The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, referral to committee, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, statements on the report of the Commission on the Economic Development of Rural Ireland, to be taken at 2 p.m. and to conclude not later than 4 p.m., with the contributions from group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be called on to reply to the debate not later than 3.55 p.m.; No. 3, statements on access to finance for SMEs, to be taken at 4 p.m. and to conclude not later than 5 p.m., with the contributions from all Senators not to exceed eight minutes and the Minister to be called on to reply to the debate not later than 4.55 p.m.; and No. 4, Private Members' business, Adoption (Identity and Information) Bill 2014 - Second Stage, to be taken at 5 p.m., with the time allocated for the debate not to exceed two hours.
Order of Business
The Government will make announcements to try to resolve some of the issues surrounding the debacle of Irish Water and water charging. We await with interest to see what those announcements will be. Most of them have been in the media so I reckon we have a fair idea of what will be involved. I understand there will be a full debate in the Dáil and Government a motion on the issue of Irish Water will be put to the Dáil tomorrow evening. Therefore, I assume that a motion will be brought to the Seanad and there will be a debate in the Seanad on the revised proposals from Government. I ask the Leader to clarify the position.
It is important that we have a debate on water services. Last year we had a debate with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on the public expenditure side in terms of the investment on water infrastructure. He promised certain things then that have not come to fruition, in particular a review of the greater Dublin drainage scheme, which is €1.9 billion that the State plans to waste. We did put forward alternatives. Over the next few weeks or early in January we should have a debate on water services investment and infrastructure with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. I am not sure why the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform came here for the last debate.
Last week the Minister for Health came here for a debate on health in which many Senators, from across the House, participated. I got two and half minutes to contribute but was restricted in what issues I could raise. One area I raised, and which I have consistently raised in here, is the review on the multiple sclerosis drug called Fampyra which has been pending since 25 July. During the debate I asked the Minister directly whether he would simply call the review section in the HSE to inquire where the review is at. I remind colleagues that the drug only costs €270 per month and 1,500 MS sufferers benefit from it but they have been unable to access it since July. The drug improves mobility and many of the people who suffer from MS, in particular women, cannot go back to work.
The Minister said last week that it would be inappropriate for him to intervene. I did not ask him to pull a stroke or intervene. I simply asked him to do his job which entails asking the officials in the Department why are they sitting on the review of a multiple sclerosis drug since 25 July. It is now November but 1,500 people cannot access life changing drugs that they need. That is a disgrace and I am tired of raising the matter. At least I can stand on my own two feet and raise the issue on behalf of people who cannot stand because they cannot get a drug that costs €270 a month. I wish to table an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for Health comes in here, for just half an hour, to provide us with an update, bar the same answer I have received since July that it is up for review. I want him to provide us with an update and give us a timeframe for when the drug will be made available to 1,500 people with multiple sclerosis in this country.
I also welcome the fact that we will see an announcement this afternoon by the Government on revisions to the charging proposals for Irish Water. We do not know the full package but we have seen a good deal of information about them in recent days in the newspapers. The revisions are a sign of responsiveness by the Government to the concerns expressed by people through peaceful demonstrations. I welcome the suggestion that there may be moves taken, not just to reassure people on price affordability and certainty of pricing, but also on the need to reassure people that Irish Water will stay in public ownership. The latter is a hugely important issue about which there is a great deal of concern. Yesterday, the Leader said we would have a debate in this House on the package of measures this afternoon which is welcome. I know he is seeking to arrange the debate.
I ask the Leader to arrange a debate, in due course, on crime statistics and crime rates in Ireland. I will also raise this matter with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. It is a matter of great concern to see that the Garda Inspectorate's report raised issues about inconsistencies in recording of offences reported to the Garda. This situation is not unique to Ireland and we have seen it happen in a number of other jurisdictions. This week in Britain this subject has also been in the news as serious concerns have been expressed that one in five crimes reported to police are not recorded as such. There is a general concern about the matter but the Garda Inspectorate's report raised a number of specific issues. In yesterday's newspapers there was an announcement by the CSO that it may have to defer its publication of crime statistics because of these concerns, which is a worrying development. Over the years we have had a lot of problems, generally, with the way in which we record crime statistics with changes made making comparisons between years very difficult. This is a difficult matter for statisticians but it is also a difficult one for policymakers when trying to judge different rates of decrease or increase in particular crimes. I would like us to have a comprehensive debate on the matter once the Oireachtas justice committee has reviewed the issue.
Yesterday, in light of the decision in the case taken by Dr. Sheehy Skeffington against the National University of Galway, I asked the Leader for a debate on gender and promotions in third level education. In the New Year I would also like us to have a debate on third level education more generally. A number of us heard a very good briefing from the HEA last week about this matter and on different plans for the development of third level, in particular the changes within the IT sector to develop technological universities. I know the Leader has an interest in this topic and I would like him to arrange a debate on same in the New Year.
