The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re appointment of members of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission - back from committee, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of the Order of Business; and No. 2, European Stability Mechanism (Amendment) Bill 2014 - Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 1.
Order of Business
I believe the Minister for Health is scheduled to come into the House on 4 November next. I ask that he pays particular attention to the issue of medical cards for the over-70s and discretionary medical cards. I wish to bring to the attention of the House that between September 2013 and September 2014, 71,251 medical cards were removed. Of these, over 17,543 were over-70s medical cards. I am still receiving complaints, queries and requests for assistance from people with long-term illnesses and people over 70 years who are still losing their medical cards. This issue has not gone away and I would like the Minister to address that specific issue in a meaningful way during the forthcoming general debate on health.
I listened with great dismay and disgust this morning to the Sinn Féin Deputy Peadar Tóibín on "Morning Ireland" and on a programme on Newstalk. I am absolutely disgusted at the manner in which his party is dealing with these very serious allegations. We have had our issues with institutional child sexual abuse both in the churches and State institutions. A light was shone on it, rightly so. I am at a loss to understand where Sinn Féin is at on this. The public is entitled to know. It is unfortunate that Sinn Féin representatives are not in the Chamber this morning-----
The Senator should not allude to Membes who are not in the Chamber.
We know why they are not here.
That is a long-standing practice in this House.
It is also a long-standing practice that people would respect the arms and laws of the State. I want to know - perhaps the Leader through the Taoiseach might assist on this - how many paedophiles and rapists they banished to towns and villages all over the Republic of Ireland. How many did they banish? Who are these people? Will they furnish a list of these people to the authorities here? If I go back to my home in Malahide today, I do not know whether there is someone living in that town who is a paedophile, dealt with by this apparent IRA-Sinn Féin justice. The public is entitled to know who these people are. Sinn Féin will not answer those questions and Deputy Peadar Tóibín's performance this morning was nothing but a disgrace. I have never heard anything like it, to be frank. This issue is crucially important. The Seanad should send out a clear message today that all of us who were democratically elected and who are confirmed democrats call on Sinn Féin to furnish An Garda Síochána with all of the details it has in its possession. I further ask that the Taoiseach requests, through the Minister for Justice and Equality, that the Garda Commissioner puts a special investigation in place and that Deputy Adams and others are questioned about what they know.
I have raised the issue of Fampyra on numerous occasions in this House. There are 1,500 multiple sclerosis sufferers in Ireland who cannot access this life-changing drug. Since 25 July this year, the drug has not been available to people and is still being reviewed. I have written countless times to the Minister for Health, but I cannot get any answers. I spoke to a lady yesterday who cannot work anymore because her mobility has decreased so much. She cannot access this drug because it costs €270. In that context, I propose an amendment to the Order of Business today, calling on the Minister of Health come to the House today for 15 minutes to give an update on the situation regarding Fampyra and to indicate when it will be issued to the 1,500 multiple sclerosis sufferers in this country who deserve it.
I agree with Senator Darragh O'Brien's comments on Maíria Cahill and the way in which Sinn Féin has been dealing with the statements made by her. I have been given a dossier on the Áine Tyrell case, information about which is in the public domain following the trial and conviction of Liam Adams last year. That case raises disturbing questions about more than one situation in which there appears to have been a cover up of sex abuse allegations and a moving on of perpetrators of sexual abuse. As Senator Darragh O'Brien said, we have seen that happen within other institutions, particularly the Catholic Church and certain religious orders and it is very disturbing to see it happen within any political party. Public scrutiny and being open to such scrutiny is an essential part of democratisation. That is an important point for all political parties. They must be open to public scrutiny and members of political parties must feel free to express dissatisfaction with their party leadership if they so feel. All of us who are in parties - with the exception of the members of Sinn Féin - can express our dissatisfaction openly. I will say no more on that issue.
I thank colleagues from both sides of the House who attended the briefing I organised yesterday with SafeIreland, which launched its ManUp campaign against domestic violence this week. We were delighted to have Lynn Rosenthal in Leinster House yesterday as a guest of SafeIreland. She is the White House adviser on violence against women and works with Joe Biden, the Vice President. She is an inspirational woman and it was very instructive to hear from her about campaigns against domestic and sexual violence in the United states.
I also commend Senator Averil Power for her motion on Palestine. I did not get a chance to do so yesterday. I am very glad that we had the opportunity in the House to express support for that motion which seeks recognition for Palestinian statehood and the two-state solution, which is an important plank of Irish Government's foreign policy in respect of the Middle East. I am also glad that we will have a debate with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, who will give us an update on the situation in Palestine and the Middle East on 26 November.
On 5 November we will have a debate on a number of criminal justice matters, including two criminal justice Bills which will be back before the House. I look forward, during that debate, to raising some of the issues which were raised at an excellent conference I attended on 13 October organised by SECILE - Securing Europe through Counter-terrorism - Impact, Legitimacy, Effectiveness. SECILE is a really important coalition of academics and practitioners in criminal justice who specifically work on counter-terrorism matters. They raised a number of important points at that conference about the way in which we legislate to deal with counter-terrorism matters. The insights I learned at that conference will be of great use during the forthcoming debate on criminal justice, mutual assistance and anti-terrorism legislation on 5 November.
I wish to plug the Labour Party's Private Member's motion to be debated on 5 November on a criminal justice matter, specifically on penal reform. The motion asks the Minister for Justice and Equality to outline her response to the recent papers produced by the expert group and the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality on penal reform. I look forward to the Minister updating the House on developments, many of which are very positive, in the field of penal reform and on her proposals for future change.
