The Order of Business is: No. 1, motion regarding speaking time on Private Members' business, to be taken without debate; Nos. 2 to 6, inclusive, motions concerning the establishment of committees and certain amendments to Standing Orders relating to the procedure within those committees, as set out in the Order Paper, to be taken without debate; No. 7, statements on the fair deal nursing home support scheme, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 6 and conclude not later than 1.30 p.m., with the contribution of spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes and those of all other Senators not to exceed six minutes, and the Minister to be called on to reply not later than 1.20 p.m.; and No. 8, Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 [Certified Money Bill] — Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 2.30 p.m. and conclude not later than 5 p.m. There will be a sos from 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.
Order of Business
Today we have reached the 100th day of the new Government. I do not want to dwell too long on that as it is not necessarily appropriate to fill out a report card on a Government after 100 days, but the incoming Government made a big issue of the first 100 days. It is, therefore, important to note that with regard to the EU-IMF programme in particular, the rate cut remains outstanding. I would like to hear from the Leader the up-to-date situation with regard to the negotiations with the troika on the rate cut, which we learned last week will only apply to moneys not drawn down, rather than the total fund. Therefore, instead of the savings of €440 million per annum the Government stated would be achieved, the savings are now reduced to €160 million per annum and the Minister for Finance has said we should not overplay the importance of the rate cut. I agree with him. I said that prior to the election, but the problem is the Government had made firm promises in this regard and said the deal was practically done. I will not rehash the old rhetoric of the Opposition parties at the time, but the failure to achieve the rate cut is a disappointment. There is also disappointment with regard to the U-turn on third level fees, the universal social charge and issues such as not signing the enabling works for metro north, the largest infrastructural project due to get under way this year, at the cost of 260 jobs. The list goes on and on.
I will be positive in one regard. I read this morning and an announcement was made yesterday about the review of the Croke Park deal. This deal met with much derision from Members of all parties when it was done, including my party. However, it is good that the independent review has said that solid progress has been made. I welcome the fact there has already been a saving of over €250 million on salaries, but it is important that there is progress on public sector reform and not just on the monetary aspects of the agreement. It would be more than helpful if the Minister with responsibility for that reform, Deputy Howlin, could come to the House to discuss the issues when he has his full powers. As Deputy Byrne mentioned yesterday, the Bill to establish his Department has not yet been passed. That aside, it would be worthwhile for him to give the House an opportunity to discuss the progress of the Croke Park agreement. Credit is due to the public sector on the progress made, which shows that when people put their minds to it and work together on an agreed basis, savings can be made. It is important this House regularly reviews the issue on foot of the report.
On the announcement made yesterday by the HSE with regard to changes to the operation of a number of hospitals, a number of colleagues on this side of the House, including Senators Leyden and MacSharry, have raised concerns about Roscommon County Hospital and Sligo General Hospital and the reintroduction of cancer services. I note with interest that Senator O'Keeffe put forward a matter for the Adjournment on that issue today. Many colleagues in both Houses said they would resign after 100 days if cancer services were not reinstated in Sligo General Hospital. Roscommon County Hospital, Navan General Hospital, Louth County Hospital, Portlaoise hospital, Ennis hospital, St. John's Hospital in Limerick, Mallow General Hospital and Bantry hospital all face having their services curtailed. This is a cause for concern. The Minister for Health will make an announcement to the media tomorrow, Friday, but he will not make an announcement to the Dáil or Seanad with regard to how he will deal with this situation, although many Members have raised their concerns. It was a prevalent practice in previous Governments - something that needs to stop - for important announcements like this to be made to the media. These announcements should be made in the Oireachtas and not to journalists at press conferences.
The Senator should look at the example set by the previous Government.
If the Senator was listening, she would have heard me mention previous Governments. It is wrong to do it now and it was wrong for previous Governments to do it.
Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
It is a pity the Minister, Deputy Reilly, sees it fit to make these announcements to the media rather than to the elected Members of the Oireachtas. In fairness, the Minister has come to this House to deal with agreed legislation but I would like him to discuss, in the House rather than in the media, cuts in hospital services in Sligo General Hospital and others I mentioned.
Every time we hear of another shooting or murder happening anywhere in Ireland it saddens me to raise it in this House. Very sadly, another individual was murdered yesterday in Santry in yet another violent crime. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, has been in the House on a number of occasions, which I welcome. It is important that the Minister should come to the House. This type of murder or shooting is more than prevalent and its occurrence has increased in recent weeks. The Garda is doing its best but I wish to hear if the Minister and the Department of Justice and Equality believe further legislation is required to tackle this scourge.
I offer my sincere sympathies and those of the Fianna Fáil group to the family of the person who lost his life last night.
All of us join Senator O'Brien in expressing sympathy in regard to that latest appalling shooting. Last night there was a debate in this House on the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 with the Minister for Justice and Equality, and Members aired their concerns about the effectiveness of current legislative measures. The Minister helpfully indicated that he would conduct a review of the organised crime provisions in the Act, which I welcome as it is very important.
I refer to the announcement today that the Government plans to impose losses on senior bondholders in Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society, which we all very much welcome. Given that the anniversary of the first hundred days is being marked, we must note that this important issue needs to be addressed, as does that of interest rate cuts. I point out to Senator O'Brien that nothing has been finalised in that regard. It is a matter of great regret to all of us that more progress has not been made in achieving an interest rate cut but we hope negotiations are ongoing.
Today we will debate the Finance (No. 2) Bill which will bring about the jobs initiative and funding thereof, which is probably the most important achievement of the first 100 days.
I also welcome the announcement that the Government will respond today to the Council of Europe with an action plan on how it proposes to deal with the ABC case and its implications. As others did, I ask for a debate on this issue. It might be appropriate to have such a debate when the expert group, planned by the Government, has reported although I would be happy to have a debate before then to inform the work of the expert group. That debate may or may not happen but we will certainly need a debate when the expert group has reported. I very much hope that group will have a tight timeframe within which to prepare a report on the implications of the ABC case. For far too long this Legislature, the Oireachtas, has failed to grasp the nettle of the abortion issue and it is time we did so. The expert group is an important part of the strategy but we also need debates in the Seanad, preferably early ones, with others to follow when the expert group has reported.
