, Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Bill 2009 — Committee Stage (resumed) and Remaining Stages, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business and to adjourn not later than 5.30 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 2, motion re referral to the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of No. 1; and No. 3, motion re banking, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 2 and to conclude not later than 6.30 p.m., if not previously concluded, with spokespersons having five minutes to speak and on which Senators may share time, by agreement of the House. There will be a sos from 2 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.
Order of Business
In recent times the reputation of politics has taken a considerable hit. People have lost faith in politics and trust in the Government. When politicians' words are not met with actions people lose faith even further. We saw the latest example of this yesterday when the Taoiseach said there had not been cuts to front-line disability services. Some time later, hundreds of people marched outside Leinster House and many of us went out to speak to them, the parents and carers of the intellectually disabled and people with special needs. They attested to the truth of the situation, that their loved ones and they, as families, were experiencing cutbacks in front-line services in respite care and the support services to which they have become accustomed. Surely the Taoiseach is not saying the families are making up these stories. This is the direct experience of these families and individuals. I spoke to the families yesterday, as did many other Senators. Anyone watching the television reports, reading today's newspapers or meeting the families yesterday would have to be ashamed at the level of cutbacks these families and individuals are experiencing.
I spoke to a woman, Fiona, who told me about her 48 year old sister who has an intellectual disability. Maeve cannot live at home and her mental capacity is that of a three year old. She has no speech but has learned to communicate with her family so they can understand her. They describe her as a generally happy person, sociable, affectionate and joyful. I spoke to her mother and her sister who were distraught about the current experience in the care facility where this woman lives. They spoke about the fact that drugs are being used once again as an alternative to therapies. Sedatives are being used instead of alternatives because of the cutbacks to staff and the need to manage the facility. They said it was going back to the Dark Ages, a complete reversal of the kind of care for their loved one they had experienced in recent years.
The Taoiseach may say there are no cutbacks but I have evidence of a facility in Dublin where 120 families will soon have little or no respite service, 80 children aged up to six years will be without occupational therapy, physiotherapy services will be curtailed, a day centre will close and the facility's swimming pool has been closed already. Two children at the facility have no school place for the coming year and many programmes aimed at developing communications and social skills will be severely curtailed. I refer to the point Senator O'Malley made yesterday about administration of the disability sector and the need for the sector to be more efficient. If there have been failings in the area, of which we still need to see evidence, I put it to Government that because it provided the funding, it has the responsibility to see that funding is used efficiently.
We already know the amount of waste there has been. This matter is a Government responsibility. It is not an excuse for cutbacks to front-line services. I repeat my request of yesterday for the Minister with responsibility for this area to address the Seanad before we finish our work for this term, for him to come into this House and talk about the facts and not the theory he talks about in implementing A Vision for Change. The reality is that 700 staff have been cut from front-line mental health services in the past year. That is not implementing A Vision for Change. I would like the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, to come in here and give us facts about what is happening in the disability sector before the end of the term.
I could not disagree with one word Senator Frances Fitzgerald said. In fairness, I presume the same would be the view of Members on the other side of the House, but this is a time when action needs to be taken. I want to put my own credibility on the line here. I have stood here and supported Government policy on the harsh economic measures in terms of the support to the banks, the NAMA model etc. I have argued for it and supported it. The Government came to a conclusion on this and I made the point at the time that I preferred it, say, to the Fine Gael point of view, though it also had merit at the time.
Similarly when it came to the harshest of cuts, including cutbacks in pay in the public sector, the area that I often represent, I supported the Government in terms of the Croke Park deal and the need to do that. Responsible positions have been taken in this House in support of the Government's economic measures. There also has been strong support by all parties on this side of the House for the Croke Park agreement and cuts in public sector pay and pensions etc. Everybody bought into it.
I remind the Leader of that because I ask him to also remind his leadership that there is another leg to that stool. If we are to put money into the banks and to take money from public servants, and people in the private sector have also suffered a loss in income, we need to balance that by ensuring we represent the caring society which worries about the most vulnerable, which worries about those in need of support and about how we are seen to treat the marginalised and the excluded. This is an issue that we need to be seen to address and it was never more important than now.
There is good news this week from the OECD and in terms of the Department of Finance revising its growth forecast from a minus percentage to a plus percentage. These are good things. We hope we will not have the jobless recovery about which some prophets of doom are talking. We need to be clear about this. There is a good deal of deliberately mischievous comment with people saying: "We have growth but where are the jobs?" Every Member who has spent an iota of time examining economic issues recognises there is a lag between employment creation and growth in the economy. We must ensure though that this happens. The point that has been raised on this side of the House on numerous times is that we do not see the Government policy which makes the link between those two things. We want to be reassured about this. I want to see how this will happen. I want to see how we are pushing for this to happen. I want to see proposals from Government such as, for instance, the Fine Gael proposal on creating 100,000 jobs in the green economy. The Government is working on that in the background. We should have such proposals. These are proposals we could all get behind and move forward, but we can only do that in the context of the points that have been raised by Senator Fitzgerald. We must also be seen to take a stand in favour of the people that we pass legislation to support as in the case of the EPSEN Act and other Acts which support people with special needs of various types.