I express solidarity with the people and Parliament of Canada, following the invasion of the House of Parliament by a gunman yesterday. The Speaker of the Canadian Senate, Mr. Noel Kinsella, is a great friend of this country. He has called a meeting of the Senate to show terrorists that democracy will continue in his country. The Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons, Mr. Andrew Scheer, also deserves our solidarity following this outrageous attack. The Canadian coat of arms includes three golden lions representing England, the lion rampant of Scotland, the Irish harp of Tara, the royal fleurs-de-lis of France and the maple leaf.
That parliament was established by Thomas D'Arcy McGee from Carlingford, County Louth. It is an inclusive, welcoming and multicultural society and deserves the support of this House at this critical time.
I understand the proceedings on the Seanad motion on the Palestinian issue were covered on the BBC World Service early this morning, again showing the prestige in which the House is held internationally.
We have now spent €10.1 million on the charging infrastructure for electric cars and €2.26 million on subsidies, which comes to €27,000 for each of the 482 cars in use. Could we, please, read the small print before embarking on these trendy causes? We have ended up spending €12.36 million and all Members would find better ways to spend the money.
Before I ask the Leader for a debate on the principal issue I wish to raise, I agree with Senator Darragh O'Brien in his comments on Deputy Peadar Tóibín's interview on radio this morning. It is ironic that the Deputy should say the only way to deal with the issue is in a court of law when the group with which he is associated did not recognise the institutions of the State, North or South, that is, the Garda and the Army. How many times did members of Sinn Féin stand in the dock and say they did not recognise the court? Senator Darragh O'Brien is correct in stating Sinn Féin must release a list of the people, paedophiles and rapists, who were banished, either North or South, because the safety of children and others was affected.
I ask the Leader for an urgent debate on the beef industry. I have raised on numerous occasions the issue of the low prices farmers are receiving. Next Monday farmers are being forced to blockade the factories and not to allow animals to enter them in protest at the prices they are receiving. The prices are €1 per kilo or €350 per carcass lower than what farmers are receiving in Northern Ireland. The Government has shown its commitment to agriculture in the budget by introducing measures on land leasing and tax reliefs for farmers. Farmers, however, cannot live on these measure alone; they must also get a fair price. Since taking office the Minister has worked and has opened up new markets. In the past two weeks we have seen the largest kill this year, with the slaughter of more than 35,000 animals. Factories would not be killing this number unless they had the markets for their produce. The animals are not being slaughtered to be put in cold storage. As cattle from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are being sold to the same major English supermarkets, why is there a discount on the price of cattle from the South? The truth is that farmers are being ripped off. Next Wednesday we will have the third meeting of the beef round table forum which will discuss the meat factories' response to the Dowling report. I ask members of the forum to ask the right questions and put pressure on the factories to treat farmers in a fair manner. The current price is unsustainable and farmers will exit the beef industry in their thousands unless something is done. I wish the IFA and the farming organisations the best of luck during the blockade. I hope somebody will stand up and take notice.
I hope Senator Pat O'Neill will bring this matter to the attention of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, who seems to be more involved in defence than agriculture matters.
That is a very important matter also.
I agree absolutely.
Senator Terry Leyden to continue, without interruption.
The Minister had enough on his plate without taking on another portfolio. I know that Senator Pat O'Neill will have greater influence in Brussels in a few weeks' time when his and our friend will take over as Commissioner. I congratulate Mr. Hogan on his endorsement yesterday and wish him well in the Commission.
Last night I attended a function in County Roscommon when the freedom of Country Roscommon was given to the well known actor Chris O'Dowd who was there with his lovely wife, Dawn O'Porter. It was a wonderful occasion to highlight the benefits of living in County Roscommon and a great public relations exercise. One point that struck me was that because of the new legislation the officeholder of the county council was addressed as cathaoirleach as opposed to mayor. There is room for flexibility in that regard and I hope there will be some change in the regulations.
Last night I had the opportunity to watch "Oireachtas Report", a programme I do not watch very often, which was broadcast at 12.25 a.m. I was absolutely appalled and disappointed that the deliberations of Seanad Éireann were totally ignored. The ejection of three Members of the Dáil dominated the programme which refused to recognise the fact that Senator Averil Power had tabled a motion which was agreed to by the House recommending to the Government the recognition of Palestine as a state. As Senator Sean D. Barrett said, the work of this House was recognised on the BBC World Service this morning, yet a form of censorship is being operated by those producing "Oireachtas Report". They refused to recognise the contribution of those in the Seanad Chamber yesterday. Furthermore, Senator David Norris's Bill was also ignored. I ask the Leader to bring this matter to the attention of the relevant authorities. The Houses of the Oireachtas are equal but designated as the Lower and the Upper House. As the people endorsed the continuation of the Seanad, we are entitled to a fair share of media coverage. I understand the Oireachtas has a public relations unit which should be representing the Oireachtas in terms of how it is presented to the public. I condemn the activities of the directors and producers of this programme. I regard it as a form of censorship by national broadcasters who may think the issues raised in the House yesterday were not in line with the sensibilities of those who are now very senior in RTE.
Strangely enough, I received a very prompt response from RTE yesterday on the issue I had raised about our national games. It does watch what we are doing. The response was not very constructive, but we will follow up on it.