Will the Leader arrange a debate on a case that has slipped somewhat under the radar? This case was taken by an Irish lawyer, Mr. Ciarán Toland, who on 7 June won a victory in the Court of the European Union, that is the general court, not the European Court of Human Rights. He sought access to a report known as the Galvin report, on the operation of the parliamentary assistants' allowance in the European Parliament. This report was widely leaked on the Internet in 2009 but has been withheld by the Parliament. Mr. Toland achieved a victory, with the court stating that the Parliament could not objectively justify withholding the report. This is an important judgment that will have far-reaching consequences for improving accountability and transparency in the rights of EU citizens to access reports of European institutions. We might well consider the report in this House, especially given the debate we had yesterday on the usefulness of this House in dealing with EU matters. A final point of note is that a former Senator, Eugene Regan, represented Mr. Toland in the EU court.
There has been much debate in recent years on the new national children's hospital to be located on the site of the Mater Hospital. Most people welcome the construction here of a new national children's hospital but I have been greatly involved with the volunteer sector that has raised funds for Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin for the past 20 years. In my new role in the Seanad I have been in contact with a good number of concerned parents with regard to the state of play and the present position of the hospital plan.
Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin was designed in 1936 and eventually built 20 years later. For Tallaght Hospital, the time from conception to build was 18 years. If we go by this trend it may be another 14 to 16 years before the new national children's hospital is built. The last Government chose the Mater site but I understand it will cost approximately €600 million to construct the hospital, with €200 million having to come from philanthropic gestures and fundraising. So far, approximately €30 million of taxpayers' money has been raised. Planning permission has not been applied for and final decisions have not been agreed. At present more than €100 million is being spent in the Crumlin hospital. I understand that in the very near future, the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, is to open a brand new intensive care unit in the hospital. This makes no sense to me, to the volunteers or the very concerned parents.
What are the intentions of the Government with regard to the new national children's hospital? We need not debate the site because that argument has taken place but I wish to draw to the Minister's attention the need for the House to learn the state of play regarding the building of the facility. One hopes it will not take 14 or 16 years.
My colleagues raised the anniversary of the first 100 days of the Government, as is appropriate in this Parliament. However, that anniversary will come only once. I refer to another that always comes round, namely, Bloomsday. I say this in a serious way although with a good and happy heart. Bloomsday has become a universal celebration of humane values which pleases me very much. Forty years ago, when I started off on the project I was a lonely figure on the streets of Dublin, performing in an almost magical way sections of that great novel in the very places in which they happened. I am very glad to report that early this morning, the Minister, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, opened Bloomsday at the James Joyce Centre at 35 North Great Georges Street, a house that would not be there but for the genius of James Joyce because we were able to use it in that capacity. I have already complimented the Taoiseach on his choice of representatives to Seanad Éireann. He also made a good choice in the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Deenihan, whom I know, not only as a sportsman but as a man who has celebrated forgotten playwrights such as George Fitzmaurice and great people such as John. B. Keane, the Listowel Writers Festival and all such other matters.
It is a matter of great pleasure to me that the Impac literary prize was given to a great Irish writer, Colum McCann, for his wonderful novel, Let the Great World Spin, which deals with a tightrope walker on a rope stretched between the twin towers in New York. It cements the great relationship between Ireland and the United States of America. I am very proud that the MEP, Mr. Gay Mitchell, when an elected representative in Dublin, invited me, Ms Deirdre Ellis-King and Mr. Seán Donlon, a former ambassador and member of the Department of Foreign Affairs, to design that prize. We started——
He was Secretary General.
I thank Senator White and stand corrected. It was a very useful group of people. That is the single, greatest value, literary prize in the world for a single work of fiction.
There will be many Bloomsday celebrations, thanks to the work of people such as Mr. Ken Monaghan, Joyce's nephew — sadly, this is the first year he will not be with us — Joyce's grand-nephew, Mr. Robert Joyce, and the rest of our committee. Bloomsday now lasts a full week which brings in tourists. I am glad to tell the House they have supported us so well that we have bucked the trend. Our figures are up and we are in the black. The James Joyce Centre survives and is thriving. I am grateful for the support of various Governments. There will be many readings. I will be doing some in St. Stephen's Green and then moving to Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport. Dublin has been recognised as a UNESCO city of literature, but what a boring name for a terminal at an airport: Terminal 2. Can we not do better? I ask for the support of this House, as I secured the support of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht this morning. I will be asking the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport later for his support for the renaming of Terminal 2 as James Joyce International Airport, Dublin.
I support Senator David Norris in his call for the renaming of Terminal 2 as James Joyce International Airport. It would be an appropriate recognition of Dublin's status as a UNESCO city of literature.
I wish to raise a serious matter, on which I seek the support of the House. What does the country need to do to grow out of recession? The answer is jobs, export-led business and thriving indigenous companies which allow for sustainable growth. Before me I have the case of a high-tech Galway company which is ready to create eight new jobs, but its request for finance has been rejected by the State-owned banks. The company is offering €4.5 million of new business from Britain, with which it can create these jobs, but AIB which is almost 100% nationalised has rejected its request for credit which is needed to buy equipment to deliver on the project. This must be a source of concern for the entire House. We own the banks and this is unpatriotic behaviour on their part. They are rejecting viable companies' requests for finance. When I asked why the offer had been rejected, I was told a slow "No" was the bank's answer, with the company being fobbed off. I ask the Leader to call for the intervention of the Taoiseach. The Minister for Finance is doing a fine job for us abroad in trying to take care of the extraordinary debt burden we are facing. At home, however, we must create jobs and support viable businesses. I, therefore, ask the House for its support to ensure there is movement on this issue. I will pass on the specific details to the Leader and ask him to intervene in this case. That AIB and Bank of Ireland are refusing to offer credit is nothing short of national sabotage.