I ask the Leader to take that message back to the Government and to arrange for somebody representing Government to come into this House for a debate on that broad issue, not only on the cuts, but where this sits in all of the broader economic issues we are discussing at present.
Yesterday we heard calls for the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill, published recently, to be brought before the House. I support that call. People are very fed up about our asylum system. People within the system have to wait four and five years before their cases are dealt with. We should not forget that these are often the most vulnerable people in our society. They have left their homes and come here hoping to start a new life and have found that they have to wait an inordinate amount of time before their cases are dealt with. People in the wider community are also fed up at the cost of this system to the Irish taxpayer. If it takes five years for the case of an average asylum seeker to be dealt with, that costs the State approximately €50,000. Every other European country deals with this process in a much more efficient way. They can deal with their asylum system in one or two years rather than the four or five years it takes us. Clearly, it is the system that is at fault here; it is not the fault of an individual. We need to deal with the issue that is before us.
I ask the Leader to bring forward the Bill that has been published and is awaiting introduction to this House to enable us to move on with this process. We can change the procedures and ensure the system is quickened up and thereby save the State some money and let people get on with their lives.
I would also like to raise the subject of climate change legislation. We heard as recently as three weeks ago during my party's Private Members' time in this House that the Government expected to publish climate change legislation imminently. The Dáil is rising today but the Seanad will sit next week and it may be that this legislation will be introduced next week. I look forward to hearing the comments of the Deputy Leader on that query.
Will that legislation deal with the issue of the climate change fund of €100 million that the Minister, Deputy Gormley, agreed at the conference in Copenhagen last December? At that time the Government agreed to make a voluntary contribution towards mitigating the effect of climate change in developing countries. Has the Government yet agreed at Cabinet level to release this year's allocation of €30 million from that fund? If so, where will it be allocated? Will it be spent in our priority countries or will it be allocated to some multilateral agency? I would like to know. We are now seven months into this year and we need clarity on this issue. I note other countries that made similar voluntary commitments have already acted. I would appreciate comments on this issue from either the Deputy Leader or the Leader.
To respond to Senator Hannigan, there have been meetings with environmental NGOs and Department officials on the progress on the heads of the climate change Bill. It is hoped it will be published before this House rises in any event.
On the Senator's second query, the House should debate the wider issue. The Taoiseach gave a commitment on an allocation of €100 million over three years at the rate of €30 million a year, in regard to climate change measures in developing countries. The funding allocation method has not been agreed in terms of the Department this will come under, but I believe the House will accept that is a promise worth delivering on.
On the wider issue concerning disability services in particular, we need to have a wider debate. I was taken by Senator's Fitzgerald's reference to the fact that sedation is being used as a control measure and as a cost control measure. I have seen evidence of this on recent visits to psychiatric facilities. In no way can that be seen to be a bona fide medical approach or a caring approach to these particular issues. We need to have these issues identified, exposed and eliminated wherever they are seen to emerge.
I welcome Nos. 2 and 3 on the Order Paper. No. 2 is the reference to the consideration of the Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service of the Governor's report and the report of Messrs Regling and Watson. That is welcome and I look forward to the deliberations on that. No. 3 is more important. This motion seeks our approval of the draft Commission of Investigation (Banking Sector) Order, which I am sure we will do. I am glad the terms were extended, otherwise the State would have been found guilty of colluding in the cover up in regard to the very serious specific lapses that happened in some of our credit institutions. I refer in particular to the bed and breakfast arrangement that was in place between two of them, the back to back deposit swaps that took place before AGMs, allowing for the publication of reports to be pumped up and for the propping up of false figures. That is a very important matter. I welcome that we are to debate it. I hope we will have the opportunity in due course to comment further on this. The Leader might make provision for a suitable debate when the time will come.
Will the Leader briefly outline the sitting arrangements for next week, the number of days it is proposed we will sit and the proposed legislation with which we will deal? As the Dáil is rising today, we will not be able to refer any legislation back to it. It is important we know the Leader's proposals for next week.
