The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the early signature of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 2, Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021 – Second Stage, to be taken at 1 p.m. and to conclude no later than 3 p.m., with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be given no fewer than ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 3, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2021 – Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 3.30 p.m., and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 5 p.m. by the putting of one question from the Chair, which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government; No. 4, Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2021 – Second Stage, to be taken at 5.30 p.m., with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be given no fewer than ten minutes to reply to the debate.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
I second the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader.
I rise this morning to raise three specific issues, the first of which is the reporting that the British Government is bringing through new legislation around immigration laws that will require non-Irish EU citizens resident in Ireland to provide an electronic travel authorisation to cross from Ireland into Northern Ireland. It is not quite clear how this will be enforceable. That is the first question. This legislation has gone through the House of Commons, however, and is now making its way to the House of Lords. We expect that it could become law in the UK.
I note the comments of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Minister that the common travel area, as we know, covers British and Irish citizens resident in Ireland and the UK in order that we can travel, work and live freely across both islands. It does not cover non-Irish citizens, however. A person could be from France, Portugal or any of the other EU states and live here in Ireland, perhaps for many years. A person could be living in the Border area, as many people are; crossing back and forth for education or work and business purposes and just living their day-to-day lives. It is not quite clear, therefore, how this will work in operation. We need to get an update from the Minister for Foreign Affairs as to how the Irish Government proposes to deal with this legislation, should it become law, and how we can ensure that non-Irish EU citizens who are living in Ireland can continue to enjoy the same freedoms they have always enjoyed in terms of movement right across the island.
The second issue I wish to raise is to welcome the announcement this morning by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, of €2.6 million for Town Centre First plans. Some 26 towns were identified across the country, one in each county. Each town will get €100,000 to develop its own unique master plan for the town to reinvigorate the town centre. This is really important for small rural towns. Killala in north County Mayo has been identified, which is really welcome. It is a fantastic town with so much history. It is a beautiful medieval town with a round tower overlooking Killala Bay out into the sea. This €100,000 that has been allocated to the local authority will be used to work with the town team and stakeholders in the town to develop that unique master plan for the town centre of Killala.
Finally, in the few minutes I have left, I welcome this week the announcement by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, of the new childcare scheme. I will not give its full title because it is quite a mouthful but it is a significant investment and a turning point in how we deal with childcare in this country. It will see more than €200 million invested in childcare by the State. We are looking at more State involvement in the provision of childcare, which is really where we want to get to but obviously, working with private providers, because without them we would not have any childcare services in the country. We know that for many families it is a second mortgage, however. Sometimes it is more expensive than a mortgage. It is a barrier predominantly for women getting back into the workforce because many women will say they cannot afford to get back to work. Perhaps in the new term, we might invite the Minister to the House for a debate in which he can give us more detail on his plan, how he plans to implement it and the delivery timescale for this investment by the State in childcare.
I wish to raise two issues this morning. When people come near the end of their working lives, they like to know how they are fixed regarding their pensions. Public servants who are considering retirement are entitled to know what their pensions will be in order that they can make an informed decision.
I have been contacted of late by a number of nursing and public healthcare staff and, indeed, teachers who have had grave difficulty receiving information form the HSE or the Department of Education regarding their pension status. That means that these public servants are unable to decide what is best for them to do after a lifetime of service and, in some cases, they may feel burnt out. It may be related to Covid-19 and, certainly, the cases that I have come across have been during the Covid period of the last couple of years and perhaps involve people working from home and not having full access to the data. Indeed, I have heard of people receiving no pension for six weeks post-retirement from the HSE and the Department of Education or even a flat-rate payment for a period until their file is assessed. We need a debate on this matter because as I said, people need to be able to plan. They need to be able to make informed decisions and know what their pension entitlement is as they come towards the end of their working lives and look forward to retirement.
The second matter I wish to raise relates to greenways. I asked previously for a debate on greenways with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Ryan. It is a positive story. We know of examples of excellent greenways, whether they be in Westport, Waterford and indeed parts of Limerick and Westmeath or numerous other greenways in the planning process. In October this year, the High Court upheld the planning permission for the south Kerry greenway project, which I have mentioned before, not particularly because it is in south Kerry but because it is deemed to be a test case for other local authorities regarding the development of greenways on private lands. We are effectively talking about the consent to be able to access land in order to prepare the planning applications and environmental reports required to lodge a planning application, and then to go through the process of delivering projects which, in most cases, are badly needed and desired in communities.
It is not just about tourism. It can be about local recreation for people living in the vicinity. In some parts, they are very much commuting greenways. For example, the route from Moycullen in my area would be so well used for students going to university or people working in the hospital or elsewhere in Galway city so the potential is significant. However, there is an impasse at the moment in terms of where we are going with delivery of greenways on private land. I know there are plans in Galway and consultants have been appointed but they must start the process again, go back to the start and come up with something to allow them to lodge a planning application for a greenway. I ask for a debate on what is a positive story but one that is stuck in the mud.
