The Order of Business is No.1, address to Seanad Éireann by MEPs representing the European Parliament South constituency, to be taken at 2 p.m., in accordance with the arrangements set out in a motion passed by the House on 10 February 2022; No. 2, motion regarding the establishment of citizens' assemblies, to be taken at 4.30 p.m. and to conclude at 6.30 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, the contributions of all Senators not to exceed six minutes and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 3, Private Members' business - Coroners (Provision for Jury Selection) (Amendment) Bill 2022 – Order for Second Stage, to be taken at 6.45 p.m., with the time allocated to the debate not to exceed two hours.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
I start by welcoming to the House a good friend of mine and an active campaigner, Mr. Matthew McGrath, whose campaign about access to beaches I have raised before. He has been very active in this area. It is a privilege to have him here in Leinster House today. I know the view about increasing accessibility, generally, is shared by all within the Seanad.
Following the discussion yesterday regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I wish to raise the impact this will have on global food security. Russia and Ukraine export more than one quarter of the world's wheat. While, in Ireland, we do not import significant quantities from that region, any disruption will have a big impact on global supply chains. When we talk about wheat, in particular, we are talking about basic foodstuffs and bread. We know, because of Brexit, that much flour imported here through the UK is from North American wheat. Rules of origin standards have meant that the WTO tariff is often applied at full whack of €172 per tonne on flour imported through the UK. There are a couple of potential solutions. I have raised before the work of two Wexford brothers, Andrew and Raymond Kavanagh from Ballycarney, who were looking to establish a commercial flour mill in Ireland in order that we are no longer reliant on imports. In the context of the supports being made available under the Brexit adjustment reserve fund, looking at supporting commercial flour mills is useful, but we also need to support our own farmers who are growing quality wheat.
I would like a debate, in a broader context, on food security. This question is linked to the impact on global supply chains. However, if we look at the likely impact of what is happening in Russia and Ukraine will have on other parts of the world, we will see rising grain prices in countries such as Turkey and in the Middle East. Half of the wheat used in Lebanon is imported from Ukraine; 22% in Yemen; 43% in Libya and 14% in Egypt. We all know, because of the tensions that already exist within some of those countries, that to have a situation in which food security arises would be even more concerning. I ask for a debate on food security here in Ireland which also links to the broader questions of the rising cost of living on an international basis.
I also welcome Mr. McGrath.
I also welcome Mr. McGrath and his family.
As we know, there has been a huge drive to roll out electric cars throughout the country. Obviously, electric cars require electric charging points. In contacting the ESB three years ago, I was informed that:
... the ESB is working on a plan to roll out high-powered charging across national and motorway routes across the country to facilitate inter-urban driving for electric vehicles. Whilst we haven't confirmed the charging point locations at this point, given that we are focusing on national and motorway routes, it is unlikely the chargers that will be installed as part of the initiative would be located [in my village of Moycullen at the time].
Nor would they be installed in other areas, as it were, on regional and national secondary routes, such as Oughterard, Barna and An Spidéal. These areas are much travelled by tourists, in particular, and the growing population which aspires to being able to drive an electric car and it is Government policy to increase the roll-out of electric cars in time.
I sought an update in the past week and it was confirmed by the ESB that, "there are no plans to change the focus of the roll-out plan for e-car charging infrastructure". I ask for a debate on the issue of electrics and seek an update from the Minister on this matter. If we are serious about climate, and I know Government has put a huge focus on climate action, there is a requirement for public charging points.
There are a number of points in private hotels and obviously, that is an attraction and incentive for those hotels and is something positive for them to market themselves but there is a requirement in areas where there are regional and national secondary routes.
I will touch on an area I worked on in my role as a Minister of State with responsibility for natural resources and that relates to the issue of angling. It is an issue that does not get enough attention. I am calling for a debate on angling with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan. At the time I was Minister of State in 2018, I initiated a by-law to protect the great western lakes of Lough Sheelin, Lough Conn, Lough Cullin, Lough Corrib, Lough Mask, Lough Carra and Lough Arrow from the threat of the invasive pike. It is a cause of much concern to the angling community in the west that this by-law fell in court. It was challenged because an appropriate assessment was not done, yet, at the same time, two controversial by-laws are on the Statute Book that go back to 2006. For example, by-law No. 809, 2006, prohibits "a person to take or kill any pike greater than 50 cm in length measured in a straight line from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail". The large pike that breeds and lays many eggs and that gobbles up all the small trout and salmon on our great western lakes cannot be taken. This needs to be changed. I ask for a debate on the issue of angling in this House.
