The Order of Business is No. 1, Employment Equality (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 2013 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 11.45 a.m. and adjourned at 1 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 44, motion No. 10 re care of the elderly, to be taken at 2 p.m. and conclude not later than 4 p.m.; and No. 2, statements on the 2020 Strategy on the Irish Language (resumed), to be taken at 4 p.m. and conclude not later than 4.45 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the contributions of all Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister of State to be called on to reply not later than 4.35 p.m.
Order of Business
Last Monday in Dublin it may have come to the Leader's attention that hundreds of members of the Dublin Fire Brigade and their supporters marched on City Hall in support of the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service. All of us should acknowledge the fantastic work that service does in complementing the work of the HSE ambulance crews in the city and county of Dublin. It is the longest standing ambulance service in the country. The people of Dublin and those who work in the aforementioned service are greatly concerned about the review of the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service commissioned by Dublin City Council and the HSE. We understood after the protest on Monday that the HSE intended to suspend the review and I would have welcomed such a suspension because the terms of reference of that review indicated that the main aim was to subsume the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service into the HSE. I believe, as does my party, that this would be a retrograde step. The hundreds of people who marched in Dublin on Monday, with the thousands of supporters who have signed petitions, also believe it would be a retrograde step. I am most disappointed to learn through a statement from the HSE Dublin north east that the review has not been suspended and that the HSE and Dublin City Council intend to proceed with it once they have completed their national capacity review of the ambulance services across the city and county.
What is the Government's position on the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service in Dublin? Does it support that service? Why is it that neither the Minister for Health who is Dublin based and should know the service well nor any of the Ministers of State at his Department has made any statement on this or on the current controversy relating to the ambulance service? Why are they remaining silent? Does the Government support the retention of the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service in the city and county of Dublin? The people who work in that service deserve to know the answer to that question. With that in mind, I am proposing an amendment to the Order of Business to call on the Minister for Health or a Minister of State at his Department to come to this House for one hour to make a statement and take questions on whether the Government supports the retention of the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service in the city and county of Dublin.
Anyone who watched the recent "Prime Time Investigates" documentary on the ambulance service would have great concerns about inefficiencies in the ambulance service nationally and would be convinced of the need to ensure the best service is available to patients across the country. That is hugely important. Whatever is the best mechanism for delivering that service is the important point. I do not think there is any imminent threat, as Senator Darragh O'Brien has suggested, to the current structure of the Dublin service. That was made clear recently by the HSE.
I wish to refer to the state visit of President Michael D. Higgins to Britain. I found it extremely moving, as I am sure my colleagues did, to watch the reports of the speeches given by both the Queen of England and the President and to see real steps being made in fostering warmer relations between the two islands. President Michael D. Higgins paid his respects at the memorial to Lord Louis Mountbatten and the Queen acknowledged in her speech later the discrimination suffered by Irish people in Britain in the past. She also indicated the willingness of the British royal family to participate in the 1916 commemorations. We are seeing major steps forward in terms of the resolution of conflict in the North.
It is also welcome that today we will have the Committee Stage debate on the Employment Equality (Amendment) (No.2) Bill which I introduced this time last year on behalf of the Labour Party Senator's group as a Private Members' Bill. I thank the Leader for ensuring we are seeing Private Members' Bills such as the Building Control (Carbon Monoxide Detection) Bill from Senator Fergal Quinn yesterday being brought forward and receiving Government support. The only issue is that this can often take too long. It has been a year since the Second Stage debate on the Bill. We will have the Committee Stage debate today and I very much hope we can conclude that debate before Easter and move on very swiftly thereafter to Report Stage of this important Bill which seeks to end any potential discrimination against LGBT teachers, in particular, in religious-run schools. It also seeks to end any discrimination against employees generally in religious-run hospitals and educational institutions. It is a very important Bill which has been widely welcomed by various stakeholders in the teaching professions in particular. I know that the Departments of Education and Skills and Justice and Defence have also been very supportive of the legislation. I look forward to a good debate on the Bill on Committee Stage today.
