The Order of Business is No. 1, Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] - Report and Final Stages, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 2, statements on the national car testing system, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 1 and conclude not later than 6 p.m., with the contributions of Senators not to exceed six minutes; and No. 3, statements on the report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs entitled, Political Contribution on Mid Term Review of the Europe 2020 Strategy, to be taken at 6 p.m. and conclude not later than 7.30 p.m., with the contributions of Senators not to exceed six minutes.
Order of Business
I call for an urgent debate on the issue of repossessions. As far back as 2008, when I was on the Government side of the House, I commenced the debate on the need to prepare for this issue. Senator Thomas Byrne and I put forward the Family Home Bill in July 2011 in an effort to afford some level of support and protection to the family home. On that occasion, the Bill was voted down by just three votes. In both the Dáil and the Seanad we have since put forward the Mortgage Resolution Bill 2013. The Insolvency Service of Ireland has had such a fantastic impact that it has done just 199 deals for people to deal with their debts since it was established in 2013. It is interesting to look at the number of repossession orders in Limerick last Friday, which was 208. We have facilitated a situation where the foxes are permitted to ravage the henhouse, with the full support and assistance of the Government of the day.
As Members might be aware, Deputy Michael McGrath and Fianna Fáil will put forward a Bill in the Dáil this evening to try to remove the bank veto in order that people will have some solace in the fact that an independent body might be the final arbiter on whether a house is repossessed. Senator Thomas Byrne and I will put forward a Bill later this month which tries, once again, to afford protection to people's family home. Many of us have family members who work in the banks, but as institutions they are acting in a despicable fashion. They care nothing for the sacrifices made on their behalf by the families throughout Ireland. I am dealing with a specific case, not to mention names, in the St. Brigid's area of Sligo town. I have tried to act as a mediator with the body for the family to try to maintain their home. They were given an undertaking verbally that they would be afforded the opportunity to avail of a split mortgage, but that was not the case.
Despite the fact that they have paid since, regimentally, the agreed sum of money, they have now been told that the intention is to sell their house or they can use the mortgage to rent option whereby they can live as a tenant in their own home but they will lose all rights of ownership of their house. I have again tried to correspond on their behalf. IBRC which was owned by the people has since been liquidated and that portion of that loan book has been sold to some other crowd called Mars Capital.
The reality is the Government has to take some cognisance of this issue which is gaining serious momentum. One day in February there were 271 orders for repossession in Donegal, which is 80 more than the Insolvency Service of Ireland has dealt with in a two-year period. On this very day, in the other House, the Taoiseach is saying we are making progress, it is going to be great, we would like to see more and, while we are disappointed we have not, we will. That is simply not good enough. The Government looks as if it is in reverse compared with the autopilot of the previous Government. Is the systemic nature of the people going to be prioritised by the ship of Government? I do not care who is there but I care about the people and the neglect of them that has been shown. The banks are in absolute control. Again, I say we have put the fox in charge of the henhouse, and not just in charge of it, but have facilitated him in ravaging it.
I again call for an early debate on the issue of health. I know our previous Private Members' Bill was on the issue and the Minister for Health kindly made himself available, but again it is autopilot in the extreme. Today we are talking about €25 million being made available to give millionaires' children free doctor care. There are 550 people on trolleys throughout the country today, which is not new as it was predicted in the three-page letter by Mr. Tony O'Connell back in September. The Government wants to give money to free doctor care for millionaires' children when we do not have the money to care adequately for elderly and infirm people in accident and emergency departments.
The Senator is way over time.
Surely the Leader sees the futile nature of these ridiculous vote-winning proposals.
Fianna Fáil presided over lengthy waiting lists, disastrous initiatives in the health service, including the establishment of the HSE-----
That was the previous Government. The Labour Party is in government now.
-----and the long and quietly shelved project it would prefer everyone to forgot about.
Was the Senator elected as an Independent?
That project was co-location about which Fianna Fáil has tried to forget.
It was done by a party which no longer exists. Perhaps that is something the Senator might be familiar with after the next general election.
Senator Ivana Bacik to continue, without interruption, please.
It is interesting to note the selective memories of Fianna Fáil people when they speak about health matters.
The Labour Party's way is to provide €25 million for the richest children.