I second the amendment to the Order of Business tabled by Senator Darragh O'Brien.
Today is national water day and the Government is trying its best to rescue the situation. It has been a political disaster for the Government and the country. The household charges should have been amalgamated. A far more logical approach would have been to insist the property tax had an element of water service. I do not think the Government will get out of the trap that easily. We will see what happens during the course of the day and we will have a debate here.
I wish to give notice to the Leader that I intend to reactivate No. 30 on the Order Paper, the Registration of Wills Bill 2011 - Second Stage (Resumed). I am not sure whether he will provide Government time for the legislation. I brought in this Private Members' legislation which was approved by Fine Gael, the Labour Party, Fianna Fáil, and the Independents in the Seanad between 2007 and 2011. When I re-introduced the legislation, because it lapsed in the previous Seanad, there was not as much support. The legislation has not been put to a vote and I intend to re-activate it. I intend to lobby my colleagues, particularly new Senators like Senator Craughwell and others, on its contents which are logical and reasonable.
The premise has been accepted throughout the Council of Europe and some countries have a system to register wills. People here are being deprived of a human right to their inheritance. Due to the neglect of legal firms that have hidden or lost the wills book there is mayhem and people cannot locate wills. I cannot understand that a Government that came to office on the basis of transparency and trying to reform the law would not support my legislation. I appeal to Senator Bacik and the Leader to reconsider the matter. I shall make a presentation to my colleagues over the next few weeks and I hope to move the legislation in early 2015.
I wish to raise the just-released Law Reform Commission's consultation document on cyberbullying, which is an issue that I and others in this House have raised numerous times. The commission has released a comprehensive set of options as to how cyberbullying might be dealt with and it has asked interested parties to make submissions to it by 19 January through the www.lawreform.ie website. This is a critical issue that is being highlighted increasingly and all Members are aware of the effects of cyberbullying. It is important that people make submissions with regard to personal safety and one's privacy online, as well as on cyberbullying itself. It is a subject about which this House should be raising awareness. I also have called previously for a debate with regard to cyberbullying and perhaps at that point or before the consultation process, the Leader may facilitate a debate on this issue.
I look forward to hearing the latest chapter in the water debacle later today. I understand that yesterday in the House, there was some querying as to my involvement in protests in this regard. Consequently, given that I was absent yesterday, it is only appropriate that I point out to Members that I was present at some of the protests in recent weeks. However, I condemn absolutely all the violence in Jobstown, Sligo or anywhere else. It takes from the sincerity and validity of the campaign and I certainly would have no hand, act or part in it. I believe in and support peaceful protest and certainly will attend future peaceful protests on issues I consider to be a matter of concern to the public and on matters my constituents consider to be of issue to them. I certainly was in attendance at a protest in Sligo the other night and I very much regret the thugs who became involved in unnecessary behaviour in what up to that point had been a good-humoured protest and demonstration by diverse members of society, from all walks of life and none and certainly not involved in any aspect of politics. It was highly regrettable.
I hope, as the Leader and others have pointed out, that Members have a debate either later this evening or tomorrow on whatever it is that will be announced tomorrow. I am sad to state I do not believe it will be enough. I believe Members have set about establishing the monster that is Irish Water. It is like setting up McAlpine to build a single house. There is a huge umbrella organisation, with a huge amount of cost associated with it, for which the people are not prepared to pay. It was ill-thought out, was wrong and there is no appropriate way forward other than to abolish this entity, to invest in the infrastructure nationally and to leave it at that. The people are entitled to that, as well as to uniform quality nationwide. They are entitled to a good infrastructure and when there already is an infrastructure that has been providing water to the people of Ireland for many generations, why was it necessary to set up this gilt-edged superstructure with pensions, bonuses and so on? Workers were misled, by bringing them into a situation in which they thought they were in secure jobs but they were not. It was ill-thought out and trade unions on the one hand now are protesting while on the other, they are indicating they do not wish to have bonuses cut. It is an unmitigated disaster-----
Hear, hear.
-----and no level of bribery with the people's own money this afternoon will mitigate against that. Consequently, I appeal that either this afternoon's proposals are put to the country by way of a general election-----
Hear, hear.
-----or the Government should move swiftly to abolish Irish Water, admit that errors have been made and begin to invest in the infrastructure because that is what is required.
Hear, hear.
