The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re the proposed approval by Seanad Éireann of a regulation of the regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, motion re the arrangements for the address to the Seanad by Mr. Marty Walsh, US Secretary of Labor, on Wednesday, 14 September 2022, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 3, motion re the Orders of Reference of the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, to be taken on the conclusion of No. 2, without debate; No. 4, motion re the proposed approval by Seanad Éireann of arrangements for the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands to meet on Beara Island, to be taken on the conclusion of No. 3, without debate; No. 5, Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Bill 2022 – all Stages, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. or on the conclusion of No. 4, whichever is the later, and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion after 60 minutes by the putting of one question from the Chair, which shall in relation to amendments include only those set down or accepted by the Government, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister on Second Stage not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate, and Committee and Remaining Stages to be taken immediately thereafter; No. 6, Higher Education Authority Bill 2022 - Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 2 p.m., and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, adjourn at 4 p.m. to resume at 5 p.m. or on the conclusion of No. 7, whichever is the later and again adjourn at 8 p.m.; No. 7, motion re the report of the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community entitled Final Report of the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community, to be taken at 4 p.m., to conclude at 5 p.m. if not previously concluded, with the combined time allocated to the proposer and seconder of the motion not to exceed ten minutes, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, the Minister not to exceed eight minutes, the contribution by the Leader of the House not to exceed two minutes, and the proposer shall be given five minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 8, Private Members' business, National Lottery (Amendment) Bill 2021 – Committee Stage (resumed), to be taken at 8 p.m., and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, adjourn after one hour.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
We will have a busy day.
I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. I wish to put two issues on the record. At 3 p.m., on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, I will launch the women's health policy. It is a culmination of ten months of work by me, other female Oireachtas Members and councillors. We have made over 103 recommendations, engaged with more than 30 organisations, conducted two national surveys and held a national conference on women's health. A huge amount of work has gone into putting this policy document together. The launch will take place at 3 p.m. in Buswells Hotel and I invite all colleagues to attend so they can hear some of the issues.
One of the things that arose very strongly and clearly in our surveys, and at our conference, was that many women feel that they are not listened to, that they are not an equal or active partner in the provision of their healthcare, and that they are often disrespected or dismissed when it comes to raising genuine health concerns. A huge amount of work has been done in the space of women's healthcare. I acknowledge that the Minister for Health published the safe access zones legislation earlier today. He has committed to providing free contraception to 17- to 25-year-olds, and that legislation is going through the House today. He has also committed to publicly fund IVF treatment. A great deal of work has been done by the Minister for Health in the area of women's healthcare. I acknowledge his great work in that regard.
Why is it important to have a women's health policy as opposed to just a general health policy? We, as politicians, all know that policy informs everything we do in public life. It is how we get things resourced, funded and committed to by Government. I hope that other parties will follow suit. Fianna Fáil is the first party in the State to have a stand-alone policy on women's health. This initiative will lead to greater investment and focus on all aspects of women's healthcare, ranging from menstrual health to reproductive years, pregnancy, menopause and everything in between. There are many aspects that must be dealt with. I sincerely thank all of the Fianna Fáil councillors who contributed and who worked with me on this policy over the past ten months. I also thank all of my colleagues in Leinster House. More importantly, I thank the citizens who engaged in our surveys and conference. I thank all of the organisations that worked with us, met us as a group, and contributed so positively to the policy. Everyone is more than welcome to join the launch of the policy document in the hotel across the road.
I acknowledge that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, along with all of his Cabinet colleagues, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, will seek approval at Cabinet to increase our defence spending from the current €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion by 2028, which is two years earlier than recommended by the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces. I welcome increased spending, but we are still not on a par with other European countries. We still spend far less. Our citizens want to see us do more to protect the State and its assets, and protect a lot of the companies, businesses and citizens who are here and who need protection for many reasons. We are long overdue a discussion on the Defence Forces. Perhaps we will have one in the autumn session when we get an opportunity in order that we can discuss the increased spending, where the money will be spent and the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces and the recommendations it made.
I join the Deputy Leader in asking the Leader to facilitate a debate on the Defence Forces. This is a very positive day for the Defence Forces. I commend my colleague and friend, the Minister for Foreign Affairs on his pioneering work regarding the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces. As Senator Chambers rightly said, there is a proposal to increase spending from €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion and to attract additional staff via a recruitment campaign, which will place Defence Forces on a steady and solid footing. It is important, as we remember last weekend and the National Day of Commemoration, that we thank the men and women who serve in the Defence Forces. We pay tribute to them. It is important that we commend and congratulate the Minister for Foreign Affairs on his recommendation to Government and ensure that a debate on the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces takes place in this House.
It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the work done by the former Minister of State, Deputy Paul Kehoe, when he was in the Department. I also recognise the advocacy and championing from former Senator Gabrielle McFadden in this House. She was a very strong champion of the Defence Forces. We should salute her and the work she did in being that voice for the Defence Forces.
It is a pity we cannot have this debate before the summer recess but it would be appropriate to have the Minister for Health come to the House for a debate on the risk Covid-19 still presents in our community and our workplaces. Over the last number of weeks, Aer Lingus flights in particular have been decimated. That is why it is important to have a debate on both health and transport. I ask that we have a debate in the autumn before the budget, during the first week back.