I agree with the points made by Senator Fitzgerald. I call on the Leader to arrange for a full discussion on this matter next week — we will have time for such a discussion next week — and for the facts to be given on funding for care, particularly respite care. We have received correspondence in this regard and every case is genuine. Families are terrified about the demands that will be placed on them if respite care services are withdrawn or reduced. Senator O'Malley has made the point that we have to examine the allocation to the Brothers of Charily to find out how and where the money is being spent and why front-line services are being reduced. When I was in the Department of Health and Children, there was a particularly strong link with the Brothers of Charity because it was the adviser to the Government on intellectual disability issues. Therefore, there was a strong channel of funding to the organisation which has carried out tremendous work. It operates in County Roscommon. The association in the country for people with intellectual disabilities has provided funding, in conjunction with the Brothers of Charity, on a voluntary basis in recent years and I am sure it will rise to the occasion in terms of the provision of additional support. I would like the Minister to come before the House next week to give the full facts, provide all the documentation available on the Brothers of Charity and outline the reason respite care services are the first line of attack. When I was in the Department of Health and Children, this was a regular occurrence. Whenever cutbacks were proposed, some officials highlighted the most sensitive areas in the public domain to ensure they and management received more funding. People were used to leverage this funding from the Department. I would like to have the issue clarified next week. Let us have an honest debate to find out if there are six managers in the Brothers of Charity——
The Senator is spinning.
What about all the managers in the HSE?
(Interruptions).
Any excuse.
It has a duty to manage the sector.
It has a good name.
Is it only dawning on the Senator now?
The Senator is worrying about this very late in the day.
On a point of order, I may have misunderstood the previous contribution, but is Senator Leyden saying officials in the Department are deliberately misleading the media in order to say money is being wasted?
That is not a point of order.
I did not refer to officials in the Department. I was referring to officials in organisations which manage funding.
Senator Leyden, please resume your seat.
I ask the Leader if he will take No. 36, motion No. 14 on the Order Paper on the situation in Uganda. It involves in some circumstances the reintroduction of the death penalty. No one in this House, no matter how strong his or her opposition to the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitees Bill, would oppose the motion. I cannot imagine anybody supporting such barbarous measures in African countries which have been strongly condemned by the churches. As the Leader knows, the original wording of the motion was slightly amended by the Department. It now approves of the motion, for which there is all-party support. Because of the emergency situation we have had changes to the Order of Business for a series of days. I am happy to roll with this and would really be grateful if the Leader introduced the motion, even without debate, as we have had a long debate on these issues and I do not think there would be any dissent. I am prepared to have it taken without debate because I have been asked by the bishop to send it, as it may help to save lives. If we could take it today, even without debate, I would be most grateful.
I ask for a debate on cystic fibrosis services, in the light of the fact that there are further delays in the provision of the promised 34 bed unit in St. Vincent's Hospital. We have all listened to and read the eloquent articles by Orla Tinsley, a wonderful and courageous fighter for the rights of people with cystic fibrosis. She has detailed, without engaging in nasty criticism of any of the staff of the hospital, how she has sometimes had to deal with nurses who have received no specialised training and who may have inadvertently exposed her to health risks and how sufferers, because of their condition, need to be isolated and when they are not, they are exposed to the risk of cross-infection. I was contacted sometime ago by a wonderful young woman, a distant connection of mine, Yvonne McNulty, and I went to visit her. The circumstances are wonderful but the risk of infection is very high when a person is unwell. I understand there are difficulties and that the Government has made what appears to be a very firm and clear promise in this regard. The current difficulties are the result of Bernard McNamara being in financial difficulties but surely they could be overcome. The contract appears to be unusual in that the Government or the authorities of the hospital do not propose to pay until the job has been completed. Surely it should be possible to install a system, whereby there would be a series of payments made as the work progresses. It should not be beyond the wit of those involved to appoint a project manager to oversee the payments and construction of the unit. I am sure my friends and colleagues in the House, with some of whom I disagree very strongly on certain issues, in a genuine spirit of concern for people who are unwell will examine the matter and give a constructive view.
I share Senator Leyden's concerns about the manner in which money is being spent in respite care and disability services. I am sure the Leader would welcome a proposal that the Minister of State with responsibility for disability issues, Deputy John Moloney, come before the House to outline the discussions he has had and which are ongoing. I have every confidence in him that those in receipt of respite care services will not, despite media and other commentary in recent days, find themselves without such valuable and important services.
I propose an amendment to the Order of Business regarding No. 36, motion No. 17 on the Order Paper. I raised the matter briefly yesterday and thank all the leaders of the political groupings who have agreed to the following all-party motion:
That Seanad Éireann calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to spare the life of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and requests the Minister for Foreign Affairs to convey to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran the opposition of the Irish people to all forms of capital punishment.
I propose that the motion be included in the Order of Business and taken without debate. I am sure the Leader will accede to my request because it is an agreed all-party motion and, according to newspaper reports, there is a danger that the woman concerned could be executed before we return to the House next week. This is an important dimension to my request.