Anti-social behaviour is rife. In a research paper entitled, Tackling anti-social behaviour: international problems, indigenous solutions, Jacinta Cunneen, a research fellow at the University of Limerick, states: "It incorporates diverse low and high-level deviant behaviours with a set of unconnected ideas about risk, crime and management underpinning it". In recent years we have seen where people cannot travel on buses or the Luas. People do not feel safe on O'Connell Street or other streets in Dublin. What is not carried in the media is that anti-social behaviour is also rife in rural Ireland. In the past week I have seen in my own town, Carrick-on-Suir, vacant houses being attacked and burned. In other parts of the country private property has been maliciously attacked for no reason. Dogs and animals have been taken and killed; in some cases they have been hung over lines and electrocuted or burned. Elderly people have also been attacked. The most frightening incident about which I have heard in my many years in public life happened this week in Nenagh, County Tipperary, where a 52 year old man who was out for a walk with his dog was set upon by schoolchildren and almost kicked to death on the street. That is disgraceful. The Garda has been doing its best and millions of euro has been invested in CCTV cameras across the country. We had them installed in Carrick-on-Suir and it has helped in tackling anti-social behaviour.
Does the Senator wish to have a debate on the issue?
There is an undercurrent, which means that there is a need for legislators to look at the issue. After the recess I ask the Leader to request the Minister for Justice and Equality to come to the House to discuss what else we can do, as legislators, to stamp out this carry-on, which would be unacceptable in any other society in the world.
I draw the attention of Members to the shambles that continues to unfold beneath our eyes in the guise of St. James's Hospital.
Today the board of the national children's hospital is coming before the Committee of Public Accounts to be questioned about what is going on with regard to St. James's Hospital. Before we broke up for the summer recess I tabled an Adjournment matter asking the Minister for Health about the master plan for St. James's Hospital. I remind the House that the Dolphin report asked that a master plan be presented by the hospital chosen to be the site for the new children's hospital. I since put in a freedom of information request to St. James's Hospital for a master plan. There is no such plan for St. James's Hospital. The last master plan produced by the hospital was in 2008 and there was no mention of a children's hospital in it. We all know a master plan is a strategy, a ten-year plan for the hospital's use of space and where its specialties will be located. I wrote to the Minister for Health about this yesterday. No maternity hospital was mentioned in the master plan. There is no maternity hospital planned and there is no space for one.
I welcome the very generous grant of €75 million given by Trinity College Dublin towards a cancer unit at St. James's Hospital, but I ask Trinity College Dublin if we can join the dots with the plans for a children's hospital. We have sold the national lottery to pay for a children's hospital, which was supposed to cost in the region of €458 million. We are looking at an estimate of €650 million for St. James's Hospital. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Health to come to the House and have a reasonable debate about St. James's Hospital. I have been told before that it is a done deal. The board members are before the Committee of Public Accounts today. It should not be a done deal because there is so much wrong.
Yesterday in The Irish Times, to move slightly away from my subject, the closure of the children's dental clinic at St. James's Hospital was criticised. Again we are talking about St. James's Hospital, this time a HSE-run children's dental clinic at the hospital. This general anaesthetic clinic treats 3,000 children a year. It has had to close because, when the original building was demolished due to the construction of the Luas line, they put up a semi-permanent structure which was not deemed suitable, and now it has been closed with no future plans. Can the Minister for Health please come to the House and give us an answer? What is going to happen to these children? They have basically been told that they can stay on antibiotics and if the pain really gets bad they can go to a private practice. I repeat that we have sold the national lottery. We are now talking about a budget of €650 million. It would have cost €500 million in Connolly Hospital, where we had enough space. Again, I urge the Minister for Health to come to the House and take note of this issue.
I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for Health come to the House to deal with a very urgent matter which I do not believe will wait for two weeks until we are back - namely, the exact timeline for the provision of an early or expanded access programme for the drug sofosbuvir, or Sovaldi, an anti-hepatitis C drug. In the world of modern medicine we have lots of drugs that can make people a little better and produce remissions - we do not have many drugs that can actually cure a fatal illness - but this drug has been shown to be curative for patients with hepatitis C infection. Not everybody requires it urgently, but the Irish liver community has identified 100 to 200 patients in whom there is a real proximate risk of death within the next one to two years if this drug is not made available to them. The drug itself has been associated with an extraordinarily high rate of complete clearance and probable cure of the virus which causes hepatitis C. It has also been shown to enormously reduce the risk of cancer in patients with hepatitis C. All of the existing treatments for hepatitis C and related occurrences of cancer, which may result in a necessity for extremely aggressive and expensive treatments, cost money. Not only is this humane, good science and good medicine, it is also good business. There should be no foot-dragging about this. Susan Mitchell from The Sunday Business Post highlighted the issue the other day. There is ambiguity in the statement from the Minister in the past 24 hours suggesting that the drug would be made available, but in fact, if one parses it carefully, it looks as though it might be made available if we can get the right price. We need the Minister for Health to come to the House today and clarify this issue.
I also want to mention in passing that today is the 39th anniversary of the death of the only doctor who died in the Northern Ireland conflict. Professor Gordon Hamilton Fairley was blown up in the streets of London by a bomb that was intended for his neighbour, who was a Conservative Party politician. Hamilton Fairley was the father of oncology in the United Kingdom and a pioneer in the development of immune and other treatments for cancer. The annual award of the European Society for Medical Oncology, the highest award in Europe that can be given for cancer research, is named after him. His name is not often spoken and he is largely a forgotten figure. There are many other forgotten figures in the annals of that particularly tragic and unnecessary conflict, but it is appropriate that his name be recorded in the House on this sad occasion of the 39th anniversary of his death. This great man died because of an Irish-related issue.
