Order of Business

Senator Jerry Buttimer

The Order of Business is No. a1, motion re ninth report of the Committee of Selection, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 1, motion re Technological Universities Act 2018 (Section 36) (Appointed Day) Order 2018, back from committee, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of No. a1; No. 2, motion of referral of Competition Act 2002 (Section 27) Order 2018 to the Joint Committee on Business, Enterprise and Innovation, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of No. 1; No. 3, motion re a reasoned opinion on a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council in establishing a framework for interoperability between EU information systems, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of No. 2; and No. 4, statements on budget 2019, to be taken at 4.45 p.m., with the time allocated to group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes each and to all other Senators not to exceed five minutes each.

Notwithstanding that we had a moment's silence and a prayer at the beginning of proceedings, I propose that we stand in tribute to the late Emma Mhic Mhathúna who passed away at the weekend. On my own behalf and that of the House, I extend the deepest sympathy to her family on their very sad loss.

Members rose.

Senator Catherine Ardagh

I convey my personal sympathy and that of the Fianna Fáil group to the family of the late Emma Mhic Mhathúna. I commend her bravery and strength in recent months. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis.

We have all come from either the Lower House or we were watching the announcement of the budget on the monitor in our offices. One of the cornerstones of the confidence and supply agreement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil is that there be a 2:1 split in favour of spending on services over tax cuts. That stipulation was in evidence in the budget, yet another progressive budget because of the Fianna Fáil influence. We heard many progressive announcements, including an increase in the old age pension, unemployment benefit, carer's allowance and the disability allowance, a reduction in the pupil-teacher ratio and an increase in spending under the National Treatment Purchase Fund. We will also see an increase of 800 in the number of gardaí. These measures are all due to Fianna Fáil entering into a confidence and supply agreement with the Fine Gael-led Government. The influence of Fianna Fáil is clear from the fact that there has been much more progressive spending and fairness in the past three budgets.

I was disappointed, however, when it came to other elements of the budget. The Government fell short on the issue of climate change. A small surcharge was introduced in the rate of vehicle registration tax, VRT, for diesel cars but nothing that will make a significant contribution to enable us to meet our climate change targets. I read today that Lidl Ireland is to ban non-recyclable packaging in all of its stores before Christmas.

That is something I welcome, but the Government could have used this budget to encourage other stores to reduce the amount of non-recyclable plastics they use.

I was disappointed with another item. Although the spending on health is huge - it is one of the largest spends per capita in the world - there is nothing in this budget on implementing Sláintecare; there was not even a hat tipped to it.

The housing plan announced was not that ambitious. Fianna Fáil negotiated for €300 million to be ring-fenced for affordable housing. However, but for that, I do not believe this plan will change much in producing the houses people need now. It will not go any way towards dramatically increasing the supply in the coming short period.

There will be much debate today on the budget. Ultimately, it was a progressive, fair budget. However, we need to consider where we are going with health spending, which remains high, and whether we are getting the results. We also need to ensure housing provision is key in order that all of us have somewhere to return to at night. Ten thousand people are still living in homeless accommodation, including 4,000 children, and we need to take urgent action to help them. Discussing the budget is great, but we need action. We need sods turned and housing provision to happen fast.

Senator Victor Boyhan

I refer to the sinking of the RMS Leinster mailboat in Dún Laoghaire. In the past few days, in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown but particularly in the harbour town of Dún Laoghaire, there were many events to mark that tragedy. Tomorrow the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Josepha Madigan, will represent the Government at an event in Dún Laoghaire Harbour which I am aware many people will attend.

I wish to share a few thoughts with Members. At approximately 9 a.m. on 10 October 1918 the RMS Leinster left Carlisle Pier in Kingstown, as it was then known, now Dún Laoghaire, bound for Holyhead on Anglesey in Wales. The ship was carrying 771 registered passengers and crew. Shortly before 10 a.m., approximately 16 miles from Kingstown, the ship was attacked by two torpedoes. One missed it, but the other hit it on the port side. We now know from documented evidence that 560 people died in the sinking of the RMS Leinster. This made it the largest ever recorded loss of life in the Irish Sea and the highest ever casualty rate on an Irish-owned ship.