As Senator O'Toole pointed out, at the risk of losing public support, on many occasions both he and other Members on this side of the House supported the need for financial retrenchment and corrections to the public finances. Fine Gael went so far as providing an alternative budget. However, a line has to be drawn in the sand. There are certain front-line services for people with intellectual disabilities, the elderly and people with cystic fibrosis which are at risk but which ought not to be. We on this side of the House have no problem in accepting that administration costs have to be cut back and the challenge we present to the Government is that if there are unnecessary administration costs, they should be eliminated. It will not be opposed from this side of the House in so doing.
I draw to the attention of the Leader a very serious matter dealt with in the Irish Independent today. In an objective study commissioned by it the National Cancer Registry shows that the costs involved when one has cancer, a nightmare for every person and family, are proving too much for families. The incomes and mortgage repayments of families with a cancer sufferer are at risk. For example, visits to the general practitioner and consultant can cost up to €700 a year. Cancer patients spend €360 on travel, while 63% seek social welfare benefits. Women with various cancers spend in the region of €460 on wigs etc. These costs are prohibitive.
It is a further nightmare for families at a time when they are already suffering. We need to debate this report and the cost and psychological impact of cancer. The public finances can be rectified but people in these circumstances must be prioritised. If we are able to put money into the banks, we should also be able to support these people during the worst times of their lives.
Several issues pertaining to asylum seekers and how the State deals with them could be effectively discussed in this House. I accept we will not get an opportunity to do so before the recess but I ask the Leader to consider a debate on this subject at an early stage after we return. Good stories can be told about immigrants who have been accepted by communities and made positive contributions to the quality of life by sharing their own traditions. Senator Hannigan was correct to raise this issue. I and I am sure other Senators are regularly asked to investigate cases. Some of these are heart breaking cases involving the possible deportation of people who have partners and children in this country.
I am aware that in recessionary times issues such as this are not at the top of the priority list but we are diminished as a people if we do not realise anybody who is marginalised needs urgent attention. When we make representations on these cases, we generally receive clinical replies. We have seen deportations about which we have felt deeply and we often wonder afterwards what happened to the individuals concerned in their own societies. I would fear for the safety of individuals in some cases.
Our people have a history of going abroad and meeting challenges and difficulties but at the end of the day they were well received and contributed to their new countries. Given that we celebrate their history today, is it not right that we should go the extra mile for those who have come here with the best intentions to seek refuge so that they are not left waiting on the long finger or in limbo? They are in a cruel and difficult situation and they are worthy of being put on our priority list.
I draw the attention of the House to the leading editorial in The Irish Times today on Seanad reform. It is interesting that, while calls have been made to abolish the Seanad, certain people have recently changed their minds on the need for it. Yesterday’s debate showed how the Seanad can earn its keep. I was very impressed with that debate, particularly when I compared it to the proceedings in the Dáil. Concerns were expressed clearly by a number of Senators and, while it was not healthy that the debate continued until 1 a.m., this may simply mean we need to improve how we organise our business. If the Seanad is to survive, it is up to us to earn our keep. Yesterday was a good example of the first steps we can take in that direction.
Nos. 2 and 3 on the Order Paper pertain to banking. The Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service met this morning to discuss the proposed commission of investigation into the banking crisis. It is welcome that a time limit will be imposed on the commission's work. More importantly, it will not solely focus on the past but will also give advice on ensuring we do not run into the same difficulties in future.
Yesterday I referred to the three month long summer holidays taken by secondary schools in Ireland, which compare to 16 days in Japan. Somebody asked me whether I really expect students and teachers to work over the summer months but my attention has since been drawn to a novel way of teaching languages practised in Britain and elsewhere. It is called the Michel Thomas system and I was very impressed when I was told about it by somebody who has just completed a course. Students take no notes and are told they should not memorise anything. This helps pupils to relax and they seem to be able to form complex sentences in languages they have never previously heard within a few days. German, French and, perhaps, Japanese and Chinese language teaching would bring huge benefits to the country because jobs are waiting to be filled by people who are able to speak these languages. We are at the bottom of the pile in Europe for languages but this system would enable us to learn in a fun and exciting environment. We could have pleasure even while making great achievements. Rather than requiring students to attend school more often, we could bring them both joy and success. Let us find a way of bringing this to the attention of our education authorities.
I second Senator Mooney's proposal on motion No. 17, which would convey our Government's concern about the death sentence imposed on Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani. She has been sentenced to death by stoning. No right thinking and civilised nation could condone such a barbaric practice in this day and age.
Why has the Leader not arranged for the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with responsibility for disability to come before the House this week? Yesterday the Taoiseach stated that no cuts would be made to front-line disability services. He made other comments which are unparliamentary but these say more about him than about the people to whom he referred. The Members opposite made eloquent speeches on Tuesday but words are not enough. The people we met yesterday and every day are suffering from cuts which hurt the old, the poor and the disabled. They still hurt 23 years later. Do not forget that. Yesterday I stated that respite care is a necessity rather than a luxury but it is being taken away from these people. Carers are worried and living in fear because they cannot plan. That is not a good environment in which to live. Cuts have been made to front-line services.