Further to our debate earlier this year, I wish to note that it is hoped the terrible predicament of the schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria is coming closer to resolution. The papers at the weekend reported a spokesperson for Nigeria's national information centre saying that resolution is inching closer, although he did not wish to put a date on it. Despite last week's announcement of a ceasefire, it is still a very delicate situation. One security source reported that many of these girls are in camps scattered along the vast desert bordering Chad, an area that has very little reach from either Nigeria or Chad. Given the very fragmented nature of Boko Haram, a resolution is far from certain. I am sure the Leader and Members here will join with me in hoping for the most positive outcome in the shortest possible time for the girls concerned.
I condemn the allegations made by a number of Senators in this House that my party and my party's president, as they put it, were engaged in a cover-up of child abuse. I refute those allegations absolutely, as I did on Tuesday. I repeat that if anybody has information about abuse, they should bring that information to the proper authorities. The criminal justice system - An Garda Síochána in this State and the PSNI in the North - are the appropriate authorities to deal with these issues. Senator Ivana Bacik said she had a dossier. Has she provided it for the authorities?
On a point of order, it is simply a dossier about the trial of Liam Adams which has concluded and is in the public domain.
But she seems to-----
Senator David Cullinane to continue, without interruption.
Senator Ivana Bacik seems to suggest, as do a number of other Senators in this House, that there is information in their possession in relation to a cover-up of abuse, which is simply not true. Sinn Féin as a party and the Sinn Féin president, Deputy Gerry Adams, were not involved in any cover-up. I make the point again. If anyone-----
Was he involved in a Sinn Féin court?
Senator David Cullinane to continue, without interruption.
The Senator has information, as does his party.
We have had a bellyful of the Senator's false outrage on this issue in the House-----
It is not false outrage. I ask the Senator to withdraw that remark.
Will the Senator, please, resume his seat?
It is false outrage. The Senator is trying to score political points.
It is not false outrage. How dare the Senator say that?
I will not be withdrawing any remark-----
The Senator should.
The Senator is the individual who said he was disgusted with a Deputy in the Lower House who quite rightly said on the national airwaves that the way to deal with these issues was not trial by media or trial by politicians such as the Senator-----
He said he did not know whether he believed Maíria Cahill.
-----but in a compassionate and the appropriate way, which is through the criminal justice system.
The point I wanted to raise was actually something I raised yesterday, which is the situation in Waterford and Carlow in respect of the proposed merger of the institutes of technology and the issue of university status. When I asked the question yesterday, the Leader was not aware that the merger had collapsed. That is obviously unfortunate. We need to get all the parties back to the table again. I am a strong, enthusiastic supporter of a technological university. I believe it needs to be a multi-campus one. I do not believe politicians in opposition should in any way use this issue to attack the Government or the Minister. I am absolutely of the view that the Government parties are committed to making this happen. We now need to put in place a process that can deliver on this very important issue.
I imagine the Leader of the House would agree that this is a major issue for the people of the south east. We have campaigned for a long time to have this in the programme for Government and to have the Cabinet agree that it must happen but for it to unravel now for different reasons is entirely inappropriate. I ask the Leader to comment and, if he is in a position to do so, to update the House on the actions being taken by the Department to proceed with this issue.
I agree with Senator David Cullinane that anybody with information on child abuse or sexual abuse of any nature should pass it on immediately to the relevant authorities, the Garda in the South or the PSNI in the North. I hope that his party leader and his fellow party members who have information about anyone guilty of this type of crime who may have been run into the South - or run from the South into the North of Ireland - would pass that information on as a matter of urgency to the relevant authorities and that they would be first in the queue with the information.
I support the call made this morning by Senator Pat O'Neill for an urgent debate with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, on the beef sector. There is no logical reason farmers in Northern Ireland should receive €350 more per animal than their southern counterparts for beef. The beef sector is in crisis. I do not want to see any factories blockaded because it impacts on people's livelihoods and jobs, but farmers have no option given that their livelihoods are at risk and many of them will go under. This debate must be scheduled as soon as we return the week after next.
I want to renew the call I made recently for the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to come into the House for a substantial debate on the mental health budget for 2015, with particular reference to suicide awareness and prevention. In doing that, I acknowledge the innovative campaign rolled out last week by the HSE's national office for suicide prevention in conjunction with 20 partner organisations, called "The Little Things". The "little things" are acts of self-care that are proven to help us feel better and get through tough times. The campaign gives tips on matters like the need for people to keep active, the need to talk about their problems with others, helping others who are in difficulty, staying in touch, eating healthily, drinking less alcohol and looking out for others. I hope we will circulate the posters, cards and information that we have all been given widely. Particularly given the impact of social media, there are great opportunities to publicise this highly innovative campaign among the wider public. However, we must have a substantial debate with the Minister of State in the near future on the topic of mental health, and particularly in relation to suicide prevention and awareness.
Last weekend, as a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, I and a number of colleagues from this House, including the Leader of the House, attended a plenary with a difference. We spent Monday visiting the battlefields of Flanders in south-west Belgium, on the border with France. From an Irish point of view, we were specifically interested in, and had the opportunity of paying tribute at the graves of, two Irish patriots who died in that war, Major Willie Redmond, who came from the Leader's home county and died in rather tragic circumstances, and the great poet, Francis Ledwidge, whose reputation has been considerably enhanced over the decades since he, too, was tragically killed in a non-combat environment, when a shell fell when he was digging holes and two of his fellow soldiers were also tragically killed. These are just two of many hundreds of stories we had heard throughout the day we visited Flanders. In that context, I ask the Leader to consider setting aside an hour for statements on or near Armistice Day, 11 November, as an official tribute from this House of Parliament to those brave Irish soldiers who died for what they believed to be the cause of freedom for Ireland and who have now, belatedly, been acknowledged for that contribution, despite the layers of ignoring history over the decades.
