I ask the Deputy Leader to respond to the Order of Business.
An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed)
I thank Members for contributing to the Order of Business. The Order of Business kicked of with Senator Seán Kyne raising the issue of the Passport Office. There are ongoing delays but we would expect there to be a greater demand. A number of other Members, including Senator Malcolm Byrne and others, raised a similar issue around passports, as did Senator John Cummins, in terms of passports for children. A debate with the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has been requested. We have not yet received a reply from his office but I hope to shortly schedule a debate on the very specific issue of the Passport Office.
Senator Victor Boyhan raised the issue of a substantial report compiled by former Senator, Marie-Louise O'Donnell, in 2017, called Finite Lives. He has requested that we have a debate or a conversation in this House on dying, death and bereavement. If appropriate, I suggest the Senator liaise with the Cathaoirleach as this may be a topic appropriate for a panel debate. Certainly, this is an interesting piece of work that requires further discussion.
Senator Malcolm Byrne raised the issue of the Passport Office. He also raised a specific issue around the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill. He called for the newly established expert panel by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, to look at an independent complaints process. Last night, on “Prime Time”, the Minister committed to bringing the Bill to this House in the next week or two. I understand that the expert panel is not due to report for another three months so there may be an issue there. Perhaps that is something we can work on, directly with the Minister's office, to try to find a pathway forward that would be agreeable to Members in this House in terms of debating that legislation as well.
Senator Lynn Boylan raised an issue concerning the European Court of Auditors. I have not read the report so I am not in a position to comment on its detail. The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications is working extremely hard on the whole area of energy efficiency in his Department. A significant amount of funding was announced in the most recent budget to cater for retrofitting and to deal with that whole space.
In previous years, we have not always availed of that funding. We must do better. If there is funding available from the European Union, we should be availing of every last cent of it.
Senator Wall raised the issue of an AEDs register and the community groups that have worked very hard on that issue. He mentioned that a different approach is now being taken by the Minister with regard to a register of those units, which is very welcome. The Senator also raised the issue of those who do damage to life-saving equipment. We all concur with the Senator's remark that it is an abhorrent act to remove those devices that could potentially save somebody's life. We never know when we will need them.
Senator Ruane raised the issue of the announcement by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, around the care system and the research and data collection project that has been initiated, which is the largest ever commissioned in the State. We hope that the experiences of those who have been through the care system will not only be properly documented but acted upon and used to inform current and future policy in the area. The Senator also brought to the attention of the House that she has emailed a survey to all Senators in regard to their biases, conscious or unconscious, of the prison system and those who are going through that system. I would encourage all Members to respond to that survey. I have not yet done so, but I will do it. I thank the Senator for it.
Senator Ardagh raised the issue of a vomiting condition, the proper term for which I will not even try to attempt. The Senator said that it is a condition that affects 1% of women in pregnancy and that there is a drug available to treat it, the name of which I also will not attempt to pronounce, but that it is very costly at €45 per week and is not covered under the drugs payment scheme. I concur with the Senator that that needs to be reviewed urgently.
Senator Lombard spoke about the upcoming local elections, which are two years away. He also requested a debate specifically around local government and the issue of town councils. I concur with the Senator that it was a sad moment for local government when the town councils were removed under former the Minister, Phil Hogan. There are many Members in this House who would support a debate around how we might reintroduce that model in a way that would be acceptable and would work well in communities across the country.
Senator Mullen raised the announcement of the appointment of Ms Marie O'Shea as the new independent chair of the review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. I congratulate Ms O'Shea on her appointment and I wish her well in her work. Senator Mullen raised certain issues around that which I personally would not concur with, but the Senator is entitled to his views. He also drew attention to the €3 million wastewater project announced for Ahascragh and the Bunowen River, and the positive impact that will have on his community.
Senator Davitt raised the issue of apprenticeship schemes and the lack or shortage of places for applicants. I am aware of the issue. It is a matter that needs to be tackled. The Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, is responsible for the area. A great deal of work has been done to improve the services and opportunities for young people to enter apprenticeship programmes. The Minister of State is aware of the acute shortage in the system and he is working to address it.