The 100 days concept is much used by the Taoiseach and we are marking it today as a result of the remarkable actions of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the height of the Great Depression. After he assumed power, on the second day he closed the banks for four days and within 100 days he had passed 15 Bills through Congress, which is still a record. Comparing the last 100 days or even the three pages of promises the Taoiseach made to be delivered on in the first 100 days of his Government with the period of 100 days mentioned, they do not measure up well. The Finance (No. 2) Bill is important, as a focus on job creation is necessary, but the Bill will only be passed today if the Government does not continue to insist that approved retirement funds be excluded from the scope of the pension levy. The likes of the bankers who have brought the country to its knees are still excluded from harsh taxation measures that will affect ordinary people. I, therefore, propose an amendment that No. 8, Finance (No. 2) Bill, be deleted from the Order of Business today owing to the failure of the Minister for Finance to bring approved retirement funds within the scope of the pensions levy in the Bill. This is such a crucial issue that we must obtain the views of the House on the matter, but it is not possible for us to secure this by amendment.
The Leader is proposing to bring the debate on the Bill to a conclusion today which I believe is outside Standing Orders. That is totally unfair. In the last Dáil both Fine Gael and the Labour Party criticised this practice time and again. As I understand this does not happen too often in the Seanad, we do not have much of a precedent for the guillotining of debates on important legislation. In general, I am not in favour of the use of the guillotine, as we do not always have enough time. I repeat the criticism I made yesterday that if we are to do the work of the people by scrutinising the laws we are passing, we cannot just let them go through on the hoof, while omitting issues such as approved retirement funds while targeting middle income earners. We should talk about the Bills in front of us, not just about other important issues that come into our heads that can be discussed on the Order of Business, the Adjournment or during other debates.
I thank the Leader for arranging the debate on the nursing home care support scheme in the House today.
In the light of reports that the Government proposal involves the linkage of judges' pay with that of Oireachtas Members and other public servants, the concern I raised yesterday on judges' pay was related to the history of inappropriate encroachment on judicial independence. If the only permitted reduction in judges' pay was in the context of other public servants, including Oireachtas Members, specifically members of the Executive, facing similar cuts, it would have a chilling effect on any attempted interference with judicial independence.
Senator Ivana Bacik referred to the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the ABC case. I add my voice to say that, whether there is an expert group, this is an issue that must be referred back to the people. The context is that Ireland has more to teach its European partners than it has to learn on the issue of abortion because we have honoured human rights in the true sense by protecting the life of the unborn, while also having the lowest maternal mortality rate in the world. It remains the case that we are not in any way required to legislate to give effect to the flawed Supreme Court decision of 1992; we need only remember that there was no proper medical evidence heard in that case and we can point to the increasing awareness of the possible psychiatric and psychological downsides of abortion. This is something that is increasingly adverted to in the literature. Ireland has a lot to say on the issue and if we have an expert group, the issue must be referred back to be considered by the elected representatives of the people. I mentioned yesterday the excellent work done by the late Brian Lenihan and the committee of which he was a member prior to the 2002 abortion referendum and it remains Ireland's position to determine its precise law on abortion. We cannot claim to be advocates of human rights, unless we protect life at all stages, and that means protecting life from conception, guaranteeing the best medical care to women during pregnancy, ensuring they do not feel they have no alternative but to have an abortion, and providing all the social supports necessary in order that they do not choose to have an abortion. That will be the test of our concern for human dignity and human rights.
I refer to the Brosnan report on the Clare-Limerick boundary. I am heartened by media reports locally that the Minister will leave the communities of Shannon Banks and Westbury within County Clare. As the Leader appreciates, county boundaries are sacrosanct in Ireland. Families are proud of their county names, as we see in Croke Park on the first and third Sundays in September. The people of Shannon Banks and Westbury are proud Clare people and the notion of moving the Limerick border to capture their communities was a source of great distress for people throughout County Clare. The economic arguments offered did not stand up.
The whole concept of moving a city boundary to take in communities who for generations have played hurling and football for County Clare was completely inappropriate. I am delighted that in the first 100 days of the Government, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government has indicated that he will make a decision, which is imminent, and if media speculation and reports in County Clare are anything to go by, the decision will be the correct decision. Will the Leader ascertain when the Minister's announcement will be made and his thinking in regard to the section of the campus of the University of Limerick that is in County Clare? We need clarity. The previous Government created upset and distress in this area. I am glad we are being told through the media that a decision is imminent and I would like to know when the decision will be made.
Has the Committee on Procedure and Privileges met to discuss the proposals which my party put to the Leader and the CPP recently on speaking rights? May I ask the Leader if a decision has been made and if he will inform the House of the outcome of the meeting?
For the information of the House, Senator Cullinane wrote to me and I replied to him.
I did not receive a reply.
It is in the post, as they say.
I will check the post. May I raise an issue that has been in the public domain for the past number of days——
It will arrive, I am sure.
It might not be good news, though.
I had a conversation with the Leader of the House before this meeting and I was asked to raise it here. I look forward to a response from the Leader of the House.
I wish to raise the issue of the State potentially having to bail out the credit unions to the tune of €500 million. There are reports that household debt is at 190%. The country faces significant problems with the financial institutions. I put it to the Minister of State at the Department of Finance when we discussed the Finance Bill that we needed to burn the senior bondholders in Anglo Irish Bank and I welcome the fact that some move has been made, but many of us see that as too little, too late. There is the potential of a second financial tsunami heading towards this country if we do not take corrective action on the banks, credit unions and personal debt. The reason credit unions may need to be bailed out is because many people are defaulting on loans because their take home pay has been reduced as a result of the measures that have been put in place in recent budgets. This goes to show that policies such as pay cuts and other charges do not work. The Legislature has been accused of being asleep at the wheel when the financial tsunami struck. Let us not be accused of being asleep at the wheel if a second financial tsunami is heading towards us. It is very important that the Minister for Finance would come to the House to debate this with Members. It is also important that we scrutinise, question and probe to ensure we make the best decisions in the interests of the State. That is the question I put to the Leader. It is very important we do not repeat the mistakes of the past and sleepwalk into a second disaster.
I wish to raise the potential shortage of junior hospital doctors and its impact on local and regional hospitals, including the hospitals in County Waterford. There is a very real risk that some accident and emergency departments and hospital theatres will close because of a serious shortage of junior hospital doctors. I ask that the Minister for Health come to the Seanad to discuss the plethora of health issues that have been raised continually in the Chamber.