It would also afford an opportunity for this House to discuss and to have a response from the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, on the Government's plans for the 1916 commemorations, which seem to be clouded in some obfuscation - I will not go so far as to say mystery. It is an area of concern for the surviving relatives of the 1916 leaders that the Government has not yet enunciated a coherent policy as to how they will approach it. This matter came up informally at the weekend among British members because of the media attention that has been focused on the possibility of a member of the British royal family attending the 1916 commemorations - an issue on which I must admit I have ambivalent views. I believe this is an exclusively Irish commemoration. After all, it was about ending British domination in Ireland and it might be a little incongruous to have a representative of the British royal family attending the commemoration of a seminal event in our history. In the context of what I have said and because of the ongoing debate about the 1916 Rising, it would be a useful opportunity for this House to at least get some clarification but also to provide a platform to acknowledge the courageous contribution made by those Irish men and women for what they believed to be the cause of Irish freedom in the 1914-18 war.
I formally second the proposed amendment to the Order of Business.
I support Senator Darragh O'Brien in everything he said. I will not repeat it. Nobody else should be silenced by the pretext that anybody now who speaks about Maíria Cahill is playing politics. That is insulting to politics, to democracy, and to everybody. Maíria Cahill, in her hour of need, turned to politics to try to do something when everybody had failed her. We will keep it on the agenda. It is not playing politics, it is answering the call of a woman who is in trouble. Every woman and every man who has spoken here has done that and we will continue to speak until justice is done. I support Senator Darragh O'Brien in what he said today. I will not say any more about it now but it will not go away if one does not talk about it and instead shoves it under the carpet. That is no way to deal with it and we will not fail Maíria Cahill in that way.
I would also like to speak about what Senator John Crown spoke about, the hepatitis C drug. I have a plea from a constituent of mine, who asked me that the treatment for hepatitis C, Sovaldi, be made available. He gave me the cost of it and said it was a small cost to pay for his wife's life and is needed for her treatment. He asked me to speak to the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar. I only received that text yesterday. I know the Minister is considering the matter and I urge that the outcome of his investigations be positive. The cost is not prohibitive. It has just recently been recognised - perhaps Senator John Crown might elaborate on this - in the United Kingdom and according to a paper by the California Technology Assessment Forum there is a saving of 75% over 20 years. It is not just about today's cost, it is about tomorrow's savings. One cannot speak about life in terms of money. It has been proven in research to save lives. When one looks at the money, one must say that over 20 years if 75% of the patients in Ireland were treated, it would have a payback over that time and that is a small price to pay. I hope we can have a debate, for which Senator John Crown has called, and that the Minister will be able to address that issue also.
I note that despite the fact that it does not specify on the Order Paper the Leader has indicated that No. 1 is to be taken without discussion. This is despite the fact that when I raised this matter on Tuesday the Deputy Leader said there would be discussion. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that we take No. 1 first with discussion. Although the personnel are by and large okay - the chief executive and the chairman, and so on - there is at least one Government toady there and we know that the current Government tried to have many civil servants appointed because it wanted to keep it in-house. Not taking this matter undermines the role of the Seanad and we must send a signal that we will keep watching this area, where the Equal Rights Authority was dismembered by a previous Government.
I would like to raise what happened here yesterday with the asylum Bill. Sinn Féin let itself down. We would have won with its votes.
We are not discussing yesterday's business today.
I am discussing what happened yesterday. It is a very important matter because the message should go out that asylum seekers were left swinging by the vote. An inaccurate account of the Bill was given by Senator Ó Clochartaigh. He said there was no provision for travelling. I pointed out the section in which this was dealt with. He said the Government would accept no amendments, within 20 minutes of the Government's having accepted three amendments tabled by Senator Barrett. That was complete and absolute nonsense. I sent a copy of the Bill to Ms Sue Conlon of the Irish Refugee Council, at her request. I have yet to have it acknowledged. There has been no comment or reference to it. That is a bit absurd. NGOs should be very careful of playing a territorial game. It was a very useful discussion and I hope it advances matters in this area, but Sinn Féin let itself and the Irish people down rather badly.
I welcome the pronouncement of the Taoiseach regarding the deposit necessary for first-time buyers of new homes. A deposit of 10% was always the norm, as we know. The Central Bank's recent requirement of a 20% deposit is more than excessive given current practice throughout the country, of which I am aware, in the estate agent and auction trade. We have to try to make purchasing a house attainable for young people. The ratio of salary or income to the value of a property has varied. A deposit of 10% was sacrosanct and we will return to that with the aid of an insurance-based scheme, the details of which we have not received. I welcome it for the sake of our younger people who are hoping to get on the property ladder and acquire new homes. It is important that we welcome the measure. When we get more details we can discuss it further.
I am surprised by Senator Norris, who is usually very astute about these matters. It will become increasingly apparent to him that Sinn Féin is grooming Fine Gael for after the next election.
I agree with Senator Leyden, who referred to censorship in the media. We have all seen evidence in The Irish Times that people who have a conservative point of view are squeezed out because they do not comply with the editorial line. Unfortunately, the same applies to the national broadcaster. I ask that the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources come before the House after the break to debate this issue. There is a statutory obligation on RTE which is invariably ignored. I refer to a recent item on "Morning Ireland" in which a well known abortion advocate was given free rein. This caused untold upset to people who had given birth to children despite having been advised that there were abnormalities which meant they might not survive after birth. One women wrote, on behalf of many such people, to the director general of RTE. She was in that position, but now enjoys her eight year old daughter who is still alive and well. I met a woman last year who was in similar circumstances and had her 12 year old daughter with her. I have no difficulty with anybody who wants to promote abortion. We live in a democracy and people are entitled to do so, but the national broadcaster has a responsibility and a statutory obligation to ensure that the other point of view is put and that points of view are challenged. It is unacceptable, as the letter sent to the director general said, that RTE did not challenge that position.