I am happy to second the Leader's proposal for the Order of Business. I am particularly pleased that we will discuss two citizens' assemblies. I will not get into too much debate because we have set aside two hours this afternoon; I thank the Leader and her office staff for arranging that. I will indicate some concern about the proposal by the Government. This motion was amended, but there is still no change. That is the prerogative of the Government but there is a proposal that 12 councillors will be on the citizens' assembly representing the four Dublin local authorities. Fingal County Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and South Dublin County Council have 40 members each, while there are in excess of 60 to 64 members in Dublin City Council. I would like Senators to consider that in the next few hours because the view is there should be more representation than that. I look forward and am happy to go through that issue. I would like some support for the amendment, which I have already flagged to Dublin city and county councillors this morning.
I will turn to the issue of the mushroom industry. I had thought the Leader would be in the Chamber and I acknowledge her enormous work, as well as that of the Acting Leader, on the mushroom sector. I know Senator Malcolm Byrne has raised the issue of mushroom production in Wexford. It is also in Wicklow and Monaghan. We are still no further on. We had very protracted discussions on the mushroom sector at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine meeting last night and it appears no Minister is prepared to take responsibility and come to the House. The committee has taken steps to address that, including writing to the Ceann Comhairle. That is another issue but I ask for a renewed debate on the milling of peat in the short term for the horticultural sector.
Before I call Senator Garvey, I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, and his family to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. I thank them for joining us today.
The Minister of State and his family are welcome. I wish to raise an issue around the circular economy. The term "circular economy" will become one of those new buzzwords like "climate emergency" and "sustainable" everything. I want it to be explained in a very clear way so we do not think that if we keep mentioning the word "sustainable" it will make a difference. The circular economy is where we look at the amount of waste we are producing, be it from clothes, cars, rubbish or food, and do something about it.
Recently, I had the great pleasure of going to Ballymun to visit one of the most inspiring places I have been to in an awfully long time, the Rediscovery Centre. This building was repurposed thanks to a great woman, Dr. Sarah Miller, and her staff. They turned an old district heating system into a place that has training and sees the repair of bikes, clothes, furniture and paint. It is an inspirational place. As we move towards the challenges we face around climate, and the biodiversity crisis we are in now, I urge every Member in the Government and the Opposition to go to this place and bring back their inspiration to their local authority. I have since engaged with my local authority in looking to set up something similar. Not only can we take what has been done at the Rediscovery Centre, which is completely inspiring, we could take it one step further, link in with the education and training boards and get certification for the people who are being trained up. They can then on go to create green jobs. That is where it is at, at this stage. It is not about buying another reusable water bottle or green product. That is still consumerism. We have to look past that and look at degrowth and the circular economy. These kinds of places could result in jobs, with access to business supports.
Irish households create 14 million tonnes of waste every year. In Ireland, we send 63,000 tonnes of textiles to landfill per year. Almost half of what we donate to charity shops and clothes banks enters the global textile trade, often with devastating consequences for the countries on which they are offloaded. Per head of population, Ireland is among the highest waste producers in Europe. We have to buy less stuff and we have to try to reuse and upcycle all we have. That is where we at, at this stage. Everything is coming from petrol, precious metals or precious ores in the ground that take a lot of carbon to produce. Ireland, per head of population, is among the highest waste producers in Europe. Every year, our waste would fill Croke Park to the top of the stands. It is estimated that almost 14 million tonnes of waste was generated in Ireland in 2018, across all sectors and households, corresponding to 2.9 tonnes per person.
Producing plastic products through recycling plastic reduces energy requirements by 66%. I cannot believe we are still talking about recycling, but it is about reducing, reusing and recycling. We have to take it seriously and we have to do more about it. As Government representatives, we have to take this seriously, look at what we can do and support things such as the Rediscovery Centre being replicated throughout Ireland.
I ask the House to request the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Ossian Smyth, who has done a lot of work on this, to come to the Chamber to better inform us of the plans for, and progress he has made on, the circular economy in Ireland.