I join my colleague Senator Darragh O'Brien in expressing concern about the situation regarding the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service. I have had occasion to use the service and found it extremely efficient and professional. That cannot be said of ambulance services throughout the country. I do not think we should diminish our ambulance service in any way but should bring the rest of the service around the country up to the standards of the Dublin Fire Brigade service, which has been in existence for over 100 years. It has served the people of this city extraordinarily well and I have signed the aforementioned petition.
Regarding the royal visit, I am delighted that it continues to be a tremendous success. We are lucky to have somebody of the intellectual distinction of Michael D. Higgins as our President representing us in Britain. It is a gruelling programme, involving the President addressing both Houses of Parliament, which he did with great distinction, and speaking to the world's leading scientific organisation, the Royal Society.
We must also remember the extraordinary role played by the royal family. One of the things that is necessary is to imagine the situation of the other side. It is extraordinarily generous of the royal family to indicate that they will be here for the celebrations, if one can call them that, marking the events of 1916. I take a different view from almost everyone else in this House. I have never said, despite libellous comments in one of Mr. Murdoch's newspapers, that the leaders in 1916 were terrorists. They certainly were not - they were idealists. They clearly demonstrated that they were not terrorists by cancelling the rising when civilian casualties rose. Had they been terrorists, they would have been delighted at that and would have used it for political purposes. I believe they were misguided. The rising had the tragic impact of subverting the direction in which we were going. We would have received every single thing that was received under Redmond at the end of the war. I think, because they wanted to put themselves into the history books, that there was an element of vaingloriousness about the actions of those involved in 1916.
If that had not happened, what would have been endorsed would not have been the violent tradition, which is very much a minority. It would have been the glorious tradition that dates back to Grattan's Parliament, through O'Connell, Parnell and Redmond. That would have been very important and I see no additional gains. If viewed from the other side, this was in the middle of a war for life and death. It was seen by many, including a majority on this island, as a stab in the back and treachery. It was horribly badly handled by the English, but that is the tragic fact. We need to start to understand the other person's point of view.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to take part in today's resumed debate on the Irish language because I took part on the previous day. The reason the debate has been extended is that so many Members wanted to speak and every one of us made an attempt to speak in Irish, which is quite unlike what happened in the other House, the bullying House that tried to bully us into extinction, where the debate collapsed because with all its nationalism, it did not have enough Irish speakers in the place.
Can something be done about the former semi-State companies that offer so-called bundles of this, that and the other? We suffered from the toxic bundles which brought about the economic collapse. We now have other trickery by organisations such as eircom, the employees of which are cold calling people every evening between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. I try to husband my resources because I am not terribly well. I have to get out of bed two or three times every night because some little squirt is ringing me to try to sell me these bundles. Unsolicited cold calling and bundles should be banned. They are anti-social and a disgrace.
Sheep were on Kildare Street again yesterday evening for the launch of the World Sheep Shearing Championships to be held in Wexford from 17 to 25 May. This event will bring about 300 entrants from throughout the world and will bring approximately 40,000 visitors to the south east. This is very good from a tourism point of view and most welcome.
I second Senator Darragh O'Brien's amendment to the Order of Business.
It is with great pleasure that I acknowledge last night's historic event in Windsor Castle, which will, undoubtedly, pave the way for further momentous events. The biggest beneficiaries of the event will be the younger generation, including the young people from Sallynoggin College of Further Education and their teachers, Ms Lillian Doyle and Ms Siobhán Murphy, led by an iconic young man, Mr. Ben Stafford, who is my intern. They are sitting in the Visitors Gallery. These young people and their colleagues are great ambassadors for the youth of Ireland and will share in the bounty of this peace process for years to come.
In the words of President Higgins, his momentous visit to Windsor Castle shows that we are finally walking towards a brighter future, remembering our past but no longer allowing it to ensnare our present. This is the greatest gift we can give to succeeding generations. All citizens, young and old, have a contribution to make to society. Their age does not matter; what counts is the passion and commitment they have for their work and for other people. I acknowledge the age of three of the most momentous people working in our society today. President Higgins will be 73 shortly; the revolutionary Pope Francis is 77 and Queen Elizabeth II is 87. That speaks for itself. None of these iconic figures allows age to impact on his or her work. They realise that passion and commitment are all that matter. As John Fitzgerald Kennedy said in his inauguration address: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." This applies to those of all ages.
