The Order of Business is No. 1, Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021, Committee Stage, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to adjourn at 2.30 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 2, statements on the credit union sector, to be taken at 2.30 p.m. and to conclude at 4 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed seven minutes, all others Senators not to exceed five minutes, and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 97(1), Private Members' business, a motion on housing, to be taken at 4.30 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
I support the Order of Business as outlined by my colleague, Senator Chambers. Yesterday, we had moving debates about the crisis in Ukraine. It is wonderful to see the effort around the island of Ireland to support the Ukrainians, including those who are trying to help family members to come here, and those who are supporting the Ukrainians who are staying in or fleeing from Ukraine. It was heart-warming to see a photograph last night of a young girl holding up her train ticket and saying that Poland was not charging those on the trains. That was a fantastic, altruistic effort.
As a corollary, it is disappointing that Ryanair has doubled its air fares for those who have fled and are coming from Poland to Ireland. I have heard this from a number of people and seen the evidence. Flights that would normally cost less than €200 now cost more than €400. It is difficult for those who are fleeing their homeland. Many have little or no money. Families here are trying to pay for them. I know we cannot do anything about it here, but I felt it was important to raise the issue.
Yesterday was food waste day, to make everybody aware of the issues relating to food waste. Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Green Generation in Nurney with my colleague, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan. What they have done there is incredible. They are taking waste food from supermarkets and turning it into a gas. It fuels its own fleet with that and generates electricity that goes back into the grid at Cush. It has a sister factory in Clara in Offaly, which is able to make cladding, bollards and railway sleepers from wrapping. It is incredible to see what they are doing. It is important work.
This country needs to follow France's lead in banning plastic wrapping. We have been warned repeatedly that our seas will have more plastic than fish by 2050 if we do not change our ways. Only 14% of plastic waste is recyclable, so we need to look at what we can do to change our consumption of plastic and decrease food waste. A UK charity, WRAP, or the Waste and Resources Action Programme, spent 18 months researching the difference between people buying loose products and people buying wrapped products. It concluded that selling produce loose, without wrapping, led to 14 million baskets of food not being wasted. We need to go that way.
The last matter I will raise is Caragh Bridge, which I mentioned here before. I thought works were going to start, but unfortunately they are not, because of other work that needs to be done. I asked that a survey be done of bridges in Kildare at that time, because both canals, numerous rivers and train tracks run through Kildare. We need thorough research and a survey of all our bridges in consultation with Iarnród Éireann and Waterways Ireland to do what we can to shore them up so that we do not have similar situations.
I previously asked for a debate on the positive issues of blueways, greenways and active walking schemes across the country. The Galway city to Oughterard greenway has taken a turn. It has been reset. It is a step backwards to go forwards. The greenway has been funded twice, as early as 2014, and there were issues with acquisition of land and engagement with landowners. The county council, in conjunction with Galway City Council, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and AECOM, which is a consultancy firm, have re-established the process and gone out to consultation. I urge people to engage with the consultation questionnaire, which is on galwaytooughterardgreenway.ie. That will be open until 22 March 2022.
I urge people with an interest in this area to make a submission about their preferred choice of route. This is part of a constraint study, which will cover an area from Galway to Barna and along the N59 towards Oughterard. There is a starting point in Fisheries Field and a finishing point in Oughterard town. After that, it is open to the engagement and constraint studies on this important area.
I fully support the greenway development. I believe it will be a game changer for tourism and for local people engaging in exercise and recreation. Even more importantly, I think it will be a game changer with regard to commuting. There are many people in my area, especially Moycullen and Rosscahill, who might work in the university or the hospital, and indeed students who attend National University of Ireland, Galway, or Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology. It would be a game changer for them to be able to cycle to work or university along the greenway, in through Galway city and Fisheries Field. I urge people to get involved.
We saw the south Kerry case in the Supreme Court two weeks ago. It was a game changer in ensuring that greenways are viewed as critical infrastructure and can be treated in the same way as road projects with regard to allowing access to complete a project. Two other developments have happened in the last years too. The greenway strategy, initiated by the former Minister, Shane Ross, has been completed and published.
There has also been engagement with landowners, which has been a pivotal part of the project, and compensation for landowners has been signed up to by farm bodies. That will give comfort to farmers and landowners when they are engaging with the local authority that there is a base price in delivering this public good, as it were. I firmly support the greenway. I hope that the reset of the project can be progressed as quickly as possible. I urge people to engage with the public consultation and with the Galway to Oughterard greenway website, connemaragreenway.ie.
