The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on commemoration planning, to be taken at 12.30 p.m., with the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes.
Order of Business
Yesterday, on the Order of Business, I referred to the move towards a compromise between the Minister for Education and Skills and the teachers' unions. It seemed that common sense had prevailed. However, overnight, the teachers' unions, specifically the Teachers Union of Ireland, indicated they might embark on a series of one-day strikes. This has not been supported by the representatives of the students, the representatives of the parents and my colleague in the Dáil, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, speaking on behalf of Fianna Fáil.
My understanding is that both sides are very close in terms of a resolution on the junior cycle reforms programme and that the main bone of contention is about the teacher's assessment. The Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI, in particular, and the other teachers' unions do not want internal assessment. There is a proposal on the floor that these assessments, the 40% in relation to the junior cycle examinations, would be carried out by external examiners. In other words, the sides are very close on this. Perhaps there is a little bit of posturing on both sides. Perhaps there is a suggestion neither side wants to back down because it might lose face. I appeal to the teachers' unions and to the Minister for Education and Skills that she compromise a little more on this and that perhaps the teachers' unions might then move a little closer and we could have a resolution of this potential calamity that would be inflicted on pupils and on parents. I ask the Deputy Leader to use her good offices in this regard because she is a member of the Minister's party.
I draw the attention of the House to the recent decision by a German court to refuse the payment of unemployment benefits to a Romanian national who had not been working in Germany or had, my indications are, refused to work but still wanted to claim unemployment benefit. As a result of this decision, the Court of Justice of the European Union, which is the highest court in the European Union, has now found in favour of the German state. This means that any member state of the European Union can refuse to pay unemployment benefit to those within its borders who refuse to seek work. I am not sure if this is a problem of significance in this country. Our colleagues in the United Kingdom have grasped this as being, as they see it, the opening of a door to the ultimate aim of a bunch of eurosceptics within the Tory Party to stop migration into the United Kingdom from EU countries, not from outside. I ask the Deputy Leader to establish if the Minister for Social Protection has any plans to introduce legislation in this country in light of the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
I congratulate and wish the newly appointed Irish ambassador to the Vatican, to the Holy See, Ms Emma Madigan, every success in her new role. It has been a ground-breaking decision on two fronts. One is that she is the first woman to be so appointed to the Holy See. She presented her credentials to the Holy Father within the last few days. She will be a permanent resident there. This overturns a decision taken by the former Tánaiste, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, three years ago, when we were terminating the appointment of an ambassador to the Holy See. Following a very strenuous lobby, particularly by a group called Ireland Stand Up that many of us would have visited during its lobby briefing at the time, I am sure they and all of us would welcome the new appointment.
As we are entering into a weekend of sporting activity, I wish the Irish football team every success against Scotland and congratulate Stephanie Roche of Peamount United and now working with a French football club on being one of the top ten contenders for the FIFA Puskás goal of the year. I recommend to Members, if they have not seen the goal, to look at it on YouTube. I wish everybody involved in the rugby at the weekend the very best of luck.
I more than broadly agree with the various contributions of Senator Paschal Mooney on the junior cycle reform programme. I hope a desirable compromise will be achieved. I note what was said, it was interesting and I look forward to the Deputy Leader's response in regard to whether there is, or is likely to be, anything following that European Court of Justice ruling which was referred to.
I very much welcome the appointment of Ms Emma Madigan as permanent ambassador to the Holy See. That is hugely important and of great significance for us. As the Holy See has been mentioned, I remind the House that this is Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty weekend in Killarney. He was the Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican-----
It will be a good night tomorrow night.
----- or so he was known. There will be nights in Killarney. There is the humanitarian award on Saturday night and a function also on Sunday. All are very welcome.
It is welcome that it now looks likely, thanks be to God, that the Central Bank might ease the 20% deposit requirement for first-time purchasers. That is hugely important. A sum of 10% is enough. It is a huge strain on young people. Now that we have been given the variation in house prices, particularly with regard to the proximity of national schools, it makes it more important that it be eased and made more amenable for people. I greatly welcome this.
I ask the Deputy Leader if we could have a debate on the rules that Senator Paul Coghlan has just described. It is stated in the Nyberg report that had we had those rules on a 20% deposit and three and a half times income, the banks would have saved €62 billion. That is virtually all of the €64 billion we needed to bail them out. There is opposition in the property sector and from the banks. However, we have to have macro-prudential rules to ensure we do not have another bubble. These rules worked in other countries. However, I agree with my learned friend, Senator Paul Coghlan, that there is something to debate here. When the Governor raised the rules first, there was a strong wave of opposition. It was not a moment of unthinking behaviour by the Governor of the Central Bank. These rules have proven highly successful in stopping the kind of bubbles which did so much damage to this country.
I note the decision this week of Kerry County Council to declare itself an island.
Who is building the moat?
In the opinion polls this morning, the question "Should Kerry go it alone?" has a strong majority in favour.
I know a very good man for president of Kerry.