I welcome the announcement made today by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform that a forum will be established by the summer that will look at tax, pay and spending priorities. It will involve stakeholders and representatives of unions, employers and so on. This is a welcome development. It is part of a process being embarked upon by the Government, following the spring statement that will be announced, to enable greater transparency and greater consultation in the pre-budget process. It is something we have often commented on in this House. Both sides of the House have commented on the need for greater transparency and greater inputs from different stakeholders at the pre-budget stage of the process. I welcome the initiative. I ask the Leader if we might have a debate in this House, once the forum has been established, on the work of the forum over the summer months, and June and July would be an appropriate time.
I welcome the announcement by the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, at the Labour Party conference at the weekend in Killarney. I refer to the Government's proposal to introduce two weeks paid paternity leave. It is welcome and is something for which many of us have campaigned for some time. It is not just my party that has campaigned for it but also Senators from across the House, in particular Senator Mary White, who has called for the provision. It will mark a welcome recognition of the rights of fathers in the workplace. The idea is that this leave will only be capable of being availed of by fathers on the birth of their child. It is welcome, as is the announcement in respect of the extension of the ECCE scheme.
I welcome the announcement by Dublin City Council that it has approved the redevelopment of the fruit and vegetable market at Smithfield. It will resource a major redevelopment of this market which is a really beautiful structure located in the north inner city. The regeneration of that market could see a real regeneration of the area. The initiative is welcome.
I welcome the announcement today by the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ring, of an additional €500,000 plus for 187 local festivals and events throughout Ireland as part of a tourism initiative. This follows the announcement of a much greater sum of money, over €2 million, for 27 large national festivals throughout Ireland this year. I note that the local festivals are important in different areas in bringing in tourism and visitors. Bloomsday, which Senator Norris has been involved in for so many years, the hard working class heroes event in Dublin city centre and the Dalkey book festival are some of the events that will be funded by this. We all know the benefit that these festivals bring in terms of cultural and artistic benefits, as well as the benefit in terms of tourism and extra revenue. That is welcome and I look forward to attending many of the festivals.
In view of the concern expressed on both sides of the House on the withdrawal of certain bus services from rural areas, I call for a debate on rural transport. There are many options. The school bus service ends soon after 9 a.m. each morning. A total of 114,000 children travel on the service every day, amounting to 42 million trips per year on 6,000 routes. There is an independent bus sector, which has most of the 8,500 large public service vehicles licensed to operate, but those in the sector do not have route licences. The post office goes to every house in the country. We had a post bus service in Clare that was shut down, but it is a large operator in Austria and Switzerland, carrying 100 million passengers per year there.
I am concerned that there are again rumours that university entry requirements should be relaxed in respect of languages and mathematics. The initials of the group concerned are TEGRUSE, although I could not find out what it actually means. Ireland a member of a multilingual European Union and mathematics is at the core of our wish to develop science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects.
I call on the Leader and the House to join me in wishing our great Olympian, Ronnie Delany, a happy 80th birthday on Friday. Some 65 years ago he wrote to the provost asking whether he could train in college park. From behind those railings came a man who has been a splendid ambassador for Irish sport and for the country. I am sure, particularly with Senator Eamonn Coghlan in the House, we will all agree to wish him well and thank him for the honour he has brought to this country at all times.
I, too, welcome today's announcement of €564,000 for 187 local festivals throughout the country. A significant portion of the investment is going to products along the Wild Atlantic Way and festivals along the west coast, including the Clifden arts festival, the Galway food festival, the Connemara festival, as well as other festivals such as cruinniú na mbád. This is critical for the successful development of the tourism industry. Festivals are the backbone of the economy and this will greatly help to encourage greater numbers of tourists coming from abroad. Last year we saw the success of the Wild Atlantic Way and an increase of 10% in tourism numbers. This 2,500 km trail is proving to be beneficial for the rural communities of Ireland and I welcome today's announcement.
I call for a debate with the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, on the job cuts announced by Cadbury last week. A total of 145 of the 220 job losses will be in Coolock alone, an area which already has a high rate of unemployment. The job cuts came as a major shock last week to employees in Coolock and to those in County Kerry and Tallaght also. However, it is evident that the Minister knew about these cuts in advance. Employees deserve to know what the Minister knew, when he knew it and what efforts he took not only through the State agencies but also directly to try to prevent them. The last time jobs were under threat in Cadbury in 2010, the then Minister, Mr. Batt O'Keeffe, met not only the head of Cadbury in Ireland but the head of Cadbury in Europe directly. He managed to persuade the company to protect jobs in Ireland. Employees in Coolock, County Kerry and Tallaght deserve to know whether the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, took the same steps.