I thank the Leader for circulating the Order of Business, which I am happy to support. The first issue I wish to raise concerns scoliosis. The Leader has engaged on this issue. There was an Oireachtas joint committee meeting on health recently. It is a very sad situation. We have made very little progress despite requests for the Minister to come to the House. The Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, came to the House twice. I do not know whether the second performance was worse than the first. It is not personal. He had a message to deliver for the Department but the reality is that we need targets and timelines for families and their children. It is quite an odd situation. Families told me yesterday that some of their children, particularly teenagers, are on lists with adults for services. There should be a designated children's list. That is important. The chief executive of Children's Health Ireland, Eilísh Hardiman, told the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health that proposals for HSE funding are being developed and that it is hoped to increase capacity in Crumlin and Temple Street hospitals and extend paediatric orthopaedic services in Cappagh. We know the care for children for scoliosis and other orthopaedic conditions is inadequate and unacceptable. I cannot keep saying that here. We all have that view. I also know the context of the larger challenges in the health service. I want to be fair to the Minister and acknowledge the enormous difficulties around health anyway. When I looked at the committee transcript yesterday, I saw an account by another professor who said that children with spina bifida who were awaiting surgery have now gone from walking independently to using wheelchairs, from full-time school to home school and from wearing shoes to having open sores with deformities with no date or time for their surgery. That is terribly sad and that is what a professional is telling us. I would like us to focus this issue in the new year with a real emphasis on trying to get the Minister in to explain to the families. I understand that he had a brief encounter with some of the families the other day, which is positive, but what they really want are timelines and a commitment regarding the dates, resources, etc.
I also wish to raise the issue of peat, an issue pursued by the Leader. I would like to see some outcome. I know the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, announced yesterday that there would be €1.69 million in funding for research into alternatives to peat but this is not viable for a number of mushroom growers so I hope we could reactivate that issue in the new year. I appreciate the difficulties the Leader has but she has been an advocate and I want to acknowledge that.
Senator Kyne was talking about the Civil Service needing to know and determine its pensions. We will have a debate later on today about secretarial assistants and I will not tell the House what they can expect because I have it in front of me and I will put it on the record of the House later. It involves what five, ten, 15 and 20 years of service, respectively, equate to in terms of a pension calculation. It is a disgrace. It is appalling and is something we should not have. While I share Senator Kyne's concerns regarding permanent civil servants, these people are not permanent. We will have an opportunity to discuss that later and I hope we will have the support of all parties in this House to show solidarity with secretarial assistants working in this House.
This Tuesday a letter was sent to the EU high representative vice president by 370 parliamentarians across Europe calling on the EU to take immediate steps to prevent the displacement and forcible transfer of Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory and to actualise differentiation between illegal Israeli settlements in all dealings with Israel. I was hugely proud to be a signatory of this letter and I commend the 69 other Irish parliamentarians who did the same. In the letter, we expressed our deep concern regarding the intensification of Israel's actions in Gaza, the loss of life encountered on both sides of the conflict and the devastating humanitarian consequences experienced in Gaza because of the recent escalation in the conflict. These are not new concerns. Many parliamentarians around Europe, myself included, have been banging the drum about this for some time. A recent report by Human Rights Watch concluded that Israel had crossed a threshold in its actions in the occupied Palestinian territories such that it meets the legal definition of apartheid. The widespread displacement and forcible transfer of Palestinians that is taking place across the West Bank at present, including imminently in the East Jerusalem neighbourhoods of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan are part of that reality. As a signatory of the letter, I stand firm in my support of stated European policy regarding the illegality of Israeli settlements but the Union needs to move beyond words to action. I would like a debate on this issue in the new year. We must keep Palestine on the agenda. The parliamentarians in Europe are really gathering together to talk about this issue. The people of Palestine are looking to Ireland to lead in resolving this conflict because of the great work we have done in the past on Palestine and on apartheid in the past 30 or 40 years.
The other thing I would like to talk about is what is happening to the music industry and where this €50 million is going. I am inundated. I am trying not to get upset here because what is happening to musicians and how they have been disregarded and shown no respect is so upsetting. Nobody is talking about the PUP. I do not know where this money is going and I would like to know. I would like the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to come to the House next week to give us a detailed report on where that €50 million is going. I want the musicians to get what they deserve. Christmas is coming. There is no money for Santa or to pay their bills or mortgages. It is not right. We must get to the bottom of this because they are all contacting me to ask what is going on and I have no clue. I am not even sure the Taoiseach has a clue. I do not know who knows what is going on so I need the Minister to come in here next week and I really mean that. I want to hear what is going on because it is not on. The mental health difficulties musicians are going through are horrendous. It is a horrendous time for this to happen coming up to Christmas so I need the Minister to come in here. It is urgent.
I wish to raise the fact that €20 million announced in mental health funding has not been spent. In budget 2022, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, announced €10 million in mental health community funding. Mental health services groups have said that they have tried to access this funding ahead of the Christmas period, which is particularly busy for them, but have found the process overly complicated and time-consuming. In response to some of the groups, even the HSE is embarrassed by how cumbersome the process is; it has said "don't shoot the messenger" and argued that the issue lies with the Department. The fact that mental health services providers, who are crying out for resources, cannot access the funding ahead of one of their busiest times is made even worse with the confirmation that the €10 million pandemic mental health fund announced last February also remains unspent and will not even become available for groups until 2022. The Minister of State is now saying that mental health services groups should not have been applying for the fund and that the fund would have been allocated to Mental Health Ireland. This contradicts the emails received by mental health services groups from the Department telling them to access this funding. We know that mental health services were already underfunded prior to the pandemic but as Senator Black was saying, the restrictions, anxiety and pressure on livelihoods have taken a huge toll on the mental health of many people. It beggars belief that health services working at the coalface cannot get their hands on any of the €20 million in funding that is supposedly available. It underlines the need for multi-annual funding for mental health services so that they can appropriately plan and adapt. Applying for one-off funding is time-consuming and is not the best way to run the essential services they operate. I ask the Leader to write to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, to request an update on how the delays in releasing this funding are being addressed, including making the application process more user-friendly and clarifying who is allocating this money. Are mental health services providers to go to the HSE or to Mental Health Ireland? I would also like the Minister of State to tell us whether she will commit to rolling out multi-annual funding for mental health services in the future.