I ask the Leader, with the consent of the Members of Seanad Éireann, to consider observing a minute's silence tomorrow, 10 October 2018, to mark the centenary of that terrible tragedy in Dún Laoghaire Harbour. It is ultimately a matter for the Seanad. I will be attending the State events tomorrow, as will a number of others. It was an important tragic event, one we should mark out of respect for the people who lost their lives at sea.

An Leas-Chathaoirleach

I am sure the Leader will consider that proposal in due course.

Senator Rose Conway-Walsh

Ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a dhéanamh inniu le clann Emma Mhic Mhathúna agus lena leanaí. Bean chróga agus máthair iontach ab ea í. On behalf of the Sinn Féin team in the Seanad, I express our sadness and extend our condolences to Emma's children - her daughter, Natasha; her sons, Séamus, Mario, Oisín and Donnacha; her father, Peter; and her wider family and friends.

Today we must also remember those other women who have died during the cervical cancer scandal, particularly the woman who died over the weekend. We express our solidarity with and extend our condolences to her family. I also express solidarity with Vicky Phelan and the women who are coping with their illness at this time. I wish them well. We must never forget Emma's words when she said earlier this year:

I shouldn't be dying, that's what makes this a tragedy. I feel like I've essentially been murdered. I should be here another 50 years. The end of life is part of God's plan but this isn't God's plan. I'm dying because of human error and that's disgusting.

The efforts of the community in Baile na nGall in the Dún Chaoin Gaeltacht are testament to an active and well-loved member who embraced the language and culture of her new home. It was clear from her long interview on Raidió na Gaeltachta earlier in the summer that she found some peace in that place and that it was very important to her that it was in Kerry that she spent her last weeks with her beloved children.

While we have all admired her work in recent months, we must stay true to our commitment to honour her by ensuring this never happens again. Part of that is the call to action by her solicitor, Cian O'Carroll, who stated none of the 221 errors had been investigated. This is so, even though the contracts with the laboratories provide specifically and clearly that if the State wishes, it can send the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, to them to find out why the errors happened, just as we need to know why they were covered up.

Emma died knowing hundreds of women and their families were still waiting for answers and the most basic information on their care or that of their loved ones. This is a scandal on top of a scandal and it must be dealt with as a matter of urgency. Emma's legacy must be truth and accountability. May she rest in peace. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis.

Senator Colette Kelleher

There are 55,000 people with dementia in Ireland, which number is set to more than double in the next two decades. Approximately 50,000 people are carers, albeit the true number may be three times higher. Dementia is a progressive condition and, as such, it needs different responses from the time of initial diagnosis right through to a person's death. It is possible to live well with dementia, in particular at earlier stages when a little support goes a long way. The progression of dementia can take decades and, at the advanced stages, sufferers and their carers need a great deal of care and support. Like other long-term chronic conditions such as stroke, heart disease and cancer, dementia requires special attention and must have its own claim on the public purse.

I am co-convenor, with Deputy Butler, of the all-party Oireachtas group on dementia, the membership of which includes Senators Devine, Hopkins, Humphreys and Byrne, all of whom are active Members of the House. There was an opportunity in budget 2019 to put real money into the range of supports people with dementia and their carers need to live well with dementia and to die well too. The Government could have prioritised closing the dementia gap revealed in the HSE's mapping exercise which was published earlier this year and broken down on a county by county basis by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. For example, there are approximately 4,000 people with dementia and 12,000 carers in my native Cork where an investment of approximately €500,000 is required to give people living with dementia a minimum level of support.

The Government should be investing in the development of a national network of dementia advisers. A recent evaluation undertaken by UCC and published by the HSE supported wholeheartedly the development of such a network, embedded in primary care. Deputy Butler and I saw such a network first-hand on our visit to Scotland. We have seven dementia advisers nationally, but we need approximately 90 if we are to have one in every primary care network. If Scotland can afford such a network to provide invaluable support at the point of diagnosis and beyond for people with dementia and their carers, why can Ireland not have that network too?