It has been reported that at present, more than 200,000 cars in Ireland do not have a valid national car test, NCT, disc. While nobody would suggest for a minute that anyone should be driving a car that is not fit for purpose on the roads, one problem that has arisen on foot of the recession is many people leave until the last minute any expenditure they must undergo. This is fully understandable, particularly coming up to Christmas but unfortunately not many people are aware that a change in the law is coming into effect from 8 December whereby a person who is stopped without a valid NCT disc will be subject to an automatic on-the-spot fine, as well as an automatic imposition of three penalty points. This is pretty severe, considering there will be significant numbers of checkpoints in the approach to Christmas and, consequently, many people will be caught at these checkpoints for not having a valid NCT disc. While the change in the law also provides that one can carry out one's NCT up to 90 days before it is due, that is, when the previous disc expires, many of the 47 testing centres nationwide have waiting lists for an NCT of more than three months. In other words, were people to wake up in the morning, they still would not have the amount of time needed to get an NCT done before this law is introduced. Consequently, I ask the Leader to ask the Minister with responsibility to step up the information campaign in the first instance because as I stated, many people do not realise this is coming down the road. In addition, I do not believe a start date of 8 December is legitimate or realistic given that the NCT centres nationwide are not in a position to carry out the tests people are legally obliged to undergo.
I notice the British have just announced they have found a new dye with which to overcome the problem of diesel laundering. This matter has been brought up a number of times in this House and Senator Brennan has spoken of the huge clashes that are ongoing in the north Louth-south Armagh area. However, if the British have come across a new dye they believe cannot be removed and which they intend to introduce next year, the authorities here should ensure we are ready for it and are capable of handling it as well. One wishes to avoid a situation in which the new dye is in use within the United Kingdom but not south of the Border. Consequently, I ask the Leader to draw this matter to the attention of the responsible Minister on that basis.
Another item that caught my attention was the suggestion by Deputy Dowds that the new flyover at Newlands Cross on the Naas Road should be called the Veronica Guerin flyover. That is a wonderful idea. The Cathaoirleach may not be aware that Veronica Guerin spent the last few weeks of her life in my company and I brought her into this House just a few days before she died. This would be an ideal opportunity by which to recognise her. She was somebody who fought against crime and gave her life for it. This road is located close to where she was murdered and to have her commemorated in that manner would be a strong message against the criminals. It would state this is something which we in the State recognise, that is, we recognise somebody who gave her life for this purpose and I would like to think consideration could be given to doing this.
May I offer a word of congratulations to those who organised the mass for the deceased this morning? It was well handled here in the House. I learned that in the House of Commons, there is mass every morning. I am not sure whether this is correct but that is what I was told. Members should not be in the least bit shy of recognising - this is the first time for four years - that they have had a mass for the deceased Members of this House. It was well organised and I congratulate everyone involved, particularly our colleague, Senator Naughton, for her wonderful voice and the music Members heard there today.
Hear, hear.
I congratulate her.
I concur with Senator Quinn in complimenting everyone who was involved in the tasteful ceremony this morning to remember all colleagues who have died in recent years.
I wish to flag a good news story, just announced this morning, which is that more than 1,000 young entrepreneurs from every county in Ireland participated in the first ever competition to find Ireland's best young entrepreneur. The 24 finalists in that competition, coming from 17 counties, were announced this morning and will participate in the national final in Dublin in the coming weeks. This is fantastic and it gives real confidence in the country for the future that so many people between the ages of 18 and 30 are involved actively in business and have the confidence to participate in such a prestigious competition that is being run by the local enterprise offices nationwide. I wish them well and congratulate them and in particular, am pleased that two of the finalists are from County Galway. Dara Lynch of Twizt Hydration in the best new idea category and Pat Divilly of Pat Divilly Fitness in the best established business category will compete in the final to be named as Ireland's best young entrepreneur. As two thirds of all new jobs come from start-ups in the first five years of operation, it is good that the Government is supporting strongly young entrepreneurs and start-up businesses and Members must ensure that businesses are fully aware of all the supports available to them.
I hope the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, will come back to the House in the not too distant future for further discussions on the progress of the Action Plan for Jobs 2014 and his aspirations for the 2015 plan. That would give us an opportunity to have an input into that and ensure that the growth in our economy and the level of new job creation is sustained in the coming years.
In recent weeks questions were asked of the Leader of this House, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste regarding Irish Water and the revised charges that will be announced today, which I welcome.
We are glad the Senator is on board.
It is amazing that despite all the questions being asked, which the Leader of this House, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste refused to answer and said we will have to wait until the announcement was made, all the details of what will be announced came into the public domain through the media. That seems to characterise this Government's approach to dealing with such matters and is one of the reasons it is in crisis on this issue. It is because of the way it has handled the establishment of Irish Water and water charges. Despite repeated calls from both Opposition and Government representatives in this House and in the Dáil the questions were not answered yet those in the media were able to get access to all of the detail, even before the Dáil or the Seanad debated the issue. That is regrettable but it is symptomatic of the way this Government has done its business.