I understand island status is already in place in Valentia, the Blasket Islands, the Skelligs and so on. Of course, we would miss Senators Ned O'Sullivan, Marie Moloney, Mark Daly and Senator Paul Coghlan himself. However, would the right side of this not be that the other 31 counties might win the Sam Maguire on the odd occasion? I wish Kerry the best of luck in its new status.
I am delighted to have attended the launch yesterday evening of the 2016 commemorations in the GPO. I look forward to Seán Mac Diarmada's birthplace in Kiltyclogher, County Leitrim, and the cottage becoming a major tourism attraction. It is in really good condition as, I suppose, Seán Mac Diarmada left it in early 1912 or 1913. I look forward to the cottage in Kiltyclogher playing a pivotal role in the commemorations in 2016. Towards the end of this month, the interpretive centre in Kiltyclogher will be opened. That is a step in the right direction. It will be a major asset. As my colleague promotes Killarney as a tourism destination, I would be delighted to promote north Leitrim and Kiltyclogher as a tourism destination in the north west.
I welcome the outcome of the beef talks last night. I hope this will bring an end to the problems that we have had between factories and farmers and that this will increase the incomes on farms and get farmers back to doing what they do best, namely, producing a top quality product for the market.
I wish to move the Seanad a little away from parochial issues to look to the stars and mention Laurence O'Rourke from County Westmeath, one of the joint leaders of the Rosetta project. He is one of the two scientists coordinating the Rosetta mission at the European Space Astronomy Centre in Madrid, a mission that has been very successful. It will give people great support and hope that such a project can be brought about in this era. He graduated from NUI, Maynooth, with an honours degree in physics and mathematics and went on to UCC where he obtained a master's degree in micro-electronics.
The asteroid "9524 O'Rourke" was named in his honour. He stated in Astronomy Ireland that this mission was to unlock an icy treasure chest. It is a great achievement, but it is more than that.
Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
This is something historic which has been ten years in the making, as the probe has made a 4 billion mile journey through the solar system. It is a great success story and nice that an Irish scientist is involved. That is why I would like to recognise him in the Seanad and us to send our best wishes to him in Madrid and wish him well on this great achievement for Ireland and the world.
Like others, I welcome the launch of the 2016 commemoration ceremonies programme which took place yesterday in the GPO. It is fitting that the Minister for the Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is coming to the House today and in his absence I thank the Leader for facilitating this discussion. We talk about lasting legacies. The 2016 commemorations will have an impact and, I hope, rekindle an interest in our history among young people, in particular. I would like to see a real lasting legacy from the 2016 commemorations, namely, a rekindling of the teaching of history in second level schools. It is most regrettable to learn that history is no longer a desired subject at leaving certificate level. Senator Paschal Mooney spoke about the junior certificate cycle. It is my understanding that the teaching of history will not be compulsory at that level either and that many schools will not even offer history as a subject. This is something about which I am really concerned because it suggests that in 20 or 30 years time many more young people will not have any understanding of the 1916 Rising, the First World War and its impact and the Second World War, the development of Nazism and that terrible period in the world's history. We cannot plan for the future and certainly cannot equip young people for it unless they have an understanding of past events, both good and bad. Will the Deputy Leader facilitate the Minister for Education and Skills in coming to the House for a debate on the teaching of history at second level? The commemorations in 2016 present us with an wonderful opportunity to do something tangible in developing a love of history among young people.
May we have a debate on the resourcing of the health service, in particular, diabetes services throughout the country? Tomorrow is World Diabetes Day. I ask for the support of the House in seeking resources for the north west region where, for the first time, insulin pump therapy for people with diabetes is being made available at Sligo Regional Hospital. It does, however, require substantial investment. While I appreciate that we are in very difficult times from a capital and current expenditure perspective, there have been some improvements in the national finances and I hope additional resources can be made available. I met ten year old Troy Gilgarrow who was promoting World Diabetes Day and he explained how he had to travel to Dublin for treatment. We now have the potential to provide this treatment in the north west, in one of only four centres throughout the country. However, the decision to allow this service to go ahead - we have a qualified endocrinologist on site - is not enough. Additional capital support is required to have a modular unit brought up to speed.
Following on from my unsuccessful amendment yesterday, I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government come to the House to explain the discriminatory approach he is taking to small local authorities, in particular, Sligo County Council where it appears that at a secret meeting lately with his colleagues in the Labour Party and Fine Gael he indicated his intentions to abolish the council without providing necessary support for it. This is an important debate to have and these questions need to be answered. As I said yesterday, for the Minister to do this to small local authorities - in this instance, the people of Sligo - is to do to the north west what Brussels, the ECB and Jean-Claude Trichet did to Ireland.