Hear, hear.
I too express dismay at reports the British Government intends to impose checks on non-British or Irish citizens for travel into the North or Britain. Effectively, what is being proposed will amount to some sort of introduction of a hard border, if the British Government is talking about introducing checks. It is another example of the ill-thought-out back-of-the-envelope thinking on migration control-----
Absolutely.
-----and absolute disregard for the North that we have seen time and again from this British Government. I would like a debate when we get more detail on this but it is important we express our dismay at what we are learning this morning.
On a more positive note, I very much welcome the announcement last week by Government on the regularisation of undocumented people. This has been a long-standing aim of the Justice for the Undocumented campaign, the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, MRCI, trade unions and other civil society groups. The acknowledgment by the Government that this process must be entered into in the first six months of next year is a historic and important moment. There are two things to say. Firstly, when we look at where many undocumented people work, especially the caring sector, we see they perform such an important role within Irish society but they have not had that recognition or status. Secondly, it is only about 11 months ago we were debating the citizenship Bill the Labour Party brought forward as part of its Born Here, Belong Here campaign. There are about 3,000 children who were born here to people who do not have status and they are caught up in a situation of statelessness where they are not entitled to access a passport, so I very much welcome the Government's move.
I attended a briefing yesterday organised by the Fórsa trade union on issues relating to special needs assistant, SNA, workers. Three SNAs, Eilise McGarrell, Noreen O'Mahony and Carol McSherry, spoke at it. They spoke so eloquently about the importance of their role and the tasks they perform in the classroom. We have 18,000 SNAs working across this country in almost every single primary school, yet the Department of Education's attitude is to repeatedly treat them almost as if they were adjunct and not core to the classroom and school system. It is astounding the Department has not, at this point in time, seen fit to engage with the trade union representing SNAs to try to set down and recognise qualifications. I understand a system of qualifications was last set down in 1979. The majority of SNAs have qualifications of at least level 5 if not level 6 on the Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, framework. It is about time the Department engaged with the trade union to set out a system of recognition and respect for SNAs.
I want to refer back to issues we raised in the House on Tuesday. I strongly endorse the call from Senator Black that the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, come before the House. I am aware the Leader gave a commitment on Tuesday to do that. It is important to acknowledge the issues raised by Senator Cummins and me, especially around the support for amateur and semi-professional panto and theatre groups around the country. It is clear from her announcement yesterday that the Minister listened, especially given that for many of the groups, the roll-out of this support will be coming through local authorities. It is important to put on record that it is welcome but, like Senator Black, I feel we need clarity on a whole range of other issues. One of my concerns stems from when the Tánaiste was before the House and envisaged that some of the restrictions will be going beyond 9 January. That causes particular concern for those involved in the arts and entertainment sector, so it is important that the Minister responsible comes before the House.
The Leader will recall that on Tuesday I also raised the issue of the adequacy of the Office of the Data Protection Commission. Yesterday we saw the Norwegian data protection authority express serious concern around a draft judgment of our Data Protection Commission. The Norwegian authority contends that if the commission's judgment is allowed to proceed, it will permit Facebook to dispense with the need for all of us to give consent for our data to be used. I am not going to make a call, especially in this short period of time, on this draft decision but the fact the Norwegian data protection authority is expressing concern only adds to the concerns I expressed on Tuesday.
Last of all, as the Leader will know, Senator Ward and I have been raising the question of a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
As have I.
Yes. Several of us have been doing it. A number of countries have now done this. It is important the EU now acts.
I rise to raise an issue that is probably suitable for the Cathaoirleach as well as the Leader. It is about the expressions of sympathy for former Members. In the next couple of months we will be hitting the two-year mark of this Seanad term and for the last 18 months we have not been able to have expressions of sympathy. Such expressions are a very important day for the families of former Members who come in and spend the day here. We have not been able to have guests visit. When we consider where we are now with Covid compared with where we were just last year, it is much more feasible that expressions of sympathy take place. I would really appreciate it if we could outline a timeframe for when that might happen in 2022. A number of former Senators have passed away in the last 18 months but I am thinking especially of former Senator Terry Brennan from my own part of the world, County Louth. He passed away in June 2020. We are now 18 months on from that. My own family availed of it two or three years ago. It is a very special moment for families when Members speak about their family member who served in this House. I would really appreciate it if we could set out a timeline for when we will have expressions of sympathy for former Senator Terry Brennan, along with all the other former Members who have passed away in recent months.
The Leader will respond to this at the end of the Order of Business, but there is a new process in place in relation to expressions of sympathy for former Senators who have passed away. When the public health guidelines allow us to have family members in and Members propose expressions of sympathy through the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight, we will be recommencing that process.