It is important to differentiate between the vast majority of peaceful protestors who came out onto the streets in huge numbers in Dublin and in cities and towns across the State some weeks and a small number of people who have engaged in heavy-handed tactics, which are wrong. The right to water protests, which have been organised by a number of trade unions and political parties, have been robust in challenging the Government politically but have been responsible in ensuring they were family-friendly and safe and that they provided an opportunity and a space for people to make their point about water charges. We will have a protest on 10 December and despite the ruse and the political stunt we will see today in the announcement by the Government, people have made up their minds on Irish Water and water charges.
Last week I and a number of other Senators called for a debate on technological universities. It is important we have that debate quickly because as the Leader will be aware, the process in the south east is in very real trouble if not dead in the water. I listened to representatives from Waterford Institute of Technology yesterday saying they will engage with Michael Kelly, who has been appointed by the Government to engage with both institutes and stakeholders in the region, but not on the basis of a merger. If that is their position and they will not move, where does that leave the entire process?
I am flabbergasted that the six Oireachtas Members in Waterford have still not met on this issue despite a request from me to do so. It is one of the most important issues facing the south east and the people of Waterford. I ask the Leader, through his office, to organise such a meeting so that we can discuss what is a crisis and how it can be dealt with in an effective way.
I understand the issue I wanted to raise was raised earlier by Senator Hayden. It is regarding NCT tests but I want to add to what was said. I support the Senator's call for a debate on this matter, and the Minister needs to clarify it.
Before I came into the House I was looking at the NCT website which states that one can apply to have one's test done 90 days in advance but if one applied in Macroom today, one would not get a test until March. One cannot apply and have the test done in 90 days because the people waiting in the queue cannot get it done in time to avoid breaking the law. It is inexplicable that because the system does not allow for the test to be taken somebody who is trying to adhere to the law can now, at the discretion of a garda, receive three penalty points and a fine on the side of the road. Clarity is required on this matter and the Minister should come into the House and do that as soon as possible because after 8 December, law-abiding citizens potentially will be breaking the law through no fault of their own if they were stopped by gardaí.
Regarding Waterford Institute of Technology, I support Senator Cullinane's sentiments although not their full content. Something must be done on this issue. People are saying they are not prepared to be involved in a merger but a merger was being discussed at the time I was a member of the regional authority seven or eight years ago. The concept of a merger between Carlow Institute of Technology and Waterford Institute of Technology was always on the table but for some reason people appear to be withdrawing from that now. One can bring the horse to water but one cannot make it drink, but we need clarity on the matter so that we can move on in the interests of the south east and in terms of where we go from here on the issue. I would welcome it if the Minister came into the House for a discussion on the matter as soon as possible.
I support Senator Quinn's suggestion that the new flyover at Newlands Cross would be named in honour of Veronica Guerin because that part of the motorway will always be associated with her and the heinous crime that was committed at that location. It remains live in the memory of anybody who drives up and down that road regularly, as I do. The suggestion is a very good one and I hope it will be carried forward.
It is wonderful to look forward to next week and the prospect of driving from the Red Cow roundabout to Limerick city or Cork without encountering a set of traffic lights. It shows the progress we have made. People often ask what the previous Fianna Fáil-led Government did with the boom but I tell them to look at the road from Dublin to Limerick or Dublin to Cork because that is part of the answer to the question. We talk about waste of money but that was an important piece of infrastructure to put in place and it will stand to us for a long time to come.
As part of the programme for better local government the Minister envisaged the setting up of public participation networks, PPNs, which is a support group for local authorities involving local community members. However, in the drafting of that schedule somebody decided that a person who had been an elected representative at any level of Government, either local or national, should not be chosen to represent a PPN in any role for one year after completing their term of office. I do not understand the warped thinking in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government that would come up with such a clause, which effectively debars somebody of experience in local government representing a PPN. We have stood down hundreds of councillors who retired voluntarily or whatever, particularly town councillors, many of whom had 20 or 30 years experience, and it is crazy to go to the trouble of inserting a clause to the effect that they cannot serve in a voluntary capacity to work with the local authority for one year. In effect that means a full five-year term because these people currently are being selected by public process, therefore, if one does not get on in year one, one will have to wait for five years to get the next bus, so to speak. We are debarring the services of people who together have more experience of local government than the rest of us. I ask the Minister to revisit that clause. It has already caused trouble in one or two local authorities where such people have been deselected because of what I regard as their eminent qualifications. I ask the Leader to bring that matter to the attention of the Minister.