I am calling for a debate on our financial regulations in the light of an issue brought to my attention by a constituent recently. A lady contacted me about the fact that her mortgage with Bank of Scotland had been sold to a private equity firm, Lone Star. The concerns she expressed were twofold. One relates to the fact that the transfer was made in breach of her mortgage agreement with the bank, which clearly provides that "information will only be disclosed to a bank or financial institution on the understanding that it intends to participate in funding the mortgage". While I understand Lone Star subsequently acquired a banking licence through buying out Start Mortgages Limited, it is not established as a bank or financial institution as per the requirements to be mdet under her mortgage agreement. In exacerbating the problem Bank of Scotland gave no substantial information to its customers on the future role of Lone Star in dealing with their mortgages and has not told them about the possible consequences of its actions, which is contrary to the Central Bank of Ireland's code of practice on the transfer of mortgages. The code provides that a loan secured by a mortgage on a residential property may not be transferred without the written consent of the borrower. I am clear that my constituent did not give her consent. Furthermore, she was very clear that she had not been informed when Bank of Scotland rebranded first as Halifax and subsequently as Certus when it became the public face of the bank in Ireland. Presuming that the loans were sold at a discount, as I would expect when private equity companies are involved, this begs the question as to why it did not give its customers the opportunity to buy out their mortgages at a discount in the first place. I have written to the CEO of Bank of Scotland, the Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland and also the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform about what has happened in this instance. I am also looking for the Minister for Finance to come to the House for a debate on the issue of financial regulation in Ireland as it may apply to the Gordon Gekkos of the private equity world.
I want to address the issue of teachers as addressed by Senator Paschal Mooney. We are at a very delicate stage in negotiations between both sides which have moved a considerable distance such that not a lot divides them. I would hate anything to be said by anybody at this stage that would derail what are very sensitive negotiations. The teachers of Ireland have driven the economy to where it is. They have been willing at all times to negotiate and innovate and have helped to provide a first-class education system in Ireland. I fully support the changes to the junior cycle. I want to see more vocational programmes available to children and a resurgence in such programmes. However, we must allow the talks to reach their natural conclusion and I hope this will happen in the not too distant future.
I want to address the issue of the 20% deposit suggested by the Central Bank of Ireland. I would have no difficulty in watching that figure fall back to 10%, but most of us in this House when we purchased our first house needed substantial savings before we could take out a mortgage. The country went mad. We were offering people not just 100% but 120% mortgages. It was a case of "buy the house, buy the furniture and buy two cars while you are at it and we will stick it all on the mortgage." It was long-term borrowing for short-term purchases. That is what destroyed the country. If we are going to try to relax Central Bank of Ireland regulations, I agree with Senator Sean D. Barrett that we need a debate in this House to explore fully what the implications would be. I want to see first-time buyers of houses, but I do not want to them to be locked into crazy debts for the rest of their lives. Before we start mucking about with the macro economy - the house purchasing economy - we need to sit down and think very carefully about what we are doing. Whether we like it, there is a bubble on the east coast. I have seen houses put on the market for €390,000 sold for €480,000, which is crazy.
As I appreciate I have exceeded my time, I will finish. I have concerns about local authorities and their funding and about local education and training boards. All of these issues are a concern and for that reason, I will support and second Senator Marc MacSharry's call for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, to come to the House.
We have not had a debate in the House for some time on the issue of local authority housing and its future. We need a discussion on this issue. Many people whose economic circumstances have changed would be prepared to purchase their houses from the local authority, but there is no provision in place to allow them to do so. It is important that people be given that opportunity. They have put time and effort into improving the houses for which they are paying rent and would like to hold onto them. They would like to continue to live in the same areas because they are part of their communities. They should be given the opportunity to purchase their homes. We need a discussion on this and it would be helpful if the Minister came to the House to deal with the issue and inform us whether a programme will be introduced over the next 12 months that will allow for purchase. Economic circumstances have changed for some people and they would have the ability to purchase a houses and service a mortgage. Some people have sufficient money that they do not to need to borrow money to acquire their homes.
We also need to look at the issue of first-time buyers and the requirement for a 20% deposit. A number of years ago the system did not require people to have any deposit to acquire a property, and they came through that system quite successfully. I am not talking about 110% or 100% mortgages, but about a system in which people surrendered local authority houses and bought their own properties privately. I do not agree with how that system operated, but people were able to buy property without a substantial deposit and were able to service the loans they got. We need to look at what has happened in the past and plan for the future. We have not yet had that debate here.
Bhí díospóireacht an-mhaith againn anseo inné ar chúrsaí iascaireachta. Fáiltím roimhe sin, ach tá neart eile fós le rá faoin ábhar sin.
I concur with fellow Senators who have spoken about the space mission and the brilliance of being able to land a probe on a comet that is hurtling through the stratosphere, or whichever sphere it is. As I am not a scientist, I would not be 100% sure of the sphere. I was told about a comment made on the radio by a lady who lives in the Aran Islands to the effect that it was absolutely fantastic that they could land a machine the size of a dishwasher on a comet, but they still cannot deliver proper broadband to the Aran Islands. I hope we can get some of the brilliant scientists involved in that project to come and help us out with the technological challenges we face in rural Ireland.