We need to shift away from total reliance on residential homes for the long-term care of people with dementia and develop home care as an alternative and complement to nursing home provision. When asked, people and their carers have said time and again that they prefer home care to nursing homes. However, home care is just not possible. Owing to the lack of home care packages, people cannot be discharged from unsuitable hospital beds which cost the State in excess of €300,000 each per year. We also spent €1 billion on long-term residential care services in Ireland.

Budget 2019 is an opportunity to allocate resources to provide a down payment of €100 million in new funding for home care services. As such, I was disappointed that dementia was not specifically mentioned in the Budget Statement of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, although I welcomed Deputy Cowen's response in calling for a significantly increased number of home care packages and funds to develop a national network of dementia advisers in the expectation we might see specific commitments on these in the HSE's service plan.

I ask the Leader to invite Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, or Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, to come before the House to make statements on what resources exactly have been set aside in budget 2019 to fund closing the service gaps for people with dementia and their carers in every county, the development of a national network of dementia advisers and a significant investment of new money in home care services. I want the Minister to indicate that all of these specific commitments will appear prominently and clearly in the HSE's service plan for 2019.

Tomorrow marks the third anniversary of the fire at Carrickmines. I pay my respects to those who perished in that fire.

Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

I express the sympathy of Labour Party Senators to the family of Emma Mhic Mhathúna and join colleagues in commending her courage, bravery and humanity. We will stand with all survivors in order to try to obtain justice and ensure this will never happen again.

I call for a debate with the Minister for Education and Skills on the relationship between church and State. The influence of the Catholic Church on the Government is disturbing. The Minister issued a circular on 19 February stating there was no longer a necessity for children in second level State schools to attend religious instruction and that they would be offered alternative subjects. The position in that regard was reversed last week. Freedom of information documents obtained by RTÉ show the level of lobbying done by Catholic Church organisations which seem to have a remarkable influence on the mindset of the Minister for Education and Skills who has changed his mind and, at the stroke of a pen, decided to place children in second level State schools who do not wish to attend religious instruction classes at a disadvantage.

The lobbying that goes on with the Government is remarkable. The private school sector brought an influence to bear on the Education (Admissions to Schools) Bill and got exactly what it wanted. The alcohol lobby brought its influence to bear on the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. The landlord and developer class had an influence on the budget announced today. The renters and homeless were at the bottom of the list when it came to the allocation of moneys in the budget. This at a time when Ireland is gripped by its greatest crisis - social or otherwise. I ask the Leader to facilitate a long-needed debate on the relationship between church and State in the area of education. The Labour Party believes it is beyond time that this matter be discussed by a constitutional convention or a citizens' assembly in order to put a range of questions to the people and break the link between church and State in the area of education. This should also be done in the area health, but I will concentrate on education today. This change of policy at the behest of well-resourced lobby groups from the Catholic Church raises many questions as to who holds the power when it comes to education. I formally ask that time be made available for a debate on this matter.

I formally second Senator Boyhan's proposal.

An Leas-Chathaoirleach

There was no formal proposal, just a suggestion. I am sure the Leader will respond.

Senator Maria Byrne

It is welcome that the education budget is being increased to €10.8 billion. This will lead to 1,300 extra school places and the appointment of a further 950 special needs assistants, SNAs. There is also increased funding for third level and further education, especially in the areas of apprenticeships and skills. I am sure people are tired of me speaking about apprenticeships and skills but they are important.

The corporation tax credit for film has been extended to 2024. Troy Film Studios in Limerick has been a good news story. Many people have been trained by the education and training boards, ETBs, and obtained the skills necessary to allow them to work for whatever film companies come here. The combination of these two factors is leading to job creation, which is important.

The combination of the extra money towards apprenticeships and skills and their expansion, together with the film corporation tax credit which is to be extended to 2024, are to be welcomed.

The Minister alluded today to the fact that the new time-limited regional uplift of an additional 5% which will be phased out over a period of time was most welcome for future development and job creation.