The summer economic statement has been published and the budget has been brought forward to 27 September. Today in the Lower House, a cynical motion is being brought forward by the main Opposition party. This is a party that stands for only one thing - to divide and conquer. If a general election were called today, we would have no budget and no cost-of-living measures for the people this party claims it wants to see looked after. It would all be put to one side and put on the back burner. Yet this Government has put €2.4 billion on the table for those hard-pressed citizens we all know, represent and advocate for. I hope that in the autumn we will have a debate on the budget and the summer economic statement and the import they will have for us as a country.
Today is a day to salute the men and women of our Defence Forces on the allocation of €1.5 billion and the new recruitment campaign. It is important that we stand with our men and women in the Defence Forces. We salute them.
Thanks to RTÉ this morning, we have been told the report of the Future of Media Commission, which was set up by the Government in September 2020, will come before Cabinet today. That is good. It links into the conversation about the media. The commission's remit was to examine Ireland's public service broadcasters, commercial broadcasters, print and online media platforms. I ask the Leader that we have a debate on that some time in the next term. The delivery and funding of public service media, including RTÉ's role and financing structures based on best international practice are among the issues the commission is expected to have addressed and made recommendations on. There is some suggestion that there may be another subcommittee or commission to look at further work. That was mentioned on the radio today.
As we come to the end of this session and go into the summer recess, I am conscious of the fact that the public interest is served well by journalists. It is important that journalism is secured, supported and sustained in its work. Quality journalism allows viewers and listeners to be informed of their decisions and to know about government and social issues. Print media, including national, provincial and local papers, remains a strong and reliable source of information and these publications are highly valued. I make it my business every week, particularly on a Thursday, to go to the Library here and spend a few hours looking at the provincial press. It is amazing. We have all the provincial papers here in our Library. You see things in print media that you do not quite pick up online. It is a wonderful service and needs to be supported. One has to question why we are paying VAT on printed media. All of us recognise the importance of our local and provincial print media so I ask that we look at that issue. The public value all forms of media and communication. Ultimately, members of the public engage with politics and decipher the political and social influences in a debate. Newspapers should have a zero VAT rate in recognition of their unique role in our functioning democracy. Irish newspapers contribute to the social, intellectual and political life of Ireland. We recognise that and we need to support that. They are the prime conveyers of news, views and opinions. They perform a vital role in defending our democracy and our liberty, as well keeping a check on the abuse of power. I am calling for a debate in the House on that matter.
I also acknowledge and thank the political correspondents in Leinster House, who go up and down these corridors every day and communicate our messages. I thank RTÉ, our national broadcaster, independent radio, local and provincial radio, the national media and the press, our own Oireachtas press and media staff, our correspondence units, our technicians and our cameramen. They are all critical components of communicating the message from Leinster House. I salute them. I hope that in time we will have an opportunity to discuss the work and recommendations of the commission. It is an important debate and one we should have.
The normal parliamentary functions of any democracy are not stunts or cynical. They are entirely appropriate and it is entirely within the right of the Opposition to move a motion of no confidence, not least when Government parties lose their majority.
On Saturday morning I had a fantastic visit to Davitts Gaelic Athletic Club, just off the Falls Road, to mark the celebrations for Eid. It was the first large-scale outdoor celebration of Eid in the North. It came off the back of the unfortunate arson attack carried out against the Belfast Multi-Cultural Association's centre in April of this year. I was joined on that visit by the First Minister designate, Michelle O'Neill, the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tina Black and the MP for the area, Paul Maskey. It was great to see an event that was so welcoming, diverse, warm and positive coming from an incident of such intolerance and hatred. I commend the organisers from the Belfast Multi-Cultural Association and Davitts Gaelic Athletic Club. Whether at a venue like Davitts where hundreds of people could gather or in other iconic venues and locations like Croke Park, it is fantastic to see the GAA open up its facilities for celebrations of our diversity and all the richness and benefits that brings. Long may it continue and more power to their elbow going forward.
We all know of the strength and leadership many of our Gaels show in communities across the country and in an ever-growing number of clubs around the world. I welcome the Gaels le Chéile initiative. Since May 2021, more than 12,000 Gaels have signed a letter calling on An Taoiseach to prepare for constitutional change. That momentum is building and growing all the time. I commend the Gaels involved with that initiative. For any Gaels in this House who want to add their voice and their signature to that letter, they can do so by visiting gaelslettertotaoiseach.ie. I encourage everyone and anyone to be part of that positive initiative and encourage An Taoiseach to lead the charge and fulfil his constitutional and, indeed, party political obligations to ensure we have a positive conversation, plan and engagement on constitutional change.
I pay tribute to my colleague Senator Chambers for the work she has done and I wish her well with the launch today. I hope to be there at some stage. It is good news from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence about the extra spending in defence over the next number of years. One of the most important things is to ensure pay and conditions are looked after. Military equipment is important but the men and women are number one. I pay tribute to Senator Chambers because when we were in opposition we did a huge amount of work on this. I am not taking from Senator Buttimer's comments. We did a huge amount of work on this, led by Senator Chambers and her namesake, Deputy Jack Chambers, who was spokesman as well as Senator Chambers, then Deputy Lisa Chambers, at that time. It is important that we give credit to every side in this matter. I reiterate that the men and women of the Defence Forces, who have been neglected so badly for so many years, must be the number one priority in this review and this extra expenditure.
Hear, hear.
It is also a proud day for anybody from the Roscommon-Galway area. Galway is in an all-Ireland senior football final. We wish the team well. I am sure Senator Crowe will have more to say about that if he is here this morning.