I wish to raise questions on the independent report on JLCs. On Tuesday, I asked the Leader to indicate when that will happen but his response was that no decision had been made by Cabinet. I hope that does not mean we will debate the issue when decisions have been made. It is important that Members of the Seanad have an opportunity to discuss the matter before the Cabinet——
Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
Again, I am asking the Leader of the House to confirm that discussion will take place before the Cabinet makes its decisions.
The Senator is out of time.
In the previous Seanad we had a number of rolling debates on the Croke Park agreement. They were very useful as they allowed us to debate the various options. We must acknowledge that our former colleague, the then Senator Joe O'Toole, was a strong advocate of the Croke Park agreement. When we articulated our doubts, he assured us the agreement could work and would be helpful in redressing some of the economic difficulties. I welcome yesterday's announcements on the moneys saved. However, one has to pose the awkward and difficult question that if we had taken such an approach five or six years ago, how much of the public finances would we have saved, leaving us in a better position today? We need to revert to a debate on the broad issues of the Croke Park agreement and public sector in general. I think the new Department, which the Minister, Deputy Brendan Howlin, leads is not yet up and running, but once the legislation establishing it has been passed, it would be helpful if the Minister could come to the Seanad.
The second item I wish to raise is the ABC case, which was raised by Senators Bacik and Mullen. During the election campaign, I was questioned on my position on the matter and the commitment I gave on that occasion is that I advocated the setting up of an all party committee to examine and act upon the situation. I appreciate that an expert group has a role to play in advising and assisting us but, at the end of the day, the issue must be led politically rather than by so-called experts. We all know that one will get an expert to tell one what one wants to hear. I think we need to reflect on the fact that an all-party Oireachtas committee is the best vehicle to make the final decisions. Of course, we will be willing to take on board the advice of an expert group or experts or people from all strata of society. Let us not decide that this issue should be adjudicated on by anyone expect politicians. We are supposed to be the leaders and we must take leadership decisions on this matter.
Last night we had an interesting and informative debate on how the Seanad could be made more effective and more relevant to the general needs of the people, especially in the changing circumstances we are experiencing. It was a well-informed debate, drawing from the expertise and vision of many contributors. It was interesting that so many were offering to participate in the debate that it has been rolled over to another date. I do not know how other Members feel, but I think the public is oblivious to what happened here last night. That is sad. I put it to the Leader that one of the reasons this is happening is that the Private Members' motion is the last business on a Wednesday night when most news stories are already put to bed. My experience is that debates on a Wednesday night are generally topical and relevant. In many ways the issues are debated in an enthusiastic manner. Perhaps the Committee on Procedure and Privileges might consider changing the time of the Private Members' motion to a time in the early morning in order that there would be a possibility of the issues raised getting out into the public domain. We owe that to the public. Otherwise what will happen is that the media will continue to say the Seanad is not focused. We were very focused last night but it is not the fault of Members if the public is not aware of that.
With the permission of the Cathaoirleach, I would like to revisit the urgent situation of the 49 medical staff who are held captive in Bahrain. It look as if the trials of the 49 medical staff will be held very soon. There is a grave danger that executions might result in this case. Ireland is an honest broker in the eyes of the world and people generally listen to the views that come from the country. I hope the Leader will be able to inform me on the updated position in Bahrain. I would like to reiterate a point I made here the other morning. We have a particularly potent and powerful conduit with Bahrain through the Royal College of Surgeons. The college has agreed particularly lucrative contracts with that regime to provide courses and qualifications. Perhaps I might mention, to make it relevant to Ireland, that three of those who are missing studied in Ireland. To my knowledge, only one surgeon — there may be more — has come out publicly on this issue. Given that we passed a comprehensive all-party motion, I would like to think we can act on this urgently. I have probably exceeded my time, so I thank the Cathaoirleach for his indulgence.
I compliment Senator Norris on this day. No one has done more to further the promotion and celebration of Bloomsday. The more it increases as a touristattraction, the better it will be for all of us and the economy. I agree with Senator Norris's remarks, particularly with regard to the Taoiseach's nomination of Deputy Deenihan asMinister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. He is a most deserving and appropriate personto be appointed to that position, especially as he comes from the literary capital of the Kingdom.
Up the Kingdom.
The Minister has done a great deal over the years to promote the works of Keane, MacMahon, Fitzmaurice and others. I agree with what Senator Norris said about the Minister, who is doing great work. The Senator mentioned some of what is being done. I do not think there is a busier Minister in the Government.
What about the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan?
The Minister, Deputy Deenihan, is out there actively every day. I am sure they all are. We should single out Deputy Deenihan on this day in particular.
I echo what Senator Norris said about Bloomsday. I join him in congratulating Colum McCann on winning an international literary award. It would be great if the Leader or the Cathaoirleach were to send a note of congratulations to Mr. McCann. As I am new here, I do not know what the procedure is in that regard. The award in question attracts the largest prize money of any award for a novel. The novel in question, Let the Great World Spin, is an extraordinary book. It would be great if the Cathaoirleach or the Leader of the House were to send a note of congratulations to Mr. McCann on behalf of us all.
Senators
Hear, hear.
I ask the Leader to invite the Minister, Deputy Deenihan, to demand that Ulysses be rewritten to ensure Leopold Bloom visits Dublin Airport on Bloomsday. I commend Senator Norris on his suggestion that Terminal 2 be renamed “James Joyce terminal”.
On a more serious note, I express my disappointment at the constant absence of the mammogram service from Sligo General Hospital. I repeat my request for the Minister for Health to come to the Seanad to discuss the configuration of hospital services in the north east, with specific reference to Sligo General Hospital. I have raised this issue in the House previously. It appears that certain services are not being provided.
Promises have been broken.
There is deepening concern in Sligo, as there is in Roscommon, about what that might mean for the future of these hospitals. It needs to be treated as a matter of urgency.