I am happy to support the Order of Business. Today, I do not want to ask anything of the Deputy Leader; I just want to share some thoughts. Earlier at 10 a.m., people of different traditions and faiths gathered in the heart of Leinster House to join in communion in the celebration of a Catholic mass. It also happens to be Ash Wednesday today. It was a great honour and a privilege to be invited and to participate in the mass. It was important to me on a personal level to attend. I know it was very important to the participants. There were Senators, Deputies and members of the parliamentary family and community at the mass. It was a very strong and powerful act of solidarity. It showed very much our own communion with each other. The mass was led by a Dominican priest, who spoke very movingly and with a great sense of humour. We said prayers for the people of Ukraine and Russia, and indeed, for the leadership of these countries. There are many innocent people in Russia, as there are in Ukraine. The mass was an important show of solidarity here. It represented to me our diversity and our respect for that diversity. Long may that continue. Long may that respect and inclusivity remain at the very heart of this Parliament. I wish to share that thought with the Members.
Over the past few days, I attended Westminster as part of the delegation to attend the meeting of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. I connected with an Anglican community at the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields at the heart of Trafalgar Square. A special ecumenical service was held there for the Ukrainian people. Indeed, it was broadcast on the BBC. It was so full that you could not get into the building or out onto the square. At the end of the service, the vicar asked that people would leave the church and go onto the square to show solidarity. So much of people's faith, tradition and heritage can sometimes be locked behind doors. I wondered how many people would come out of the church. The entire congregation came out onto Trafalgar Square. During the three-minute silence, no words were spoken. There was a sense of empathy and being in communion with each other. I thought that was important. As I left, I visited the Irish community in the crypt of the church. I came across a sign that read: "No matter who, no matter what, we are here to provide opportunity, sanctuary and support for everyone." I will finish by highlighting the enormous work that community did for the Irish people who went there in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and for the many Irish people who are homeless in London. They are a displaced people. Of course, we will empathise with, and be supportive of, the displaced people in the heart of Europe. We have had our own experience of people being displaced from the island of Ireland. I want us to be mindful of our own history and of displaced people in Europe and Ireland. Let us not forget that there are Irish people displaced in many parts of the world. Let us use our political contacts to highlight and support their needs.
I thank the Senator for his acknowledgement of the great work done by many to help the Irish in the UK, who were forgotten in many senses, and had to leave Ireland out of necessity.
I welcome to the Public Gallery the former Senator, Deputy Bacik, who, no doubt, is not making an application to rejoin us. She is always welcome to visit us at any time. I thank her for her presence today. I call Senator Pauline O'Reilly.
Deputy Bacik is welcome; it is good to see her. I wish to raise the issue of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, IPAT. It is welcome that we have waived visas for those coming from Ukraine. The regularisation of long-term undocumented migrants scheme is also welcome and is part of the programme for Government. However, we must be careful that as we open back up, all the cases that were heard online go back to being heard in person. People should at least be offered the option of in-person hearings. Most courts are doing that, but I have been told that the IPAT is not, and cases are being heard online. One has to wonder if this is an attempt to deal with a backlog by pushing through cases. That is incredibly unfair to applicants who are seeking an appeal through that mechanism. Many of the clients who go before the court come from direct provision centres, where they do not have privacy. Hearings are conducted over Webex, which is quite flaky. I have heard from those in the legal profession that it is a difficulty. I am not entirely clear on why this is happening. Perhaps the Deputy Leader can ask the Minister for Justice why the IPAT is continuing to hear cases online when there is no longer a necessity for it, now that we are out of lockdown.
I would also like to raise the issue of the proposed citizens' assembly on education. There has been a lot of discussion over the past few weeks on citizens' assemblies. There are four included the programme for Government, one of which is a citizen's assembly on education. Now is the time to discuss with the people what they want from their education system in an open way. Many issues relating to our education system came to light through the pandemic. I think the people would welcome the opportunity to discuss them.
I met with representatives of Wicklow Democratic School earlier today. It is a small school that does not follow the curriculum, but instead engages with students to find what it is that they want in their curriculum, and mentors young people. The school would very much like to be recognised. It is recognised and supported to an extent, but it would like to be in the State system. Unfortunately, schools do not get State support unless they follow the Irish curriculum that is long overdue reform. I would like to bring the issue to the attention of other Oireachtas Members. I encourage them to look up democratic schooling. It is something that I feel very passionate about. If we look at all of the different models and what is working across the State, we will find, in pockets around the country, people who are taking a step forward before the Department of Education. That could be a model to work from when we are looking at how we reform this country.
I welcome Councillor Seán Kelly, from Louth County Council, to the Chamber. I call Senator Warfield.
I want to commend what two artists have done in recent weeks. Brian Teeling and Emma Roche have both instructed the National Gallery of Ireland to remove their works from the walls of the gallery. By doing so, they have put their practices at considerable risk to protest the fact that the National Gallery of Ireland has contracted the US company Aramark to take over the café on Merrion Square. I was absolutely dismayed at the decision by a leading cultural institution to offer its café to a company that profits from the inhumane system of direct provision, and even more so, because it completely undermines the work of the National Gallery of Ireland in its diversity, access and inclusion programme that is led by the very good education team and that included a recent exhibition created with people currently and formerly living in direct provision. The sheer hypocrisy is staggering. I commend the staff of the gallery who have spoken out internally in their workplace and the 84 artists who have put their names to an open letter to the board of the National Gallery. As the letter points out, and as we all know, 7,000 people remain in direct provision, 1,761 of whom have permission to remain in Ireland. For them, direct provision has become a system of emergency accommodation. The National Gallery of Ireland needs to show leadership.