I thank Members of the House and others who have congratulated me on being appointed party spokesperson on the diaspora, a challenge I look forward to. In the past couple of years I have been lucky to travel to North America, Canada and a number of European cities, where I have spoken with Irish citizens. Some of those people are doing well and others not so well. I welcome the report published today by the Oireachtas committee regarding voting rights for the diaspora. The report recommends that the Government should accept the principle that voting rights should be extended to Irish citizens abroad, that it should proceed to design a workable system to accommodate that and that an electoral commission be established to implement these recommendations. We have had a number of general discussions on this issue, but we should have a debate on the report and its recommendations. I call on the Deputy Leader to take this into consideration.
I agree with much of what was said by Senator Gerard P. Craughwell about mortgages. We all understand the situation he outlined. Those of us who are a little advanced in years recall the torture we had to go through to secure a loan for a home years ago. We need to ensure we have a balance in the mortgage arena, but we do not want to disincentivise young people from owning their homes. I support the call for a full debate in the House and I believe it would be appropriate. We never want to see a repeat of a situation in which banks were offering people unlimited cash to buy jeeps, second homes, home fit-outs or landscaping - loans they would never be in a position to repay.
I join in the good wishes to our new ambassador to the Holy See, Emma Madigan. As one who campaigned strongly for our embassy to the Holy See to be reopened, I was pleased to hear that she presented her credentials to the Holy Father in Rome this week. I look forward to the reopening of the embassy in the near future.
I draw the attention of Members to a document presented to us yesterday, entitled Winter Ready, which was published by the Office of Emergency Planning and the Department of Defence in conjunction with various State agencies and local authorities. The document provides sound, solid advice to citizens on how to prepare for severe weather conditions in the home, on the roads, on farms and in schools. I know we will probably not get the opportunity to discuss this document in the House, but as Members we should e-mail it as widely as possible because many people do not prepare properly for severe weather conditions. Many lives could be saved and much hardship reduced by proper planning. I commend the document to everybody as an essential read, particularly for the elderly. It is incumbent on all of us to publicise its contents and help people prepare for the coming months.
I am privileged to have been appointed by Deputy Micheál Martin to the Taoiseach's 2016 commemoration committee. Because of illness, I was unable to attend many of the committee's meetings last year. However, I am now reinvigorated. We had a meeting last week, and last night our programme was officially launched at the site of the Easter Rising of 1916. This was an emotional event at which the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys, stressed that inclusivity would be a central principle of the commemoration programme and that she was keen to look forward and evaluate how far we had come as a nation. A former Senator, Dr. Maurice Manning, said in a recent report in the Irish Independent that it was disappointing that the 50-year celebration in 1966 was not inclusive of all the different strands of opinion on the island. He said the commemoration had been a celebration of the mainstream nationalist tradition, with no place for those who did not belong. This time there has been a huge change, and inclusivity has become a major aspect. My experience from meetings all over the country is that, as on so many issues, the people are ahead of the politicians. People whose relatives fought and died in the Great War can now hold their heads high and no longer be embarrassed that those relatives fought on the side of the British. Inclusivity is the core of this issue.
I take the opportunity to spell out what is said in the Proclamation. It states:
The Republic guarantees religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens, and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of all its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally...
The vision is of working together to remember, reconcile and imagine our future in the next 100 years and celebrating it all in 2016.
I do not know if we have had a debate in recent times on post offices around the country. Post offices are facing serious threats. It is reported that An Post sent a letter to postmasters - I do not think it was published - indicating that the distribution of dole payments through post offices was likely to be discontinued. This would mean a cut in income of between €4,000 and €30,000, depending on the post office involved. On the basis of that danger, I understand that as many as 500 post offices could close. I do not suggest there is an easy answer to this because it just does not make sense. People are not sending as many letters by post as they did in the past and the figures in this regard are unlikely to improve. An Post is also planning to develop 20 depots for parcel deliveries. These changes pose a threat to the traditional post office. If we want to maintain a network of post offices around the country, just as we want to maintain Garda stations and other services, we will probably have to find other work for post offices to do and they will have to find other work for themselves. There are examples in other countries of the work they can do and I believe we can do something to encourage new ideas by having a debate in the House at some point in the near future. It is strange for An Post to state people are not going to send letters or parcels as they did in the past without suggesting other functions for post offices in order to maintain them. It would be worthwhile to have a debate on the subject.
The debate last night on Seanad reform was very useful. We did not get nearly as much done as we thought we might, but at least we covered a range of areas that had not previously been covered. The Taoiseach has announced that he will set up a working group to investigate reform of the Seanad. I hope it is established very soon. I am disappointed to hear that nobody from this House will be on the working group, but we should at least ensure we debate the issue and that we reform the Seanad.
I echo Senator Feargal Quinn's hopes that the working group on Seanad reform will be productive. My own sense is that it should comprise people who are committed Seanad reformers and have spoken, acted, written and theorised on the issue. It should not include anybody who advocated for abolition of the Seanad. It would be strangely counterproductive to have an anti-reformist fifth column within the group. I feel very strongly about this.
It seems this House is all encompassing.
Senator John Crown to continue, without interruption.