Over 1,100 people will participate in the World Transplant Games, which begin in Gothenburg in Sweden tomorrow. Some 33 Irish recipients of body organ transplants will be involved in the games. I am sure we all wish them every success. I mention the games because almost three years ago, this House considered the Human Body Organs and Human Tissue Bill 2008, the objective of which was to provide for presumed consent. A number of other countries, particularly Spain which has almost twice the rate of transplants as Ireland, have legislated for presumed consent. I accept that the higher rate in Spain cannot be entirely attributed to presumed consent. Presumed consent means that when somebody dies, it is presumed that his or her body organs can be used for transplant purposes, unless he or she objected to it or carried a card saying he or she did not want it to happen.
When the Bill I mentioned was strongly debated in this House, the then Minister for Health and Children said she wanted the matter to be considered on a national basis. We have not heard a word about it since. I understand that when a debate on a Bill is adjourned in this House, the Bill falls when the Government changes. I would like the Leader to find out whether any action will be taken in this regard. Should we reinstate the Bill, in the hope that the new Minister will actually give us a response, so that it can be debated in the House once more? I believe there is a strong case to be made for presumed consent. It is understandable that there should be a debate about it. I would welcome an opportunity to have such a debate and, if necessary, to reintroduce the Bill. If the Minister for Health intends to do something about it, we will not need to start all over again. We adjourned the Second Stage debate on the Bill with three minutes to go. It would be worthwhile to reintroduce it if the Minister deems it worthy of consideration.
I second Senator Byrne's proposal on the Order of Business. I concur with the request made by the Leader of the Opposition in this House, Senator Darragh O'Brien, for a debate on health issues in the House next week. Will the Leader of the House consider the inclusion of such a debate on the agenda? The Minister for Health should come here to discuss developments in the health service. I refer in particular to proposals that have been made by the Health Information and Quality Authority and other bodies. It is hard to know exactly who is running the health service. Although the board of the HSE has been terminated in a dramatic way, the HSE itself is still in existence. Who is running the health service in this country? Different statements are being made at different times. It has been proposed that the 24 hours a day, seven days a week provision of accident and emergency services at Roscommon County Hospital should be discontinued. Nobody has confirmed that or decided to confirm it. If the hospital in Roscommon loses such services, it will be in grave danger. The existence of an accident and emergency unit provides a stream of work to a hospital. The unit is the hospital's shop front, in a sense. People come through such units. If a hospital loses that service at the weekend, it will lose some patients.
Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
I ask him sincerely to put this matter on the agenda. He should ensure that the Minister, Deputy Reilly, comes to the House to outline his exact policies in this regard.
Hear, hear.
I congratulate the new Government on surviving for 100 days. We will be in this House for another 1,725 days.
It is a question of "for whom the bell tolls". This is significant. I look forward with great relish to the future of this House. It will last another 1,725 days, at least. I congratulate the Government on its first 100 days.
That is not relevant to the Order of Business.
It is significant. The next 1,725 days will be very significant.
Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
I have. When will the Government pursue policies that are different from those outlined in the national recovery plan, which will run from 2010 to 2014? It is very hard to be in opposition at the moment.
The Senator will get used to it.
The Government has stolen all of our plans and policies. The worst thing is that all of the aspirations the Government parties put before the people have been made null and void. I now have to look at the Government's policies——
How is this relevant?
It is relevant.
The Senator is delusional.
The people swallowed it hook, line and sinker when they voted for Fine Gael and the Labour Party in such abundance. They are being given the same policies that were pursued by the last Government.
Senator Leyden's party wrecked the economy.
It is a hoax. It is a fraud. It is the greatest fraud ever perpetrated on the Irish people.
That is life through Fianna Fáil eyes.
Delightfully so.
I would like to support the amendment to the Order of Business. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Education and Skills to come to the House to discuss his plans for third level student grants and the delays suffered by students across the State. The Minister has said that although the existing 66 awarding bodies will continue to process grants in 2011 and 2012, a single unified scheme will be introduced this year to replace the four existing schemes. The Minister should come to the House to give us the details of the new single scheme. The application forms for the student grants are not yet available. In February this year, there were more than 2,000 students who had not received the first instalment of their grant which should have been paid in September last. Up to 50 students a week had to drop out of their college courses because they could no longer afford to study. Local authorities and VECs were overwhelmed. They were under enormous strain trying to process the grants and late payments. This was all when the forms were available on time. Currently, the forms are not available. Given the considerable volume of applications and the significantly reduced and overburdened staff in these VECs and local authorities who are processing these grants, any delay in issuing the application forms is disastrous and will have a knock-on effect on education, college drop-out rates and, ultimately, youth unemployment rates. The Minister cannot afford to be laid back on this issue. He needs to come to this House to address why the application forms have not yet been issued and to tell us the details of the new single grant scheme. I would ask the Leader to facilitate this.
I want to raise an issue relating to telecommunications on the road network and ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to address it. A number of people have contacted me in recent months, and I have been contacted by a number of gardaí in my own area, who must stop on the new motorways because the telephone signal is lost, particularly on the Limerick-Dublin route and the Waterford-Dublin route, where for ten miles there is no signal. People are aware of this now and they are stopping before they lose the signal because they are in the middle of business calls, etc. It is incumbent on both the providers of the telephone networks and the NRA to address this issue. I hope the Minister might call on them to do so in order that we can have proper telephone signals on all routes so that those using their time when travelling to do business can transact that business without interruption. It is becoming a major issue. The reason the gardaí contacted me is that they have come across many people who are pulling up their cars before entering such blackspots so that they can finish out their business calls when, in fact, they are breaking the law by pulling up on motorways. People who are not aware of this are in breach of the law of the motorway where one cannot pull in unless one's car has broken down. I would the Minister to address this matter through the network providers and also through the NRA.
In response to Senator Leyden, I am delighted that after 100 days he landed what would register not as a blow in a boxing ring, but maybe as a slight tip on the side of the head.
That is not relevant to the Order of Business.
I thank Senator Landy.
The majority of my colleagues here in the Chamber would not be aware of the 71,000 hidden child carers who are looking after alcohol dependent parents. This is the fifth National Carer's Week. It is estimated there are 71,000 children who have a reverse role in that they are looking after their parents. They are actually being the parents of the alcohol-addicted parents. They must feed their siblings, send them to school and see that they are adequately clothed. It is a national disgrace, and such a neglect, that these children are forgotten about and hidden because the families are ashamed to talk about the prevalence of alcohol in their families.