The procurement process required all contractors to ensure they did not damage the institution's reputation. This contract has led to severe reputational damage for the National Gallery of Ireland and the gallery needs to acknowledge that. The contract should be revoked.
It is difficult, when we are seeing the images coming from Ukraine, to come into this House and speak about anything else, quite frankly. It is dominating everyone's thoughts and the news agenda. It is horrific and it is worth reiterating that point.
I want to talk about the calls from my party colleague, Deputy Bacik, on behalf of those people who are fleeing Ukraine and travelling to its borders. The Irish Government must put pressure on our EU counterparts to accept various forms of ID at borders. Some of the people who are fleeing do not necessarily have passports but many have national ID cards. That goes for people who might not be Ukrainian citizens but who do have Ukrainian national ID cards. That would be an important yet simple step in allowing people to claim refugee status and flee from the conflict in Ukraine.
The second important step is to try to shore up the Ukrainian currency. People who are crossing the country and fleeing are finding themselves at borders with neighbouring countries but their money is worthless and does not get them very far. That is another practical step that we can take.
I also want to raise the issue of land value sharing which is referenced in Housing for All and which was promised at the end of last year. It has now been delayed until next year. Effectively, it is a mechanism for the State to be able to realise the benefit of an increase in land value as a result of changes in zoning or infrastructural development. The aim is to ensure that landowners do not enjoy a windfall from such changes or developments and simply flip sites. This became a pressing issue when we saw a developer promising to deliver housing and getting local authority to rezone land, as happened on the Chivers site in north Dublin. The developer then put that land on the market again, without actually developing housing, for ten times what was originally paid.
In Dublin in particular, a lot of submissions are being made to the local authorities for land to be rezoned for housing and the local authorities will have to do so because of timelines in their development plans. I urge the Government to put an emergency windfall tax in place this year if it cannot get the land value sharing mechanism up and running. This will ensure that we do not see sites being flipped and land speculation continuing, which is increasing the cost of housing without housing actually being delivered.
As someone who has had the honour of being on the walls of the National Gallery of Ireland as part of a temporary exhibition and as somebody who cares a lot about procurement, I join Senator Warfield in pointing out that there are other options. There is space within procurement law. It is not the case that EU procurement law requires us to give contracts to all. We can, in fact, include human rights and other criteria and that should have been done in respect of the National Gallery of Ireland.
I also join Senator Moynihan in highlighting the issue of refugees. I call for a debate with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, or the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, on the need to ensure that refugees, and human rights defenders in particular, who may not be Ukrainian nationals but who are resident in Ukraine are able to access safety. Today we will be debating a motion on Ukraine and I was very happy to add the names of the Civil Engagement group to the list of supporters of that motion. The motion condemns the military aggression and invasion of Ukraine by Russia and calls for proper action in line with the UN Charter. It was easy to support it because the language in the motion from the Government, and I commend the Minister for this, is very careful and thoughtful. Unfortunately, the motion debated in the European Parliament muddied the line between the EU and NATO and had some opportunistic inclusions of LNG and so on. That was unfortunate. I understand that most people voted with the motion anyway but it was unfortunate that those elements were included in a motion that needed to strongly focus on international human rights law and actions.
When the debate finished yesterday I had started talking about peace. What we need to put on the record is that peace activists are some of the bravest people on this planet. The children we saw in Russia who have been arrested for marching for peace, with flowers, are incredibly brave and need to marked. Those who have come out and pressed for peace in other countries around the world must be lauded. I lived in New York and I think of those I saw, a week after their city was bombed, marching against war. I think of those in the cluster munitions coalition who came here when negotiations were taking place in Dublin. These people lost limbs to cluster munitions but helped to negotiate a global ban on cluster bombs with the countries that had bombed them. That is incredible and important work.
Somebody who must be commended in this regard is former Senator and now MEP Grace O’Sullivan. She is probably one of the only people who has passed through this House who has not only boarded a hostile warship but done so unarmed and with a message of peace. That work, that drive towards disarmament and the push for peace, is incredibly important. That is why I am supporting the aforementioned motion and why I supported sanctions.
I would like to see stronger measures with regard to Russian assets in the IFSC. We support every diplomatic measure that can be taken but it is really important to recognise that the voice for peace, on an ongoing basis, is a vital contribution to humanity and to our ultimate future. That is what the UN Charter commits to, trying to move away from the scourge of war. We should remember that and cherish it in every way, as we act in solidarity with Ukraine and condemn Russia.