Yesterday I raised my concerns about the apparent lack of interest on the part of the Government and the Minister for Health in having a genuinely independent chair of the committee that is to review the operation of the abortion legislation. Senator Pauline O'Reilly, whom I greatly esteem and respect, reminded me the people had spoken in the referendum. As I said, they did indeed but they left it open to these Houses to determine precisely what law we have on this troubling area, however extreme, restrictive or extensive it may be. That is why we must never abandon our duty as legislators to continue to review the situation. I was pointing out that there are real issues of concern about how the law is operating, in particular about the Government's apparent lack of interest in palliative care or pain relief in circumstances where babies are born alive after the procedures now permitted. That must be an issue for review. That is why I am saying the chair of this committee must be genuinely independent. It is a simple matter of even-handedness in a democracy. Given that hardly anybody is neutral on this very difficult issue, I suggest that somebody like a judge or retired judge who has a professional obligation to strive for neutrality and impartiality at all times could be the person to take on this difficult task. The Government cannot simply wish away the third of the people who have profound difficulties with this new law and indeed the many others who voted for it but who are worried about some of the issues arising from it. We are a democracy. Those of us who have ethical concerns cannot be expected to go under a rock. Whenever the Minister speaks, he does so only in terms of extending this law further. That is unfair. He needs to do his job as a Minister for all of the people.
Senator Pauline O'Reilly went on to talk about animal welfare in the context of live exports. That is an issue that pricks my conscience too but for heavens’ sake we must start with our own species, particularly if there are questions about indifference to suffering in the context of abortion.
I also raised yesterday the issue of the arrest and detention of certain racehorse trainers and vets in France by the Service Central des Courses et Jeux, which is the branch of the police there that is responsible for gambling and racing offences. I raise it again because the Cathaoirleach rightly pointed out that it is not appropriate at this time to invite in the Chair of the agriculture committee. This is because the records of period of time has not passed to discuss the agriculture committee's report and its recommendations about governance, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, as well as the protocols and the powers that are needed to test for doping and to prevent it. However, it would be appropriate to ask for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to come in here to discuss with us whether there is sufficient enforcement of the law. It would be almost impossible for An Garda Síochána to arrest and detain somebody around the issue of doping of horses, unless it was known that there were significant animal welfare issues directly involved or unless they had caught the person on the spot. There is also a question about whether the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is sitting on cases and failing to pursue prosecutions in this area. There was a well-known case, and I will finish with this, of the vet, Mr. John Hughes, who was prosecuted. Yet, even in that case there was not a conviction. There has been a blind-eye approach in this country. It is worth asking whether it would be a good idea to have a branch of our own An Garda Síochána responsible for issues involved in gambling and abuses in the important racing industry. I am asking for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to come in in the meantime.
I welcome the good news from the Department headed by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, and the Government of the €2.6 million for the first Town Centre First plans. The town that has been chosen in County Roscommon, I am proud to say, is my own home town of Strokestown. It is also the home with the National Famine Museum, which is also going under a major upgrading plan of €5 million with State support. We also have the €200 million N5 bypass investment going on there at the moment. It is a good day for many towns throughout the country and particularly for my own home town of Strokestown, where €100,000 will now be made available through the local authority, for the local community and the local authority to draw up plans to revitalise the centre of our town.
I wish to support the comments of Senator Black and of my colleague, Senator Malcolm Byrne. I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, of €5 million for the seasonal musical and pantomime scheme, €34 million for live performance supports, €5 million for local authority acts and performance support, €5 million in adoption grants and €1 million for St. Patrick's Day festivals in 2022. However, many smaller artists have had their whole Christmas performances called off. These people would have had 40, 50 or 60 gigs and such Christmas gigs would have covered their finances for at least half the year. They were told yesterday evening they will not get back on the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP. We need clarification and we need it quickly because I can tell the Leader, the Chair and Members that there are families involved in music, as well as engineers, who definitely will be short of money for Christmas. Please do not let that happen. The money is there and the announcements are welcome but it needs to come down to the people who really need it now on the front line.
Smoking is a scourge that has been with us for generations. It benefits no one. It certainly does not benefit the smokers themselves, their families or the people around them. It does not benefit our health service. In fact, the only potential beneficiaries of smoking are the industry and the Exchequer. Part of the problem is that our approach to dealing with the problem of smoking has always been to tax it out of existence and to penalise people who are addicted to smoking. We know that such penalisation disproportionately affects certain sectors of society who smoke more heavily than others. The time has now come for a different approach. I was pleased to learn today of the law that has been passed in New Zealand to look at smoking from a different perspective. It is trying to create a generation of non-smokers, not by banning it, because we know that prohibition can just drive smoking underground and create a black market, but instead to progressively and over time create a generation of people to whom cigarettes will never be available legally. They are starting with 14-year-olds. Obviously, it is illegal for current 14-year-olds to buy cigarettes in this jurisdiction but as time goes on, that age will move up each year. People who are currently in their mid-teens will never have the opportunity to legally buy cigarettes in New Zealand. This does not mean that cigarettes are illegal. It does not mean cigarettes are not available for sale. It does not mean that they cannot smoke cigarettes. However, they cannot buy them in legal establishments in New Zealand. That represents an innovative approach to how we can tackle smoking. It is something we would do well to have regard to in this country. I would like to ask the Leader to organise a debate on this subject, either now or in the new year.
Finally, I also agree with calls for a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing next year. Yesterday, a number of parliamentarians sent letters to members of the Government who might be in a position to accept invitations asking them to publicly decline those invitations. I think that is going to happen. I welcome that if it is to happen, but I think we should be forceful on this issue.