I apologise
The issue I wish to raise-----
Senator Paul Coghlan is impeding Senator John Crown's flow of speech.
Several articles in the newspapers today refer to the issue of clinical genetics, an issue I have previously highlighted in the House. I ask the Deputy Leader to request the Minister for Health or one of the Ministers of State at the Department of Health to give his or her special attention to the urgent need to develop clinical genetics in this country and brief the House on how these plans are evolving. Historically, genetics was an academic curiosity with limited clinical relevance which mainly dealt with conditions that, sadly, affected foetuses and young children, but it is increasingly being recognised that a number of adult conditions have critical genetic components. These are no longer solely theoretical concerns because meaningful interventions can now be offered to patients with genetic diseases and, often, the screening of asymptomatic healthy family members can prevent them from developing diseases or help to diagnose these diseases at an early stage. For obvious reasons, I have a particular interest in how this issue intersects with the cancer world and come to the conclusion that there is an urgent need to set up an adult genetic service and, probably, a specialist adult cancer genetic service. I will not speak about the details of whether we need separate services for cardiology, genealogy, etc., but I can attest that the very dedicated, under-resourced and over-burdened unit in Our Lady's hospital in Crumlin under Professor Andrew Green has done a heroic job during the years. Despite not having the funding appropriate to a national centre, Professor Green has effectively been running a national centre. All of us have been sending patients to him with queries about whether their cancers have a genetic basis. I should not need to tell the House about the importance of this work. If a young person has a cancer genetic syndrome, he or she may have two sisters, three first cousins and four nieces who need to be tested because they may also have a cancer susceptibility gene. In case anyone listening is in danger of misunderstanding, I stress that most cancers are sporadic, rather than genetic. However, specific patterns of family history can ring alarm bells and require further investigation. I do not believe sufficient resources are available for this to be done in a timely fashion. The waiting lists to access the service or have a blood test are too long and this runs the risk of causing problems for other family members. I urge the Government to consider the matter seriously. It is good science and medicine and humane. As it would save us money in the long run, it would also be cost effective and good business.
In the light of the fact that the talks aimed at resolving the dispute over the planned new junior cycle collapsed after the Teachers Union of Ireland rejected a compromise offer from the Minister for Education and Skills, it is appropriate to reconsider the issue of junior certificate reform. We have already seen a major change in policy on the part of the Minister. Her predecessor wanted to abolish the junior certificate programme in its entirety, but she suggested the State examination at the end of the third year contribute 60% of the junior cycle marks, with the remaining 40% being awarded for project or portfolio work during second and third years. The 40% element of the course is based on a form of continuous assessment. Most teachers remain opposed to evaluating continuous assessment of project work done by their own students, as envisaged by the Minister. We should bear in mind that teachers already assess their students all the time in preparation for the more objective State examinations. However, teachers with whom I have spoke expressed concern that the plans to have them correct project work were based on cost cutting considerations. I share these concerns and think we cannot risk the integrity of the State examination system out of considerations of cost. The reasonable middle ground which ought to be considered is that project or portfolio work comprising 40% of the junior certificate marks be graded by external examiners rather than classroom teachers in the interests of anonymity and fairness. As far as possible, this should involve an element of oral examination. Although the State examination system has many flaws, its outstanding advantage is the absolute anonymity afforded to students who can rest assured their work will be graded on its merit alone. I agree with Senator Gerard P. Craughwell on the importance of vocational education. That is not in dispute in anything I am proposing. The simple fact is that continuous assessment and anonymity are not mutually exclusive. We can recognise the value of limited continuous assessment in the junior cycle while retaining the anonymity that benefits students. We owe this to teaches because otherwise they will be put under enormous pressure by parents and students. We owe it to students that they can be confident that their work will be marked objectively and on its merits.
I ask the Deputy Leader to arrange for the Minister for Finance to attend the House at an early opportunity for a debate on NAMA. This matter has been raised on a number of occasions, but recent reports give rise to a great deal of concern. The Minister has been anxious to put pressure on NAMA to complete the sale of its loan book by the end of 2017 or early 2018.
There is a view that this pressure is politically motivated rather than motivated by the best interests of taxpayers, who have invested so much in the recovery plan through NAMA. The question must arise as to how wise a policy it is.
In support of my argument for an urgent debate on this matter, I refer to recent reports regarding a property on Sir John Rogerson's Quay that was acquired by an Australian company for €7.5 million and sold on within months for €17.75 million. That represents a loss not only to the taxpayer but also for the country's GDP in that the revenues arising from the increases in property values are being expatriated to outside investors. These include private equity funds and so on, including those based in the United States, Australia and Europe. We must be far more sensible in managing these issues by seeking to exercise some type of prudential control over the process. NAMA has indicated that it expects to make some €500 million or so on the €31 billion or €32 billion that was paid for these assets. That is a paltry return. Given the rise in property prices, we should be doing all we can to secure the best possible returns are extracted for taxpayers, but that does not seem to be happening. A debate on this issue is timely and essential.