The first issue I wish to raise is the Gorey Educate Together Secondary School. This was announced 18 months ago by the Department of Education and a temporary site was secured, with assurances that a permanent site would be identified. This was after a long campaign locally, with many arguing that the school was needed years ago, but we still do not have a permanent site. Despite several attempts to get confirmation from the Department, including through a Commencement matter in this House when I received assurances that we would get indications on a permanent site, that still has not happened. It is completely unfair to the staff and students within the school, and also to parents and students who are considering taking a place in the school who do not know where that school will be located. I ask the Leader to write to the Minister for Education expressing our concern.
We are aware, in the coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, of the bravery of many journalists, including Mr. Tony Connelly of RTÉ, Mr. Bram Verbeke, the cameraman, and Mr. Paul Cunningham who is on the Ukrainian border with Poland. People who were listening to "Morning Ireland" would have heard Mr. John Sweeney of the BBC who had to interrupt an interview because there was a man waving a gun at him.
While it is right for us to recognise the bravery of those journalists, we must also remember that journalists and those working in the media continue to be under threat all over the world. I want to draw attention again to what has been happening in Hong Kong. Last night, Mr. Tam Tak-chi, who is a pro-democracy activist and radio presenter, was convicted under the sedition laws in Hong Kong for the crime of criticising the Chinese Communist Party on radio. This is part of a long-running clampdown by the Chinese Communist Party on democracy activists, including Mr. Jimmy Lai. The International Federation of Journalists has now advised that journalists in Hong Kong need support. More than 20 people working in the media in Hong Kong have been arrested and detained for simply doing their job. We have often spoken out in this House against the abuse of human rights by the Chinese Communist Party and it is in that context that I once again highlight what has been happening in Hong Kong.
I thank the Leader and the Cathaoirleach for facilitating the debate on Ukraine last night. A lot of emotion was shown and a clear message was articulated by this House on the ongoing situation in Ukraine.
We now need to move onto more focused discussions on Ukraine. We need a specific debate on sanctions. How will the sanctions impact on us? What is the role of the IFSC? We all know if we cut the money supply we will have some chance. We need to get an understanding of the sanctions, how they work and how we can play a leading role in ensuring sanctions are implemented to the letter of the law. We also need a focused debate on what happens to the vulnerable people who succeed in getting out of Ukraine. What will we do? Is there a national plan in place to facilitate the thousands of Ukrainians who will come to this country? This is with regard to practical measures such as providing shelter, food and accommodation. We need to lead the charge in debates on these two issues.
We also have the situation in our own country as a result of increasing inflation and what is happening internationally. We are seeing prices rocket. I want a debate on the role of the energy regulator in regulating utilities and specifically the non-ESB electricity providers. Recently I engaged with someone in business who signed a contract with Panda for 16 cent per unit. He ended up being charged 34 cent. The company pointed out the small print allowed it to do so. It is appalling that Panda would do this. What was even more worrying was that the energy regulator maintained it had no role in dealing with disputes on pricing. What is the point in having a regulator if it has no role in dealing with disputes on pricing? We need a debate on what exactly is the role of the energy regulator and how we can improve that role. Clearly this will be an issue.
Because of the still constrained nature of the various groups in the Seanad making contributions I did not have a chance yesterday to pay tribute to the former Independent NUI Senator, John A. Murphy. I look forward to the tributes to him in the full course of time. He was a man who was unafraid of telling the truth as he saw it, challenging orthodoxies to enlighten minds. His contributions in these days would have been very valuable. He was unafraid to speak the truth about things and he kept doing it into advanced old age.
With regard to Ukraine I welcome the fact we have had a debate but it needs to be a rolling debate. This is an emergency situation. We need to contribute in the House going forward. Initially it had been scheduled for an hour last night. I was not slotted to speak. It needs to continue. We are all of course united in deploring the dreadful evil of the invasion by Russia of Ukraine and the untold suffering that is being caused. We all fear greatly the full horrors that may unfold unless people are got to the table. It is great that European countries are united. We must all gird ourselves to make sacrifices as citizens of these countries to support all humanitarian activities in support of the Ukrainian people, including those coming here.
It is not a time to question Irish neutrality. It is a time to emphasise Ireland's great tradition in being a voice for peace. What has to happen here is that we must get to an accommodation with Russia that secures Ukraine's future as a prosperous, democratic and neutral nation. In the fullness of time, historians may say the West made a great misstep in holding out the prospect of NATO membership to Ukraine. On one reading it was always on the cards that Russia's response to those kinds of moves would be violent. There is a lot that could be said about that. What we can be unequivocal about now is that what has happened is deplorable. It must be resisted, starting with sanctions, but with a view to getting Russia to the table to get an agreement we can all live with and that will spare Ukrainian people the horrors that may be on the way if we do not get around the table.