Senator Gerry Horkan

While this is not a formal proposal, I endorse the proposal of Senator Boyhan that tomorrow there be a minute's silence to mark the very significant 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Leinster which was torpedoed and sank with the loss of over 500 lives. It was the greatest number of lives ever lost in a single event in the Irish Sea. It is fittingly being marked tomorrow and I would like to support the proposal that there be a minute's silence. I am sure the Leader will facilitate this proposal.

As we will discuss the budget later, I will not discuss it at this point. Even though everything is related in some way to the budget, there is a separate matter and a very serious crisis appearing and becoming more apparent every day in the secondary schools sector. Long before we bring in the Minister to discuss religious education, or instruction, as Senator Ó Ríordáin referred to it, I would prefer to see the Minister here to discuss how we are going to have enough teachers of many subjects such as continental languages, science and Irish. This is a very serious crisis appearing in many schools. I attended a meeting yesterday evening with many school principals. This is a problem in Dublin in particular. The salaries people are earning relative to the rents they have to pay and the cost of housing they have to incur means that they are not able to live in Dublin on the money they are earning. It is very difficult. Schools are talking about whether there are monasteries or convents in the vicinity to which they may have access in order to house some of their staff, not because they want to - it is not a long-term objective - but as a way of closing the gap in the short term. I want to see the Minister come to the House as a matter of great urgency to address how he proposes to have enough people in the system to facilitate the increase in pupil numbers. Even without an increase in the number of pupils which we know is coming, we are going to have a very serious crisis in many, if not all, subjects very soon.

Senator Colm Burke

I welcome the budget announcements today. It is a big change from where we were seven years ago when over €8 billion was taken out of the budget overnight. Now we are in a very good position where we have a balanced budget and can give priority to a number of areas, in particular, health and housing. An additional €1 billion was added to the budget this year. In real terms, there was a €2.25 billion increase in the health budget in the last two years, which represents a 15% increase. I hope it will help to improve services.

We must also ensure services are delivered in an efficient and cost-effective manner, something we must now prioritise. Giving additional money is all very fine, but we must also see the cost-effective delivery of services. Funding is needed for GPs at the coalface. Additional funding has been provided for that purpose. It is very important that the additional funding they require to run their practices be prioritised in order that they can provide services at a local level and that all of the additional funding not be swallowed up by the HSE, something we have seen happen previously. It is extremely important that the additional funding be ring-fenced for GP practices and to provide the support they require. It is important that this be identified at a very early stage before the final budget for the HSE and a final programme for health services in 2019 are agreed to. The allocation of extra funding is a welcome development.

It is about the wise and careful use of that money now that we have it.

Senator Máire Devine

I got to know Emma a bit in the past few months. I add my heartfelt condolences. She was a woman, a warrior, who offered a portion of the €7.5 million of a settlement to see that tests would be done over the summer. She pleaded for university laboratories and people to work on those tests. Unfortunately, she became too ill to follow it through but such was her generosity. She will be sadly missed.

I want to talk about climate change on the back of yesterday's report. It is a landmark 400-page report from the United Nations on our planet and its unsustainability. It warns of unprecedented moves which are required by us all, in every country, to make us sustainable but time is running out. We have seen change and experienced and will continue to experience rising toxic oceans, deadly storms, floods and droughts. It is because of human activity on this planet, but we are on track - this is the scariest part of it - to this becoming an unlivable planet. The report states that while we should try to hold to a 1.5° Celsius increase in temperature, we are on track to go to 3° to 4° Celsius higher, which would make our planet unlivable. We need to try to continuously get the message out. As a member of the Joint Committee on Climate Action, we hear about more localised efforts that can be done and the scary stories that happen in our own country. I feel regret that a rainy day costs €2 billion when the rain falling down will become quite toxic and relentless, leading to widespread flooding. It is happening now. It is not the future and we need to remember that, but we seem to be lazy and put it to one side. I am disappointed that there was no carbon tax increase in the budget. I would like the Minister, Deputy Naughten, if not the Minister for Finance, to address the decision made not to increase carbon tax, the reasons and what plans he has to make this planet livable.