I acknowledge the presence in the Visitors Gallery of Ms Miriam McHale who has the courage to stand for election in the city.
I am very pleased that the Deputy First Minister in the North is on the front page of The Daily Telegraph today. It shows how far we have come that the Queen of England invited the Deputy First Minister, Mr. Martin McGuinness, MLA. The first time I met Deputy Gerry Adams was at dinner with the former President, Mrs. McAleese, many years ago when I was chairwoman of the Gaisce awards. We have come full circle. I acknowledge Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív who is a hero as far as I am concerned. He and I are part of the cross-party group visiting prisoners in the North, trying to maintain the peace and look after their interests. If the prisoners are not treated humanely, it will arouse passions outside.
While I will not support Senator Darragh O'Brien's amendment to the Order of Business, following the recent "Prime Time Investigates" programme on the ambulance service, it would be appropriate for us to have a discussion on the ambulance service at some date. Some elements of the programme may have been inaccurate or exaggerated. To put people's minds at ease and for us all to become aware of what is happening in the ambulance service, it would be appropriate for us to discuss it in the House.
We all welcome the signs of increased economic activity, especially in our larger cities. In rural areas, however, the green shoots are rather slow to appear. Every town has many empty retail units. I would like to have a debate in the next term on how we might revitalise small towns. The Members of this House have many ideas on what could be done to bring some economic activity back to town centres which have taken such a hammering in recent years. Perhaps the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government or the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation might participate in that debate.
Referring to the Grant Thornton report, today's edition of The Irish Times carries the headline: "A failure to attract international students at the root of third level crisis, says report". Attracting foreign students is very difficult to do. A major effort to attract foreign students to the United Kingdom brings in about 11% of the student fees. There are problems given that India has devalued its currency heavily and in the United States this is seen as the Pacific generation. On several occasions, plane-loads of people from the Department of Education and Skills, other bodies and universities have gone to China on this measure, but it is not easily done. In Ireland, there is the added issue that because we have an increasing number of young people, there is a danger of displacement and the sons and daughters of taxpayers may have less opportunity to attend if we go down that route.
Another concern is the statement in the report: “Effective change management or management of the 'people side' of change will therefore be crucial for institutions considering adopting any of the options proposed”. After almost a decade of so-called change management, we need to get back to basics, which means communicating the knowledge from the lecturer to 40, 50 or up to 400 young people in the class. There are too many layers of management and I would not support another one.
With the two Bills the Minister is preparing and the Bill we had last week, we are moving towards a situation where we can have an informed debate on the future of third level education. We must be careful to avoid some of the problems that have arisen in the United Kingdom, where the student loan programme is insolvent and some 40% of graduates will never earn enough to repay the average £9,000 per year cost of their third level education. A great deal of discussion is required, which I hope will be facilitated during the debates on the two forthcoming Bills and the one already before the House. Such a discussion is timely in the context of the conference taking place in the autumn, organised by the university heads, to discuss whether current funding models are sustainable. I certainly caution against increased managerialism. It is the problem, not the solution.
Before proceeding with the Order of Business, I welcome Councillor Mary Greene and her group of students from the Convent of Mercy in Carrick-on-Suir. Councillor Greene has been a regular visitor to the Visitors Gallery with student groups during the years. I understand she is not going forward for election on this occasion. We wish her well in the future.
I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to welcome the group from my own town of Carrick-on-Suir which includes the girls from Scoil Mhuire, Councillor Greene and other members of the school staff. As Councillor Greene will not be standing in the forthcoming elections, I take the opportunity to thank her for all her work in the community of Rathgormack which is the neighbouring community to mine.