The Leader has been very involved in the issues schools are having in setting up special needs classes. I have come across a huge problem with a school in Roscommon. Everybody, including the experts dealing with the children, the teachers and the principal, have done everything they can to set up this class.
It appears as though the National Council for Special Education is just going against them. I cannot understand it. I will not mention the school but the Leader will know what I am talking about. The Minister and others are trying, in a major effort, to get this matter sorted out. We need to sort it out for parents, teachers and, most of all, those children who need special needs education.
The price tag for the sale of a Dublin Airport car park is €70 million. That is how profitable a Dublin Airport car park could be. That is how locked into car dependency our airport is and how vulnerable travellers are to airport car charges. MetroLink is on the way. Planning for it will be launched in September but it could take 12 years to complete. Why are we not prioritising airport bus routes? It will be 2024 before BusConnects reaches Dublin 15 and that is not good enough. Direct airport routes need to be prioritised.
The electrification and upgrade of the Dublin to Maynooth line under DART+ West is a vitally important project that will double frequency. There are challenges that come with the potential closure of level crossings but no one is suggesting the project should not go ahead, so why does Irish Rail consistently run anti-public public consultations? It ran two non-statutory consultations during level 2 and level 3 pandemic restrictions, with below par efforts on its part to adapt its communications and engagement in entirely different and difficult circumstances. Another public consultation took place during the summer months last year. It now looks like the statutory consultation through An Bord Pleanála will take place this summer when people are on their holidays. Why is Irish Rail so afraid of the full potential of a public consultation?
With the Cathaoirleach's indulgence, I wish a happy 12 July to those on this island who mark the day and do so respectfully. Let us remember, however, it is not culture if it is being used to put others down-----
Hear, hear.
-----or to burn the posters and symbols of your neighbours. If people celebrate their religion by threatening another, or if they use it to promote sectarianism or misogyny, we need to see outright rejection of this behaviour. We need political and community leadership and action. It is not that long ago that we witnessed an abhorrent video that was shared during Queen Elizabeth's jubilee. This kind of behaviour also comes from hate. At every opportunity, the despicable acts of sectarianism should be condemned.
Well said.
If we are stamping it out, we need a zero tolerance approach.
Well said.
I join with Senator Currie in wishing those on this island who celebrate the 12 July-----
The term is "the Glorious Twelfth".
I hope it does not rain at least. I wish the day to be celebrated in an appropriate manner. As Senator Currie pointed out, when people celebrate culture, they should not try to denigrate the culture of others. I have seen the posters and our national flag on the bonfires. That is not celebrating anybody's culture. I imagine that is the very opposite of what many people in the unionist community think is celebrating their culture. Senator Currie is correct that they need to speak out to say that does not represent a celebration of culture as they would like to see it. The more that happens, the more respect we will see when celebrations take place in both communities. I thank the Senator for raising that issue this morning.
I welcome the family of the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy English, who are in the Gallery, all the way from Bohermeen and Cortown. They are very welcome.
It was early May when I asked the Leader for a debate with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, on his plans to lessen the impact of rising inflation on the people of Ireland and his outlook on the global financial near future in terms of inflation and recession. Two months on, the situation does not look any cheerier. The price of Irish goods and services is 40% above the average of the 27 EU states while alcohol prices, due to taxation, are now twice the EU average. Electricity costs are almost the highest in Europe. The increasingly exclusive banking sector has charged souped-up premiums since 2008. An Irish couple can expect to pay at least €80,000 more than their European counterparts on a €300,000 mortgage over 30 years. Ordinary people are paying extraordinary prices for insurance, hotel rooms, petrol for the car, booking a flight and so many ordinary expenses. As one newspaper put it, we have Scandinavian prices without the salaries that go with them.
Precious few other European countries would stand for it. If you tried to pull this with the French, there would be cars burning on the streets before we could say, "Let them eat cake." As a country, we seem to have come to expect poor governance and poor treatment as the default. While all this is going on, and ordinary people's problems remain unsolved, we are to play out a fantastical piece of political theatre in the Dáil today with Sinn Féin's no-confidence motion, for which it knows it does not have the numbers. Even if it did go through, everything will get put on hold and thrown out while the country spends its time and money on another general election, which no one outside of Sinn Féin wants. Most people have no, or very little, confidence in the Government, but why do we not at least try to tackle some of the everyday problems of ordinary people instead of using them to try to get into power?
Look at what is happening in the UK politically. We need to be ready to absorb the shock waves from that, especially against the backdrop of Brexit. Now is not the time for our political class to throw more turmoil into the mix. Can we please just see what we can do to make life easier for all the people of Ireland?
I will speak about Georgia's accession to the EU. This has come more to the fore with what we have seen of Russia's destructive acts in Ukraine. As we are aware, Georgia has already felt the brunt of Russia's forces in recent years. I strongly believe Georgia's accession should be dealt with in tandem with Ukraine's at present. Georgia has done quite a lot of work in this area. In 1996, it was part of the Interstate Oil and Gas Transportation to Europe, INOGATE, framework, which led to a five-year plan in 2006, so it is well along this road. Earlier this year, hurdles, if that is the right word, came from EU quarters but in the case of Ukraine, we seem to have unblocked every block there can be to speed up the process. I cannot see why Georgia cannot be dealt with in the same manner.