Senator Paschal Mooney referred to the talks on junior cycle reform between the teacher unions and the Minister for Education and Skills. It is a matter of regret to us all that the talks have not led to a resolution of the differences of opinion on this issue. I agree with Senator Gerard P. Craughwell that this is not the end of the matter, as there is an ongoing process of engagement. To be fair to the Minister, she has made significant moves to accommodate the unions' concerns. Senator Rónán Mullen fairly described what she had proposed as a "compromise offer". I do not agree with Senator Paschal Mooney that there has been posturing by the Minister or the unions on the issue. On the contrary, both sides are seeking to move towards a resolution. I hope we will see this happen.
As a parent and an educator, I believe passionately in the need for junior cycle reform. As such, I take issue very strongly with Senator Rónán Mullen's suggestion that this is all about cost. Anybody who knows anything about the proposed reforms - Senator Gerard P. Craughwell will know all about them - is aware that they are a long time in the making. In fact, the issue of junior cycle reform has been discussed for almost 30 years and reforms of the type now being implemented were first proposed in 1999 by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. There is a very obvious rationale for what is being contemplated. First, times have moved on and, fortunately, the majority of pupils no longer leave school after the junior certificate examinations. As a result, it is no longer the document people require to find employment. Instead, it simply marks a passage through the secondary school cycle on the way to the leaving certificate which is now, rightly, the much more significant and important document. Second, pedagogical methods have moved on and we now know that examination-based assessment is not the best way of measuring students' learning and knowledge. It is not the best method of ensuring we have a quality education system in place.
We do not know that.
In countries such as Scotland, Finland, Australia and New Zealand where we see high-performing school systems state examinations at the end of junior cycle have either been abolished or replaced with the type of sensible combination of examinations and course work the Minister is proposing. What is envisaged is different from what was originally proposed. Introduction of the previous framework would have seen the removal of State certification from the junior cycle and 100% of the marks assessed by the class teacher. The Minister has moved significantly on that point-----
The Deputy Leader is missing the point.
Members should allow the Deputy Leader to respond without interruption.
I am setting out the actual nature of the reforms being proposed. Under the system proposed by the Minister, 60% of the marks in the junior cycle will be allocated on the basis of an examination at the end of third year. In other words, the majority of the marks will still be given on the basis of an examination that will continue to be set and marked by the State Examinations Commission. That is a very significant change from the original proposal. The remaining 40% of the marks will be awarded for school-based work. This amounts to a very small change in practice, given that more than 50% of secondary schools already avail of the existing flexibility arrangement whereby 40% of the marks may be allocated on the basis of an oral assessment in the case of Irish and modern languages or for school-based work such as portfolios and projects in the case of a range of other subjects. In short, teachers in many schools are already engaging in this type of assessment and the Minister is simply proposing that it form part of a more formal, structured model. She has also confirmed that the State certificate will continue to issue to every student on completion of the junior cycle, with the State Examinations Commission being responsible for monitoring and spot-checking the assessment of class-based work.
The majority of parents and teachers favour these sensible reforms. There are differences of view, of course, and we all hope they will be resolved in the interests of pupils. Children born in 1999, when the reforms to which I referred were first proposed, sat their junior certificate examinations this year. We cannot afford to wait any longer. I want to see my children educated within a more modern and fairer system.
Is this a debate on education?
(Interruptions).
The Deputy Leader to continue, without interruption.
Senators raised a number of straightforward points, but the Deputy Leader has gone into excruciating detail in her reply.
To be fair, the issue was raised by several colleagues and is a source of genuine concern.
I am not suggesting it is not, but the Deputy Leader is taking a platform to speak about developments in education in the past 20 years.
This House has a strong record on education issues, with six Senators representing university constituencies.
When the Deputy Leader uses Scotland as an example, she should be aware that schools there pulled out of the system.
We are not opening a debate on the issue. Members will have other opportunities to discuss the changes proposed in the junior cycle.
The Deputy Leader has invited debate on the issue.
We have had a debate in the House on junior cycle reforms and it would be useful to have another in view of the level of interest expressed in the issue.
I only asked the Deputy Leader to urge the Minister to work with the teacher unions to resolve the issue.
The Senator should allow the Deputy Leader to continue.
I was seeking to respond to all of the points raised by colleagues, not all of which corresponded with what Senator Paschal Mooney had said.
All of the questions asked were specifically about assessment.
To respond specifically to the Senator's question, of course, I will appeal to the unions and the Minister to work together. My intention in responding was to avoid repeating myself and ensure I covered all of the points raised by Members.
Senator Paschal Mooney also referred to the recent judgment of the European Court of Justice in favour of the German Government. It does seem to be a decision that will have significant implications and I agree with the Senator that the Minister for Social Protection will need to review it. I am sure officials in her Department are doing exactly that. I am confident that it will have positive implications in the context of the sensationalist debate on welfare tourism taking place in Britain where a great deal of concern has been whipped up by a number of media outlets. Like the Senator, I am not sure how large a problem it actually is. Having said that, the decision made seems sensible and may help to calm fears, particularly in Britain.