I echo the recommendation that everyone visits the Rediscovery Centre. When I worked in Global Action Plan in Ballymun, I worked closely with Dr. Miller and the Rediscovery Centre. It is an incredible resource. I was going to say I was happy the Minister of State was in the Gallery because of what I was going to speak about today. I will not have the opportunity to speak during the citizens' assembly debate but I would like to raise a number of issues that should feature in the biodiversity citizens' assembly, one of which is the role the State is playing in actively destroying habitats and undermining our wildlife laws.
In the past week, we have had two separate reports outlining where the Office of Public Works, OPW, has breached animal welfare laws, one in Emo Court and the second in Barryscourt Castle, Cork, by disturbing bat roosts without the proper licence. Work in Barryscourt began in 2016 but a bat specialist was not called into the 600-year-old castle until 2020. I am more familiar with the case of Emo Court because I have been given the runaround by the OPW and the National Parks and Wildlife Service for the past number of months. It was only through a freedom of information request that I was able to expose the fact that despite an ecologist visiting Emo Court in 2019 and saying works could not go ahead because the mitigation could not ensure the safety of the bat roost, the OPW ploughed ahead. When I say, "ploughed ahead", it ploughed ahead. It was only when it was reported by people who rightly whistleblew on this that the National Parks and Wildlife Service went out to investigate the site in January 2020. The only evidence of bats they found was swept-up bat droppings and a dead bat. To make matters worse, it appears the National Parks and Wildlife Service, instead of doing its job, which would have been to file a criminal complaint regarding the works the OPW undertook without a licence, it appears licences were retrospectively granted and a prosecution has not been pursued. When we talk about a biodiversity crisis, if biodiversity is not safe within State bodies and they are going out and actively destroying it, and if a second body is facilitating one body in doing so, what hope do we have on private land?
It is also the case that the OPW has form in this area. It is not just these two individual cases. We only have to look at what it is doing to rivers throughout the country. I recommend that everybody looks at the Twitter account of environmental consultants ECOFACT, run by Dr. Will O'Connor, who constantly exposes the brutal works carried out by the OPW. It recently destroyed otter, kingfisher and lamprey habitats on the Nenagh River and yet the OPW gave itself a very good rating in its environmental audit of those works.
I will not be able to say this in the debate so I am calling for the citizens' assembly to address the role of the OPW because I would not trust it with a fly at the moment. The assembly must also look at who monitors the work the OPW is carrying out. When it comes to wildlife crime, nobody can be above the law.
I want to talk about a new scheme for care leavers in Wales that was announced last week. Under the plan every 18-year-old leaving care in Wales will be offered £1,600 a month over two years under a basic income pilot. This will be the highest amount to be offered on a scheme of its kind anywhere in the world. It is expected that about 500 people will be eligible to join the scheme, which will be taxed and counted as income by the UK Government. That means it would affect someone's eligibility for benefits. It will be unconditional and will not be withdrawn if participants get a job. Officials are saying it will be equivalent to a real living wage and will be taxed at the basic rate. It is an interesting proposals and something we need to look at closely here. The Welsh Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt MS, said the plans would "deliver financial stability for a generation of young people that need it most". A teenager who has foster parents and was interviewed about this said the pilot could make care leavers "equal with everyone else". Another interviewee said that people in care are "disadvantaged financially and this will bring us level". She also said it would be a safety net for those who have been in care who may not have support from their families and she noted that: "many have been damaged, physical and mentally - this can help pay for private counselling or therapy as often public waiting lists for these services are so long." That is not dissimilar to our situation in Ireland.
This plan for care leavers takes the concept of universal basic income, UBI, and applies it to a particular group so it is not UBI in its fullest form. However, it highlights how we can use the concept of UBI to support groups in a way that does not require eternal means testing and all these other things we have. To match the level of basic income for care leavers at about the real living wage is a bold move. In economic terms, if the project is successful and results in better paid work and healthier lives, the argument is that the long-term benefits would flow back into the economy. While this is not is a pilot of UBI, its outcomes will be relevant to the debate around that and that will be important to watch from here.