It is time we considered rationalising the national broadcaster. We do not need the significant numbers of employees and high salaries within it at the expense of taxpayers. It has abrogated its responsibilities, and it is time for a full debate on that.
On a more positive note, a television programme was shown yesterday about the life of Seamus Mallon. It was presented by John Bowman. It was an excellent programme and reminded me that Mr. Mallon has been the most outstanding politician, in my view and that of many others, over the past 40 years in Northern Ireland. It is a matter of regret for politicians in Ireland, and particularly the SDLP, that he never had the opportunity to serve as leader. The party would have been in a stronger position if he had. I ask the Leader to give serious consideration to inviting Mr. Mallon, a former Member of the House, to reflect on the current situation in Northern Ireland-----
The Senator can bring that to his representative on the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.
Okay. We could have an opportunity to listen to somebody who served throughout that period and has very sound views on what needs to be done.
I support Senator Mooney's call for an end to the foot-dragging on the 1916 commemorations. I have mentioned this once or twice before. I read a newspaper article by historian Diarmaid Ferriter, who is on the commission, in which he declared his impatience with the Minister's tardiness in presenting it with a plan. She has given a commitment to come before the House, but she should have done so before now. In the absence of a formal Government blueprint, every kind of revisionism is gaining a foothold. I do not want to dump on Sinn Féin again, but the most ridiculous occurrence was the announcement by Deputy Gerry Adams last week that John Redmond was a man of violence. I had to laugh at that one. We need the Government to announce a plan. There is a certain tardiness on the Government side. Maybe it is worried that in some way the celebrations would turn into some kind of post hoc vindication of the terrible atrocities that occurred in the North and had absolutely nothing to do with 1916. I can understand that, but we need to have an agreed procedure for the nation to pay proper homage to the leaders of 1916.
Members have received correspondence from a number of county councillors on the title of mayor not being applied in certain municipal areas. There is a Lord Mayor of Dublin, a Mayor of Limerick and a Mayor of Galway, but there is no mayor, for example, of Listowel, where I come from, Killarney-----
We are using the title.
-----or many of the sizeable provincial towns which used to have mayors. I ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly, to come before the House and make some alterations to the Act introduced by the former Minister. If a local authority chooses to refer to its chairman as "Mayor", that should be allowed. It is very hard for visitors to understand why they are being introduced to somebody who has a title such as "Cathaoirleach of the region". It smacks of North Korea rather than the democracy we have become used to. The title of mayor may have had some English medieval connotations at one time, but it is now universally accepted. Every region in France, no matter how big or small, has a mayor, and it makes a lot more sense for visitors to be introduced to the mayor of a town rather than to someone with a nebulous title that has about 40 syllables and is difficult to pronounce.
I second Senator Crown's motion. He made a very strong case and Senator Keane has supported him. I did not hear her second the motion asking the Minister to come before the House today to discuss the new drug to which Senator Crown referred. He spoke on television about it very efficiently today. We should listen to him and be given the opportunity to consider the matter.
I also second Senator Norris's proposal in regard to the Irish human rights and equality commission. I do not understand why we have something on the agenda about which we do not have a debate. Senator Norris is looking for a debate on that basis.
I look forward to our debate on Palestine on 26 November because it deserves a full debate. I was concerned about a report I read this morning that the motion we passed yesterday was unanimous. We had a vote on it, if I recall correctly.
There was a voice vote.
I understood there was a vote. Certainly some voices said "No". It was not unanimous. This issue deserves a debate. Senator Paschal Mooney described it well when he said we must not ignore the fact that Palestine was dropping rockets into residential areas in Israel over and over again, and Israel retaliated in the end. Let us just make sure there is balance in that debate.
It is 450 days since President Higgins signed the Construction Contracts Act 2013 to enable it to become law. However, the Act has not yet been enforced. Not a day goes by when sub-contractors do not ask what is delaying this Act. I can understand why a Government moves slowly on occasion but if this House initiates legislation that is subsequently passed by both Houses, why has nothing happened? This week, the Department in charge of making sure the Act was enabled and put into operation changed from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, under a new Minister who has no experience of the last 450 days of whatever has been happening. It looks as though nothing has been done to make this happen. Something should happen immediately.
From this Sunday we will lose one hour of daylight every day because we will have to change our clocks again. I have been pursuing this issue for many years, but the Government should grab hold of it because it makes sense for us to join central European time and keep that extra hour all year round rather than just the summer months.
Senator Feargal Quinn's own clock is set for twice per year to remind us of this valuable question, which we should address properly.
I support and second the comments made by my colleague, Senator Jim Walsh, regarding the national broadcaster. After the Fr. Kevin Reynolds debacle, we thought that RTE had moved on because we were promised better standards of fairness and balance. However, the groupthink continues in regard to discussions on a range of social issues. Dealing with individuals in RTE is a perfectly charming experience. They are reasonable and they are pleasant. However, collectively there is a rot which involves contempt for ordinary people and, often, contempt for the issues and a tolerance for manipulating debate and the public mind by partial coverage of events. This is something we should debate at an early opportunity.
In regard to the 1916 Rising commemoration, these events are complex but it is possible to commemorate great events which changed things without canonising one particular side and demonising the other. Through our debates about the roles of John Redmond and Padraig Pearse, and their visions of patriotism, we should be able to commemorate those events in a proper way.