Alcohol Action Ireland has called for five significant steps that the Government could take to improve the situation, and I am highlighting one. I want the Minister for Health to come in and talk to us about it. It is to introduce a minimum price for alcohol, a floor price below which alcohol cannot be sold. Everyone here will be aware that the availability of alcohol in supermarkets and off-licences has been reduced, but we have a long way to go. Regularly, when I go shopping I cannot believe the price of a bottle of wine because all I think of is the consequences of its cheapness and what will happen when it is being consumed. I want to hear the Minister for Health on what he intends to do. We need a national debate on the price of alcohol.
When I produced my policy document, "What We Can Do About Suicide in the New Ireland", I pointed out that one of the effective ways of preventing suicide was to reduce alcohol consumption. Half those who die from suicide have alcohol in their systems. I call for an urgent debate with the Minister for Health on this national issue of alcohol abuse, suicide and the suffering from alcohol abuse in the country. I hope we can talk about it next week.
It would be appropriate on this the 100th day since the formation of the new Government to congratulate and applaud it for the efforts that it has made. The Government, in 100 days, has done an enormous job of work in trying to repair——
Like what? What has it done?
——the image of this country, both at home and, particularly, abroad. The people of Ireland recognise this. Recent opinion polls show that support for the Government has increased in recent months because people approve of the actions that had to be taken.
The Senator should wait until after the budget and talk to us in January next.
Senator Mullins to continue, without interruption.
Everybody knows the mess that this country was left in by the outgoing Government. I was amused this morning by Senator Leyden, a man I have known for a long time.
Senator Mullins will continue to be amused.
I felt he was almost making a pitch for the next Seanad election.
Why not?
I support my colleague, Senator Healy Eames, in her call for the Leader to ask the Minister for Finance to ensure that the banks begin to free up credit for business. The company in Galway to which she referred is capable of creating eight jobs in the short term — certainly a significant number in a small community — and the banks are not playing ball. Given the amount of money that has been pumped into the banks, we need to put pressure on them to ensure that they start to free up finance for small businesses.
Speaking of small businesses, there is an issue that I would ask the Leader to bring to the attention of the Minister for Finance. I have concerns that the Revenue Commissioners are being a little heavy-handed with small businesses which are a little slow, because of the downturn in the economy, in meeting their obligations. I want to ensure that every small business is given every opportunity to stay afloat. We cannot afford to lose any more small businesses in this country and I want to ensure that the Minister for Finance is aware of this fact.
We are taking the Finance (No. 2) Bill today and I am sure that is a matter Senator Mullins can raise on it.
Ach oiread le Seanadóirí eile, ba mhaith liom tréaslú le Colum McCann as an duais iontach a ghnóthaigh sé. Is maith an onóir é agus go n-éireoidh leis. Sílim go bhfuil sé tráthúil mar go raibh mé chun ceist a ardú maidir leis an ábhar seo, mar in aimsir géarchéime, is minic go ndéantar dearmad ar chúrsaí ealaíona. Ó bheith ag caint le daoine a bhíonn ag plé le cúrsaí ealaíona agus mar dhuine a thagann ó ardchathair na healaíona, Gaillimh, tuigim tábhacht na healaíona, ní hamháin ó thaobh na heacnamaíochta de, rud atá iontach tábhachtach, ach ó thaobh meanma daoine agus misneach daoine in am nuair atá rudaí go dona. Ba mhaith liom iarradh ar an gCeannaire an tAire, Deputy Deenihan, a thabhairt isteach sa Teach le buille beag a thabhairt ar a dhroim dó le comhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis as a cheapachán, ach chomh maith leis sin, le díospóireacht leathan a bheith againn maidir le tábhacht na n-ealaíon sula dtiocfaimid i dtreo an bhuiséíd don bhliain seo. Tá sé fíor thábhachtach nach ndéanfar dearmad ar thábhacht na n-ealaíon ar mhaithe le íomhá na tíre agus ar mhaithe le cúrsaí eacnamaíochta. I am calling on the Minister to come into the House for a debate on the arts. It is extremely important that we do not forget the importance of the arts, especially in times of economic constraint. The arts can provide a massive injection to the economy and can also give us great respect abroad, etc.
The other issue I want to raise is cursaí iascaireachta. D'ardaigh mé an cheist seo cheana leis an gCeannaire agus dúirt sé gur aontaigh sé liom go raibh sé tábhachtach go mbeadh díospóireacht againn faoi chúrsaí iascaireachta. Ag am a bhfuil sé soiléir go bhfuil an stoc trosc ag ardú, buíochas le Dia, sa mhuir, rud nach raibh súil leis, tá sé in am athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an cuóta agus an méid den chuóta atá ceadaithe do iascairí na hÉireann a thógáil ón stoc trosc. Chomh maith leis sin, teastaíonn díospóireacht maidir le coireanna coirpigh a dhéanamh de iascairí a dhéanann faillí beag ó thaobh chúrsaí riaracháin de. Chomh maith leis sin, ba mhaith liom plé a bheith againn ar an gcalafort domhainmhara i Ros an Mhíl agus an fhorbairt atá i gceist i gcóir dugaí na Gaillimhe. I ask the Leader of the House to bring the Minister with responsibility for the marine into the House to discuss the fishing industry. We are seeing a positive increase in the cod stocks indices, but the quotas of fishermen have not been changed to reflect this. I raise the issue of the decriminalisation of the fishing penalties imposed on fishermen who make administrative errors in their paperwork when bringing in fish. I call on the Minister to give an update on the situation in the deepwater harbour of Ros a' Mhíl and the plans for the development of Galway docks. Bheinn an-bhuíoch dá bhféadfadh an Ceannaire a insint dúinn cén uair a bheidh an díospóireacht sin ag tarlú, mar is díospóireacht fíor-thábhachtach ar fad í.
The Leader of the Opposition referred to the 100 day milestone, a matter mentioned and discussed by a number of Members today. I am glad that Senator Terry Leyden has noted that the first 100 days have passed and that he recognises the Government will go the full length without doubt.
Not if we have anything to do with it.
I am pleased to note his confidence in the Government.