We have a plan for a UBI-style income scheme for artists coming down the pipeline in Ireland and that is currently being worked out but this proposed scheme in Wales is one for us to really watch. We should then consider whether we need to look at something bold, brave and radical to support our care leavers in Ireland. I know there are many people on either side of UBI . It comes down to one’s personal economics and whether one thinks it should be purely about economic growth or whether we value people’s happiness in other measures. I would like us to have a conversation, not only about how we support care leavers when they leave care but whether we need to look at some sort of bold, brave and radical plan for supporting care leavers in order to level out the playing field for people who have already been disadvantaged.
I want to raise the decision made by Tesco on Tuesday last to outsource 100 security jobs in Galway and across the country. To put this into perspective, in the UK and Ireland last year, Tesco forecast its profits to be more than €3 billion. Savings made by this decision will not even amount to a drop in the bucket of that enormous figure, yet it will have an extremely negative impact on those 100 employees and their families. Having spoken to some of the employees, including some who have worked in their positions for more than 25 years, they have told me how they worked right through the pandemic, how on occasion they have been assaulted in their work, and so on. They have shown loyalty to the company which makes billions of euro profit every year. That loyalty has now been thrown in their faces. They are being asked to reapply for part-time positions and to state the obvious their terms and conditions would be lesser and different. Tesco likes to say “Every Little Helps” but it has no concerns about what helps their employees who have collectively given hundreds of years of service to the company, regardless of how little the figure is in the grand scheme of things for their profits. Anything little that helps its bottom line will be done, notwithstanding the impact it will have on 100 families in Galway and across the country.
We have lots of fantastic companies in this country that treat their staff with respect and dignity and that appreciate the service their staff provide. With its actions, unfortunately Tesco is making it clear that it does not belong in that category. I ask the Leader to raise this matter with the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Troy, and with the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Varadkar, because it is totally unacceptable for a company that is recording profits in the billions to be so dismissive of its employees in this country.
Today is a true occasion for me. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his comments earlier. As is the case for so many colleagues, today is about being able to bring our families into the House. It is a true occasion because it is the first time we can do that in two years. I thank the Cathaoirleach, my colleagues and the ushers for making this a special occasion. Being a representative is about pride in where I come from. My family has an awful lot to do with that. I want to acknowledge my mother, Teresa Dolan née Caulfield, who trained as a nurse in London many years ago and then moved back home. If there was ever a woman who could be an inspiration, it would be my mum. There is nothing she could not do, be it nursing, farming, calving or tiling floors. She is incredible. It is her birthday this week and she is here for that special occasion. My father, Tony Dolan, is a farmer who has a true love of the land. He should be in this job rather than me because sometimes I am terrible with names and faces but he knows every square inch of that farm, be it in Jennings' or out in Moore, and he knows the townlands all around it and the people. He has such a love of people and of meeting people and the lockdown has been so hard over the last two years for so many people, especially our older people. I acknowledge that my Dad, a true farmer and his brother, Paddy Dolan, would have always been in the mart and in the Duck Inn in Ballinasloe. The pride that my parents and family have in where they come from is what I have as well. My brothers Brian, Darragh and David helped throughout this whole journey and in making this so special. We are having a 100-year centenary. My father was born in 1932 and he is a true citizen of this country. In this House, where we strive to represent our country in the challenges ahead, the bar has been set by so many and that drives us in public service. It is a special day and one I will treasure for all time.
We are supporting the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, and my colleague, Deputy Stanton, in a measure they are looking at to support open access to school buildings after hours. It is to support local communities and school organisations will benefit. Our request and what we have been working with the Minister on is that this would be a requisite of the CLÁR programme and funding for school buildings and sports areas. This could be to do with playgrounds, Astroturf or basketball courts but it is important that it is done in consultation with principals, school boards of management and parents associations. We might see how we can make this work in practice. School buildings and sports areas are wonderful resources for every town and village and we see the benefit for local communities when they can use these facilities after hours.
I welcome the Senator’s parents. I hope they enjoy the day and I thank them for sending us such a formidable Senator.
It is lovely to see the parents of Senators coming in. I am little envious that I do not have my mother anymore. Senator Hoey does not have her father anymore and Senator Carrigy does not have his mother anymore but it is so lovely to see that Senator Dolan is able to share these moments with her parents.