It is a relevant time to have a Minister in the Seanad to discuss the matter. It would be a good debate to have. As we know, we have many good friends in Georgia. I welcome the good work the Georgian ambassador to Ireland, H.E. Mr. George Zurabashvili, has done in this area. I call on the Leader to see if she can get the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, or the Minister of State at the Department, Deputy Brophy, to the House to discuss the current issue with us. It is to be hoped the EU will take Georgia's application in tandem with Ukraine's. This is the right time to do it.
I congratulate Keith Earls, the captain of a very successful Irish rugby team who played against the New Zealand Maoris this morning. Ireland played to its full potential in having two wins in a row last Saturday and this morning. I congratulate Keith and all involved in the team.
It was announced yesterday that FileCloud is opening its research and development centre and European headquarters in Limerick with the creation of 50 jobs. It is good news to see another American company coming to the mid-west and opening its European headquarters there. It is certainly a great asset to have Shannon Airport on our doorstep. Senator Buttimer referred to a debate around the airports. I also sought that debate last week. We should have an open debate. When we come back in the autumn, perhaps the Leader could organise a debate around the better use of our regional airports and a better distribution of flights.
Limerick Going for Gold was relaunched yesterday in Limerick. It is a collaboration between Limerick City and County Council and the JP McManus benevolent fund. There was a total of €60,000 in prizes in sections such as Tidy Towns, Limerick bee friendly in bloom, the reuse award and the most beautiful front garden. The programme, which operates throughout the county, is about going out and having pride in your community. It is great to see the number of community, residential and business groups and individuals who get involved in it. This programme gives us great encouragement when it comes to helping our community and being environmentally friendly.
The cost-of-living crisis, particularly for commuters, has been discussed at length. The Government has done quite a substantial amount of work to reduce the cost of public transport be that with Irish Rail, Bus Éireann, etc. The one area where we have not reduced costs for commuters is the cost of parking either at train stations or bus stops. That is the next thing we should look at because from a climate perspective and a cost-of-living perspective, we must entice people away from their cars and get them on to public transport. It makes sense for us to reduce the cost of public transport dramatically but at the same time, we are keeping the cost of parking at train stations around the country high. I firmly believe that the Minister should suspend the cost of parking for commuters, particularly at train stations, in line with the reduction in public transport fares. I know the Minister will not be able to ask a private company to suspend parking charges at a bus stop but we can do it at all Irish Rail stations. This would provide an extra level of help for and be of benefit to commuters. It does not make sense that on one hand, we are reducing the cost of public transport dramatically and encouraging people to use it while on the other hand, we are still charging the same parking charges. I call on the Minister to suspend the cost of car parking at Irish Rail stations across the country in line with the reduction in public transport fares until the end of the year and the economic situation stabilises.
Last week, we launched the first home share equity scheme, which is aimed at bridging the affordability gap between the maximum mortgage an individual or couple can get from a lending institution and the cost of a new property. That can obviously be combined with the help to buy scheme, which has assisted more than 33,000 households across the country in purchasing their first home, including 830 in my constituency of Waterford. It is obviously disappointing the Opposition opposes both schemes, which are aimed at helping people get their foot on the housing ladder.
One of the criticisms I get when I meet people is that there is no such scheme in place to allow people to purchase second-hand homes or derelict or vacant properties and bring them into use. While we have excellent schemes such as the repair and lease scheme, which is operating brilliantly in my constituency, that provides support to do up a property and bring it back into use for the local authority to use, there is no such scheme for individuals or owner-occupiers. I understand there is some movement on that and a lot of work has been done across Government parties to put such a scheme in place. I hope such a scheme can be put in place as soon as possible to provide grant support to individuals and couples to allow them to purchase a vacant or derelict property in a town or village and bring it back into productive use for their own purposes. This will have the dual benefit of revitalising towns and villages across the country and providing much-needed homes for those individuals and couples.
I congratulate the organisers of the Dungarvan Agricultural Show, who put on a fantastic show over the weekend that was very well-attended. The announcement this morning by the Minister for Rural and Community Development of up to €6,000 for every agricultural show in the country is a hugely welcome decision. This involves putting funding in place to support our rural communities in putting on much-needed shows that benefit all our communities.
On "Morning Ireland" this morning, we heard of the release of the report from CARI, which is the voluntary provider of counselling and therapy services to families and children affected by child sexual abuse. In that context, CARI spoke about the fact there are huge waiting lists for therapy arising out of child sexual abuse during the Covid period in particular. An awful lot of work has been done nationally and in this House to address domestic violence and to bring out into the open domestic violence during Covid. However, one thing Irish culture has yet to tackle is the conspiracy of silence over child sexual abuse within families. I have spoken to the Leader previously about this. This morning's report begins a discussion. At a time when people were obliged to stay in their homes, consequently children were abused in those homes. Now we have an extremely long waiting list for therapy. We need to address what happens in the instances of child sexual abuse. How do families and communities deal with that? As a counsellor, women have sat in front of me having outed a child sexual abuser in their family only to see the male members of the family buy that person a drink at the bar at family events. The energy goes into silencing the person who has had the courage to speak out. I ask for a debate at some point on how we frame this. It requires delicacy and engagement but we most certainly need a debate on sexual abuse, particularly in our communities and families and how we, as a nation, need to address that, out it and shame the perpetrators and not the survivors and victims.