I have just come from a meeting with the Minister where I asked him this question directly, but he did not answer directly. He said he had had contact with the company at a high level but would not say with whom. I asked if he had reached out to the European management and he refused to answer. We can only assume, unless the contrary is made clear, that he did not. That is a shame. When there are jobs to announce or there is a ribbon to be cut, Ministers fall over themselves to do it, but when jobs are at risk and they need to roll up their sleeves and protect them, they are missing in action. More needs to be done to protect existing jobs. It is good that there have been positive job announcements from other companies in the past few weeks but we need to protect the jobs we have. I was very disappointed to hear at that meeting that the Government had not put in place any research and development investment with Cadbury in the past few years. I appreciate that we cannot subsidise jobs directly to improve competitiveness on wage costs but we can engage with companies on research and development, and IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland have the scope to do so.
I also call for a debate on the announcement by the Health Service Executive, HSE, this morning about the Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance service. I was shocked to hear the announcement because the Minister gave a commitment three weeks ago that no decision would be made without consultation with Dublin Fire Brigade. The HSE announced today, however, that the fire brigade service was to be discontinued. It announced that unilaterally, without any contact with the fire brigade. I am extremely worried about this move. I have met representatives of the fire brigade service in the past year. This seems to be more of a cost-cutting exercise than an attempt to improve the service. There is a problem with response times in Dublin that needs to be tackled. We need to make sure we get the best service we can. It is very worrying to see something this big, especially in an area where patient safety is so important, being announced unilaterally rather than after consultation. It is essential that the Minister for Health come to the House to address the issue.
I endorse the sentiments of Senator Sean D. Barrett who referred to the 80th birthday of the great Ronnie Delany this Friday. When I was a child, Ronnie inspired me to pursue his records and go to the Olympic Games and try to win gold as he did in 1956. Unfortunately, I finished fourth. I read the Bible the night before and the Lord said, “Come forth,” and I came fourth instead of first.
Yesterday, St. Patrick’s Day came early. I congratulate the great Pádraig Harrington on his fantastic win in the Honda Classic. It showed his resilience, determination and character that he fought back when things were not going so well for him. On Saturday, the Irish rugby team had a great win over England in the Six Nations tournament. Our cricketers continue to represent us at the Cricket World Cup in Australia. These sportsmen are wonderful ambassadors for Ireland. The sports they represent show wonderful cross-Border co-operation. Today, the Northern Ireland Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Mr. Jim Wells, formally indicated in Stormont that Our Lady’s Children's Hospital Crumlin will become the national centre in Ireland for paediatric cardiac surgery, another example of the co-operation between health services, North and South. Over 140 children in Northern Ireland and over 400 in the South require open heart surgery annually. It is wonderful to see this co-operation between the two. The Royal Victoria Hospital will continue to give pre and post-surgery care to those children. I congratulate the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, on co-ordinating the services, North and South, to help children with serious heart conditions.
I welcome the remarks of Senator Ivana Bacik about the festivals and, in particular, her gracious remarks about my own participation. I remember when Bloomsday was not very popular. I am very glad to say we have saved 35 North Great George Street. It is in splendid, sparkling condition. I am no longer chairman, but I am a member of the board and I attended a board meeting there this morning and all the news was very positive.
I can remember well when Ronnie Delany won that Olympic medal. I remember listening to the race relayed by the BBC from Australia on an old crackling wireless set and being so thrilled.
It turned out that he was just giving thanks to God for his victory. He was a neighbour who lived not too far away. All of us in Dublin 4 joined up and started running. We all fancied ourselves as young Ronnie Delanys.
With regard to evictions, I agree very much with Senator Marc MacSharry. We should have further discussion on this issue. I have been pushing this since before the first evictions. I warned about it and looked for a Department to be established to give people security in their homes. I am interested in the O'Donnell situation on the Vico Road. I understand a judgment finding against the couple has been handed down by the High Court. What interested me is how on earth a solicitor and his wife were permitted to run up debts of €71 million. That is the astonishing thing. Why were the banks handing out not just shovelfuls, but lorry loads of money all over the place? They have some complicity in this. It is not just the greedy individuals themselves; it is also the financial institutions who displayed an awful lack of morality.