On Monday the Children’s Rights Alliance published its annual report card, which provides an analysis of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party’s Programme for Government: Our Shared Future, and how it performed for children in 2021. The report examines the promises made to the children in the programme for Government and grades the Government on its performance in bringing about those promised changes. The report states:
2021 was far from a normal year and, to its credit, the Government made good progress in some areas. To reflect this, a ‘B’ grade was awarded on the commitment to create new pathways for long-term undocumented people and their children. There were three ‘B-’ grades for work to end the Direct Provision system, for reform of the childcare system and for the long-awaited guidelines on reduced timetables.
[...]
Things were less stellar at the other end of the spectrum with two ‘E’ grades awarded – the lowest in Report Card 2022. The first of these is given for the increase in the number of children and their families experiencing homelessness. The fact that there were nearly 300 more children and young people in emergency accommodation at the end of the 2021 compared to the beginning of that year, is deeply disappointing particularly given the positive actions taken in 2020 resulting in a fall in homeless families.
It is worth spending some time with the report but a few figures give a sobering snapshot of the work to be done.
Just under 2,500 children are homeless, as are 929 young adults. Some 1,795 children and young people are in direct provision. Some 84% of those aged eight to ten years are on social media platforms despite being below the age restriction. There are 2,384 children on the waiting list for a child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, appointment of whom 170 have waited for more than a year. It is all there in the report. How best to help the children of Ireland? It might be a good time to have a debate on this.
I also welcome Senator Dolan's family here. It is lovely to see the great pride she has in them and I am sure that it is reciprocated because they can be very proud of Senator Dolan and the wonderful work that she is doing here in the Seanad.
I welcome the announcement by the Cabinet that the long-awaited task force on the Shannon Estuary is about to commence and that advertisements will go out seeking indications of interest in becoming a member of its board. If this Government goes full term, as I believe it will, in 2025 I will have been a public representative for 40 years. In all that time I have had great joys and great disappointments. The Shannon Estuary has been the greatest struggle and disappointment of my political life. We have been promised so many false dawns. We were going to have a car assembly factory there, a zinc refinery and a major transhipment hub. I gave 16 years as a director of the local port company in Foynes, which was very profitable and go-ahead. We wasted so many wonderful opportunities from a lack of Government commitment and I am talking about my own party as well as everybody else.
Next week we will get the definitive result from An Bord Pleanála on the Shannon liquefied natural gas, LNG, project, which I devoutly hope will get the go-ahead. The Government has indicated that it will accept An Bord Pleanála's decision. When it comes to the objectors, 99% do not reside in my community. There is 99% support for that project in the community in north Kerry. I hope that if and when permission is given, these objectors will accept that and let us get on with creating jobs and creating new infrastructure and giving a whole new lease of life to the estuary.
I also welcome the report published yesterday by Alcohol Action Ireland in conjunction with the UCC school of public health on alcohol. We have had many debates here on alcohol but I would like to point out some alarming statistics in the report. It states that up to four people daily die in Ireland of alcohol-related disease. Alcohol is a factor in 5% of all deaths in the country. More than 25% of suicides, male and female, are alcohol-related. These statistics may be underestimates. I am not a killjoy. I drank when I was able; I cannot drink any more. It is wonderful to see people enjoying a drink in moderation. That said, we need to step up a gear. I am calling for a State-sponsored alcohol office to be opened by the Government, the introduction of a broadcast watershed for alcohol advertising on radio and television and clearer labelling of the danger of alcohol products, akin to what we get when we open our cigarette packets.
Before Senator Dolan's parents leave, I want to wish her mum a very happy birthday. It is wonderful to see all her family here. I know it was a very proud day for her when she was elected, as it was for all of us. I know that it is a proud day to have the opportunity to visit here and see the goings on. They are very welcome.
Senator Malcolm Byrne welcomed Matthew McGrath and I add my voice and that of the House to that welcome. He has led a campaign about accessibility to beaches. He is lucky that he lives in Gorey. It is such a lovely town with beautiful beaches all around. That is something that we all very much support. Senator Malcolm Byrne also spoke about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the consequent concern about food security that arise as well as the humanitarian concerns. We are all very concerned about the global supply of wheat, flour, bread etc. He is right in saying that we need to support commercial flour mills here. We need to have a debate about food security. That links in with a point raised by Senator Boyhan on the mushroom sector. We have gone no further on the agricultural peat issue. Deputy Cahill, the excellent Chair of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, told me last night that it was impossible to get a Minister to come before the committee to speak about this issue. That is absolutely wrong and we need to do as much as we can to ensure our food security. One question, on international matters, leads on the other.