I seek a debate on the remarks made by Senator O'Malley yesterday. I researched her claims and found that while there are indeed six Brothers of Charity service organisations in the country, one of which is in Cork, to the best of my knowledge none of the CEOs of these organisations receives a salary equivalent to that of the Taoiseach. If I am wrong I will admit my error in the House. However, the issue is not the salary of the CEOs; it is the cuts to funding and the reduction of services as a result of Government policy.
I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on banking and the potential job cuts in banks. The catastrophe in the banking sector was not the fault of ordinary bank employees but of the people above them. Senior managers and executives were the decision makers and those people continue to call the tunes while refusing to lend money.
Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
When can we have a proper debate on banking so that we can ensure the people who caused the mayhem in the banks are, to quote Deputy Noonan, "got rid of" and the people who do a great job in local branches every day are rewarded?
I draw attention to the annual report on the meeting of Dáil na nÓg in March 2010. I compliment Dáil na nÓg on producing the report so quickly. It has set an example for other organisations which sometimes produce annual reports one or two years late.
The objectives of Dáil na nÓg are to provide a place where children who are representative of young people in Ireland can raise and debate issues of concern to them, act as a tool for children's concerns to be fed into the development of public policy and provide a model for children's participation which can be developed at local level with links with the Dáil. Dáil na nÓg lobbied hard for the introduction of a free cervical cancer vaccination scheme. The young people involved are to be complimented on the effectiveness of their lobbying in securing free cervical cancer screening. As the Parliament of older people, we have an obligation to listen to the young people in question.
The themes for this year's Dáil na nÓg conference were equality of access to education and mental health. How many times have I spoken about the mental health of all the people of this island, especially young people? We have a responsibility to listen to the common sense views expressed by children.
One of the key aspects of equality of access to education is examination pressure. Dáil na Óg recommends that the Department of Education and Skills extend the leaving certificate cycle to three years and reduce the junior certificate cycle to two years. Achieving this objective would not be a big deal. Dáil na nÓg is our customer and we should listen to it.
A further key recommendation made by Dáil na nÓg under the heading of mental health is that Departments establish and fund an education group to educate second and fifth year students through schools and youth clubs about depression and suicide.
Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
The funding provided for the Road Safety Authority for the prevention of road traffic accidents is 30 times greater than the funding available for suicide prevention measures. The issue of road safety also receives much more attention in public debate and television airtime. We must focus more on mental health, reduce the stigma associated with it and hold open discussions and fora to discuss the issue and inform people that help is available. We must invest as much effort in promoting——
Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
I ask the Ministers for Health and Children and Education and Skills to listen to the children of Ireland represented in Dáil na nÓg and place as much emphasis on mental health as on saving lives through road safety campaigns.
I formally propose non-Government motion No. 14 on anti-gay legislation in African states to which Senator Norris referred.
Is the Senator proposing the motion as an amendment to the Order of Business?
Yes. I also draw to the Leader's attention No. 35, a report by the Sub-committee on the Role of the Oireachtas in European Affairs which was laid before the House yesterday. Senator Mooney spoke about the report at a meeting of the sub-committee which examines the role of the Oireachtas, specifically the Seanad, in European affairs and has proposed a number of additional roles. I ask that the House discuss the report early in the new term.
Senator Buttimer commented on cuts in respite care services, while other colleagues referred to potential inefficiencies in the sector, an issue on which the Government placed considerable emphasis yesterday. The Comptroller and Auditor General published a report on these services four years ago, in which he raised such concerns and made a number of recommendations. Why is the Government only now acknowledging that there may be difficulties? Why was action not taken on foot of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report to avoid days such as yesterday?
Senator O'Toole referred to reductions in public service salaries. One of the reasons for these measures was to avoid reductions in front-line services. I could not get over the Taoiseach's statement yesterday in which he denied that there were cuts in services. I have seen with my own eyes the effect such cuts are having on families. What exactly does the Taoiseach believe people were marching against yesterday? What fears prompted them to march, if not ongoing reductions in front-line services? The families in question do not need the Taoiseach to add to their worry and terror by denying that cuts are taking place.
I share Senator Quinn's view that we must keep reform of the Seanad on the agenda. The excellent debate yesterday on the civil partnership legislation was a prime example of the importance of the House. Unlike in the Lower House, many Members of the Seanad made very good contributions to the debate. We must consider Seanad reform in that light and keep it on the agenda in the autumn. I propose that we have a debate on Seanad reform once each month. Without the Seanad, political debate would be much poorer. The Lower House is much more functional than the Seanad and gets on with its work, whereas Senators take the opportunity to tease out various issues.