Hear, hear.
I wish to join my colleagues, Senators Sherlock and Chambers, in expressing my deep concern about the so-called Nationality and Borders Bill that has passed through Westminster. Even its very name is telling when we consider that a key part of the withdrawal agreement was to ensure that there would be no hardening of the Border in Ireland. This legislation hardens the Border for thousands of our fellow EU citizens and non-EU citizens who are resident in this State. It should be a cause of deep concern for all of us for a whole range of reasons, not just the legal and bureaucratic layers that it will add to people’s lives but when you consider that tens of thousands of journeys are made across the Border each day. Thousands of EU and non-EU citizens straddle the Border. They live and work in the area, in food processing plants and in our healthcare sector. They provide vital services to people, North and South, not least during the last two years of the pandemic. We need to hear a clear response from the Irish Government. We need to hear concern expressed and what response the Irish Government and the EU will take in regards to this legislation. There is a whole range of questions. I have relayed my concerns in this House previously about the potential and actual concerns regarding racial profiling at the Border. How, for example, will someone know whether somebody is an Irish citizen, a British citizen, a French citizen or a Polish citizen? What are they looking for here? Who is going to enforce this? Who is going to police this? What will be the outcome if, for example, someone from Donegal has a car accident in Derry and they do not have one of these so-called waivers? The public commentary that I have seen from the British Government is almost blasé about this. It is almost a case of it being an online form and that it will be easy and straightforward. It will not be easy and straightforward if this has real, dire legal consequences for people who are making journeys they should be entitled to make. While I know the Leader is of a similar view, it would be useful and important that both Members and those thousands of citizens on whom this measure potentially will have an impact hear a clear message from the Government too.
I welcome the good news from the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, this morning about how the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, and the Covid restrictions support scheme, CRSS, are to be kept for a further two months. This is welcome news for many businesses, small, medium and large. It gives a sense of certainty, especially going into the Christmas period. Businesses have been through much turbulence over the past two weeks. It had been thought that the supports were going to be reduced but sense has prevailed and they have decided to keep them in place.
On another positive note, the stars were alive in Limerick last night where 12 all-stars were nominated for the GAA----
It was rigged.
It was a fix.
It certainly was record breaking. I congratulate Seán Finn, Barry Nash, Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes, Will O’Donoghue, Darragh O’Donovan, Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey, Seamus Flanagan and Peter Casey. It was an outstanding performance. To have 12 all-stars awarded to the one county is record breaking.
I congratulate all involved. Since 2018, they have played in three all-Ireland finals and won. They have received a number of all-stars, but to receive 12 at any one time is to be commended. I congratulate all those who were nominated for the all-stars. They are stars in their own rights.
To follow that, I call Senator Carrigy of Longford.
Unfortunately, we do not have any all-stars this year from Longford, but we will be back.
I concur with Senator Ward's comments on smoking and I support his call for a debate on it. It is a fantastic idea. The Taoiseach, when Minister for Health, introduced the smoking ban 17 years ago. We thought it would not work, but it did. As Senator Ward was speaking, I jotted down 10.20 a.m. on 31 July 2000, which was when I last smoked a cigarette. I previously smoked 30 cigarettes per day. Giving them up was one of the best things I have ever done. I support the call for a debate on smoking. As I said, it is a fantastic idea.
I also welcome the announcements by the Minister for Finance and, in particular, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the EWSS, the reintroduction of which we have pushed hard, particularly for the tourism and hospitality sectors. I support the calls by Senators Black, Cummins and Malcolm Byrne that the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, Deputy Martin, be asked to come to the House to outline what specific supports are in place and how we can ensure those supports get to the artists on the ground. Earlier this morning, I spoke to an artist who has lost all of her gigs. Those gigs fund her to get through college. She is thinking of going abroad for the month of January to try to earn money to put herself through college for the rest of the year.
I also ask that an audit be undertaken of exam facilities in colleges. There seems to be a disparity between colleges regarding the number of students being allowed into exam rooms. When queried about this a number of weeks ago, the Minister said that different institutions have different scenarios, but we have institutions that are not using exam halls and others that are allowing up to 250 students into one exam room. I refer in particular to NUI Galway and its use of Leisureland. I would ask that an audit be undertaken of those facilities.
I was going to raise the issue of Cork also getting no all-stars, but I think I will leave that for another day.
We need to talk about the important issue of our national broadcaster and the role it plays in society. I reference this in the context of the appointment of Brian O'Donovan as work and technology correspondent, which I welcome. He has done fantastic work in the UK and the US and he is now coming home. To have a vacancy in the national broadcasting service for an agriculture correspondent is appalling. Agriculture is a really important part of our economy and society. It is an important part of what we do as an entity. For the national broadcaster to allow that role to remain vacant is a disgrace. Fran McNulty was in that role, but he moved to RTÉ's "Prime Time" in recent months. That role is still vacant this morning. Are we serious about having balanced debate about agriculture and informing the public and about promoting agriculture as an industry in order that young farmers will get involved? If we are, the national broadcaster, which is funded by the Houses of the Oireachtas, should have a balanced approach to it. The appointment of an agriculture correspondent is a step in that direction. Never before has the national broadcaster, which is a part of our society, left that vacancy open for so long. With the announcement yesterday of the appointment of a correspondent for work and technology, I assumed there would be follow-on in the appointment of an agricultural correspondent, but, again it has not happened.