I rise this morning a happy man for once with regard to the Defence Forces. A great piece of work was done by the Department in bringing forward the changes that are coming. It is a great day for the Reserve Defence Forces and private soldiers who will see substantial increases in their income. It gives great hope for the future.
There always has to be a down side and with such a large project and the negotiations that will have led to this, one or two areas need further attention. The first is to reverse the FEMPI cut relating to the special instructors allowance for commissioned officers. Commissioned officers have not fared well in anything that has happened in the Defence Forces in recent times. The other one is the military service allowance. I spoke about this last week. A corporal can now have a greater income than a lieutenant when the lieutenant is his or her supervisor and writes his or her annual appraisals. The equalisation of the military service allowance is something we will work for in the future.
In fairness to the Minister for Defence, he has delivered. I have been hard enough on him and his predecessors down through the years but he has delivered on this one. I see really good times ahead as we start to see the investment that is promised in infrastructure and people. It is a good day. I do not want to put a dampener on it but if the Leader is talking to the Minister, and I compliment him fully, perhaps at some stage before the next budget, we might get a chance to sit down and look at the military service allowance for officers and the special instructors allowance for officers.
This was returned to the men but not to the officers. In a similar vein, we need to have a look at the seagoing allowance. These issues are all related to the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation and should have been reversed when other FEMPI measures were. All in all, it is a good day. I will leave it at that.
I do not know what Senator Craughwell is going to talk about now that many of the problems in the Defence Forces have been solved.
He will find something.
He will find something.
We can be assured of that.
I acknowledge the work of the Minister, Deputy Coveney, with the Defence Forces and the Department to come to a solution. Obviously, there are always things that need to be added and other suggestions but, on the whole, this is a really good day for the Defence Forces.
It is not bad for a part-timer.
Now, now.
There are two things I would like to bring up, both of which come under the remit of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys's Department. I will raise them now because we are in the last week before recess.
I hope this is not another Tipperary thing.
I am going to name three villages in Tipperary in a few seconds. On a serious note, the deadline for applications for funding to refurbish community halls is on Thursday. I am working with many towns and villages in Tipperary-----
I knew it would be about Tipperary.
-----that have applied for this funding and others, including my own village of Grange, that are going to apply for it. There is a fund of €15 million. I expect that it will be greatly oversubscribed. I ask that the Minister consider a second scheme for community halls later in the year. It is the first time either the Minister or the Department has ever done this. It has gone down really well with local communities. We should look at providing money to run another scheme later in the year for those towns and villages whose applications are revealed to be unsuccessful in a couple of months' time.
Can we get an update on when decisions will be made on applications to the CLÁR scheme? Some ten villages in Tipperary have made applications.
Name them.
I refer to the likes of Drangan, Cloneen-----
The Senator has 20 seconds to get them all in.
-----and Drumbane. In fairness, these are villages that very rarely get money. This goes right to the heart of the communities. Receiving that money is of significant importance to these villages. The longer they wait, the more it will cost to do them up. I am talking about playgrounds and the likes, which are really important. I would appreciate it if we could get some sort of update before the recess.
A couple of years ago, there was talk of bringing the Seanad on tour but there is really no need because it lands in every town and village in Ireland sooner or later. I acknowledge what Senator Chambers said about the issue of women's health and Fianna Fáil's proposals in that area. I commend Fianna Fáil on its focus on that area. I might say a bit more about that tomorrow. However, I plead that the issue of women's health always be pursued in the way that brings the maximum number of people on board because it is too important to be made sectoral. I sometimes worry that people of goodwill are left wondering what is being imported into the concept. Sometimes it is things that have very little to do with women's health and, sadly, everything to do with the death of the unborn, which is a different issue completely and has to do with the health of the unborn child. It is an important issue but I ask that we keep everybody on board and focus on the things that unite us. As I said, the issue is too important to be made controversial in the way it sometimes is.
The issue I wanted to raise today relates to another area that touches on young people's health and welfare. I refer to the fact that, in criminal prosecutions, a child who commits an offence when under the age of 18 but who is charged and tried after reaching the age of majority is sentenced as an adult. That is bizarre when you consider that the Children Act 2001 provides a range of protections for juvenile offenders that aim to prevent young people from having criminal records wherever possible. Where these circumstances arise, the persons involved are sentenced as adults. Delay in the system is what is causing them to be charged and tried as adults, thereby losing the protections of the Children Act. I will quote Mr. Justice Simons who, in a High Court judgment in 2020, said that the qualifying criterion is "the age of the accused as of the date of the trial" rather than the date on which the offences were supposed to have occurred. All that is left then is judicial discretion and the possibility of judges giving lighter sentences. There are none of the protections of the Children Act and no sentencing guidelines in such cases. What are the consequences of this? We all know that having a criminal record as a child is very different from having one as an adult. The latter is very serious and follows people throughout their lives. There is a gap in the law, a failure that causes people to have adult criminal records they should not have. In Britain, this issue has been addressed through guidelines backed by legislation.
I ask the Leader whether we could get this issue on the agenda as soon as possible. Does she agree that the delays in prosecuting offences are having a negative impact on society, trust in the system and the welfare of young offenders, who should be given a second and even a third chance? Should this gap in the law not be closed? I know we are at the end of term but can we have the Minister for Justice in as soon as possible to address this matter with us?