This morning I was informed that the price of fuel will increase by 7.5 cent per litre on the wholesale market. This will mean a 9 cent increase at the pumps within 48 hours. I predict that by St. Patrick's Day we will have passed the €2 mark. We understand much of this has to do with the very unstable situation in eastern Europe, which seems to be getting worse. Whatever happens, and we all hope there will be peace as quickly as possible, we are still months away from the stabilisation of fuel prices. This will hit people throughout the country in urban and rural areas. In rural areas, where we do not have the transport network, it will really come down very heavily on families in particular. I know this is difficult for the Government but I suggest we should look at trying to freeze fuel prices for three months because it is a huge crisis. This will have a knock-on effect on food prices, as we all know. I understand fully the difficulty for the Government. I understand it is a massive challenge. I accept that we will all have to suffer a little if we are to stand with the Ukrainian people, which we all want to do. At home the time has come to look seriously at freezing fuel prices for a couple of months at least. I know it is difficult because the revenue is needed for other areas but we need to do something. We will have a terrible crisis here in a very short time if we do not do something.
I concur with Senator Murphy's comments on fuel. We seriously need to look at this. I have a small station and I got a delivery at 7.30 a.m. this morning. The price has increased by 5 cent a litre. It is only on an upward spiral. As Senator Murphy said we will be looking at a price of €2 by St. Patrick's Day. This is having a serious knock-on effect on the transport industry. I have been speaking to people in the bus industry in recent days. They have been severely hit by it. They are day-to-day consumers. We have to address this issue in some way.
I have raised the issue of the N4 on a number of occasions. The Deputy Leader is well aware of the section I am speaking about as she travels on it also. The lead local authority is Westmeath County Council with regard to the design office. Instructions have been given to the consultants that the funding is not there to continue with the project. Funding has not been provided by Transport Infrastructure Ireland. There are ten identified routes in play at present, particularly in County Longford. We need funding to be put in place to find a preferred route, to continue the consultation process and put the preferred route back out to consultation so we can have a final identified route. Let the people know where they stand. A serious amount of land is frozen. Family homes and farms cannot be built on. People do not know where they stand. This has to be a priority. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and TII must put the funding in place to allow for these projects. It is not just the N4. There are other projects in the south of the country. My priority is the N4. It is the most important project that should be funded.
I want to raise the issue of fees for barristers in criminal defence cases. I recognise that when people hear this there is little enough sympathy for barristers. There is a misperception abroad that barristers are all very well paid. This is true of some of them. Those who engage in criminal defence work are paid through the legal aid scheme at the very bottom of the scale. To give people the context of what this means, a young barrister can travel across the country to appear at a sitting of the District Court and the fee is €25.20 plus VAT. People should be disabused of the notion that criminal barristers are well paid.
There is a saying at the Bar that crime does not pay. It applies as equally to barristers as it does to those accused of crimes. The Deputy Leader and I have been in the courts together in Castlebar. She understands where I am coming from. This issue has been raised in The Irish Times today. There is a looming problem with the fact that fees for barristers have not been restored. Depending on where people are on the scale, the fees were cut by a great deal and certainly over 30% for the vast majority of people. That fee level has never been restored.
The result is that people are fleeing criminal law. There may well be people watching this thinking that does not really matter because they are only looking after criminals but they allow the system to function; without them it would not function. We know the difficulties created by delays and other problems in the criminal justice system. The barristers working in that system, as well as the solicitors working in the system, require payment for their work because otherwise they will not do it. They will work in other spheres and the system will cease to function, bringing more delays for victims and witnesses and in matters being finalised. The time has come now for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, to take the step of restoring pay for criminal legal aid for solicitors and barristers so the system can function as it was intended to.
I ask that we as a House join in calling all airlines to keep their prices low or free for those people fleeing Ukraine on humanitarian grounds. We accept that flights from Ukraine have been suspended but there is a real need for airlines - not just Ryanair and Aer Lingus - but all airlines to look at keeping the price of flights for the Ukrainian people fleeing neighbouring countries as low as possible or even free so as to facilitate ease of travel for those who need it most.
Thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing across the border to many neighbouring eastern European countries, including Poland, Moldova, Romania and Hungary. Many of these people will travel on to Dublin and other parts of Europe for safety reasons to meet family and friends. Yesterday on "Lunchtime Live" we heard the story of a Ukrainian woman charged €500 for three one-way tickets from Warsaw to Dublin. That is immoral in the context of what is happening in Ukraine. This woman spoke about the barrier put in front of her and family when it came to travelling. I am asking airlines, and particularly Ryanair and Aer Lingus, to ensure their fees and fares are kept at a minimum and are fixed or free for those Ukrainians fleeing the crisis from eastern Europe into Ireland. I am asking that we make that request as a House today because this is very urgent.
My second request is to the Minister for Transport and the Government that Cork Airport be designated as a reception hub for refugees fleeing Ukraine from Poland, Moldova and Hungary. We need dedicated airlifts in co-operation with carriers so work can commence to construct reception centres with medical, humanitarian, logistical and social welfare services for the people fleeing Ukraine. I hope we can join together as a House on that today.