In the light of our changing vision of the future, we must examine the issue of reform of second level education. We should review the curriculum to identify how best we can introduce technological subjects. While these subjects are not ideal for every student, we must find a means of providing opportunities for those with technological ability to acquire new skills. Often technology subjects are not on the timetable. We need a debate on the reform of second level education in the context of the smart economy, the knowledge economy and skills base. We must not forget, however, that arts subjects are important and will continue to be of service to the country.
Recent debates in the House, especially the debate yesterday, have highlighted the unique role of the second Chamber. Notwithstanding differing views on various issues, the House has always debated issues in an honest and open manner and respect has always been shown for everyone's point of view. There is a strong case to be made for promoting such debate and highlighting the fact that the diversity of opinion in the Upper House is not mirrored in the other House. This is one of the strong points of the Seanad.
Much has been said recently about cuts in various services. While we can all argue that specific areas should not be targeted for cutbacks, if yesterday's march against cuts in the disability sector tells us anything, it is that the sector is doing its best with the limited resources available to it. In recent years carers, the unsung heroes of society, have saved the State a fortune. If proof were needed, we saw yesterday how people of all political persuasions and none went outside to listen to the views expressed by those who marched. The marchers were staunch and loyal and we must support them. It is not good enough to engage in an economic exercise on an area such as disability services, while failing to address the shameful risk-taking that occurred in the banking sector and resulted in the near collapse of the economy. Not one single individual has served one day in jail. However, last week we had a double murder in this capital city and all of a sudden the two people murdered were known to the Garda, a phrase I find objectionable. The people who brought the country to the brink of economic collapse are known to everyone, including the Garda.
Further to what Senator McCarthy said, today's edition of The Irish Times reports that the Minister for Finance has promised action against banks that have provided misleading information to NAMA. He said that those who knowingly gave false information to NAMA could face criminal prosecution. Section 7(2) of the National Asset Management Agency Act states: “A person who intentionally, recklessly or through gross negligence provides false or inaccurate information to NAMA commits an offence.” That is quite clear. The clause is wider and does not just cover false information knowingly provided, but also inaccurate information given recklessly or through gross negligence. It now appears that NAMA’s October 2009 business plan was based on this inaccurate information that was supplied by the leaders of the banks themselves. We need to know whether that was reckless or through gross negligence and, if so, we need to know when there will be prosecutions. People are being jailed for not paying their television licence fees and yet these bankers, who have knowingly given this false information, have, as Senator McCarthy and others said, brought the economy to its knees. We can see the consequences of that in the cuts in respite care, education and pensions. We know the people behind it and we need to see prosecutions soon.
It would be wrong to have the Order of Business without noting the positive results in the economy and the expectation of a 1% growth, the highest in the EU this year. As a clear indication that Government policies are working, we are the first and the fastest-growing of the EU countries. With that in mind, is it not time we started to speak positively of the benefits and opportunities that would present themselves and create an environment in which people have more confidence in our economy, thus creating jobs?
I ask the Leader to consider seriously what was discussed yesterday by the people who were out on Kildare Street and Molesworth Street. Senator Hanafin just came in full of bluster and excitement about the 1% growth. However, 450,000 people are unemployed. The unsung heroes, the carers, are providing for people who are less well off than we are. Respite is a necessity and not a luxury. For people to continue to care, they must have respite. People's mental and physical health will suffer if they do not continue to get respite. Respite is for the carer and not for the person with disability. It is crucial that respite is maintained and provided at even greater levels than it is now. Regarding respite for the elderly in Westmeath, I attended a meeting with representatives of the HSE this week and was told by the regional manager that Westmeath had been allocated two respite beds for the south Westmeath area and two respite beds for the Mullingar area. That is an inadequate allocation to care for all the people who need respite. That is not to mention cuts have been made in St. Mary's in Mullingar where the number of beds is being reduced from 190 to 50, Lougloe House in Athlone is being closed and the services in the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar have been consistently downgraded.
That is not true. I will with pleasure respond.
Senator McFadden to continue, without interruption. Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
It is true. Some 40 beds were taken out of the system in the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar. There is a moratorium on nursing appointments, which is why those 40 beds have closed. It is not about blaming the managers, including the Brothers of Charity and the chief executive officers. It is about cuts and taking front-line services out of the system. I resent entirely Fianna Fáil blaming the chief executive officers and saying that——
Is the Senator seeking a debate on the matter?
I am not seeking a debate. I am just responding to what has been said today on services for people with a disability.
Well said.
It is not about the chief executive officers. It is about taking front-line services away from the people who most need them.