I agree with my colleague, Senator Ahearn, on two issues. The first is what is being done for the Defence Forces, which is long overdue. The Minister, Deputy Coveney, has done an outstanding job in setting up the review and then acting on its recommendations and securing delivery at Cabinet, which is significant, through a substantial financial package over a number of years that will bring our Defence Forces up to standard. I pay tribute to the work Deputy Kehoe did to keep the show on the road in very difficult circumstances when he was Minister of State for many years.
I also agree with my colleague with regard to CLÁR funding. The primary school in Kilfenora has submitted an excellent application for funding to build an astroturf pitch. This is badly needed and would be a great facility not only for the school, but for the wider community of Kilfenora. I very much hope that the Minister will look favourably on the application and provide funding for that very important facility.
We all know that Covid has not gone away. We were all startled at the revelations yesterday that almost 1,000 people are in hospital with Covid. We need a reality check with regard to Covid. We need to impose restrictions on ourselves and wear masks where we feel compromised. I call on retail outlets and other facilities to ensure that their hand sanitiser units are filled because it has come to my attention lately that quite a lot of hand sanitiser units are empty. They are there for a reason. We are still in the latter days of a pandemic. There are spikes coming. We need to ensure that we are vigilant.
On the motion being taken in the other House this evening, to be quite honest, I believe it is political opportunism. This Government has handled the pandemic very well and saved many lives. It has also reacted as best as it possibly could to the war in Ukraine. More than 30,000 Ukrainian people are living in Ireland, where they are catered for and housed. The actions we are taking to manage the effects of this terrible war on the cost of living and the interventions that will be made through the budget, which has been brought forward to late September, will make a significant difference to people's lives. I actually believe-----
In fairness, Clare is a very good exemplar in that area.
-----that the motion of no confidence taking place in the Dáil Chamber this evening is a waste of time when other issues of more importance could be debated.
Perhaps people need to think about the difference between politics and political opportunism. What is happening in the Dáil this evening is politics.
Hear, hear.
As this will be my last contribution to the Order of Business before the summer, I will begin by expressing my gratitude to all of the staff, to the Leas-Chathaoirleach, to the Leader for her courtesy and to the Deputy Leader. I wish everyone a very good summer after what has been a fairly energetic and, at times, combative session. I have to say that I believe politics is in a good place right now. Regardless of whatever else we can say, we can say that, after the last general election, we finally have a left-right divide in politics. That can only be a good thing. The years when we had the names Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael alternating while the policies did not change are over. Whatever is to come in the future will be along the left-right divide-----
Is the Senator on the left?
-----and I look forward to that.
I am sorry. I am a bit lost here.
That is okay. It is no problem.
Is Sinn Féin on the left?
Let us have Senator Gavan without interruption.
The issue I will raise today in the minute or so I have left is that of the Raise the Roof protest happening in Limerick this Saturday as a result of the crisis in housing, which is another great failure of 11 years of Fine Gael mismanagement and misgovernment. I am really proud that the trade unions are leading this march. I am delighted to see them leading the call for a doubling of investment in housing. It is significant that the Economic and Social Research Institute, the Government's own think tank, pointed out last year that this Government is spending half of what it needs to in order to tackle the housing problem.
That is why we have 14% rent rises in Limerick. That is why we have 100,000 vacant homes across the State. Unfortunately, it is a litany of failures on the part of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil. I encourage people in Limerick to come out at 1 o'clock and join their colleagues, their brothers and sisters in the trade union movement, and join people from Sinn Féin and other progressive parties to make it clear we will not stand for this housing crisis anymore. Of course, I wish my colleagues in the Dáil well tonight with the motion of no confidence in this appalling Government.
I thank the Senator for his kind words to ourselves, whatever about the others.
That makes me smile - left and right - considering what this Government has brought forward for workers' rights and in light of what we will achieve.
This is the most left-wing Government we have ever had.
We are the ones fighting for a cost-of-living wage. In addition, we have the most people in employment - 2.5 million. I am proud of the Government's achievements. There is much more to be done by this Government in its remaining two and a half years in office.
That is hopeful.
I pay tribute to Sir Mo Farah in the UK, an Olympic star on the track. I pay tribute to his bravery and resilience. This morning, he came out with his story of how he was trafficked as a child from Somalia to the UK. As a vulnerable child he was brought to another country and forced to work for a family. He was not able to go to school. He eventually went to school at about 12 years of age. It was only by the grace of God that he was able to shine through sports. It was because his PE teacher came forward to support him that he was able to speak and actually get help. I am amazed at that. I understand that the documentary on Sir Mo Farah will be aired by the BBC tomorrow. I pay tribute to him on coming forward at this stage in his career. As a young boy, he was seen as unkempt, he could not speak English and his parents never attended any parent-teacher meetings. One of the articles on the BBC website states:
Sir Mo's PE teacher, Alan Watkinson, noticed a transformation in the young boy when he hit the athletics track.
"The only language he seemed to understand was the language of PE and sport," he says.
Sir Mo says sport was a lifeline for him as "the only thing I could do to get away from this [living situation] was to get out and run".
He eventually confided in Mr Watkinson about his true identity, his background, and the family he was being forced to work for.
This is important because we are not immune from trafficking in Ireland. The Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, attended an event on human trafficking in June along with the US ambassador. The undocumented migrant scheme will expire at the end of July. It is crucial that we speak more about these schemes so that people feel free to speak to their teachers and the role of sport.
Hear, hear.
An Seanadóir McGreehan leis an fhocal scoir.