We have had several discussions in the past week on sport, but there is a need to deal specifically with the scourge of doping in sport. Anyone who has an interest in the greyhound industry will be aware that six greyhounds, some of them competition winners, that participated in the most recent national coursing festival tested positive for banned substances. This is totally unacceptable, with genuine dog breeders and enthusiasts having to put their animals up against dogs which have been doped. I had a discussion recently with the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Tom Hayes, on the greyhound industry, track racing and the difficulties in regard to doping. This latest revelation brings coursing centre stage as an additional cause for concern. Will the Leader ask the Minister of State to extend the terms of reference of the independent report he has commissioned on the greyhound industry to include coursing? All these revelations are doing substantial damage to the image of the greyhound industry nationally and internationally. This disreputable activity cannot be allowed to continue. It is costing breeders, owners and others involved in the industry millions of euro. The report commissioned by the Minister of State is due for publication in a couple of months, which leaves plenty of time for coursing to be included in its remit.
Ba mhaith liom tagairt a dhéanamh d'alt a bhí sa Daily Mail inné ag Brenda Power. I take the opportunity to convey my abhorrence at this article on the Traveller community. It was totally ill-informed, inaccurate and biased and, possibly, bordering on racist. Many are very offended by what was written and I hope the relevant authorities will deal with it in a timely manner. A statement should go out from the Seanad that this type of journalism is not acceptable in Ireland.
I am disappointed that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, has indicated his satisfaction that the banks are meeting the Central Bank's mortgage arrears resolution targets. My colleague, Deputy Pearse Doherty, put it to the Minister yesterday that the banks were only meeting those targets through wholesale legal actions, but the Minister did not change his tune. At yesterday's meeting of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Ulster Bank representatives defended their use of legal proceedings in more than 4,000 cases, which make up almost half of that bank's proposals under the targets set by the Minister and the Central Bank. Ulster Bank knows it can get away with this because of the Minister's Pontius Pilate attitude. I expect the other three banks will tell the same tale today and Thursday, notwithstanding the latest data which show that six years into the crisis and excluding legal threats, the banks have made a sustainable offer to only one third of mortgage holders in distress. These data are coming from the banks. The Minister has stated on numerous occasions that he does not accept that legal action constitutes a sustainable solution and that he has communicated this assertion to the banks. The reality, however, is that he is hiding behind the Central Bank. The latter accepts the banks' figures and the inclusion of legal letters and the removal of people from their homes as sustainable solutions. That is simply not good enough. It is not acceptable for the Minister to hide behind the Central Bank in the midst of a mortgage arrears crisis. He should be leading the way, not hiding behind the Central Bank or civil servants. Will the Leader agree to a debate on this issue in the near future?
Ar scáth a chéile a mhairimid. Is é sin a dúirt ár nUachtarán. We certainly do live in one another's shadows, but we also live together and depend on one another. Both speeches last night, by the Queen and the President, did us proud. It was great to hear the Queen indicating a royal willingness to participate in the commemorations of the events of 1916. We look forward to this. The Taoiseach is meeting the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, this morning to discuss the possibility of a joint trade mission abroad. Looking at the trade figures, it is absolutely the case that ar scáth a chéile a mhairimid.
Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh stole my thunder in raising the article by Brenda Power in the Daily Mail yesterday, but I am very glad he did so. In conjunction with the news that Mr. John Joe Nevin who has done us all so proud has had both of his legs broken, it is a sad day for Travellers and boxing. John Joe apparently went into the middle of an affray and we see what transpired. Travellers have their own pride and their own troubles. At the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly this term, we will be producing a report on issues affecting the Traveller community throughout the island of Ireland, which has involved taking evidence from Traveller communities in the North and in London. We will be reporting on that at the end of the term. Will the Leader agree to have that report brought before the House for discussion? It goes without saying everyone, settled and Traveller, has to take responsibility for themselves, but the article by Ms Brenda Power focused on ethnicity. In particular, I condemn the language used. Every responsible person has problems with what some Travellers do, just as we have problems with what some settled people do. People are not all the same. Pavee Point today condemned outright the language used in the article. It is time we debated this subject and I ask that we do so after the BIPA report is published, which report should include recommendations in this regard.