I second Senator Donohoe's amendment regarding anti-gay legislation in some African states. I have a very special request for the Leader prior to the summer recess. I know this will be supported by many on this side of the House and perhaps by many on the Government side of the House. We should insist that the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, comes to this House prior to the summer recess. I spoke to him personally twice yesterday. He assured me that respite would not be cut in Galway. The Leader should consider this carefully. I then spoke to people who met representatives of the HSE in Galway yesterday. Ability West in Galway has been told its services will be cut by €1 million. We also know that funding to the Brothers of Charity has also been cut. They were told as recently as yesterday that they will lose €4 million in services. When put together we have total contradiction and confusion. Only the Minister of State can clarify it and direct the truth. The line must be from the Minister of State to the HSE to the Brothers of Charity or Ability West. It must go down that line. The Minister of State should ask the HSE in Galway to do as follows. Whatever it cuts, it must not cut respite for people with disabilities. We all saw those with disability on the street outside Leinster House yesterday. As Senator McFadden said, respite is for the carer. It is to help the able help the disabled. If we burn out the able person, we are finished. What are we going to do? I have never seen such terrible destitution. We are stringing out our own voiceless people without getting help. The Taoiseach does not have a clue. I received a text this morning. He is totally out of touch.
Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
My question has been put. He is out of touch already.
We are not having the debate today.
Respite houses have been closed in Limerick, Dublin and at Áras Attracta in Mayo. Those respite services have already been cut.
I support the requests made by others this morning for a debate on effective learning. I do not want this debate until September. It would be ideal when we come back in the new term.
Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
I have the question; it is coming.
The Senator is out of time.
(Interruptions).
Senator Healy Eames, please.
I want a debate on effective learning in which we can review, as Senator Quinn said, how children and young people can learn with less memory learning and use of notes. We need to consider how they as learners can be resources in themselves. We have much to offer in this.
I support what Senator Healy Eames just said. She hit the nail on the head in talking about putting strain on our best people and stressing them out. Yesterday I spoke on the issue of carers. A number of issues are now coming together to increase the pressure on carers. First there is the drive to get more efficient use of our hospitals — getting patients in and out quickly. That means there will be more pressure on carers at the convalescence stage. Where there is a shortage of nursing home beds, priority will be given to people coming out of hospital, thus reducing the available supports to carers in that context. There is also the shortage of respite. There is the coming together of a number of pressures on carers to which we really must pay close attention. We should pay attention, in particular, to the fact that issues get challenging as time goes on for carers and one has people who are getting progressively older themselves caring for people who are progressively more challenged in their lives. I want to emphasise this issue. We will have a debate about it next week but it is something we cannot afford to lose sight of. As I stated yesterday, the carers are in a sense the most efficient part of our health service and they are the ones on whom we are spending least resources and of whom we are thinking the least. It is wrong that we should take advantage of their generosity and commitment to their families and loved ones, and think we can somehow then park them to the side and not worry about their needs. I hope we will put them front and centre next week and that it will be reflected in our budgetary arrangements.
Senators Fitzgerald, O'Toole, Boyle, Coghlan, Leyden, Mooney, Donohue, McCarthy, Coffey, McFadden, Healy Eames and Mullen expressed their full support for carers, and particularly carers who are in urgent need of respite care, and everything to do with the programmes of the HSE and the Brothers of Charity. The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, is coming back to the House next week. I spoke with the Minister last night on the portfolio for health and she stated she would make herself available. I will be pursuing this. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, calling in all the various heads to give a definitive report of where the spending is taking place and for further clarification on matters that are of considerable interest, that is, front-line services.
Everyone in this House fully supports what the carers are doing, respite care and everyone who is in need of the services carers provide. As I stated, there are 161,000 carers and they are giving a service that is second to none. We must do everything we possibly can to ensure anything that can be done, particularly on funding, is forthcoming and that the wastage in spending must stop immediately. If colleagues have any evidence of that wastage, please use the floor of this House——
What does the Leader mean by "wastage"?
——to bring it to the attention of the Minister.
There is Government wastage.
The Government should acknowledge this.
The Leader is waxing lyrically.
The Leader to continue, without interruption.
What does the Leader mean? That is the Government's job.
Define "wastage".
The Leader to continue, without interruption.
On Westmeath——
Is that not the Government's job?
——Senator Healy Eames knew nothing about Westmeath, thankfully.
Thank God, in Senator Cassidy's case.
Senator McFadden brought to my attention——
It would be the wax-work museum.
The corner boy stuff should be left at the corner.
Senator Cassidy started——
The Leader to continue, without interruption.
The hospital in Mullingar was put there by my predecessor, the late M. J. Kennedy, who was Parliamentary Secretary at the time, going back to 1937. I know everything about what is happening in that hospital and I thank all public representatives for their support on all sides of the House.