Senator Kevin Humphreys

I wish to follow on from Senator Devine's theme. The report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, was quite frightening. There was an opportunity in the budget today to do something. The Government is quite prepared to talk the talk but not to walk the walk. It is becoming a real crisis and emergency.

We only have to see what happened in our own country this year, between hurricane force winds, higher than average snow and the drought throughout the summer, with hosepipe bans. Limiting global warming to 1.5° Celsius by the middle of the century is required. Rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society are recommended by the IPCC to reach these limits.

Professor Thorne of Maynooth says the true cost of carbon is likely to be between €150 and €200 per tonne. We are at less than 10% of that figure, with very little action on the responsibilities that we have. We will miss the 2020 targets and probably miss the 2030 targets. That is totally unacceptable to me. The rates we are at are clearly not bringing emissions lower. The efforts made in the last two years were poor. Emissions are growing by 2.1 million tonnes per year. We need to cut them by 1 million tonnes per year. That is quite a deficit to govern over. We have a Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport who talks about granny grants, grants for extensions, capital gains tax and everything except his own Department and its needs. Emissions from transport are only going one way.

I call on the Minister to come to the House to explain why he is an absentee Minister and not concentrating on transport.

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, is no better. We see the figures continuing to increase. He speaks at conferences and says what he would like to do. What is stopping him? He is the relevant Minister. The Moneypoint plant is still burning coal and will continue to burn it until 2025. We will continue to have peat-fired power stations until 2030. It is time for action and less talk. We have heard about the aspirational things the Government would like to do to tackle climate change. This a First World country, yet we are struggling to deal with the impact climate change will have on the country. Every week in this House Members raise issues such as the fodder shortage. Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has referred to the effects of flooding in County Donegal that have still not been put right a year later. Third World countries in Asia and Africa, including Pakistan and India, are paying the full cost of climate change. We are putting our sins on Third World countries. We must accept responsibility; we need action, not talk. I am sick and tired of listening to the Taoiseach and the Minister talking about it. It would be a success if we could have the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, talking about it, but he does not seem to believe he has any responsibility in tackling climate change, let alone for his Department. At the earliest possible time I would like both Ministers to come to the House to address the serious issue of climate change and the lack of action by Ireland. It is not acceptable for us to increase our emissions by 2.1 million tonnes, instead of reducing them by 1 million, to which we have committed. I look forward to the Leader coming back as early as possible to let us know when that debate will take place in the House.

Senator Frank Feighan

Last Saturday in the Guild Hall in Derry in solidarity with my colleagues I attended a commemoration to mark the 50th anniversary of the civil rights march. I was delighted to meet Pat Hume, wife of John Hume, and many others. It was a very moving cross-community event, at which President Higgins received a standing ovation for his speech on civil rights which ranged from poverty, inequality and injustices. It was nice to see such a cross-community event being held in the Guild Hall, which shows how far we have come in the past 50 years. I am very concerned by the results of a recent poll which show that 87% of "Leave" voters in Northern Ireland would absolutely put the price of Brexit above the collapse of the peace process. We must be very vigilant in the coming months to ensure we keep not only the lines of communication open but also cross-community events. We must never forget people such as Eamonn McCann, Ivan Cooper, John Hume and many more who turned up on that fateful day which changed the course of history on the island of Ireland.

What happened last Saturday night at the UFC event was not good for the standing of the Tricolour. What went on inside and outside the octagon, with people parading the Tricolour, was not good for the country. We should reflect on what we call a sport. It is a sport for some, but I do not think it created a great shopfront for the country. It was very disappointing. I hope that in the coming months and years we will not see a repeat of what happened last Saturday night.

An Leas-Chathaoirleach

I heartily agree with Senators' fine sentiments on the sad passing of Emma Mhic Mhathúna.

Senator Jerry Buttimer

I thank the 11 Members of the House for their contributions oln the Order of Business. I join with all Members who have expressed their words of sympathy on the death of the late Emma Mhic Mhathúna. Senator Conway-Walsh is correct: the legacy she leaves should be such that this never happens again. Irrespective of where we are from or who we are, we are all appalled by the tragedy that has unfolded, the human stories involved and the loss of life. There must be accountability; there must be answers and there must be a path put forward such that this will never happen again. I fully concur with the Senator.