I join colleagues in extending our good wishes to the great and wonderful Ronnie Delany, a gentleman and wonderful ambassador through the decades for Irish sport. I compliment the Irish rugby team on its fantastic performance on Sunday. The great Pádraig Harrington showed a true return to form which, it is to be hoped, will see him win another major before the year is out.
I would like to mark the passing of the great Tony Reddin. Those with an interest in hurling would know of him. He was a great Galway man who was born in Mullagh outside Loughrea in County Galway. He won three all-Ireland medals with Tipperary in 1949, 1950 and 1951, and also featured in the team of the century. I would like to extend our sympathy to his family.
I am sure every Member of the House will join me in condemning in the strongest way possible the murder of the opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. It was a most appalling and horrific murder. He was a much respected politician who made a major contribution to political life in Russia over the years. We would all call for a full and transparent investigation into his murder and hope the perpetrators will be brought to justice in the very near future. All democrats throughout the world want to ensure there is freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. We share the growing international concern at the direction that Russia is taking. The situation in Ukraine, where 6,000 people have lost their lives and 1 million people have fled their homes, is of grave concern. The current very fragile ceasefire must be worked upon and there must be full implementation of the agreement signed in Minsk. I ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and other European leaders to consider calling in the Russian ambassador for discussions on this appalling situation and to impress upon him the concerns of the Irish people and our desire to see a full, frank and transparent investigation into this appalling murder. All of us who respect democracy, freedom of speech and freedom of association must condemn, in the strongest way possible, this appalling and unwarranted act.
I find it rather instructive that the Government side seems to be a little like the cat that got the cream, in terms of some of the announcements being made. Let us put one thing in perspective about the €500,000 for events and festivals across the country. As a former chairman of north west tourism, we did not quite get that amount, but we received a substantial amount up to some years ago. The funding has been cut drastically and €500,000 for 187 festivals works out at €2,500 per festival, according to our Whip who is a mathematical expert. I wish Senator David Norris well in his remarks on the Bloomsday festival.
I must say the €2,500 will go a long way. What a miserly sum of money for important festivals and events throughout the country.
Some comments were made in reference to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin. As my colleague in the Dáil, Deputy Barry Cowen, said, the Minister was crying crocodile tears about the lack of democracy at local level. He said it was time for reform and a return to democracy in towns and cities throughout the country. I remind the Leader, because he was personally involved in this, that this is the same Minister who consistently and persistently refused to enlarge and expand the conditions under which Members of this House could go about their democratic work by refusing to expand and improve the conditions under which the vouched parliamentary allowance of €12,500 was introduced some two years ago. People say we should not talk about money and allowances for fear of the media coming down upon us but I could not care less. As I have said before, all we are looking for as Senators is to be given the same rights as Deputies, or at least going half way to getting the same rights. The Minister has refused point blank to change the current regime because he says he is afraid of what the Irish Daily Mail and other newspapers might say. This is not about increasing the amount of money available but using the existing amount of money in order that Senators can go about their work. Many of them do quite a lot of constituency work and some of them will be looking to be elected to the other House. Even if that is not the case, they are entitled under the laws to be able to work to their maximum capacity and the resources for their work to be fairly distributed, which is not the case. I found it extraordinarily hypocritical of the Minister to talk about democracy when he has refused to tweak a line in a regulation that would allow Senators to maximise the amount of representations they can make on behalf of constituents in the areas in which they live.
I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 13 be taken before No. 1.
Tá mé as seasamh inniu ag ardú ceiste a d'ardaigh mé roimhe seo ach tá cora tagtha sa scéal ó thaobh chúrsaí cothromaíochta de sna hinstitiúidí tríú leibhéal. Ceapaim go bhfuil géarghá le díospóireacht faoi seo ag an leibhéal is airde. I have raised previously issues of equality in third level institutions, which we need to look at again. There are specific issues at NUI Galway, but this is not a stand-alone institution in this regard. Outrageous information came to light last week about a questionnaire sent to two employees in the university which asked some very invasive questions. The issue relates particularly to female candidates looking for positions at the university. A task force to look at equality issues is being announced by the NUIG governing body on Friday. There have been calls for any investigation into equality issues at NUIG to be carried out in an independent and transparent manner, but the task force which has been put together has an awful lot of insiders and management types in its ranks, while there is no recognition whatsoever of unions or employees. I note that even the student representative will be tagged on at a later date. This calls into question the ability of NUIG to investigate itself. They have decided that they will investigate themselves as An Garda Síochána and other institutions have done, and this is completely unacceptable. We should ask the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, to come in to discuss equality issues across third level. When I asked representatives of the Higher Education Authority if they were they concerned about the issues, they said this was an issue across third level. What is happening in NUIG is regrettable and the make-up of the task force is unacceptable in any shape or form. We need an independent review and the judgment of the governing body and the president have to be called into question in this situation.