I ask the Leader to use her good offices to get involved in this debate. We need a balanced debate and a national broadcaster that works with all sections of society. An appointment to that role would be a start.
Hear, hear.
I begin today by congratulating and thanking Cáit Hayes, who is retiring from the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas. Cáit has spent 35 years working here, with distinction, in many different roles. Those of us who have got to know her over the years recognise the value and interest she had in the Parliament that is the Oireachtas, in representing us abroad and at home. I thank her most sincerely and I wish her a very happy retirement.
Hear, hear.
I welcome the Government's decision and announcement earlier to extend the EWSS and to make changes to the CRSS. It is very important that we continue to support our hospitality sector. I echo the call by Senator Black and others that the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Martin, be asked to come to the House for a discussion on live entertainment and the music industry. Senator Black comes from a very cherished position of being an extraordinary musician and singer. Those of us who aspire to that recognise the huge hardship and sacrifices that have been made by those in the music industry since the pandemic began. It is not about divide and conquer; it is about ensuring that we can support that creative culture that has been so challenged in this pandemic. The men and women involved, some of whom I know, are struggling in a variety of ways. Many of them are people who would never have struggled financially, emotionally, mentally or physically, but they are challenged by this pandemic.
I call on the all-star selection committee to rescind the non-selection of any Cork player on this year's all-star team. In congratulating Limerick on its 12 all-stars, I must ask how Patrick Horgan could have been left out of an all-star team in 2021.
I do not think that is a matter for this House. It might be a matter the Senator could raise with the all-star committee or the president of the GAA.
I call Senator Dolan on the Order of Business.
Very clearly. Excellence as always. I congratulate Strokestown. As mentioned by Senator Eugene Murphy in August this year, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, and her team, visited Strokestown Park and House, where the amazing National Famine Museum and a visitor centre are under construction and due to open next year. The €100,000 allocation on top of that is part of a plan to develop a town centre first approach, which is about tackling and encouraging revitalisation and regeneration of our town centres. Like Ballinasloe, Gort will get this allocation. There will be a brand new route from Galway to Dublin, which will be fantastic for that town.
At this time of year, I always speak about shopping local. The calendar I have in my hand contains pictures of the types of Christmas lights that we see in a lot of towns across Ireland. This is phenomenal and down to support and investment. When people shop local and buy raffle tickets to support the activities in their towns, they are supporting the types of things that we want to see happening in Shop Local in our areas. To support shops in their areas many businesses purchase vouchers for their employees to use over Christmas. I would encourage more of that. For example, shopballinasloe.ie provides vouchers to its employees and businesses and employers are also purchasing them for their employees who, in turn, will redeem them in the town. We should see more of that happening in our towns. Many people buy vouchers at a national level, but if they could consider doing it at a local level in regard to companies and businesses in their areas, it would be very much supported.
I wish everyone a really happy Christmas. I know we will be doing a lot more of that next week. Perhaps the Leader would allow a Christmas jumper or Christmas suit day.
I thank Senator Dolan. Does anyone else have another suggestion?
No party in the Taoiseach's office.
I call the wise Senator from Tipperary, Senator Ahearn.
I think the Cathaoirleach is losing control. I want first to follow on from Senator Lombard's comments regarding RTÉ, the national broadcaster, and an agriculture correspondent. It is hugely important, especially at this time in terms of the volatility in the agriculture industry and the CAP negotiations. To be honest, farmers work their day around news programming. They do their best to be at home at 6 o'clock to listen to the news to find out what is happening. An agriculture correspondent is hugely important for that sector.
In many ways, the fact that they do not have it could be perceived as an insult to the industry.
Like Senator Maria Byrne, I welcome the announcement by the Ministers, Deputies Michael McGrath and Donohoe, on the continuation of the EWSS for businesses in December and January. I have been inundated with contacts from people in Tipperary - cafe owners, hotel owners and owners of restaurants, bars and pubs who are fearful of having to make a decision to let their staff go because they would be financially better off. The difficulty is bringing them back. That is a real challenge. All sectors are struggling to get staff at the moment. The last thing employers wanted to do was let people go onto the PUP because they would be better off. It is a clear sign that the Government has listened and it has acted quickly to support the hospitality sector in the coming difficult months. That is most welcome.
I acknowledge that today the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, has chosen Roscrea to be included in the town centre first initiative. It is a great benefit to the town and will revitalise the town centre. That is very welcome.
I think I am the last speaker and, as you have lost control already, a Chathaoirligh, I will join in the comments about Limerick winning 12 all-stars. On a serious note, a Chathaoirligh-----
Lobbying for all-stars is not part of the Order of Business.
I acknowledge and congratulate the 12 all-stars in Limerick. It is a great honour for the 12 individuals and their families. In Tipperary, there are hundreds of players who have won it over the years and that is hugely significant, and they have all been honoured. We wish the 12 in Limerick well and also the hundreds in Tipperary and Kerry who have won it previously.
And Galway.
It might not be as significant for us because we have had so many, but I wish Limerick well.
It is very big of Senator Ahearn to congratulate Limerick on its dozen all-stars. I congratulate them as well.
Sadly, no Dubs feature among the hurling all-stars, but we are getting there. Na Fianna are certainly doing their bit to get us there.