Senator Kyne sought two debates. One is on electric cars and the need for electricity points needed on local, regional and national routes. He is correct in saying that we need to accelerate the roll-out. It is unfortunate that three years after the original request, that the ESB has not changed its focus in respect of the smaller, more rural areas which need electric points to encourage people to invest in electric cars. That is Government policy. We will look for a debate on that. He also raised the issue of angling and a by-law that he had introduced that fell and two controversial by-laws that require debate. He might introduce that by-law into the Seanad. We could have a good debate then.
Senator Boyhan spoke of the citizens' assembly and the need for more representation from councillors across Dublin. I am sure that is something that we all support.
Senator Garvey spoke about the circular economy. She mentioned the work that Dr. Sarah Miller has done in the Rediscovery Centre, Ballymun, with workshops and projects on recycling and reusing, particularly around the repair of bicycles and furniture, as well as the bringing in of paint. People often have paint left over from jobs. It is a perfect idea. Senator Garvey has encouraged all public representatives to visit and see how we can create jobs in the green area. She suggested that we look for a debate from the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, who has done a lot of work in the area. We will look for that debate.
Senator Boylan spoke about the conservation of bats, particularly in Emo Court and in Cork. It is quite wrong that she had to resort to a freedom of information request to get the information she requested. She also pointed out that licences were retrospectively granted. That is simply not good enough. She made a fair point that when we talk about the citizens' assembly and biodiversity, we need to look within the State institutions first. I agree that should be addressed within the citizens' assembly.
Senator Hoey spoke about a pilot scheme in Wales for those leaving care, which ensures that people have extra funding. It is the same principle of universal support income. It would go to a small group of people to help level the playing field. Life in care is difficult and when you leave care as an 18-year-old, life is even more difficult. Support, including financial support, and care are needed. It is something that we could ask the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to look at.
Senator Crowe raised Tesco's decision to outsource security work and the impact on 100 workers both inside and outside of Galway. He rightly made the point that they were people who gave incredible loyalty to the firm.
As he mentioned, some have worked there for more than 25 years, including throughout the pandemic. We know how difficult the pandemic was for people working on the front lines, as these people were. Sadly, they received insults from many others. They have been asked to reapply under certain terms and conditions. We will raise the matter with the Tánaiste and the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, on the Senator's behalf.
Senator Dolan spoke about her pride in her place and in her family. She also raised a point about open access to school buildings after school hours. I cannot believe that it is not being done at this stage. Given the significant investment in school buildings – all of our new schools are state-of-the-art, and rightly so – it is wrong that schools in many small towns and communities do not provide access after hours. In particular, every school should allow outside access to halls that can be used for sport or other activities. I support the Senator's call.
Senator Keogan spoke about the performance grade awarded by the Children's Rights Alliance. I happened to hear some of the interview with Ms Tanya Ward on radio the day before yesterday. Regarding the grading system, she rightly spoke about where we had scored well as a country, which is important, but also about where we had not, particularly in terms of the use of social media. I agree with the Senator that we should seek a debate with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. It is a matter that we should cast an eye on annually.
Senator O'Sullivan spoke about the Shannon Estuary task force as well as the highs and lows of his political life. He mentioned that this was his greatest disappointment. I am glad that he has had other high notes. I hope that the next week's decision on Shannon LNG will be positive and act as a definitive point. As we saw with the Glanbia plant in Mitchelstown, recourse being taken to court time and again delays processes and jobs. The cost of these manufacturing hubs, for want of a better term, has escalated so much that it is stopping progress within the regions. These rural regions need those jobs and industries.
The Senator also spoke about the report by Alcohol Action. I listened to a segment on it this morning. The statistics were frightening. For example, 25% of suicides are alcohol-related, alcohol is a factor in 5% of deaths overall and four people die from alcohol-related illness every day. The Senator made particular requests for a State-sponsored alcohol office and clearer labelling. I am sure that there will be support for those requests. I agree with him that we need to raise awareness more.