I was truly shocked by figures released yesterday by Temple Street Children's Hospital showing more than 100 children under the age of 17 years were treated for alcohol poisoning since 2012. The statistics revealed that 22 children aged under 16 years presented with alcohol poisoning last year alone; five in the past three years were as young as 12 and one was 11. More than 70 of the overall figure of 114 children treated since 2012 were girls. The stark increase in alcohol consumption, especially among young girls and pre-teens, is very alarming. I previously highlighted the rising tide of liver disease in young Irish women and men in their mid-20s and have urged the inclusion of a minimum price alcohol policy in the upcoming public health Bill to which the Government has committed. The biggest difference between this country and countries such as France is that in Ireland, Scotland and England the incidence of mortality from cirrhosis of the liver is dramatically increasing while in other countries it is reducing. As shocking as the statistics from Temple Street Children's Hospital are, they are representative of only one facility. As such, I call on the Minister to release the total figure of Irish children admitted to hospital with alcohol poisoning. The full extent of this new phenomenon must be revealed and tackled head on as a matter of urgency.
I support Senator Averil Power with respect to the Dublin ambulance service. Having had the pleasure or displeasure to travel in the back of ambulances run by both the health service and by the fire service, I have always been well looked after and I would be slow to change the existing system. I live where I live purely because it is close to St. Vincent's University Hospital should I need to go there in a hurry.
I refer to Circular 18 of 2015 which was issued today. To my mind, it attempts to influence democracy with respect to the boards of education and training boards, ETBs. Section 3.17 of the circular states the selection of the chairperson is a matter for the board in accordance with the governing legislation. However, it is considered best practice that to maintain a clear division of responsibility between the running of the board and the day-to-day management and operation of the ETB, the chairperson should not be a member of staff of an ETB and-or a person connected to a member of staff of the ETB. Down through the years, in vocational education committees, VECs, throughout the country, staff members have contributed a huge amount to their boards. It is absolutely outrageous that somebody in the Department of Education and Skills would draft such a letter, attempting to influence a board and prevent it from appointing a member of staff of the ETB, namely, a teacher or administrative worker, to the position of chairperson. There are two chairpersons of whom I am aware who are members of staff of an ETB and at least two more who are deputy chairpersons of an ETB. We need an urgent debate in this House to discuss who drafts such letters. I ask the Leader to take the issue on board.
Déanaim comhghairdeas le hAogán Ó Fearghail a toghadh mar uachtarán an chumainn luthchleas gael an Domhnach seo caite. Is an chéad uachtarán as Contae an Cabháin é. Is onóir iontach é d'fhear a d'oibrigh go dian dá cheantar agus don chumann luthchleas gael. Is onóir iontach ar fad é dá chlann uilig. Ba chúis bhróid é don tír an méid a rinne ár lúthchleasaithe an deireadh seachtaine seo caite. Bhuaidh an fhoireann rugbaí cluiche iontach san Aviva. Is imreoirí iad ó cheithre cúigí na hÉireann. D'éirigh go maith leis an bhfoireann cruicéid san Astráil agus bhuaidh an dornálaí Carl Frampton craobh an domhain an Satharn seo caite i mBéal Feirste. Déanaim comhghairdeas le John Giles ar a bronnadh saoirse chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath. Peileadóir iontach le fada ab ea é freisin. Is maith an fear é. Is ambasadóirí spóirt iad go léir. Déanaim mo comhghairdeas leo go léir.
I empathise with what Senator Averil Power said about the loss of jobs in Cadbury, but I also recognise that the global giant Mondelez, the raison d'etre of which is profitability and the bottom line, is investing €11.7 million in automation.