I want to refer to the campaign that is running for special needs assistants, #RespectforSNAs. Fórsa is championing a campaign on behalf of 12,000 special needs assistants who are seeking recognition and respect for the role they play in the education system. Special needs assistants play a vital role, not just for the children but also for the teachers and parents. Their presence and availability and the service and supports they provide can be the difference between a child with special needs being able to participate in mainstream education or not. Their importance cannot be overstated. When the current Taoiseach was Minister for Education and Science, he played a role in the introduction of special needs assistants. Everybody recognises their value.
Their ask is quite simple. They would like formal recognition for their role. They would like the Department of Education to consider setting a minimum essential requirement for that role, updating the requirement which is currently three Ds from a junior certificate or intermediate certificate. Many SNAs have third level qualifications and degrees, and others have worked for 20 or 30 years and have experience and expertise that no degree could ever of itself convey. I would like the Leader to arrange for a debate in the House on the role of SNAs and the need for minimum essential standards to be set for the role.
Just before I call on the Leader, I join with colleagues in wishing Cáit Hayes all the best in her retirement. She has been a fantastic voice and presence in Leinster House and also an ambassador for Leinster House abroad. When we have had foreign dignitaries coming here she has been brilliant in terms of liaising with their staff and making sure that everything ran smoothly. She was always behind the scenes making sure that everything worked well. On behalf of the House, I wish her a happy retirement.
I again congratulate those who won the all-stars, but this is the Order of Business not the all-stars order of business. I now call on the all-star Leader to respond to the Order of Business.
There is a lot of showing off today. I add my name to the good wishes to Cáit. I cannot believe that she is retiring because she is far too young, but we all agree that she is an absolute pro to her fingertips. She is a lovely lady and I wish her well.
Senators Fitzpatrick and Sherlock both raised the Fórsa campaign that was launched yesterday, #RespectforSNAs. It is one of the largest groups of workers in the country, with 18,000 members. Anybody who has a child with a special need that has had the mostly positive impact of a special needs assistant on their lives will know the value of the contribution of a good special needs assistant in the life of a child. I speak personally in that regard.
I also happen to have a member of my family working as a special needs assistant, so I know the commitment that they give. This is not anything to do with school management or principals, but I wish to refer to the treatment of special needs assistants, in particular in secondary schools for the couple of weeks at the end of May when the school finishes but the SNA contract does not finish. Apparently, we scurry around trying to find stuff for SNAs to do, be it moving furniture, painting walls or putting stuff in teachers' cars because they must work for those couple of weeks as part of their contract. There is not a child in the school and if we ever want to start showing respect for the profession of SNA, a good place to start would be to respect them and to allow them to finish work when the recipients of their care finish school. If ever a Fórsa campaign deserved our respect, this is definitely one. I commend the Members who raised the issue this morning.
Senators Ahearn and Lombard raised the agricultural correspondent position that has been vacant for months in RTÉ. The best thing I can do is write this morning to Dee Forbes on our behalf to find out what is going on. I have seen a clamour in the industry from people looking for jobs in RTÉ over the years. It is such a prestigious place to work that it is unfathomable that the role has lain vacant for so long.
A number of colleagues raised the welcome extension of the EWSS for the hospitality industry. We are all well aware of the impact last week's restrictions and announcements had from the perspective of being devastating on mental health and from a business perspective. It is vital to keep the continuity going between the employer and the employee.
Senators Dolan, Murphy and Ahearn referred to the very welcome announcement by the Minister for Rural and Community Development this morning. She always has great news to give from her Department. The town centre first plan approach is vital to the revitalisation of many towns and villages around the country. It is important that the Government has put its money where its intentions are. The €100,000 grant per town will make a significant impact on the development and revitalisation of towns. It is welcome that it will be structured and planned for and that the money that is required for the revitalisation will feed through the system. I congratulate all of the towns that have been picked and I hope it will give an impetus to the towns that have not been picked to make sure they are picked the next time. I wish everybody well.
I am going a little bit around the houses. I acknowledge Senator Black's contribution. I will try to arrange a debate on Palestine as quickly as I can after Christmas for her because I know how important it is. I congratulate the Senator and her colleagues on the letter and the contribution to the European Union's campaign. More importantly, I invited the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, yesterday. We had a group meeting with my Fine Gael colleagues yesterday and I can guarantee her that the sentiments she expressed so well this morning are probably shared by everybody in this House. I asked yesterday if the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, could come to the House. We have a space at 3 p.m. next Wednesday afternoon. I have asked if she could come to explain exactly where the €50 million is going. I cannot believe that such ambiguity and concern still arise given the enormous allocation of €50 million that is being given to an industry. I appreciate that it will not go far enough to fulfil the security that is needed in the industry, but it is still a sizeable amount of money and I do not think it is acceptable that we do not know what it is going to do, where it is going to go and how people can access it. Orla in my office is chasing the Minister's people this morning to make sure that we can secure the debate for the House next week. I appreciate how important it is to Senator Black and all colleagues.
Senator Maria Byrne spoke about the 12 all-stars that Limerick finally has. I congratulate them. It is a lovely achievement for the recipients and their families.
It is a lovely time to show the reward and support that people have for the commitment to sport in Ireland, and the excellence that we have in all of our counties. Limerick is showing its excellence this year.