Spiralling energy costs are affecting households throughout the country. In fact, recent figures from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland reveal that electricity prices are now 4% higher than the European average. In some cases, they have jumped to more than 14% above the EU average. The Commission for Energy Regulation is responsible for controlling energy prices. Not only does that body appear to be above question, but the Government has given it additional powers to decide on the cost of water for every household in the country. This is an organisation that has everything but the genuine concerns of the consumer at heart. I have called on previous occasions for either the Minister or the CEO of ComReg to be brought before this House to explain why it is increasing the cost of energy to consumers at a time when taxes are rising and wages are reduced. At the same time, the Government, through a public service obligation, is charging every household in the country a flat rate on every electricity bill, the benefit of which goes directly to wind farm developers to pay them for when they are not making money. In the past three years the Government has allowed €140 million collected from households in the country to be transferred in this way. It is absolutely disgraceful.
Last night, the Minister of State, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, when responding to an Adjournment matter, tried to defend the indefensible on behalf of the Government, developers who are making money at the expense of ordinary consumers. The Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, needs to get a life and a grip of his Department and stop being in cahoots with the developers who are making billions out of wind energy generation. While the Leader is not responsible, I appeal to him to invite the Minister to the House to advise us as to why he is standing idly by when money is being transferred to those who do not need it while it is taken from those who cannot afford to give any more.
I raise an issue I raised yesterday - the difficulty in filling consultant vacancies. It appears there is now a difficulty in filling general practitioner trainee vacancies. We need to have a debate on the cost of education. The cost of medical education here is approximately €90 million per annum, yet about 60% of that investment is gone out of the country within 12 months of people graduating from college. I note this morning that Ireland is one of the largest contributors to the United Kingdom in providing trained general practitioners. In the past four years we have provided 1,049 trained general practitioners to the English health system which is at a cost to the Irish taxpayer. It is great that people are able to get jobs and that they have been provided with superb training here, but it is time we looked at the cost of education in this area, given that we cannot fill medical positions here, even though we are providing the education and the follow-up training. It is time we had a serious debate on the cost issues and how we are to move forward in the next ten to 20 years. I ask the Leader to provide time for a debate on this issue.
I ask the Leader for an early debate with the Minister for Finance on the sell-off of the IBRC loan book and also, perhaps, others that may be pending. The Minister has been surefooted, but on this issue he has completely missed the point and abandoned those hard-pressed mortgagors who need support. We were all elected to support citizens who are in difficulty, regardless of these difficulties. I would like to think the Minister will address the issue to ensure it is not left to the discretion of the banks as to whether mortgage holders will be treated fairly and properly in accordance with the code of practice.
I wish to make a comment on President Higgins' visit to the United Kingdom and, in particular, his meeting with the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, today. The President has a long tradition of adherence to and championing of human rights issues. I hope that today he will avail of the opportunity privately with the British Prime Minister to raise the issue of the victims of the Troubles, particularly those killed in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, in Belturbet and various other atrocities that occurred here which involved British security forces and which, in all probability, involved people in high political office who were aware, if not of the specifics of these atrocities, of the general approach by the security forces in these matters. There is also the issue of, say, Pat Finucane and the agreement between the two sovereign states for a public inquiry into his murder, which everyone accepts involved collusion at a high level. The British Government has failed to meet its commitment in that regard. If we are to have good relations with our neighbouring island, the President should use the opportunity to raise the issue. It is good to see progression in that area, but it must be based on a solid foundation and mutual respect. Issues of the past and the legacies of these issues must be addressed and dealt with once and for all, including partition.