I repeat my request for a debate on energy and the increase in the public service obligation, which will cause a big hike in electricity prices. Ahead of the summit on reducing our carbon emissions, the Taoiseach, with his usual clarity, stated today that it is not feasible to set targets that are unfeasible. He was referring to the reality that our cattle produce considerable amounts of methane and that we have to protect our agriculture sector. However, at a time when many of these targets may be revisited and regarded as unfeasible, I am concerned that Irish people will be left to foot the bill for an unimaginative and ineffective wind energy policy which was designed to meet those targets. At a time when subsidies for wind energy production have been withdrawn in other countries, we seem to have rushed towards rampant and unplanned production of wind energy in a way that is not cost effective, and which involves ordinary people subsidising the production of renewable wind energy to the tune of €94 million per year through their ESB bills and this public service obligation. I am in favour of renewable energy but we seem to have caught ordinary people out and they are bearing the brunt of the lack of planning and the failure of those in power in this country to adjust to a situation in which we need to produce more renewable energy. It now appears that the solution we have chosen, namely, a glut of wind farms and wind based energy, is not the solution. It may well be the case that our carbon reduction obligations will have to be revisited, and ordinary Irish people who cannot afford it are being left to foot the bill. I formally request a debate on energy, wind and the public service obligation based hike in electricity charges.
Senator Darragh O'Brien spoke about medical cards and called for a debate with the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, on the issue. He will be in the House on 4 November for a comprehensive debate on health matters. At least three Members asked that he come to deal with various subjects. They will have an opportunity to discuss the health service and the areas they mentioned on 4 November.
Senator Darragh O'Brien made a valid point about Sinn Féin and how many of the people involved in sexual abuse Sinn Féin and the IRA might have banished to counties throughout the country. This is a question which will have to be answered. It is all very well saying information should be given to the police forces. That is correct, but we must also have accountability from Sinn Féin regarding the people who were brought before kangaroo courts and banished. The public needs to know.
In case the Leader missed it, there is a court case in that regard.
Senator Darragh O'Brien referred to a drug for multiple sclerosis sufferers, while Senators Cáit Keane and John Crown spoke about the availability of a drug for hepatitis C sufferers. As I noted, the Minister will be in the House on 4 November when I am sure the Members concerned will make their points to him. I am sure they will also raise these issues with him in the meantime.
Senator Ivana Bacik spoke about violence against women, the Safe Ireland project and the importance of a two-state solution in the Middle East. She also called for an update on the reports on penal reform. The Minister for Justice and Equality will be in the House on 5 November for a comprehensive debate on criminal justice matters and to update us on various penal reform reports.
Senator Sean D. Barrett spoke about the attack on democratic institutions in Canada. I am sure we would all like to express our solidarity with our democratic colleagues in Canada after the dreadful attack yesterday.
Senators Pat O'Neill and Michael Mullins called for a debate on the beef industry and asked that factories treat farmers more fairly than was the case. I hope the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine will come to the House in the next few weeks to discuss the beef industry.
Senator Terry Leyden spoke about the lack of coverage of proceedings in the Seanad yesterday on "Oireachtas Report". It is not the first time "Oireachtas Report" has failed to cover Seanad business. There is a need for a fair share of coverage. We have written letters about that matter previously and can certainly take it up again.
Senator Denis Landy referred to anti-social behaviour and the mindless vandalism which had occurred in his county. As stated, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, will be in the House on 5 November to discuss criminal justice matters and penal reform. The Senator could raise with her the issues to which he has referred during that debate.
Senator Mary Ann O'Brien referred to the national children's hospital. She can raise that matter with the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, when he comes to the House. Senator John Crown can do likewise in the case of the matter he mentioned, namely, the availability of drugs for those suffering from hepatitis C.
Senator Hildegarde Naughton referred to the kidnapping of 200 children in Nigeria and outlined her hope there would be a positive outcome to the negotiations taking place between the Government of that country and Boko Haram.
I have addressed the matter raised by Senator David Cullinane in the context of Sinn Féin and others providing information for the police. On Waterford and Carlow institutes of technology, I was not aware of the fact mentioned by the Senator yesterday that the negotiating process had stalled. As he correctly stated, it is the intention of the Government that there will be a technological university in the south east. There is a commitment in the programme for Government in this regard. I understand the Minister summoned the CEO and the chairman of Waterford Institute of Technology to a meeting on the matter in the Department this morning. It is to be hoped the negotiations will be progressed as a result of the discussions at that meeting.
Senator Michael Mullins referred to the beef sector. He also requested a debate on mental health services with the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. I have arranged for her to come to the House on 11 November in order that we might engage in such a debate. Senator John Gilroy and others have been seeking a debate on this subject for a number of weeks.
Senators Paschal Mooney and Ned O'Sullivan sought a debate on the 1916 commemorations and recognition for Irish people who had fought in the Great War. I have asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, to come to the House for a debate on these matters on 13 November.
Senator Cáit Keane raised the issues of justice for Maíria Cahill and the availability of drugs for hepatitis C sufferers.
Senator David Norris referred to the motion on the appointment of the members of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and inquired as to why it was to be taken without debate. I understand a 40-minute debate on the motion took place yesterday at the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality and that seven members of the committee contributed to the debate. There is no point in duplicating that debate. I understand the matter was dealt with very well by the committee and that a very comprehensive debate took place.
Why not just replace the Seanad with committees?
The matter was debated in detail by the committee for 40 minutes.