I have a very different view when it comes to Irish neutrality and there must be a discussion on this issue. The international scene and international relations have changed fundamentally as a result of Russian aggression, so the time will come to have a mature debate about that in this country. Looking at the refugee trains leaving Ukraine for Poland, those same trains are going straight back to Ukraine full of men. Approximately 80,000 Ukrainian men have returned to their country to take up arms against a Russian tyrant and Russian aggression. They have crossed that border. We should, like all other European countries, be sending weapons to Ukraine. I fundamentally and wholeheartedly believe that. When faced with the aggression of a tyrant, we must meet might with might. It is my very strong personal view on that.
We speak about sending solidarity but then an Irish MEP has said that if we send fuel, it should not be used in military vehicles. Tell that to the Ukrainians flattened by Russian tanks and air strikes. Tell that to the women and children of Ukraine who are being slaughtered in the streets as a result of Russian aggression. We should be sending them our Javelin missiles and not our solidarity. That is my very strong and deeply held belief.
The Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, has said it may not be a good idea to have knee-jerk reactions. We need to meet the occasion of the moment and send weapons to people who need them drastically in order to stop Putin and his Russian aggression. After that we must have an open debate. Neutrality is not sacrosanct or a sacred cow. We should not be afraid to debate such matters and we have debated some major issues in the past five or six years in this country that people fundamentally agreed or disagreed upon. The concept of Irish neutrality should not be a debate that is off the table or not discussed. Let us be mature about this and have the discussion. If the debate is lost, that is all well and good, but we should not shy away or be afraid of such a debate on Irish neutrality.
I rise first to pay tribute to Ms Olivia Chan in Limerick. We have learned much from the Fridays for the Future movement and the suggestions that young people can bring forward. She suggested that following her learning experience through Covid-19, there should be a suggestion box for young people to put forward ideas on how to develop a better Limerick. It is something that should be looked at right across Ireland because we have so much to learn from our young people and their experiences and thoughts.
The main reason I rise today is to welcome the amalgamation between the Technological University of the Shannon, TUS, and UPMC, which is a leading medical company, in order to set up sports injury clinics in Limerick and Thurles. Students will learn about sports injuries and provide a service to both the public and sports clubs, which will be very beneficial. The two clinics will include the TUS team, and athletes will have access to the most up-to-date functional movement assessments, scientifically-based strength and conditioning programmes, and clinical diagnostics such as MRI scans and equipment, all of which will help with recovery and athletic development.
This is most welcome for people who are injured. I know a young boy who had to go to hospital recently with an injury and was told he would be waiting 12 hours in the accident and emergency department before he could be even put through triage. These clinics will certainly help the development both of athletes and people in the general public.
I raise the question of public amenities, or the lack of them, at areas such as beaches. Speaking to people at the weekend, it seems this is a major problem we have ignored totally for the past decade. We have the most beautiful beaches and scenery from Mayo all the way to Cork but the lack of public amenities at these beaches is a real disgrace. Families going to a beach might have no access to an amenity, which makes no sense whatever. We have spoken about a State vacation policy and investment in sports capital grants but I do not understand why we do not have a significant programme in place to have beaches and walkways included in public amenities.
I can give a really basic example. Sherkin Island is a wonderful part of west Cork, with a ferry going out in the morning and coming back in the evening, but there are no public amenities on it. I have spoken to residents there and people operating the ferry, and it seems that for six or seven hours people may be stuck on the island with no place to go. The lack of joined-up thinking is beyond belief.
We need a really significant debate about how we are going to ensure our public amenities are more accessible to society, with access to toilets etc. We are not doing enough in that regard. In many ways, the local authorities have failed in this and walked away from the matter. As a result, action must come from the national Government. Funding must be put in place nationally to ensure we can provide such opportunities. Currently there is no such funding stream and although there are plenty of grand plans, there is nothing on the ground. I am a family man and we were at the beach last weekend. It is appalling to think that in this age, a person literally has no place to go. It is not good enough.
I have just come from a committee. I am getting a number of calls from sports clubs in Tipperary eagerly awaiting confirmation of the funding announced by the Minister of State, Deputy Jack Chambers, two weeks ago. We rang clubs to let them know the good news that Tipperary got €7 million in funding, an incredible increase from the previous figure of €1.5 million. The sports clubs have been waiting since October or November, expecting an announcement, and we have gone past February. They are thrilled they are getting the money but everybody wants to start building. The prices of material and construction are increasing month on month.
Would it be possible for the Deputy Leader to find out from the Minister when the clubs will be formally written to or emailed to let them know that they are getting the money? They should not be relying on me ringing them to tell them that they are getting a certain amount of money. When will they get the formal email so that they can get the go-ahead? This is very significant for clubs right across Tipperary and will make a substantial difference in terms of health, well-being and sport. They just want to get the go-ahead in order to start. If the Deputy Leader could do that, I would be very grateful.