In the area of mortgages I have already spoken briefly about the 80% loan to value limit on mortgage lending the Central Bank is proposing. What has been less remarked upon is the proposal on the ratio the Central Bank wants to cap at 3.5 times the combined earning of the borrowers. Last week the chief executive officer of Ulster Bank, Jim Brown, told the Oireachtas finance committee that if the new proposed rules were enforced this year, 68% of first-time buyers would not have been granted mortgages. That is hugely concerning because without access to mortgage credit, young families will place increasing demands on the rental and social housing markets. A balance must be struck as a matter of priority between tight regulation and access to credit for first-time borrowers. The solution may lie in private international companies which could bridge the gap between needing to make finance safer and the increasingly pressing need to house the population.
In effect, private insurance could offer mortgage protection policies to first-time buyers that would cover 10% of the loan to value amount, allowing banks to lend up to 90% of the mortgage. The bank would then be protected against the first 20% of any loss on the mortgage. This achieves the Central Bank's aim of making the bank safer or limiting the risk to the bank while, at the same time, not putting house purchase beyond the reach of first-time buyers. Similar mortgage insurance methods have been used in the US for almost a century to enable borrowers to obtain finance for housing. Of course, we need to ensure we do not create any sort of bubble, as commentators have suggested, but we also need to ensure ownership remains an attainable ambition for young creditworthy families. There was a call last week for a debate on mortgages and I am sure the Leader is arranging one but this is something I will propose to the Minister for Finance if he comes to the House to discuss the matter in the near future.
It is funny that I wish to discuss exactly the same issue. I still hold my belief that we do not need to soften the mortgage market but I take on board the suggestion that we would be able to insure 10%. However, I ask the Leader to set aside time to debate the private rental market because unless we control the rental market, as the mortgage market becomes tighter, rents will only go up. We have heard calls for the Department of Social Protection to increase rent allowance, which I fully support, but I do not support the rental allowance being increased merely to give more profit to landlords. We are trying to strike a very difficult balance and we should take great care with that.
The issue of Fampyra was raised by Senator Darragh O'Brien, on which I submitted a matter for the Adjournment today. If we are to have a debate on it, we should invite the drug company to attend, along with sufferers of MS. Given that this drug is capable of providing huge relief to MS sufferers, but only works in a maximum of 50% of cases, I would like joint responsibility between the drug company and the HSE in the early stage while this drug is being prescribed. I ask that we hold this matter for an Adjournment debate at a later stage to give us time to get the drug company and MS sufferers in here. This is a three-way partnership.
I support the call for a debate on technological universities per se and not just in the south east.
I agree with most people who say the setting up of Irish Water was an absolute disaster but it seems to have been set up by somebody who was leaving the country in a hurry and it was basically thrown together. It is not fair that the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, should be blamed for the disaster that was left on his desk. Senator MacSharry said it was like setting up McAlpine to build one house but that is not the case. I do not know if he realises the scale of the problem we have in this country. We need to raise €8 billion to fix the piping network because 40% of our water is lost through leakage.
It is the Government which his party led that is really at fault here in that when we were awash with money, which it would admit, it spent nothing on fixing the water network. What was Senator MacSharry protesting about in Sligo?
A question for the Leader.
The Government which his party led signed up to water charges with the troika. I cannot fathom specifically what he was protesting about-----
Senator, are you looking for a debate on the issue?
-----considering that no decisions or announcements will be made until today.
Senator, are you looking for a debate?
What was Senator MacSharry protesting about? Some 31% of the people of Roscommon and, I am sure, of Sligo are already paying for water.
Senator, are you looking for a debate on this issue?
The majority of people will not mind paying for water if the quality is good enough to enable them to drink it from their taps.
Put it to the people. Call an election.
Mar a deirtear, tá a lán uisce faoi thalamh mar gheall ar an ábhar seo. Ba mhaith liom cúpla focal a rá i dtaobh Uisce Éireann. I welcome the fact that, according to reports, the Government has listened to the concerns of the people in this regard and we look forward to the announcement this afternoon. However, we will still be left with a structure that is inappropriate. We now see that many of the bad practices in Bord Gáis, which I and others spoke about here, were transferred to Uisce Éireann and that there will be a rear-guard action to try to preserve the bonuses, which is entirely wrong.
I hope that having taken on board what the people have said, the Government will in this instance look to other areas. For example, we all got letters about the property tax from the Revenue Commissioners recently stating that it is due on 1 January and must be paid by 21 March 2015. When we had rates, there were two moieties. People who want to pay in one lump sum rather than monthly, because they will pay interest or whatever on it, should be able to pay it in two moieties, one in March and one in September. All policies introduced should take into account the concerns of people and their ability to pay in these hard-pressed times.