With a 60 seat majority, the Government parties could afford to lose half their number of seats.
I assure Senator Darragh O'Brien the Government is engaged in ongoing negotiations on the interest rate reductions which it will continue in a balanced way. Senator Ivana Bacik referred to the burning of the bondholders.
Senator Darragh O'Brien also referred to the Croke Park deal, on which significant progress has taken place, on which I compliment everyone concerned. As the Fianna Fáil slogan put it some years ago, there is a lot done and more to do.
There is also a better way.
A lot more remains to be done in that regard.
Fine Gael has broken its contract this time.
We held a debate in the House last night on law and order and a resolution concerning the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009. The Minister is strong on law and order. He moved a resolution dealing with section 8 which was renewed last night. He has also given a firm commitment that if further legislation is necessary to combat this appalling crime, he will address the matter. For now there is sufficient legislation in place to deal with the problems posed. I join Senator Darragh O'Brien and others in expressing sympathy to the family of the person killed.
Senators Ivana Bacik, Rónán Mullen and Paul Bradford referred to the implications of the ABC case and raised the question of abortion. The expert group dealing with the matter will report and I assure the House we will hold debate on the subject when it does.
Senator Ivana Bacik mentioned Mr. Toland. The Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs will be in the House next week to discuss European affairs.
Senator Paul Coghlan referred to the proposed national children's hospital. The Minister is reviewing the matter and a review committee has been set up to consider the Mater hospital site. The Government is totally committed to the building of a national children's hospital which will commence long before the term of the Government is completed.
Senator David Norris has long been the champion in the House of Bloomsday. Bloomsday would not be celebrated were it not for Joyce, but the Senator has been flying the flag for it in the House and throughout the country for many years.
He will do well out of it.
He is flying high. We will also examine the question of Terminal 2.
Senator Fidelma Healy Eames raised the important issue of job creation and the serious problem of banks not lending to companies. There is a credit review mechanism in place for the banks. I suggest the company in question take up the matter in that context.
The mechanism is too slow.
If we can raise the matter with the Minister in question, we will do so because there should be the minimum of red tape to ensure job protection. If the banks are not co-operating, something must be done about the matter.
I do not accept the amendment proposed by Senator Thomas Byrne. We have no intention of delaying the jobs initiative as enunciated in the finance Bill. I am satisfied sufficient time has been allocated today for Committee Stage. If not, I can come back into the Chamber at a later stage and extend it, if possible. I allowed three hours for the debate yesterday, but by 5 p.m. there were no further speakers. Luckily, the Minister of State took a half an hour to finish. The record shows that the debate lasted until 5.30 p.m., but we ran out of speakers at 5 p.m. Therefore, I will take no lectures on the allocation of time.
I spoke yesterday.
Certainly, we will consider whether there is a need to allocate further time on Committee Stage today.
What about Report Stage?
We will consider that matter at the appropriate time. I remind the Senator that we provided three hours to accommodate the requests made to discuss finance issues but Members did not avail of the time allocated.
It is a matter for the Government to provide speakers to speak on the relevance of the Bill.
Several requests were made from the other side on the House. I am simply suggesting those who made requests did not speak.
On a point of order, I have no wish to allow this to degenerate into a row, but this side of the House provided more than adequate speakers. I spoke, as did Senator Thomas Byrne and several others.
That is not a point of order.
It is up to the Government to provide speakers also.
That may well be a procedural point, but it is not a point of order.
It is on the basis that I do not want it to be stated in the House that the Opposition did not play its part in the debate yesterday.
That is not a point of order. The Leader to continue, without interruption.
On a point of order, the Leader does not propose to allocate any time for Report Stage. This could be important, especially if amendments or recommendations are ruled out of order or not accepted.
That matter is to be decided after Committee Stage. That is the way the House proceeds. The Leader to continue, without interruption.
Senator Martin Conway referred to the Clare-Limerick boundary. I understand the Minister will make an announcement on this issue in due course, but we will find out exactly when the announcement on the Limerick boundary in particular will be made.
The Cathaoirleach has stated he will write to Senator David Cullinane. The letter is in the post. Several concessions will be made to Sinn Féin, but the Senator should await the response from the Cathaoirleach on the matter.
The questions of junior doctors and joint labour committees were raised. We will do our best to hold debates on these matters.
Senator Labhras Ó Murchú referred to the proposal to move Private Members' time to an earlier time in the morning after the Order of Business. I would welcome proposals in this regard from whatever side and if it is necessary to change the time, we can do so. I am keen to hold a debate on the issue. Next Tuesday there will be a resumption of the excellent debate commenced last night during Private Members' time. Several Senators wished to come in on the matter yesterday evening. They will have ample opportunity to debate the issue of Seanad reform and the excellent motion brought forward by the Taoiseach's nominees which have formed an Independent group. The relevant points about Private Members' time can be made and if there are further suggestions about the timing, we will take them on board.
Senator Labhras Ó Murchú asked about the situation in Bahrain. The Government has raised this serious matter through the European Union. In addition, although we do not have an ambassador in Bahrain, the ambassador in Riyadh has conveyed our concerns regarding the dreadful atrocities taking place in Bahrain.
Senator Paul Coghlan was — as usual for our County Kerry colleague — keen to sing the praises of the Kingdom and the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan. We all join Senator Fiach Mac Conghail and others in congratulating Colum McCann on his richly deserved achievement in winning the International IMPAC award.
Senator Susan O'Keeffe asked that the Minister for Health be invited to the Chamber for a debate on the reconfiguration of hospitals. The Minister is not scheduled to attend the House in the next two weeks, but I will see about facilitating a debate in three weeks time.
Senator Feargal Quinn spoke about an issue he has often raised regarding organ transplants and the issue of presumed consent in the context of the Human Body Organs and Human Tissue Bill 2008 which he introduced in this House. I will ascertain from the Minister whether it is his intention to proceed with the Bill and will revert to the Senator on the matter.
I am pleased Senator Terry Leyden is showing so much confidence in the Government.
The Leader must not have heard me correctly.
Senator Kathryn Reilly asked about the single unified scheme for higher education grants——
I asked a question about the health service.