I thank all the Members of the House for their contributions on the budget. I think it is fair to say some people will be happy, that others will be unhappy and that there will be those who will never be happy. That is the way it will be. As Senator Colm Burke said, if one looks at what we are adding to the country in terms of investment in public services and tax modifications, compared with where we were a dozen years ago under the dreadful regime of Fianna Fáil in government which decimated the country, is it not wonderful that today we have a Government with a budget that can give to the people in terms of tax breaks and investment in public services?

I do not want to pick a row and say Fianna Fáil got this and whoever else got that. The important point and the benefit of the confidence and supply agreement is that we have had a Government in place for three budgets. Others can shout from the sidelines with their voodoo economics and claim all kinds of projections, but the reality is that the Government is committed to ensuring the economy which is near full employment will be managed prudently. For the first time in a decade we have balanced the books, which means that if there is a downturn again, we will be able to borrow money in order that we can continue to invest in public services and people.

I join with the Members of the House in acquiescing to the call for a minute's silence tomorrow for the commemorative event and to highlight and honour the people who died on 10 October 1918 just before 9 a.m. onboard RMS Leinster as it began its final voyage from Carlisle Pier in Dún Laoghaire to Holyhead in Wales. I will be happy to do that tomorrow and thank the Members for the proposal.

Senator Kelleher raised the issue of dementia. I agree with her and commend her on her work. The Minister in his budget speech, and in the annexe to the budget, makes reference to services in terms of the increasing need for homecare packages and community supports. I agree with Senator Kelleher that the model of delivery, in terms of dementia, is one we must change to ensure there is, as the Minister said in his budget speech, an integrated model of care with more stepdown and community responses for people who require same. I would be happy to support that model.

I am happy to facilitate Senator Ó Ríordáin's request for a debate on the separation of church and state and the circular the Minister for Education and Skills issued on 19 February, according to the Senator. I am not familiar with the circular, but I will be happy to have that debate.

I join with Senator Byrne in complimenting the Minister for Finance on the education budget for the apprenticeship scheme. The issue is important and the Senator has repeatedly raised it here.

I am glad that the film corporation tax credit has been extended. I know that both Senator Byrne and I have spoken about the measure before. We have seen the benefit of it. I commend her on raising the matter. Senator Colm Burke also raised the issue in the context of the budget.

Senator Feighan raised the issue of the civil rights march. I join with Senator Feighan in commending the bravery of the men and women on that awful day in Derry in 1968. As he rightly said, there are people who should be praised, in particular Ivan Cooper and John Hume, for their work and bravery over time. The figure in the opinion poll is quite alarming.

It is important that we uphold the Good Friday Agreement and stand firm in our resolve to ensure peace remains central on all parts of our island and that we never go back to the dark days of the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. I commend Senator Feighan, in particular, on his great work in this area. I do not mean this to be patronising in any way. He has been a beacon of hope and inspiration to many of us in how he goes about his business, building bridges in the North and the UK. That came across clearly to me last week when I was in Bishkek to attend the OSCE meeting when some of the British parliamentarians were very loud in their praise of the Senator for the work he had done. He is an example to all of us in how to build bridges and learn.

On UFC and the Conor McGregor fight at the weekend, we can all learn lessons about the promotion of sport. Sport is meant to be competitive, but it is not meant to be violent. It is not meant to send the wrong message. We are meant to have heroes. Last week I was on a flight from Istanbul to Bishkek. When two gentlemen next to me heard I was from Ireland, they said, "Ah, Conor McGregor." They were effusive in their admiration for him. Notwithstanding the remarks of Senator Feighan, Conor McGregor has a loyal following. The sport may be hard to understand at times, but I hope the sporting body in question can come back with answers.

Finally, I commend the budget to the House and assure Senator Humphreys, in particular, that we will have a very healthy debate on climate change.

Order of Business agreed to.

Seanad Éireann debate - Tuesday, 9 Oct 2018

Order of Business

Seanad Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 9 Oct 2018