The jobs are going into robotics and automation. There have been many interesting articles and some research done by Deloitte in Oxford in the past year on the future in terms of the next ten or 20 years. Could we have a debate on the people's adaptation to change and how we should strategise and plan for the future? We may think the Industrial Revolution was a big change in the evolvement of mankind. For me, the Internet was a huge development. None of us could have imagined we would be able to download movies and connect with our friends in Australia through the speed of the Internet, but they say the Internet is nothing compared with what we will see in the next ten to 20 years and what artificial intelligence and robotics will bring about, mainly in the lower paid sector where 35% of the jobs as we know them will disappear forever. Clerical duties, administration, construction, mining, farming and any sort of manufacturing we can think of will disappear. It is about upskilling and re-educating people. Not everyone can work in science and computing. It is about thinking about our future. We should observe also the policy of global giant, Walmart, of raising wages. Perhaps the people there know something the rest of us do not know. They might be able to cast some of their workers aside in the future thanks to robotics.
I have noticed substantial speculation in recent days which is a result of the welcome attention that has been placed on a very unwelcome problem, namely, the question of overcrowding in emergency rooms and the ultimate cause of the bottlenecks that prevent people in need transitioning through emergency rooms into more appropriate inpatient beds, if they are not suitable for discharge to community care. Much attention has been focused on one particular part of the problem, namely, a group of patients who have been designated now as delayed discharged. They are patients who no longer are felt to require acute hospital care of the kind for which acute hospitals are set up and who are instead supposed to be discharged to intermediate or longer care facilities and, in many cases, nursing homes under one or other of the State-sponsored schemes such as the fair deal scheme.
It is being suggested seriously - most of my fellow professionals were incredulous to hear this - that much of the delay is purely bureaucratic and that if there was a more rapid processing of applications and a more rapid accessing of moneys designated for long-term care such beds that are blocked - I use that word not in any sense disparagingly towards the people who have every right to be in them failing a more appropriate place for them to go to - would be freed up for the use of acute care patients. Various discrete sums of money are being suggested as providing a fix for this problem, which is in many ways the poster child for all that is wrong in the health services and in many ways the shop front for that enterprise, which, unfortunately, is the mediocrity of care. Those who suggest this are wrong. The problem is much more profound. It is found in every bed, X-ray department, operating theatre and outpatients clinic. It is the lack of linkage of activity to resourcing and the problem of zero-based prospective global annual budgets. Trust me when I say it will not work. The only way to fix the bed crisis, which is not a primary problem but a symptom of a bigger problem, that is, the incentivised inefficiency in use of hospital beds, is to fix the way we fund and manage the health service. That brings me back to the pre-election promise of Fine Gael before the 2011 general election, a promise which won me over to its cause and to advocate for its election and one I still believe in, that the new health administration needed to be implemented if we were to fix this problem.
I join in the condolences expressed to the family of Mr. Nemtsov and the Russian people following his murder and note with concern that the Russian Government has prevented fellow European Union ambassadors from attending the funeral service in Russia for reasons which appear to be entirely spurious.
Coming up to the season of St. Patrick's Day which has so many resonances for the Irish-American community, I wonder whether it would be appropriate to consider inviting Ms Samantha Power, the Irish-born accomplished Pulitzer Prize-winner who has become a world expert on genocide and who is the United States ambassador to the United Nations, to address this House on one of her visits to Ireland and to share her thoughts with us on how we can prevent-----
That is a matter for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. I am sure the Senator's representative on the committee will take it there.
I am formally asking the Leader of the House to consider it today. I also support Senator Feargal Quinn's motion.
I join Senator Terry Brennan in congratulating my fellow Cavan man, Aogán Ó Fearghail, on his installation as president of the GAA. It is a proud occasion for Aogán and his family, for his local club in Drumgoon, for the people of County Cavan and for the people of Ulster. He is the first Cavan person to hold this position in the 131-year history of the GAA. I am sure he will do an excellent job in the next three years.
I join Senator Gerard P. Craughwell in asking the Leader to invite the Minister for Education and Skills into the House, not only to discuss the circular to which he referred on what ultimately is a diktat from the Department as to who the chairperson of the ETBs should be. There has always been a democratic process that the membership of the VECs, now ETBs, selected their own chairperson. In the main, those chairpersons have done an excellent job in representing the educational board for which they were responsible, whether those concerned were members of staff or not. Generally, they are not members of staff. I agree with the Senator that members of staff or, if I heard him correctly, anyone associated with a member of staff, should not be prevented from being chairpersons of these boards. We are living in what is left of a democracy and that should be left up to the membership of the ETBs.