I join colleagues in congratulating the Government and, in particular, the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the strong commitment to the Defence Forces. We all know that morale in our forces is low. This historic investment and reform will bring about the change that is very much needed. Like my colleagues, I wish that our military personnel would be adequately paid and respected. Óglaigh na hÉireann needs to be modernised and brought into its second century. I am very proud to be part of the Government that is bringing about that change. I congratulate the Minister for Defence on his great work on this. We have the plan and we now need action and delivery.
I also pay tribute to the Fianna Fáil Leader in the Seanad on her work in respect of the women's health policy, and all the Fianna Fáil councillors, Senators and members throughout the country who contributed to this very good document. I am very proud to be part of that. I thank Senator Chambers.
I wish to speak about the so-called celebrations last night for the 11 July bonfires. It is sickening to see the hate that continues to be portrayed. We are almost not allowed to be offended by it because it is somehow portrayed as culture, but hate is not culture. We need to ensure that our unionist friends - I have unionist friends - stand up to this sectarian hate. Imagine if we stuck an effigy of the queen or a union jack on a bonfire and burned it. We do not need to do that. I am confident enough in my nationality and in my republicanism that we do not need to do those types of things. It is about time that unionist leaders stood up and led their people to be strong enough and proud enough in their own identity that they do not need to burn down and denigrate other people's culture and flag. I send a message to all our unionist friends. When they burn the tricolour, they are burning part of themselves, because our flag represents peace between the orange and the green.
I gave the Senator an extra 30 seconds to compensate for her patience waiting earlier. I call the Leader to respond to the entire debate.
There is certainly a lot to respond to. I thank Senator McGreehan for acknowledging the Minister for Foreign Affairs' work and the memo brought to Cabinet this morning, as others also did. I will speak more broadly on it when I get to respond to Senator Craughwell. Senator McGreehan's views on the events that happened last night are shared by everybody in the House.
I read the story that Senator Dolan mentioned and listened to some of the commentary on the BBC this morning. Many people would have had admired Mo Farah before today based on his enormous contribution in the sporting world. We cannot but be amazed not only at his bravery but also at his tenacity to be able to do what he did arising from the circumstances that brought him to the United Kingdom and particularly in the context of some of the debates on extradition in the United Kingdom at the moment, which are as vulgar and as ugly as one could get. His timing shows great inspiration and hopefully will allow British people to be able to follow the example he has set.
Senator Gavan started so well, and I was so pleased.
It is end of term.
I thank Senator Gavan for his kind comments. I thank him personally and all the other Members of the House. I genuinely laughed when I heard him say that we finally have a left-right divide in this country. I know there are some incredibly decent left-leaning people in his party, but to call Sinn Féin a left-leaning party stretches incredulity to the limit-----
She only said some decent people I noticed.
-----particularly given that one of Sinn Féin's leading Members, Deputy Ó Broin, has unashamedly called Sinn Féin a populist party. Those are his words not mine. Anyway, I thank Senator Gavan for his good wishes.
The Defence Forces were brought up by Senator Conway who was also looking for clarity on CLÁR funding. He is looking for a debate in September on the ongoing ill effects of Covid. I will certainly organise that.
The sentiments Senator Mullen raised are incredibly worthy not just of a debate but also of a political and policy response. I do not know how to organise that for him, but I will certainly organise a debate with the Minister in September as soon as we come back. I thank him for raising that matter.
Senator Ahearn also spoke about the numerous towns in Tipperary that he represents very ably. He is looking for further funding for a second scheme for community halls. The scheme has been oversubscribed and received a welcome around the country. He is also looking for an update from the Minister on when decisions will be made on CLÁR applications. I will try to organise that today.
Week in and week out Senator Craughwell - along with others to a lesser extent - speaks about his pride in the Defence Forces and provides great advocacy on their behalf. While I have not seen the memo yet, it must be a really good memo for the Senator to stand up here and welcome it. It is a really good day for members of the Defence Forces for him to talk so positively about it. I thank him for being so generous in providing such a positive reaction. Other colleagues also welcomed it. To be fair to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, an enormous body of work has been done in a relatively short period, but it was probably a long time coming. I am really glad that the Defence Forces are receiving the news that they are. Obviously, and as Senator Craughwell pointed out, the work is not all done.
Senator Seery Kearney mentioned the report about CARI on our airwaves this morning. We have had this conversation before. I had to ring CARI on Monday on behalf of somebody. I did not know at that point that the organisation would feature on the radio this morning. The lady who answered the phone told me that the shortest wait time for a child who was sexually abused, either recently or in the past, and is still traumatised by it is two years.
CARI is the only agency that is providing trauma and therapy services to our children in respect of an issue that has not gone away. There is somehow a perception in Ireland that child sexual abuse is something that used to happen years ago when we were all young and that it was hidden under the table. By Jove, it is certainly hidden under the table today and I am calling on the Minister not just to double CARI's funding - the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, did make an increase in its funding last year - but it should be quadrupled this year.
Hear, hear.
No child should be left waiting years for therapy and support from a trauma that they are suffering from arising from a sexual assault, sexual abuse or any sort of domestic violence. Such children should not even have to wait for weeks and I thank the Senator for raising this issue morning. I hope I speak on behalf of all of us to look for increased funding for CARI, the sole agency in the country which provides voluntary counselling for our children who have suffered at the hands of adults.