Senators Ó Donnghaile, Chambers and Sherlock talked about the very ominous Bill that passed in Westminster yesterday. Even the name of it is ominous. We need to immediately find the reaction from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and get a statement. Then we will watch it very closely so we can have a debate on it. It is utterly unacceptable, not even that we would have a potential hard border between the North of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, but the insinuation that we would genuinely racially profile people in their cars at Newry, or driving from Letterkenny into Derry, is absolutely outrageous. All it does is fuel the nationalistic urge that the Conservative Party seems so hell-bent on proving that it has in the United Kingdom, and its attitude towards migrants leaves an awful lot to be desired as well. It is a fruitless campaign and will lead nowhere except down a rabbit hole that will not fulfil any of the human rights obligations we all have to uphold. I will find the statement from the Minister. I ask the House to keep an eye on the issue and we will have a debate as that legislation progresses, and obviously we hope it will not.
Senators Barry Ward and Micheál Carrigy mentioned the novel approach New Zealand is taking with regard to trying to combat young people taking up smoking. I only read it briefly, but it was unique that it is taking a different approach to what we normally see in the western world, which is to try to dampen down. Senator Ward also mentioned the Winter Olympics boycott, as did Senator Mullen.
After congratulating Strokestown, Senator Murphy asked about the PUP. I sent a message to the Minister this morning. It is incredible that we would not allow new entrants from the art world on to the PUP scheme, given that is what we opened it for on Friday. I will double-check and come back and let him know exactly what the situation is.
I thank Senator Mullen for his contribution. It sometimes seems he comes in here and feels very isolated in his views; however, I do not think he is. What struck me is that often when he comes in, he is shouted down because other Members do not agree with his views or opinions. We need to remember to be mindful. As Members are well aware, I started off of a particular view at the beginning of the debate and I landed on what was a more compassionate view by the end of it. The only reason the amendment was adopted was because the vast majority of people listened to the debate and listened to each other. If we lose sight of the fact that people do not always share the same views, and that in this case hundreds of thousands of people changed their views because they listened, then we are on a hiding to nothing. I agree that it is as important that we listen to the one third of people who did not agree with the legislation as it is that we listen to the people who would like to extend the legislation. What the Senator is fundamentally right about is that the independent review is of the policy and of the practise of the legislation, and it is of all the minutiae, whether it is extending or restricting the legislation, or whether it was successful or caused issues that we did not expect. It needs to be managed by an independent chairperson, and therefore I concur with him and support him in that.
Senator McGahon talked about resuming the expressions of sympathy; particularly, he was mindful of our friend, former Senator, Terry Brennan. We all miss his smile. The Committee on Parliamentary Privilege and Oversight, CPPO, will allow us to do that once we are sure that we are safe after Christmas.
Senator Malcolm Byrne talked about the Data Protection Commissioner, which is actually quite chilling, in relation to what he said on Tuesday. The report from the Norwegian commissioner states that if our Data Protection Commissioner proceeds with a judgment that she is going to give, it will have massive ramifications for all of our data. It is something we all need to keep an eye on.
Senator Sherlock welcomed the very generous and human approach to regularising our undocumented as announced by the Minister for Justice, Deputy Helen McEntee, last week. I saw a video of some people outside the House who came in appreciation of her commitment and it was just lovely. It was unusual because most people come to the House to give out to us. That scheme opens up in January and will last for six months and will allow probably tens of thousands of people to regularise. As Senator Sherlock said, most of them are in caring professional positions in Ireland and doing the work minding us that we have all come to expect and require. We acknowledge that scheme.
Senator Boylan raised mental health funding. I can only say from experience that the funding is somewhat difficult to access and I do not know why, particularly, when there was money left over in the last couple of months. The HSE sent out project requests for the winter initiative. It was really difficult and most people did not get awarded the money. Maybe that is what we need to look at. We criticise the Government or the State for not spending money, and maybe it is the processes that are the problem. The problem is definitely not the people who want to access the money. The processes need to be looked at. I will send a letter to ask the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, on behalf of the House. It is an awful pity that we do not have multi-annual funding for this and the €20 million that was not spent this year would just roll over and people would be able to access it next year. I acknowledge Senator Boylan's contribution
Senator Boyhan raised the scoliosis waiting lists and the action that is required. The Minister for Health met with families and parents this week, but they need to see action and a plan. The Senator is correct and he is going to raise this issue on a monthly basis here, which will be very worthwhile.
Senator Kyne asked for a debate on greenways, and acknowledged the south Kerry project, which was a test case, from a legal perspective or a planning perspective. I will arrange that after Christmas. The request is in, but it seems as if that Department thinks that if something is a good thing or a good idea then we do not need to talk about it; we do not need to debate unless we have an issue. However, we do not always need to be debating issues; sometimes we need to highlight some of the good and positive things that are going on in the country.
He mentioned the public sector not being able to get the information it requires. As far as the Department of Social Protection is concerned, everybody who makes their contributions through their normal working life can just apply for a statement of contributions, and then they get a long list of where and when they worked and all their contributions. It should be no different for the public sector, so I will ask Ms Orla Murray to make inquiries and I will come back to him on it.
Senator Chambers opened today with a very welcome announcement. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has committed €200 million on top of the €900 million that the State already spends on our childcare. We all acknowledge that we have a long way to go, but it is a very welcome start. He has a plan of action over a multiple number of years to make sure that we reach what is the ultimate aim of having a State childcare system that encourages women to be able to go back to work, but, more importantly, allows them to be able to afford to go back to work, which is a plight for most of them today.