In that regard, I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on hard-pressed working class people. I am talking about people on lower to middle incomes who are really finding it very difficult. More than 300,000 people have had to leave private health insurance, which really needs to be addressed. They are now being assaulted by the banks, which hard-pressed taxpayers' money was used to bail out, in order to extract excessive and exorbitant interest rates. The interest rates available to the banks have never been so low and yet margins are 3% to 3.5%, which is unacceptable. Something needs to be done in this regard.
I was appalled to hear the Tánaiste dismiss this and say it was a matter for the Central Bank when replying to Deputy Michael McGrath in the Dáil last week when he asked her what the Government was going to do. We were told the issue in regard to water charges was a matter for Uisce Éireann but when push came to shove, the Government intervened. I appeal to the Minister for Finance to come to the House and for us to put pressure on him to take action in this area. It is unacceptable. We must make accessing home ownership much more affordable and available to the majority of young people who have the same aspirations we had when we were younger when we could access home ownership. This is a big issue which needs to be discussed.
Some time last year I mentioned that gardaí have been advocating the use of electronic tagging for repeat criminals - criminals who may have committed 50 or 60 crimes. We hear on a daily basis of serious crimes being committed by criminals out on bail. I call for a debate on this issue. I know the Government has mulled over this issue and perhaps the previous one did so too. Electronic tagging is used in many countries and I call for a debate with the Minister for Justice and Equality as soon as possible to see at what stage we are and the advantages or disadvantages of it.
Another issue I raised more than 12 months ago was the question of diesel laundering. I welcome the fact the authorities have now discovered a dye which, I understand, is practically impossible to remove from diesel and petrol.
I believe it will be introduced next April or May. If it is discovered, why can it not be implemented and used much sooner?
Last week in the Seanad I raised on the Adjournment the need for the Government to promote a very promising autism teaching technique called the rapid prompting method. This is a method for gradually teaching a child with autism to point to letters on a letter board to spell out answers. It leads to a child expressing his or her own thoughts by spelling sentences on a letter board and he or she can eventually be taught to spell on a keyboard or iPad that would speak what he or she has written. Thousands of children in the United States have been treated by the method since its introduction 15 years ago. It is a real breakthrough method that assists parents and teachers of children with autism as well. The system gives a child a new way to communicate with others and it is particularly successful for people who have no speech or who have limited speech.
According to the figures from the Department of Education and Skills, approximately one child in every 88 is on the autistic spectrum. With such a high incidence of autism in Ireland, the Department ought to be interested in any promising new education techniques for children affected by autism. I was very disappointed with the response I got when I asked for the Government's response to whether the Department would fund or promote the rapid prompting method. Instead of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, coming to the House to respond to my query, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Heather Humphreys, delivered a prepared script from the Department of Education and Skills. It was not clear from the Department's prepared script-----
Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?
Yes, I am leading to a question. It was not clear from what the Department said whether it had even heard of the rapid prompting method. I informed the Department of the families whose lives had been transformed and the children who had gone from needing special treatment situations into more mainstream schooling as a result of the very promising method. There are very courageous families who are pushing ahead and they deserve support from the Government. Will the Leader raise the matter with the Government to see if we can get a proper answer on whether the Department has heard of the rapid prompting method and if it will instruct the relevant parties to look into whether it has the potential that has been claimed? Will the Department respond in some way and assist families who are doing their best to assist their children with autism to make progress at home and in school? I would appreciate if a more thorough consideration could be given to the rapid prompting method and I would be very grateful if the Leader would take up the matter with the Minister for Education and Skills on my behalf.
I seek a debate in the House with the Minister in charge of the equality brief. The Leader might be aware of the landmark judgment earlier this week by the Equality Tribunal which ruled in favour of a woman being promoted in a university in a case dating from 2009. Since the judgment I have been contacted by upwards of 15 women who also failed to be promoted. Apparently, the judgment says they now have a right to be promoted. This is an issue for all universities. It appears that 70% of promotional posts go to men and only 30% to women. It is an issue worth teasing out with the Minister. Apparently, we are the lowest in Europe when it comes to the promotion of women at university level. There is a glass ceiling and this has been a landmark victory for a very brave woman who is a descendant of one of the suffragettes. It has happened in my own backyard, and since the judgment, between 15 and 20 women have asked me to raise the matter. I would be grateful if the Leader would organise a debate on gender equality and promotion for women. We are always talking about getting women into senior management roles and we must do something about it. I look forward to the Leader's response.
I wish to add to what some of my colleagues said about water pricing. I acknowledge the steps that have been taken by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in acknowledging the massive and grave mistakes that were made by the previous Minister, which were highlighted by this side of the House during the debate in February this year, on the establishment of Irish Water and the pricing model to be used. Irrespective of what happens today and the tweaking around the edges in terms of establishing a fixed price over a period, the quango that is Irish Water still exists. The best approach would be for the Government to make a decision to disband the company in its current format and to move the responsibility back to the public ownership in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the local authorities where councillors would at least have responsibility for making decisions and for overseeing work and investment plans through the county council process.