The Senator also welcomed the appointment of Ms Emma Madigan as the new Irish ambassador to the Vatican. We all wish her well in her new post. There have been huge changes since we last had an ambassador resident in the Vatican, not least the election of a new Pope.
The Senator concluded his contribution by wishing the national football team well in the game against Scotland tomorrow night. He offered similar good wishes to the rugby team in advance of the match on Sunday. We all join him in congratulating Stephanie Roche of the national women's football team who has had one of her goals nominated as goal of the year by FIFA.
Senator Paul Coghlan joined Senator Paschal Mooney in welcoming the appointment of Ms Emma Madigan as Irish ambassador to the Vatican. He went on to raise what was the second main theme of the Order of Business today, namely, the Central Bank's proposals on regulations for mortgage lending. Huge concern has been expressed in the House in recent weeks about the proposal that mortgage applicants should require a 20% deposit. Last week we heard suggestions at a banking conference that there might be some movement on that issue. For now, they are just proposals. I will certainly ask the Leader to organise a debate on the issue in the light of Members' concerns that the rules would be too rigid. At the same time, several colleagues noted the need to avoid another housing bubble. There must be a balance between excessive rigidity and an absence of any regulation of the level of deposit required to secure a mortgage.
Senator Paul Coghlan also referred to the study that was widely reported on today which showed that the proximity of a school could lead to house price rises. This is not news to parents seeking to purchase a home, but it is useful to have the anecdotal evidence confirmed in the daft.ie report.
Senator Sean D. Barrett supported Senator Paul Coghlan's call for a debate on the Central Bank's proposed rules for mortgage lending. As I said, I will ask the Leader to facilitate such a debate. To reiterate, a final decision has not yet made by the Central Bank. I understand this will happen in the new year. As such, it would make sense to seek a debate before Christmas while the matter was still under discussion.
Senator Sean D. Barrett also raised an issue of which I was not aware, namely, that Kerry County Council was seeking to declare itself an island. We may hear from our colleagues from County Kerry on the issue.
We have different views.
Senator Michael Comiskey welcomed the launch of the 2016 commemoration programme at the GPO last night. By all accounts, it was an historic event. Other speakers referred to the speech of the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, while the Minister of State, Deputy Aodhán Ó Riordáin, also spoke about the nature of the commemorations. He stated they must be inclusive and recognise the need for the reconciliation of the different traditions on the island. In particular, he spoke about the centrality of culture and the need to ensure we had a good many cultural commemoration events.
Senator Michael Comiskey also welcomed the resolution at the beef talks last night. All colleagues will welcome the breakthrough. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, secured the agreement of all stakeholders to a comprehensive list of key actions to address the concerns expressed by beef farmers in recent months. He said he was satisfied that it represented the best possible outcome. Like many colleagues, I have met Mr. Eddie Downey of the IFA and I am well aware of the concerns of beef farmers and the serious differential in prices between Britain and Ireland. The resolution is welcome. We all hope the beef forum will provide a useful method for reconciling future issues that arise.
Senator Terry Leyden referred to the historic landing of a space mission on a comet for the first time. Some reports this morning suggested there might have been difficulties in the bedding down of the craft and we all hope these will be resolved. The Senator congratulated Laurence O'Rourke from County Westmeath, the Irish scientist involved in this great achievement. We join the Senator in commending his involvement.
Senator Martin Conway welcomed the launch of the commemoration programme and referred to the teaching of history at leaving certificate and secondary cycle level. I will certainly check it out. While I know that it has been raised in the House previously, I do not think the change is as significant as has been suggested.
Senator Marc MacSharry referred to the treatment of patients with diabetes in Sligo and lack of access, which may well be an issue that could be raised as a matter on the Adjournment, if he has not already done so.
The Senator also proposed an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, come to the House to speak about local authorities. I can ask for a debate on the issue with the Minister as a number of other colleagues have raised the issue of local authority funding as a concern. I have made an inquiry and I am told that the Minister is in Northern Ireland today and cannot attend the Seanad.
Senator Lorraine Higgins referred to the practice of Lone Star and the concerns of a constituent. The Senator has already taken up the matter with the CEO of the Bank of Scotland and the joint committee dealing with finance issues, which is an appropriate place in which to raise the matter. The CEOs of Ulster Bank and AIB are before the joint committee today and I can also seek a debate on financial regulation. As we are already asking the Minister for Finance to attend to discuss more general matters, we might include the issue raised by the Senator.
Senator Gerard P. Craughwell referred to junior cycle reforms and Central Bank regulations. I have responded on these matters.
Senator Colm Burke spoke about local authority funding. As I said, I will seek a debate with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, on the issue.
The Senator also referred to the Central Bank rules on mortgages. He raised the issue of house purchases from local authorities, which is a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, and could be included in a debate with him.
Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh welcomed the report of the Oireachtas committee on voting rights for the diaspora, as do I. It comes on foot of the recommendation by a significant majority of the Constitutional Convention to extend voting rights in presidential elections to Irish citizens resident outside the jurisdiction. I support that recommendation fully and was involved in the debate. I hope we will see it move along in the lifetime of the Government.