The level of employment in the hospital is now the highest in its history, at 777 employees. There is a considerable amount being spent. The budget for this year is €58 million. It is down on last year, but it is a significant budget. We all know that 70% plus of that goes on wages. We must do anything we can as public representatives to support Mullingar hospital, of which I am extremely proud. There are the achievements of Mr. Trevor O'Callaghan and his team to have made it the number one hospital in the country, and number two in terms of hygiene. We all are proud of Mullingar hospital which will grow and be enhanced and it will be a bigger hospital for specialised services which we all support.
There are 40 beds closed.
In response to the concerns of my colleague, Senator McFadden, who is always supported by Senator Glynn on Mullingar, there are 41 fewer beds because we are moving to day procedures and attending to far more patients. There are far more procedures.
There are 1 million more people living in Ireland today than when Fianna Fáil returned to government in 1997——
That is not correct. There are not 1 million moer people since 1997.
——and there are 700,000 people more working in Ireland today than under the sham Government from 1983 to 1987.
Senator Cassidy is showing his type now.
Senator Buttimer, please can we hear the Leader, without interruption?
Senator Cassidy is waking from his slumber and it is too late.
Unfortunately, we who were in this House when Senator Coffey was going to primary school can remember it only too painfully.
(Interruptions).
The damage is done.
The Leader to continue, without interruption.
The proceedings of the House were enhanced yesterday by all the Senators' meaningful contributions. Do not demean them this morning. Support the Leas-Chathaoirleach. He deserves the Senators' support.
Senator Hannigan raised the immigration Bill which Senator Dearey brought to our attention on many occasions in the House in the past number of days. The Bill has been published and I will update the House on Tuesday on its passage through both Houses.
Senators Hannigan and Boyle spoke of climate change. The Deputy Leader outlined to the House that the Taoiseach has committed €100 million in the next three years — €30 million plus per year — which is to be wholeheartedly welcomed. I certainly join him in welcoming it.
Senator Coghlan asked about the sitting days for next week. I will be ordering business for Tuesday and Wednesday, and I am awaiting to see how matters progress on the business of both the Dáil and the Seanad today as to whether we are sitting on Thursday.
I thank all colleagues. We sat for 28 hours in the past two days. I thank the staff of the House——
Hear, hear. Well said.
——the Clerk and the Clerk Assistant for their considerable understanding. Particularly, I thank the Whips and the leaders for their support and the Cathaoirleach and Leas-Chathaoirleach. In my long membership of Seanad Éireann — Senator Ross joined me in this yesterday — it was one of the best days to be present for the level of debate and the considerable concern shown by all Seanadóirí in their contributions.
In response to Senators Norris, Donohue and Healy Eames, I will accept the amendment proposed to take No. 36, motion 14, the all-party motion on foreign affairs. Senator Norris has been requesting it here for the past number of weeks.
Will the Leader be taking it today?
Let the Leader reply.
Senators Norris and O'Reilly asked for a debate on cystic fibrosis. The matter was debated last night in the Dáil with the Minister present. I certainly have no difficulty in passing on the strong views of colleagues to the Minister about their concerns and their support.
Senators Mooney and Daly also proposed an amendment, No. 36, motion No. 17, another all-party foreign affairs matter on the sentencing to death by stoning. I will accept this amendment also.
Senator O'Reilly raised the National Cancer Registry's report on cancer costs and the cost to the State. When anyone is unfortunate enough to be affected by cancer it should be mandatory that the State pay for all of the costs. It is a serious challenge facing us in the future but nobody should be left without treatment because they cannot afford it. I hope that colleagues will bring this to the Minister's attention here next week.
Senators Quinn, Ormonde, McCarthy and Coffey raised the issue of Seanad reform and called for a debate on banking. We had a debate on banking with the Minister for Finance here on Tuesday evening and late into the night, and later today we will have a motion on banking. We will discuss banking issues on two of the three sitting days this week. I have no difficulty in allocating time occasionally as it is requested to keep us updated on the challenges the Government is facing regarding the banking failures.
Senators Quinn and Ormonde raised the reform of our education system and the teaching of languages in the three month break that students get. I certainly agree with Senator Quinn on the joy learning languages could bring to students. We all have seen in our Gaeltacht areas in the summer time the joy that students get from going to learn the Irish language. This is a worthwhile proposal. We will have a debate on the future of education after the summer break and we certainly can bring this to the Minister's attention in that debate.
Senator Buttimer also raised the issue of banking. I have outlined what has happened.
Senator Mary White raised the Dáil na nÓg report 2010 and the achievements of these young people in education, mental health and free cervical cancer screening. I will have no difficulty in debating it in the House after the summer recess.
There are two amendments to the Order of Business. Senator Mooney proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 36, motion 17, be taken without debate before No. 1." The Leader has indicated he will accept this amendment.
Amendment agreed to.
Senator Donohoe proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 36, motion No. 14, be taken without debate before No. 1." The Leader has indicated he will accept this amendment also.
Amendment agreed to.
Order of Business, as amended, agreed to.