What happened in England, for example, when a decision was taken to semi-privatise water provision through the creation of regional authorities, resulted in regional water monopolies which increased the price by more than 200% in a 20-year period. The average cost of water per household in England currently is approximately £456 sterling. That is the actual cost of the water, and it would be the equivalent cost of providing water in this country if it was averaged out on a household basis. The difficulty in England is that a semi-private, off-balance sheet monopoly was created on a regional basis but when investment was required, it was privatised or sold. Private investors bought the regional authorities. The British Government then tried to claw back the mistake it had made. It acknowledged that a mistake had been made but it was too late at that stage. I fear that in five, ten or 15 years' time, we will come to the inevitable conclusion, irrespective of who is in government, that a grave mistake was made but it will be too late at that stage. We can try to enshrine certain provisions in legislation but it will be too late unless we disband the existing structure. We see that it is a mistake. Millions of euro have been wasted on spin doctors and consultants to replicate what is already in place through the local authority structure and through the Department. I fear that soon it will be too late to do anything. While the changes being introduced today might solve the problem for some for the next two to three years, the longer-term picture will not be solved.
Senator Darragh O'Brien and several other speakers spoke about water charges and the investment in infrastructure for a water supply. I am arranging to have a debate on the matter on Tuesday next. I hope everyone will have an opportunity to attend. We must bear in mind that the Minister was present for a debate on the matter in recent weeks, but I assure Members that the new proposals will be debated in the House on Tuesday next.
Senator Darragh O'Brien also proposed an amendment to the Order of Business. He has raised the matter of the drug, fampridine, on a number of occasions. He also indicated that he had raised the matter with the Minister himself only last week. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, is abroad today and cannot come to the House for statements and I cannot therefore amend the Order of Business to suit the Senator's request. However, I will give some background to the matter. I remember reading about fampridine a number of months ago. The manufacturer of fampridine supplied the drug free of charge to some patients who were prescribed it by their clinician. The manufacturer recently decided to stop supplying the drug free of charge and, as a consequence, the patients affected are now faced with financing the drug themselves if they wish to continue with the drug treatment.
Fampridine was never available to multiple sclerosis patients under the community drug schemes. The HSE has received an application for the inclusion of fampridine in the general medical services scheme and community drugs schemes. The application was considered in line with the procedures agreed with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association. In accordance with these procedures, the National Centre for Pharmaeconomics, NCPE commenced a health technology assessment, HTA, of the project is May 2013 which was completed in August 2013. The HTA provides detailed information on the potential budget impact of the medicine. It also assesses whether the medicine is cost-effective at the price quoted by the manufacturer. In the report the NCPE concluded that fampridine is a high-cost drug which requires intensive neurological assessment both initially and throughout longer-term follow-up. An assessment of the cost-effectiveness of fampridine was not presented in the submission made by the manufacturer nor was any of the other evidence of cost-effectiveness of fampridine found. While it is as yet unknown what impact improvement in walking speed has on quality of life, studies are ongoing to assess the wider impact of fampridine on both walking and quality of life.
As the manufacturer was unable to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of fampridine in the Irish health care setting, the NCPE was unable to recommend the reimbursement of the drug under the community drug schemes. The NCPE report was an important input to assist decision-making and helps inform the next stage of the process, which involves further discussions with the manufacturer of the drug in accordance with the aforementioned procedures agreed with the pharmaceutical industry. The report is available on the NCPE's website.
The HSE's assessment process is intended to arrive at a decision on funding of the new medicines that is clinically appropriate, fair, consistent and sustainable. It is open to the supplier at any time to submit a new application to the HSE incorporating evidence which demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of fampridine. The HSE will then reconsider the application in line with the agreed procedures and timescales.
The issue is being considered at length. I agree it is taking a long time for a decision to be made. Even though Senator Darragh O'Brien raised the matter with the Minister last week, I will try to ensure the Senator is forwarded a written reply to update him on the position. I am unable to amend the Order of Business for the reasons I have outlined.
Senator Bacik raised the matter of having a debate on gender equality among staff in the workplace, especially in the universities. She raised that issue yesterday but I did not comment on it then. Senator Healy Eames also raised that matter this morning. I will bring the matter to the attention of the relevant Minister.
Senator Bacik also called for a debate on crime statistics and the Garda Inspectorate report. She also called for a debate on third level education in general. Senator Craughwell also called for such a debate. Senator Cullinane called for a similar debate with specific reference to the Waterford Institute of Technology. I will contact the Minister to try to facilitate such a debate for the Members.