I welcome the launch today by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland's Menu-Cal. Certainly calorie counting is not the answer to obesity, but it is widely accepted that it can have a positive effect. On the one hand, the restaurant representative bodies say this will be expensive for them and that it will, ultimately, be ineffective. On the other, it is clear from research that 96% of people want to see calories displayed on menus. I would have a certain sympathy for restaurants, particularly, those who change their menus every day. I have no doubt it is a habit that would be very useful for restaurants because by controlling portion sizes and being more mindful of what goes into the meals they present to consumers, it would lead to a reduction in waste. Research in America found that when calories were signalled on menus, for example, in hamburger joints, people consumed 152 fewer calories in those joints and 70% less when it came to sandwich bars. If we were to transport those figures to Ireland, there would have a positive effect on obesity levels and type 2 diabetes problems. Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that when food and drinks are prepared outside the home, the consumer does not know what goes into the food. While calorie counting may be a somewhat crude measure when it comes to overall health, it certainly would be a helpful measure in addressing the obesity crisis which will get worse if measures such as this are not adhered to and put in place. Currently, it is a voluntary opt-in service, but I hope people will buy into it and that it will not be necessary for the Minister to make it compulsory. With regard to my question for the Leader, I have called for a debate on obesity at some stage with the Minister. A more positive debate might be one on health and the promotion of health in terms of alcohol, obesity and many other items.
Did Senator Martin Conway indicate that he wishes to speak?
I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to speak at such short notice. Today happens to be national job shadow day. There are a number of participants in the national job shadow day in the House. One was supposed to be in my office job-shadowing me. I have met a number of them. It is a useful initiative from an organisation that had its roots in County Mayo in the Irish supported employment association. If nothing else, job shadow day highlights the need for equality in terms of access to employment and job opportunities across a wide spectrum. Too often, people with disabilities are seen more for their disability as opposed to their varying abilities. People with disabilities thrive when they get the opportunity in companies here and internationally. Job shadow day is designed to raise awareness. I welcome all the participants in Leinster House on job shadow day and the thousands of participants throughout the country who are taking part in this unique day which raises the profile. I ask the Leader if, at some stage, we could have a specific debate on job opportunities for people with disabilities and how to break down the barriers.
Senator Darragh O'Brien referred to the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service. When the Government took office in 2011, new targets were set for the ambulance service. The Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, has raised the bar annually for response times. For 2014 a new target has been set of 80% of life-threatening calls being responded to in under 19 minutes.
In 2013 the target was 68% to 70%. Emergency ambulance services in Dublin city and county are provided by Dublin Fire Brigade by arrangement between Dublin City Council and the Health Service Executive. The National Ambulance Service is working to modernise and reconfigure its services to ensure emergency pre-hospital care is delivered in an appropriate and timely manner. In particular, a single national control system to improve the control and dispatch performance of ambulances, for which Members of the House have been calling in the past few years, is being developed and will be introduced in 2015. In the light of the new control and dispatch system, the HSE's chief operating officer and the Dublin city manager commissioned a joint review of the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service. The focus of the review is to identify a model of service provision that will ensure optimal provision of emergency ambulance services in Dublin. The review was expected to be completed in early summer. However, the timescale has been revised to allow for the results of the national ambulance capacity review to inform the recommendations of the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service review. The purpose of the capacity review which is under way and expected to be completed by the end of the year is to determine the level of resources required in terms of staff, vehicles, skills and distribution to provide a safe and effective ambulance service now and into the future. I can assure Members that work is ongoing in this regard. The response of Fine Gael and the Labour Party is that we want the best possible ambulance service for the people of Dublin and countrywide.
Senator Ivana Bacik and other Members spoke about the Presidential visit. I am sure the event last night was wonderful and that the remainder of the visit will be well received by all. In terms of his speech last night, the President was a credit to us all.
Senator Ivana Bacik also spoke about the Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013, with which we will be dealing following the Order of Business. As Members will have noted, we have dealt in the past few weeks with a number of Private Members' Bills. I hope to progress these Bills and schedule as many motions as possible for discussion in the coming months in an effort to clear the Order Paper.
I note Senator David Norris's comments on constitutional nationalism versus the armed struggle. The Senator made some interesting points in that regard and also raised the issue of unsolicited cold calls from companies, which are very annoying for many.
Senator Michael Comiskey welcomed the holding of the World Sheep Shearing Championships in Wexford and the benefits that would accrue for tourism in County Wexford and the south east as a result.