Glaoim anois ar Leas-Cheannaire an Tí chun freagra a thabhairt don díospóireacht ar an Ord Gnó.
Senator O’Loughlin opened the Order of Business this morning and spoke about the situation in Ukraine, as did many colleagues. Senator Moynihan put it very well when she said it is very difficult to discuss other items of business, given what is happening in Ukraine. It dominates all of our thoughts and hearts in the work that we are doing. Senator O'Loughlin made a particular point around Poland not charging people from Ukraine to travel on trains which is a great act of generosity. In contrast, she also spoke about airlines, in particular Ryanair. I do not have the exact details on that. The Senator put details on the floor of the House that fares from Poland through Ryanair have doubled in recent days. If that is accurate, I would ask the airline to reflect on its position and charge only what it needs to in order to assist people getting out and to safety. I would say the same thing to all airlines operating flights in and around bordering countries. They should assist people in getting out and not make profits from people trying to flee their homes.
Senator O'Loughlin reminded us that yesterday was Stop Food Waste Day and focused on a company, Green Generation, which is doing great work in reusing plastics to provide cladding on homes and in using food waste to generate electricity, which is something to be commended. She also spoke about France having banned plastic wrapping on food and mentioned that research has shown that this can lead to a reduction in food waste. Again, this is something to be looked at.
Senator Kyne requested a debate on greenways, blueways and walkways. He particularly wanted to draw the House’s attention to the public consultation on the proposed greenway between Galway and Oughterard. That can be found at galwaytooughterardgreenway.ie and is open until 22 March.
Senator Boyhan spoke about the mass that was held in-house this morning for Members of the Oireachtas and the Oireachtas community, today being Ash Wednesday. He said it was a very powerful ceremony to bring people together. He also spoke about the meetings he had on the fringes of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly earlier this week, when he met with community groups that are assisting Irish people living in the UK.
Senator Pauline O’Reilly asked for information on why hearings of the International Protection Appeals Tribunal are still being conducted online through Webex. I suggest that the Senator might raise the issue as a Commencement matter with the Minister for Justice to get further clarity on what is quite a niche question. She also spoke about the citizens' assembly on education and rightly pointed out that the pandemic has really thrown open the debate on how we want to conduct our education system, particularly in respect of examinations. She said that the public would welcome a conversation and national dialogue on the future of education in Ireland and I agree with her.
Senator Warfield spoke about the decision by two artists, Brian Teeling and Emma Roche, to remove their work from the National Gallery of Ireland and raised concerns around the recent contract awarded to Aramark, a company which also provides services to direct provision centres. I share the Senator’s concerns. It is disappointing that it has come to this. Senator Higgins concurred with Senator Warfield’s remarks. If the gallery had looked in more detail at the procurement process and how the contract was advertised, there was probably an alternative. I am unsure what can be done to reverse that situation but I have no doubt that the actions taken by Brian and Emma will have an impact on it. I commend them on taking that stand.
Senator Moynihan and many others spoke about the Ukraine situation. She raised particular issues around ID cards. She said that national ID cards should be accepted for exit from Ukraine and for entry into other countries, as opposed to requesting passports, given that some people may not have had their passports on their person when they left home, or may not have had access to their passports. That is a very reasonable request. She further requested a debate on the assistance given to refugees, as did Senator Higgins. I can confirm that there will be a debate in this House on 22 March with the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, who will set out his Department’s perspective on what it is doing to assist vulnerable people.
Senator Moynihan also raised the issue of land value sharing, which has been delayed now until next year. This relates to developers purchasing land at a particular value, getting it rezoned on the promise of building houses and selling it on for significant profits. We all share concerns in that regard. That is not what we want to see happening. Any local authority which rezones land for the purposes of housing development, and on the basis that there is a promise to develop housing, does so in good faith. That should be followed through on by the developer or the person who has purchased the land. It is a loophole we need to close.
Senator Higgins rose in support of the comments on the National Gallery of Ireland and in particular the comments on Ukraine. She spoke very passionately on the need to acknowledge peace activists and argued that we should try to focus on peace and not war. She made particular comments around the UN Charter. Many Senators would share her views on that. She spoke about the cross-party motion which just about all Senators have signed, or are likely to sign, condemning what is happening in Ukraine and the Russian invasion. We are joining with our colleagues in Dáil Éireann in doing that together. She said that the wording of that motion was important and, of course, we know that words are important.
Senator Malcolm Byrne mentioned that Gorey Educate Together National School is looking for a permanent site. It is an issue he has raised many times. I wish the school well in this regard and I hope it will get a resolution to that issue promptly.
Senator Byrne also raised the safety of journalists, including the many journalists reporting on the ground from Ukraine. He mentioned that many journalists in Hong Kong are facing persecution for doing their jobs and said we need to support journalists all across the globe. We must acknowledge that if we do not have journalistic integrity and protection for journalists, we do not have democracy, as the two go hand in hand.