Senator Leyden raised the matter of reactivating his Registration of Wills Bill. He raised this matter in the previous Seanad and the Government turned it down but he is quite clear that this matter can be resumed and I will see what I can do.
No, the Government did not turn it down yet.
I realise the situation and I will see what I can do as regards providing Government time for it. I think there are a few minutes of that time remaining and I will try to facilitate the Senator.
The Senator should vote for it.
Senator Naughton raised the important issue of cyberbullying and the law reform consultation process and said that Members could feed into that. She proposed we have a debate on the matter after the report is completed. It is a matter which needs constant attention and debate. I will arrange for the relevant Minister to come into the House to discuss that matter.
Senator MacSharry raised the issue of the water proposals. He is obviously shooting down the proposals before he hears them but I would prefer to wait to see what they are.
We have read them all in the newspapers as usual.
Senators Hayden and Landy raised the matter of the imposition of automatic fines for motorists who do not have a valid national car test, NCT, disc displayed, which will come into effect on 8 December, and the need to step up an information campaign on this measure. I heard Conor Faughnan of AA Ireland outline this measure in recent weeks. It is a matter of public concern. I will bring the matter to the attention of the Minister, taking into consideration Senator Landy's point that people are finding it difficult to get an appointment for an NCT test in some locations.
Senators Quinn and Brennan raised the matter of the introduction of the new dye to eliminate diesel laundering. I have asked about this and the Minister of State, Deputy Simon Harris, will come to the House to discuss that matter in the new few weeks. Senator Quinn is correct in that there have been ongoing talks between scientists in Ireland, North and South, and in the UK, and as a result of that, this development has occurred. Hopefully it will eradicate this problem which is causing major difficulties to motorists and local authorities who have to deal with the sludge in particular that is dumped by criminals involved in this activity.
Senator Quinn and Senator O'Sullivan raised the matter of Deputy Dowds's suggestion that the new flyover at Newlands Cross be called the Veronica Guerin flyover. It is an excellent suggestion especially at a time when veiled threats have been made to journalists and newspapers. It is apt that this would be done now.
Absolutely.
Senator Mullins spoke about Ireland's best young entrepreneurs competition. There are 24 finalists from 17 counties and I am sure we all wish them well. The Senator called for a further debate on the Action Plan for Jobs. I have asked the Minister, Deputy Bruton, to come into the House to address that matter.
Senator Cullinane outlined that many questions have been asked about water charges and so on, which have not been answered. Hopefully, all those will be answered today. We are still awaiting answers from Sinn Féin regarding the names of the paedophiles, rapists and people involved in sexual abuse who were sent into this jurisdiction. I hope we will have those answers as a matter of urgency also.
I note Senator Landy's points regarding the Waterford Institute of Technology, a matter which was also raised by Senator Cullinane.
Senator O'Sullivan raised the matter of the public participation networks and the barring of further former public representatives. I will raise that matter with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly.
Senator Noone made a point regarding the Central Bank's mortgage proposals, a matter which was raised by a number of Members yesterday and previously. Senator Craughwell has also called for a debate on those proposals. He also called for a debate on the private rental market, which Senator Hayden has raised on a number of occasions. I am arranging for the Minister to come into the House for a debate on that matter.
Senator Kelly referred to the scale of infrastructural problems in the water network and pointed out that Fianna Fáil signed up to a deal, dating back to 2012, which would have seen the introduction of a €400 flat charge.
Senator Walsh recognised the fact that the Government is listening to people.
I note his points on the Revenue Commissioners and his view that the payment method should be tailored to meet people's needs. I certainly agree with him in that regard. He also called for a debate on the ability to become a home owner.
Senator Brennan referred to the electronic tagging of criminals and called for a debate on this. Perhaps he might raise this on the Adjournment and obtain an answer. If not, we will try to have the Minister in the House to debate the matter.
Senator Rónán Mullen alluded to his Adjournment motion last week on a new teaching method for autistic children. If the Department was not aware of the method, I am sure it became aware of it after the Senator having raised it. The Minister will certainly bring the information back to the Department of Education and Skills. This is what occurs when a matter is raised on the Adjournment in the House.
Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill called for the disbanding of Irish Water. We all agree there is a great need to repair the antiquated infrastructure that currently exists. With regard to the privatisation of water supplies, there is no party in either House that wishes to privatise the water infrastructure. Perhaps we will have some news on that today.
Senator Darragh O'Brien has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That a 30-minute debate with the Minister for Health on the timeframe for making Fampyra available to multiple sclerosis sufferers through the community drugs payment scheme be taken today." Is the amendment being pressed?
In light of the fact that the Minister is abroad and unavailable to come to the House, we will not press the amendment to the Order of Business. However, we request that the Leader organise a debate on this topic early next week. It is a very important issue that affects quite a few people.