I ask the Leader, when he is inviting the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, to the House, that she also address the position on the proposed changes to the junior certificate programme. She has now taken a decision to go ahead with implementing these changes while ignoring the practitioners, namely, the teachers, who will have to implement them. This cannot work unless the teachers are on board. That is the reality. If the Minister thinks she can railroad it through without the co-operation of the teachers, she is totally out of touch with reality. It is important that she come into this House to outline exactly what she is proposing to do and what other proposals she has to address the concern of the practitioners who, after all, are the most important cog in the proposed implementation.
Senator Marc MacSharry raised the question of mortgage arrears and insolvency arrangements. No doubt the Government understands the real pressure many families are under in this regard and is doing everything possible as the recovery deepens in order that nobody is left behind. Each case is different and needs an individual solution to meet the needs of a particular family, but it is clear that there is a solution for everybody. Our primary focus as a Government is on the solutions that keep families in their homes. We are making headway, despite some of the facts Senator Marc MacSharry mentioned. The most recent figures show a significant improvement in the level of arrears, particularly on family homes.
The Central Bank's figures underline this progressive trend, with the number of families in arrears having fallen in the past five quarters. Figures from the Department of Finance for the six main banks show that the number in arrears for in excess of 90 days has fallen by 17,500 accounts compared with the number at the start of 2014. That represents significant progress. In August 2014, 2,500 split mortgages were put in place by the six main banks, whereas now there are 20,500. That is progress, but obviously there is a lot more to be done. During the same period the number of permanent restructures on family homes by the six main banks increased from around 41,000 to 91,000. However, we do not see the same progress being made in the most difficult cases in arrears for possibly more than two years. Senator Marc MacSharry mentioned one of these difficult cases. That is why the Government has examined the arrangements in place to ensure a viable route forward for anyone who wants to seek help. It has been working with the banks which have been meeting targets set for them by the Central Bank under the so-called mortgage arrears resolution targets, MART, process. However, we must consider whether the current approach will really help to move forward the most difficult cases. It is not right that people live under the extreme pressure of debts they cannot repay. Such pressure is damaging the mental health and family lives of individuals throughout the country, as Senator Marc MacSharry said. It is a source of serious concern for the Government. We have been responsible for the most radical overhaul of how debt is managed in the State. We have rewritten laws on bankruptcy to move away from the old Victorian approach which was draconian. We have also put in place a range of options for ordinary people who find they cannot pay their debts, including mortgages. The Government is doing its best and will continue to progress policies to help people in difficulties. I assure the Senator that the position is being monitored constantly by the Government.
As regards health services, the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, was in the House twice for wide-ranging debates on the health service plan, including last week. If Senator Marc MacSharry has a specific item in mind, it could be raised as a Commencement matter because we are unlikely to get the Minister into the House again in the very near future, unless it concerns legislation. He has already dealt with the vast majority of matters Members have raised.
Senator Ivana Bacik has referred to the issues of tax and pay and the proposed forum which will bring the social partners together. This time, however, it will be in an open forum, not behind closed doors. That is an important part which was emphasised by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin. Senator Ivana Bacik also welcomed the proposals for two weeks paid paternity leave, an issue which has been raised by many Members.
I note Senator Sean D. Barrett's comments on rural transport. Several other Senators joined him in wishing Ronnie Delany, our Olympic gold medalist, well in celebrating his 80th birthday. I am sure we would all like to be associated with those remarks.
Senator Hildegarde Naughton stressed the importance of local festivals and welcomed the new funding for them.
Senator Averil Power referred to job cuts at Cadbury's, which were most regrettable. However, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, has emphasised that the protection and retention of jobs is a priority for the Government. His record in that regard stands up to scrutiny and he intends to keep monitoring the position. He has always emphasised the importance of retaining jobs, in addition to investment in research and development, which is of key importance in this regard.
Senator Averil Power also spoke about Dublin Fire Brigade and ambulance services, on which issue HIQA produced a report. While it must be addressed, it has been emphasised that there will be no cuts in manpower or the numbers of ambulances that will be provided by Dublin City Council. There is a long way to go in dealing that issue and there needs to be long negotiations on development of the service. Patient safety is of paramount importance and HIQA's report must be dealt with, as it will through negotiation.