Senator Rónán Mullen raised the mortgage issue and called for a debate on the Central Bank's proposals. I support the idea of having a debate.
The Senator sent good wishes to the new Irish ambassador to the Vatican and commended the Office of Emergency Planning for the new document entitled, Winter Ready. Given the weather we are having today, the document is particularly pertinent. I agree with the Senator that it is an excellent document and very timely.
I am glad to hear that Senator Mary White is reinvigorated and that she was involved in the commemorations committee. I note her reference to the official launch of the programme at the GPO last night. The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, will attend the House within the hour for a full debate on commemoration planning which I am very glad we are having this week. It is not only the week in which the programme has been launched but also the week of Remembrance Day. I hope we will have a productive debate.
Senator Feargal Quinn raised the issue of threats to post offices. We had a debate at the joint committee on the future of the post office network and in the House and it is a source of concern for many colleagues. We can ask for a further debate on it. As the Senator says, the real threat is presented by people simply not sending as many letters or using the postal service as much as they did because of electronic mail. Christmas and the sending of Christmas cards offers a boost to post offices, but there is no doubt that there is an ongoing threat. I am happy to seek to have the matter debated again. The Senator is right to say other work must be sought and the diversification of functions pursued. I understand this is ongoing in the post office network.
The Senator also referred to the debate last night on Seanad reform. I could not be here as I was representing the justice committee at a conference on the abolition of prostitution and changes to prostitution law. The Senator has given me the opportunity to note that conference. While I am sorry I missed the debate, I was doing important work elsewhere. I was seeking to further the justice committee's recommendation of a change in the law to criminalise the purchase of sex in line with the position in Sweden, Norway, Iceland and, I hope, Canada and France.
I am glad to hear a working group on Seanad reform has been established and note Senator John Crown's point that it should not include anyone who favoured abolition. Anyone involved in it will have to be constructive. That is the point. The task is to come up with effective and meaningful Seanad reforms, whatever the different personal positions are in the group. I have not seen the full list of members, but it is important that they be constructive and seek to engage with the others in the group.
Senator John Crown raised the very important issue of the need for the development of an adult cancer genetic service. He referred to the particular issues arising from genetic causes of cancer. The Houses have already engaged in public consultation on lifestyle factors in the incidence of cancer, which are well known. I take the Senator's point on the need to develop a better service in genetic testing for cancer. In Trinity College Dublin we have an excellent genetics department led by Professor David McConnell, of which colleagues will be well aware. Certainly, it is of real concern if waiting lists are particularly long for genetic testing in the hospital system. I will certainly raise the matter with the Leader and, perhaps, ask him to write to the Minister for Health about it. I know that the Senator will pursue the matter also.
Senator Rónán Mullen also referred to the junior cycle programme, an issue on which I have responded fully. I have huge respect for teachers and note that they can mark students objectively. We must be careful not to sound as if we do not think they can do this.
One cannot represent the leaving certificate oral examination as an internal exam. It is external and objective, which is what we need.
I am sure the debate will roll on. It is only a proposal.
I have given a very full response on it.
Senator Jim Walsh called on the Minister for Finance to come to the House in order that we might have a very broad debate with him. The Senator has raised a different issue about NAMA and the moneys to be recouped by the taxpayer from its activities. The finance committee may well have addressed this issue already. If not, we can seek to have the Minister for Finance include the issue among the others Senators are seeking to have him discuss in the coming weeks. I will certainly ask the Leader to facilitate this.
Senator Marc MacSharry has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That a debate with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, on the approach to small local authorities and, in particular, his purported intention to abolish Sligo County Council be taken today." Is the amendment being pressed?
Amendment put:
The Seanad divided: Tá, 12; Níl, 26.
Tá
- Barrett, Sean D.
- Craughwell, Gerard P.
- Crown, John.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Mark.
- Leyden, Terry.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- Mooney, Paschal.
- Ó Clochartaigh, Trevor.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- Power, Averil.
- Walsh, Jim.
Níl
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Brennan, Terry.
- Burke, Colm.
- Coghlan, Eamonn.
- Coghlan, Paul.
- Comiskey, Michael.
- Conway, Martin.
- Cummins, Maurice.
- Hayden, Aideen.
- Healy Eames, Fidelma.
- Heffernan, James.
- Henry, Imelda.
- Higgins, Lorraine.
- Keane, Cáit.
- Kelly, John.
- Moloney, Marie.
- Mullen, Rónán.
- Mullins, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- O'Brien, Mary Ann.
- O'Donnell, Marie-Louise.
- O'Neill, Pat.
- Quinn, Feargal.
- Sheahan, Tom.
- van Turnhout, Jillian.
- Whelan, John.
Tellers: Tá, Senators Marc MacSharry and Paschal Mooney; Níl, Senators Paul Coghlan and Aideen Hayden.
Amendment declared lost.
Order of Business agreed to.
Sitting suspended at 11.50 a.m. and resumed at 12.30 p.m.