Senator Paul Coghlan referred to reducing the deposit requirement in the case of first-time buyers to 10%. We hope to have proposals on that matter in the near future. Obviously, a requirement of 20% would be very prohibitive for young people trying to purchase their first homes.
Senators Jim Walsh and Rónán Mullen referred to the statutory obligation on RTE to ensure balanced reporting and debate. Again, I suggest it would be more appropriate to raise this matter with the relevant joint committee before which representatives of the station regularly appear. I am sure the committee could examine it in detail. I agree with the sentiments expressed by Senator Jim Walsh about Mr. Seamus Mallon. I am sure the Senator's party's representative on the Committee on Procedure and Privileges will raise the matter with it.
Senator Ned O'Sullivan referred to the fact that the title of mayor was not being used by certain municipal authorities. Obviously, that matter was dealt with when the House debated the local government legislation. Perhaps we might revisit it.
Senator Feargal Quinn requested a debate on Palestine, Israel and the general situation in the Middle East. As indicated yesterday, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, will be in the House on 26 November when we will be able to engage in a comprehensive debate with him on the matter to which the Senator referred.
The Senator also referred to the long delay in dealing with the Construction Contracts Bill. I understand the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Gerald Nash, is dealing with the issue. It is to be hoped matters will be expedited and that the Bill will be enacted very soon.
I note the points the Senator made about moving to central European time, a matter he has raised on numerous occasions.
Senator Rónán Mullen requested a debate on energy matters. I will certainly try to make arrangements for such a debate.
I take the opportunity to point out that the debates Members have requested with the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar; his Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch; the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys; and the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, will be facilitated in the coming weeks.
Senator Darragh O'Brien has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, "That a 15-minute debate with the Minister for Health on when the drug Fampyra will be made available to those suffering from multiple sclerosis be taken today." Is the amendment being pressed?
Amendment put:
The Seanad divided: Tá, 15; Níl, 19.
Tá
- Crown, John.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Mark.
- Leyden, Terry.
- Mooney, Paschal.
- Mullen, Rónán.
- Norris, David.
- Ó Domhnaill, Brian.
- Ó Murchú, Labhrás.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Sullivan, Ned.
- Power, Averil.
- Quinn, Feargal.
- Reilly, Kathryn.
- Walsh, Jim.
Níl
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Brennan, Terry.
- Burke, Colm.
- Coghlan, Paul.
- Conway, Martin.
- Cummins, Maurice.
- Gilroy, John.
- Keane, Cáit.
- Kelly, John.
- Moloney, Marie.
- Moran, Mary.
- Mullins, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- O'Brien, Mary Ann.
- O'Neill, Pat.
- Sheahan, Tom.
- van Turnhout, Jillian.
- Whelan, John.
- Zappone, Katherine.
Tellers: Tá, Senators Paschal Mooney and Ned O'Sullivan; Níl, Senators Ivana Bacik and Paul Coghlan.
Amendment declared lost.
Senator John Crown has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, "That a debate with the Minister for Health to establish the exact time schedule for the making available of the drug Sovaldi for the treatment of hepatitis C be taken today." Is the amendment being pressed?
I understand the Minister may be downstairs and that I will have an opportunity to speak to him. Therefore, I will not press the amendment today.
Senator David Norris has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, "That No. 1 be taken with debate." The amendment was not seconded. As a consequence-----
I second the amendment.
Is it being pressed?
Yes.
Amendment put:
The Seanad divided: Tá, 15; Níl, 20.
Tá
- Crown, John.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Mark.
- Leyden, Terry.
- Mooney, Paschal.
- Mullen, Rónán.
- Norris, David.
- Ó Domhnaill, Brian.
- Ó Murchú, Labhrás.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Sullivan, Ned.
- Power, Averil.
- Quinn, Feargal.
- Reilly, Kathryn.
- Walsh, Jim.
Níl
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Brennan, Terry.
- Burke, Colm.
- Coghlan, Paul.
- Conway, Martin.
- Cummins, Maurice.
- Gilroy, John.
- Keane, Cáit.
- Kelly, John.
- Landy, Denis.
- Moloney, Marie.
- Moran, Mary.
- Mullins, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- O'Brien, Mary Ann.
- O'Neill, Pat.
- Sheahan, Tom.
- van Turnhout, Jillian.
- Whelan, John.
- Zappone, Katherine.
Tellers: Tá, Senators David Norris and Feargal Quinn; Níl, Senators Ivana Bacik and Paul Coghlan.
Amendment declared lost.
Question put: "That the Order of Business be agreed to."
The Seanad divided: Tá, 22; Níl, 12.
Tá
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Brennan, Terry.
- Burke, Colm.
- Coghlan, Paul.
- Conway, Martin.
- Crown, John.
- Cummins, Maurice.
- Gilroy, John.
- Keane, Cáit.
- Kelly, John.
- Landy, Denis.
- Moloney, Marie.
- Moran, Mary.
- Mullen, Rónán.
- Mullins, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- O'Brien, Mary Ann.
- O'Neill, Pat.
- Quinn, Feargal.
- Sheahan, Tom.
- van Turnhout, Jillian.
- Whelan, John.
Níl
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Mark.
- Leyden, Terry.
- Mooney, Paschal.
- Norris, David.
- Ó Domhnaill, Brian.
- Ó Murchú, Labhrás.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Sullivan, Ned.
- Power, Averil.
- Reilly, Kathryn.
- Walsh, Jim.
Tellers: Tá, Senators Ivana Bacik and Paul Coghlan; Níl, Senators Paschal Mooney and Ned O'Sullivan.
Question declared carried.