Senator Eamonn Coghlan congratulated many of our sporting heroes, particularly Padraig Harrington who won again after a number of years and our rugby team who enjoyed great success over the weekend against the old enemy. I congratulate Kevin Phelan, a young golfer from Waterford, who finished second in the Joburg Open. We enjoyed tremendous success over the weekend. Senator Eamonn Coghlan also welcomed the co-operation between the North and the South in health services, particularly for sick children. Such co-operation is to be welcomed.
Senator David Norris spoke about insolvency, the fact that banks had shovelled out money during the Celtic tiger era and that many individuals had suffered as a result, about which there is no question.
Senator Michael Mullins lamented the passing of Mr. Tony Reddin who was a great goalkeeper on the team of the century. The Senator also condemned the murder of the Russian opposition leader, Mr. Boris Nemtsov, which he saw as an attack on democracy. Senator John Crown also raised this point. Mr. Nemtsov had spoken out strongly against Russia's annexation of Crimea and its involvement in Ukraine. It is regrettable that a number of ambassadors were denied access to Russia to attend the service for the late Opposition leader.
Senator Paschal Mooney spoke about the allocation of €500,000 for 187 festivals. He is right that it works out at probably about €2,500 to €3,000 per festival, but the money is in addition to the €2.3 million for festivals already announced by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Therefore, one can do the calculations again.
In response to Senator Feargal Quinn, I will accept the proposed amendment to the Order of Business that No. 13 be taken before No. 1. The Bill is laudable and very topical and I hope the Government will see its way to accept it.
Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh spoke about equality in third level education, with particular reference to NUIG, and stressed the fact that the task force should include a union or staff representative. I am very surprised that a task force set up to examine equality issues does not contain a union or staff representative. I will certainly bring the matter to the attention of the Minister for Education and Skills.
Senator Catherine Noone outlined the fact that since 2012, 100 children under the age of 17 years had been treated at Temple Street Children's Hospital for alcohol poisoning. That is a shocking statistic. The Senator also called for the Minister for Health to release the statistics for all other hospitals. I will bring the matter to his attention. He is very concerned about the statistics announced recently.
Senators Gerard P. Craughwell and Diarmuid Wilson spoke about the circular issued by the Department of Education and Skills on ETBs.
As someone who served on a VEC, I must say staff members have contributed with distinction for many years on many VECs. Suggesting now that staff members or relatives cannot be made chairmen is regrettable. The boards have been very good at selecting chairmen and I hope that will continue to be the case. The Senator might table the matter for discussion in the Commencement debate to ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether this is coming from her or an official. I am certain she would be quite willing to explain.
Rinne Senator Terry Brennan comhghairdeas le hAogán Ó Fearghail, uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael. He also commended Mr. John Giles for attaining the freedom of the city of Dublin. He pointed to the success of other sportspersons, including Carl Frampton in the boxing arena over the weekend. We enjoyed tremendous success on the sports front in recent days and long may it continue.
Senator Mary Ann O'Brien asked for a debate on the subject of adaption to change and suggested all manufacturing would disappear within ten or 20 years.
Not all of it.
I hope that never comes to pass. I am sure the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation will come to the House to debate the matter. He has stressed the need for competitiveness and research and development, especially in manufacturing. I am sure he will come to the House to have a debate on the issue in the near future.
Senator John Crown spoke about overcrowding in accident and emergency departments and delayed discharges. He suggested the Government but especially Fine Gael go back to what had been suggested about funding before the last general election. I will certainly take the matter on board. The Senator also spoke about the Russian Government preventing some ambassadors from attending the funeral service for the opposition leader, a matter I have mentioned.
Senator Diarmuid Wilson also congratulated his fellow County Cavan man on becoming president of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael. He echoed what Senator Gerard P. Craughwell had said about ETBs and called for the Minister for Education and Skills to come to the House again to debate the junior certificate programme. I do not agree with the Senator that the Minister is ignoring the practitioners. She has come a long way in negotiations and obviously there will be further negotiations on the matter. She has come to the House to discuss it on a number of occasions.
Senator Feargal Quinn has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, "That No. 13 be taken before No. 1." The Leader has said he is prepared to accept the amendment. Is it agreed to? Agreed.
I wish to clarify a number of items. On No. 2, the Minister is to be called on to reply to the debate not later than 5.55 p.m. On No. 3, the Minister is to be called on to reply not later than 7.25 p.m. I did not indicate the times at which the Ministers would respond.
Order of Business, as amended, agreed to.