Senators Maria Byrne, Gavan and Conway raised the urgent and desperate situation at University Hospital Limerick and the 111 people currently on trolleys, which is not a good situation to be in. I know the Senators have worked hard on this issue. I do not have an answer for them as to why it is ongoing and why there is such an acute problem in Limerick that does not appear to be presenting at the same level in other hospitals. There is need for a bespoke solution for University Hospital Limerick. At the end of the day, it is the staff working in those conditions and the patients who are suffering. There is need for a broader look at the wraparound services in terms of home help, step-down facilities and GP services, and to identify why so many people are ending up in the hospital system. It may be that some of the issues could be better dealt with elsewhere to take pressure off the primary centre.
Senator Buttimer spoke about a specific report on CAHMS affecting Cork and Kerry. He mentioned that 46 children were found to have been significantly harmed by the system. I have not read the report so I am not in a position to comment specifically on the details of it, but I concur with the Senator that that is an extremely serious finding. It is a matter that should be raised directly with the Minister for Health. A Commencement matter on that very specific report might, perhaps, be a good starting point to get some answers on the matter.
Senator Craughwell requested a debate on neutrality. A request has been made to the Minister for Defence for a debate on defence, touching on the Women of Honour issue, but also general defence issues in terms of recruitment and retention and the issue around Russia. There are a number of defence issues that have been consistently raised in this Chamber that require a significant and substantial debate with the Minister with responsibility.
Senator Craughwell has particular views on Ireland's neutrality. I would make the point that we are a militarily-neutral country. We are not militarily aligned to any particular organisation, which is a distinct point.
Senator Craughwell also raised the issue around Government and governance. He requested a specific debate on the significant responsibility placed on the shoulders of individual Ministers, which differs from Department to Department. They do have a considerable team of staff in terms of Secretaries General, researchers and so on. It is not just a Minister working on any particular portfolio, but I appreciate the Senator's remarks.
Senator Crowe spoke about the issue of burglary and what he believes to be light sentences. He also made specific comments around sentencing. There is another element to that as well in terms of rehabilitation and prevention to try to reduce those numbers. Senator Crowe requested a debate on sentencing with the Minister for Justice, which we will try to organise as the earliest opportunity.
Senator Seery Kearney raised the issue of human trafficking and a recent report which found, if I understood her correctly, that there was a correlation between the numbers of victims coming in, male and female, and sexual or labour exploitation. She spoke about the need for a public awareness campaign to encourage and educate members of the public on how to identify and spot trafficking, which might better help the authorities to deal with that criminality.
As I mentioned earlier, Senator Conway raised the situation at University Hospital Limerick. He also raised an important issue around cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine, and the need for a free catch-up programme to cover the significant cost associated with getting that vaccine for those who missed the opportunity to get the vaccine in school. I concur with the Senator's remarks. I suggest that the Senator table a Commencement matter to the Minister for Health, which might give a specific timeline for the introduction of that catch-up programme.
Senator Cummins raised the issue of the Passport Office, which I have dealt with. We will arrange that debate as quickly as we can.
Senator McGreehan requested a debate with the Minister for Health. We will, hopefully, get the Minister into the House in the next number of weeks, specifically around a complaints process to allow better oversight and accountability where there is a shortcoming in the provision of services and care of patients in different areas of the health service.
Senator Ó Donnghaile raised the issue of the Women of Honour. I am acutely aware of the comments by the Women of Honour that they are not happy with what has been announced by the Minister, Deputy Coveney. I would hope that the Minister might be able to sit down with the Women of Honour to find some way forward that is agreeable to the victims and to take on board their concerns. I note that the Minister has since clarified that it does not preclude a full statutory inquiry. Hopefully, a solution can be found that is agreeable to all sides.
Senator McGahon raised the issue of passports. He also raised the issue of SEAI grants and the need for clarity in that regard.
Senator Paddy Burke requested a debate on tourism, which I think would be quite timely. We will try to schedule that at the earliest opportunity.
Order of Business agreed to.
Sitting suspended at 12.38 p.m. and resumed at 1.30 p.m.