The Leader must be allowed to continue, without interruption.
I had intended to praise the Minister, but I will not do so now.
The new unified scheme will commence in the academic year 2012-13, in other words, local grant awarding bodies will be dealing with it for the coming year.
Senator Denis Landy raised the issue of the loss of telephone signals on new motorways. This issue should be raised with the network providers. I will convey the Senator's concerns to the Minister.
Senator Mary White called for a debate on alcoholism and the abuse of alcohol, with particular reference to pricing. We will have a debate on mental health issues in two weeks time in response to requests from several Members. The Senator will have an opportunity to raise the issue of alcohol abuse and suicide in the context of that debate.
My specific point concerned the 71,000 hidden child carers looking after alcohol-dependent parents.
I heard what the Senator said. It is an issue she can raise in the debate to which I referred.
All I can say in response to Senator Michael Mullins's point on the banks is that one should never be amazed at what Senator Terry Leyden has to say.
Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh called for a debate on the arts. I will ask Minister Leyden to come to the House to facilitate the holding of that debate.
Minister Leyden.
That was a Freudian slip. I will ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, to accommodate us in that regard.
In regard to fishing and food, we will have a debate in three weeks time on food labelling. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Simon Coveney, is scheduled to attend a debate in the House the following week on agriculture and fishing.
Senator Labhras Ó Murchú asked about preparations for the commemoration of the 1916 Rising. I am informed that the Taoiseach indicated to the Dáil on 12 April his intention to re-establish the Oireachtas consultation group in order to devise a commemorative programme for the various centenary anniversaries in the period to 2016. The committee will also deal with the issue of the buildings on Moore Street. The party leaders were asked to nominate representatives to the committee last month. Some nominations have been received and the remainder are awaited. The committee will be chaired by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, and it is envisaged that it will meet later this month or in early July. It is intended that a substantial commemorative programme will be brought forward in respect of the turbulent period which culminated in the foundation of the State. This broad and inclusive programme will commemorate these events, acknowledge the achievements that have shaped modern Ireland and will focus attention on the economic and social conditions of the period and the cultural ties with and contributions made by the Diaspora to the development of the nation. It is envisaged that the first draft of the commemorative programme for 2012-16 will be discussed with the Oireachtas consultation group in the autumn.
For the information of Members, next week's business will include a continuation of this week's Private Members' motion and a resumption of statements on the jobs initiative and competitiveness. It is also intended to have a debate on European issues with the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, Deputy Lucinda Creighton. On Thursday the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011 will be brought before the House. Several Members have called for a debate on various issues relating to social welfare and they will have an opportunity to raise these matters next Thursday.
The following week I intend to facilitate the holding of debates on school transport and unfinished housing estates and developments. In addition, the Finance (No. 3) Bill 2011, implementing certain matters in regard to civil partnership, will be brought before the House, and we will also hear statements on mental health. As I indicated, we will have a debate on food labelling and fisheries in three weeks time.
Senator Thomas Byrne has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business.
I point out, on behalf of my colleague, Senator Terry Leyden, that the health issues raised by him and other Members were, once again, not addressed by the Leader.
We are dealing with Senator Thomas Byrne's amendment, "That No. 8, Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 — Committee and Remaining Stages, be deleted from the Order of Business." Is the Senator pressing the amendment?
Yes.
Tá
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Crown, John.
- Cullinane, David.
- Leyden, Terry.
- Mooney, Paschal.
- Mullen, Rónán.
- Norris, David.
- Ó Clochartaigh, Trevor.
- Ó Murchú, Labhrás.
- O’Brien, Darragh.
- O’Donovan, Denis.
- Power, Averil.
- Reilly, Kathryn.
- Walsh, Jim.
- White, Mary M.
- Wilson, Diarmuid.
Níl
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Bradford, Paul.
- Brennan, Terry.
- Burke, Colm.
- Clune, Deirdre.
- Coghlan, Eamonn.
- Coghlan, Paul.
- Comiskey, Michael.
- Conway, Martin.
- Cummins, Maurice.
- D’Arcy, Michael.
- Gilroy, John.
- Harte, Jimmy.
- Hayden, Aideen.
- Healy Eames, Fidelma.
- Henry, Imelda.
- Higgins, Lorraine.
- Keane, Cáit.
- Kelly, John.
- Landy, Denis.
- Mac Conghail, Fiach.
- Moloney, Marie.
- Moran, Mary.
- Mulcahy, Tony.
- Mullins, Michael.
- Noone, Catherine.
- O’Brien, Mary Ann.
- O’Donnell, Marie-Louise.
- O’Keeffe, Susan.
- O’Neill, Pat.
- Quinn, Feargal.
- Sheahan, Tom.
- van Turnhout, Jillian.
- Whelan, John.
Tá
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Bradford, Paul.
- Brennan, Terry.
- Burke, Colm.
- Clune, Deirdre.
- Coghlan, Eamonn.
- Coghlan, Paul.
- Comiskey, Michael.
- Conway, Martin.
- Crown, John.
- Cummins, Maurice.
- D’Arcy, Michael.
- Gilroy, John.
- Harte, Jimmy.
- Hayden, Aideen.
- Healy Eames, Fidelma.
- Henry, Imelda.
- Higgins, Lorraine.
- Keane, Cáit.
- Kelly, John.
- Landy, Denis.
- Mac Conghail, Fiach.
- Moloney, Marie.
- Moran, Mary.
- Mulcahy, Tony.
- Mullen, Rónán.
- Mullins, Michael.
- Noone, Catherine.
- Norris, David.
- O’Brien, Mary Ann.
- O’Donnell, Marie-Louise.
- O’Keeffe, Susan.
- O’Neill, Pat.
- Quinn, Feargal.
- Sheahan, Tom.
- van Turnhout, Jillian.
- Whelan, John.
Níl
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cullinane, David.
- Leyden, Terry.
- Mooney, Paschal.
- Ó Clochartaigh, Trevor.
- Ó Murchú, Labhrás.
- O’Brien, Darragh.
- O’Donovan, Denis.
- Power, Averil.
- Reilly, Kathryn.
- Walsh, Jim.
- White, Mary M.
- Wilson, Diarmuid.