Senator Conway called for a debate on Ukraine, specifically in respect of sanctions and how they will work, but also in respect of the impact here on Irish citizens and in respect of how we look after vulnerable people who are fleeing that situation. There will be a debate on that particular issue in this House on 23 March. Senator Conway also requested a debate on the role of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities which we will, of course, request.
Senator Mullen spoke about his former colleague, John A. Murphy. I am sure that at some point we will have statements in this House on the former Senator’s passing. I join colleagues in extending our sympathies to the Murphy family and to all who knew him.
Senator Mullen also spoke about Ukraine and the whole issue of Ireland's neutrality. I note that Senator McGahon took a different view from that of the Senator. It is fair to say that the debate on neutrality has already begun and it had begun before the Ukrainian situation. It is something that we should not shy away from. Let us have that debate and conversation with our people. Recent events have brought this issue to many homes and kitchen tables across the country.
Senator Murphy raised a very important issue around fuel prices. He was joined by Senator Carrigy who has direct experience of the increases that people are seeing at the pumps, which are likely to increase and continue. We are all going to have to keep track of this important issue. As someone living in a rural area, I share the Senators' concerns. Many people across rural parts of the country do not have alternatives to using their cars. We use cars to get to work, get children to school, do our shopping and carry out general day-to-day activities. An increase in the cost of fuel is having a very direct impact on many households and people are feeling the pinch. This is something that the Government is going to have to look at. I do not know what the solution is, but we are going to have to try to put some sort of a stop in place to try to alleviate the pressures there.
Senator Carrigy raised the fuel issue but also the issue of the N4, a road that I am very familiar with and which I travel regularly. It is a tricky question because it crosses so many local authorities and is of differing importance to different parts of the county. It is of great importance to County Mayo, perhaps a little more so than to County Roscommon, which also has the N6. It depends on where a person lives in the west of Ireland. It is an important piece of infrastructure. This would be a good issue to raise as a Commencement matter to try to get an update on why this funding has not been put in place to do the preparatory works to get the road going. It is true that it will be an important route for a significant part of the country.
Senator Ward raised the issue of barristers' fees in criminal defences. I share his concerns. I know from talking to many colleagues at the Bar that this is a problem and has not been addressed. Other reductions in pay were addressed as we unwound the financial emergency measures in the public interest over the years, but this has not been addressed. Regardless of people's views of the legal profession, including the perceptions referred to by Senator Ward, it is not the case that every barrister is making a great deal of money. That is particularly so when one is starting out. The view at the Bar now is that it can take seven to ten years to even make a living. A barrister receives €25.20 for doing a particular item of work in a criminal defence. By any standard, that is low pay because of the hours that the barrister puts in preparing, travelling to the court, representing his or her client and then trying to get home.
As the Senator correctly pointed out, it is important because we are losing people from the profession to go into other areas of law or leave criminal practice altogether. We are getting a reduction in the number of practitioners actually practising and providing services through the legal aid system to represent those who are accused, which is very important to the running of the system. We are also losing experience. There is a new intake all of the time of people who are very junior and who are learning the ropes. We are losing experienced people who may have qualified five or seven years ago, and are crucial for the system. It is an issue that I will raise directly with the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath. It is something we must look at. Even if it is not an issue that exercises every individual, it is an important issue for us to address.
Senator Buttimer raised the issue of airlines, as I addressed earlier. I agree with the Senator's comments that we need to encourage airlines to do the right thing and not overcharge. The Senator requested a debate with the Minister for Transport on the potential use of Cork Airport as a reception hub for those fleeing conflicts.
Senator McGahon raised the issue of neutrality, which I have addressed, and asked for a discussion or debate in the House on that.
Senator Maria Byrne spoke about a young lady in Limerick city, Olivia Chan, who put forward the idea of a suggestion box where younger members of the local community can make suggestions about how they want their city to develop. It is a very interesting development and I commend Olivia on that work. Senator Byrne also spoke this morning about the Technological University of the Shannon and its links with a medical company in the whole area of sports injuries.
Senator Lombard raised the issue of public amenities at beaches. I understand this is a particular difficulty in some local authority areas where the provision of services is not happening to the level that communities are requesting. This is an important issue to have raised.
Senator Ahearn spoke about the phenomenal level of funding that has been allocated to sports clubs this year through the sports capital programme. This is very important money to every community, and it goes a long way for sports clubs. Yes, we will certainly try to get some further clarity. I am aware that a list has been published. Clubs can rely on that publication from the Department as a guarantee that they have been successful. The Senator can direct them towards the list. The Minister's office is working to get letters out to the clubs whose applications were successful, and maybe also to those who were not successful on how they can improve their applications and come back again. This work is under way in the Minister's Department.
Order of Business agreed to.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar
12.33 p.m agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 12.45 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 12.33 p.m. and resumed at 12.45 p.m.