Senator Mary White also spoke about the benefits of the Presidential visit and outlined that age was no barrier to success.
Senator Michael Mullins also called for a debate on the ambulance service. I will try to have the relevant Minister in the House for a debate on it as soon as the review has been completed.
Senator Sean D. Barrett spoke about the future of third level education. As mentioned by him, there are two or three Bills in the ether. Perhaps when they are being dealt with, we might have a comprehensive debate on the future of third level education.
Senator Denis Landy spoke about the greyhound industry and the doping of six dogs at a recent national coursing event. We had a debate on the greyhound industry in recent weeks. However, I will bring the Senator's point that the issue of coursing should be included in the review to the attention of the relevant Minister.
Senators Trevor Ó Clochartaigh and Cáit Keane referred to a recent article in the media on Travellers. As I have not read the article, I do not propose to comment on it. However, I take on board the points made by the Senators. Also, I am a member of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly sub-committee which deals with the issue of Travellers in all jurisdictions. I record our thanks to Pavee Point and others who represent the Traveller and Roma communities for their help and co-operation during the recent visit by the sub-committee to Dublin.
Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill spoke about electricity prices which he stated were 4% higher than the EU average. In this regard, he asked that the Commissioner for Energy Regulation be invited to come to the House. I understand the regulator recently appeared before a committee, which is the appropriate place in which to have a debate on energy. It is important there be competition in the electricity market.
Senator Colm Burke spoke about the need to fill vacant consultant and trainee general practitioner positions. In that regard, he referred to the more than 1,000 Irish trained general practitioners who went to work in the United Kingdom last year and called for a debate on the cost of education and follow-up training for GPs. I will try to arrange a debate on that issue.
Senator Jim Walsh spoke about the sale of the IBRC loan book, an issue we discussed at length on the Order of Business for a number of weeks. The code of conduct is in place. I understand the purchasers of the loan book have signed up to the procedures in it.
The Senator also spoke about the possibility of the President raising particular issues while in the United Kingdom. The issues raised by him are outside the remit of the President. However, he can be assured that the Government has raised them and will continue to raise them with the UK Government.
Senator Catherine Noone spoke about Menu-Cal and called for a debate on obesity and the promotion of good health. We had such a debate recently on a Private Members' motion. However, it is a matter that must be kept under constant review.
Senator Martin Conway referred to today as being national job shadow day and the need to raise awareness of job opportunities for people with disabilities. I hope the person job-shadowing the Senator is not also job-shadowing any other Senator or Deputy from County Clare.
Senator Darragh O'Brien has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, "That a one hour debate to clarify whether the Government supports the retention of the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service in the city and county of Dublin be taken today." Is the amendment being pressed?
Amendment put:
The Seanad divided: Tá, 15; Níl, 24.
Tá
- Barrett, Sean D.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Mark.
- Heffernan, James.
- Mooney, Paschal.
- Norris, David.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Sullivan, Ned.
- Ó Clochartaigh, Trevor.
- Ó Domhnaill, Brian.
- Power, Averil.
- Quinn, Feargal.
- Reilly, Kathryn.
- Walsh, Jim.
- Wilson, Diarmuid.
Níl
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Burke, Colm.
- Coghlan, Eamonn.
- Comiskey, Michael.
- Conway, Martin.
- Cummins, Maurice.
- D'Arcy, Michael.
- Gilroy, John.
- Hayden, Aideen.
- Henry, Imelda.
- Keane, Cáit.
- Kelly, John.
- Landy, Denis.
- Moloney, Marie.
- Moran, Mary.
- Mullins, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Noone, Catherine.
- O'Donnell, Marie-Louise.
- O'Keeffe, Susan.
- O'Neill, Pat.
- Sheahan, Tom.
- van Turnhout, Jillian.
- Zappone, Katherine.
Tellers: Tá, Senators Ned O'Sullivan and Diarmuid Wilson; Níl, Senators Aideen Hayden and Michael Mullins.
Amendment declared lost.
Question, "That the Order of Business be agreed to," put and declared carried.