Senator Cummins spoke on and welcomed the home share equity scheme announced by the Government last week, which will bridge the gap between what people can afford to borrow in a mortgage and the actual price of houses. I wish everybody well in respect of the positivity around that scheme. He highlighted the need for a scheme where people in similar situations may be able to purchase second homes and I wish him well in pursuing that with the Minister.
Senator McGahon spoke about the cost of living crisis for commuters. I am very pleased that the 20% reduction in public transport prices has been extended to next year but he is completely right that encouraging people to take trains and then introducing or increasing car parking fees at the train stations makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I support him in his calls for a suspension of car parking fees at all Irish Rail stations.
Senator Maria Byrne congratulated Keith Earls and, indeed, the entire Irish rugby team, who did such a stonking job over the weekend and I know that we are all so proud of them. They indeed made history. She also mentioned the 50 new jobs for Limerick and the debate which had previously been called for on our regional airports and how we use them.
Senator Keogan spoke about a debate she has been looking for on inflation and the issues of a potential recession. I have asked the Ministers, who obviously have been incredibly busy over the past number of months, but I expect that once we return in September, much of our schedule will be taken up with debating the budget, which will be coming early this year. Just to let the Senator know; I will do this as soon as I can.
Senator Davitt spoke about Georgia's accession to being an EU candidate. I am aware, from being a member of the Committee on European Union Affairs, as is Senator Chambers, that the Georgian ambassador, H.E. Mr. George Zurabashvili, appears before the committee quite regularly and has the support of the team in the Committee on European Union Affairs to help in any way that we can to advance Georgia's application.
Senator Currie spoke about the airport routes and their extension through BusConnects and the delay involved.
She also spoke about 12 July. It is probably part of all of our natures to celebrate and accept that there is diversity and difference in our country and to allow it, as that is what makes life so interesting. When that difference becomes as disdainful as we have seen in some cases over the past number of days, however, it is hard to be kind and to say it is just a community celebrating its culture. I say that mindfully because there are tens of thousands of people in the unionist community who celebrate this event with such family-oriented cultural views and it really is a celebration of this. I wish to God the very small number of people who ruin the entire reputation of the celebrations would be more mindful. I thank Senator Currie for having raised this issue this morning because if you are celebrating your culture through division and hatred, it is not much of a celebration and is certainly not much of an example to set for the following generations thereafter.
Senator Murphy congratulated Senator Chambers and I will discuss her achievements in a moment but he also welcomed the new funding for the Defence Forces this morning, the memo, and the changes to pay and conditions over the next number of years. He also mentioned that he was delighted that his part of the constituency in Galway is going to be in the all-Ireland final. I have to say that I was probably gutted and disappointed as I watched the match over the weekend, given that Dublin performed so well in the second half. Honest to goodness, however, with Seán O'Shea, one could not argue with the result after that point at the very end.
He is a hell of a man for one man.
I pay tribute to him. He is obviously a local hero and a cracking player and has a very good future ahead of him.
Hopefully, it will not be a good day on Sunday week.
All is fair in love and in the GAA.
Gaillimh abú.
A kingdom we can all support.
Senator Ó Donnghaile spoke about an event which took place in the Michael Davitts Gaelic Athletic Club last weekend and I thank him for bringing it to all of our attention. I continue to wish them well in their endeavours.
Senator Boyhan mentioned this morning that the Future of Media Commission report has gone to the Cabinet and he acknowledged that quality journalism, as I believe we will all agree, has to be supported, whether that is at a national or local level. We need a debate on the report in September and a conversation around the VAT that is charged on newspapers.
Senator Buttimer welcomed the Defence Forces announcements and how steady and solid a foundation it is for growth of that sector, with an increase in man and woman power in our Defence Forces. He would like to thank all of the people by our actions, I suppose, which is how he wants us to be measured. He acknowledged our good friend and colleague, Gabrielle McFadden, and her advocacy here over the years for the Defence Forces.
Senator Chambers opened the Order of Business debate today, not only by mentioning the Defence Forces and her advocacy on that front for the past number of years, and by welcoming the increase in its budget to €1.5 billion, but invited us all to her policy, which is the launch of the Fianna Fáil policy on women today. I am very mindful of the amount of work that she has put in on its behalf and in her organisation of it, with of all her colleagues. I welcome any scrutiny and support she can get, in being responsible for the first political party to have a female health policy. It certainly puts in all our minds that we all should probably do the same.
As this will be my final Order of Business debate this week, I thank colleagues for what has been an incredible year. We have debated without much division, thankfully, but with major policy differences on issues, in a very respectful way and I believe that that is what makes the Seanad very different to the Upper House, or rather to the Lower House, my apologies.
The Leader should know that.
That was the Leader's ascension.
I am having a blonde day. I thank colleagues for their co-operation, for their interaction and for their contributions to the debates because they have been very healthy. In particular, I thank our staff, ushers and all of the support people in the Oireachtas who look after and mind us so well, and for their commitment, in particular, at this time of the year, because people in the Bills Office and indeed in these Houses have to work twice as hard just because we have to catch up with the amount of work that we have to do. I just want to acknowledge that work most sincerely and to thank them for all of their help in the past number of weeks and for the whole year also.
Indeed. Before I put the question, I echo the same sentiments about the Leader's own leadership of the Seanad.
Well said.
She has done an extraordinary job, as has her Deputy Leader, Senator Chambers.
I also want to welcome our very distinguished former Member to the Gallery, Senator emeritus Sean Barrett, and it is wonderful to have him here.