On this St. Valentine's Day, I call on the Leader of the House to outline the Order of Business.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
There is nothing in the Order of Business that would lend itself to St. Valentine's Day. In that context, it is quite ordinary.
The Order of Business is No. 1, Oil Emergency Contingency and Transfer of Renewable Transport Fuel Functions Bill 2023 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 4.45 p.m. and to conclude at 5.45 p.m., if not previously concluded; and No. 2, Communications Regulation and Digital Hub Development Agency (Amendment) Bill 2022 - Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 5.45 p.m., or on conclusion of No. 1, whichever is the later.
Happy St. Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, it is not exactly an issue relevant to St. Valentine's that I have to report. Nonetheless, he has gone and done it. He has dismissed the board of Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has completed the work of the Department and the chief executive officer from last spring, targeting the board and finally getting rid of it. There will be celebrations in IFI headquarters in City West today, and in the Department headquarters in Adelaide Road. The house, it seems, always wins. The victims are the ordinary board members, vilified by the decision, despite being cleared by the very investigation by Conleth Bradley SC arranged under section 18 of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010. However, the Minister was not so interested in section 19 of the Act, and failed to appoint new members to the board following three resignations in 2022 and a further two in January this year. Why did the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the Department run the board down? It seems to have been a deliberate move by the Department, with a Minister oblivious to the goings on. There is an internal Department investigation by solicitors McCann Fitzgerald into complaints made by me and others against the chief executive officer of Inland Fisheries Ireland. What are its terms of reference? Who will they interview? Why is it an internal investigation only? The latest in the long-running saga includes the failure of the board to sign off on IFI accounts for 2022, for which the Comptroller and Auditor General is looking. This is not surprising considering there is no Chair, and only three ordinary members left to do so.
There is a difference of agreement in relation to allegations of financial concerns and, indeed, in relation to a 60 page late-evening amendment to the statement of internal control, to cover up all the allegations being made under the protected disclosures, so the Minister sacks the board. Capital spending that was not sanctioned by the board twice late last year of over €140,000 was for work that is now proceeding. The money has been spent, despite a requirement that the board would have to sanction anything over €50,000, so the Minister sacks the board.
Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, is being run as a fiefdom by the chief executive officer. The board was hamstrung by the failure of the Minister, Deputy Ryan, to replace members who had resigned. Consequently, there is no oversight of the chief executive officer. Minutes were not signed off on, where the legal strategy was agreed by the then board. I hope these minutes survive the shredder of Inland Fisheries Ireland over the coming days. It will be interesting to see what they show, what was agreed and what is going to happen, and that the CEO was going to be suspended. Instead, the interim chair resigned, with a glowing tribute from the CEO. IFI, injustice fraud and incompetence-----
Senator, be careful in relation to-----
I feel-----
I know the Senator is making statements in the public interest but he has to balance that against allegations that could be used against-----
Absolutely. The CEO had a statement out very quickly today after the board was sacked. He was delighted with himself. I feel for the hundreds of decent IFI employees with no leadership from the CEO, the Department or the Minister. There is no direction from anyone.
I believe the Minister, Deputy Ryan, is a decent man but in this, he is totally misguided, and wrongly advised on purpose by his Department, and is standing over the targeting of an employee by the CEO. There is an absolute need for an independent investigation into Inland Fisheries Ireland, its organisation, CEO, and the advices given by the Department. Instead, the very Department is organising an internal investigation.
The whole saga is not distinguished; it is disgusting. It is rotten, corrupt and, in fact, it is worthy of-----
Senator, just-----
-----a film.
I know Members are all aware of the new Standing Orders which were brought in in the past number of years in respect of balancing the rights of individuals and the public interest. I want to make sure everybody is aware of that and that when making statements in the Seanad in the public interest, they must balance that in respect of individual rights and any legal action that might be forthcoming.
I call on Senator O'Loughlin.
When anyone in Kildare hears of any death of somebody in the Defence Forces, we all have an intake of breath because so many members of the Defence Forces live in Kildare. While always acknowledging that somebody somewhere has been left bereft and bereaved, there is always a tiny sigh of relief when it is not somebody one knows.
Over the weekend, we heard of the tragic death of a member of the Defence Forces in Spain. Then, all too soon, the news came out that it was a very loved son of Newbridge, "Doc" Declan O’Connell. I could not overestimate Doc’s contribution to the community as well as to the Army. He was an acting sergeant major and I understand from everybody who worked with him that he was a incredible leader in the Army and in the Curragh Camp. Not only that but he was an incredible leader in Newbridge Sarsfields GAA both playing football and in coaching. He loved sport and music and he loved life.
My first interaction with "Doc" was on a town twinning trip from Newbridge to Bad Lippspringe in Germany. When I say he was the life and soul of the party, he was also full of positive energy. I want to say to everybody present today to spare a thought for his partner, Audrey, who he was to marry on 4 May, his daughter Niamh, and his parents Mary and Iggy. He was to go on a stag party next weekend. He will be greatly missed. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Yesterday marked International Epilepsy Day and it is important that we note it today. I thank Patrick McGeoghegan for all of the information he has given us. In research conducted on behalf of Epilepsy Ireland, it was found that 80% of the public totally underestimated the prevalence of epilepsy in Ireland and only 35% of the public said that they would know what to do if they witnessed a person having a seizure. There are more than 45,000 people living with epilepsy, 726 of whom live in south Kildare.
We need to spread the message of time, safe and stay when someone is having a seizure.
The Leas-Chathaoirleach mentioned Valentine's Day. It is interesting to note that every year 10% of all marriage proposals, apparently, happen on Valentine's Day. I just wish to make another point. Interestingly, 14 April is an unofficial day in Korea where sorry singles who do not receive presents on Valentine's Day get something----
(Interruptions).
We should, therefore, note that day as well.
That is a call for action.
Thanks to my cousin, Ed O'Loughlin, I became aware over the weekend that progress has been made to repatriate the body of a County Kildare native, Patrick Sarsfield, who led the Jacobite army during the Siege of Limerick city in 1691. We have many Sarsfields teams and one of those, of course, is Newbridge in County Kildare. Patrick Sarsfield was buried just outside Liège in Belgium. The exact location of the burial ground has now been established following the intervention of Dr. Loïc Guyon, the honorary consul of France in Limerick. There is a Sarsfield homecoming project, which I think is great. Patrick Sarsfield was born and brought up where the National Stud is located in Tully in County Kildare, so we also wish to lay claim to him.
I also welcome the €25.6 million announced for roads in County Kildare this morning. There is €8 million for Athy southern distributor road, SDR, and it is fantastic to see the progress there. Equally, work will be done on eight bridges from Moone to Athy to Rathangan to Ballymore Eustace. Important funding was also provided for safety improvement works in places like Feighcullen, Fontstown, Rathmuck and Ballykelly.
We join with the Senator in expressing our sympathies on the sad loss of a member of our Defence Forces to all his colleagues and family.
We note that the Oireachtas is also doing a "Date with a Book" event today, which is being run by Julie Lyons in the restaurant. Just so Members know, if they want a date with a book that is also available on this Valentine's Day. Now, leading off for the Independent group today, I call Senator Clonan.
I echo Senator O'Loughlin's expression of sympathies to the family of Declan O'Connell. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. It is another loss for all the Defence Forces' community. I was so sorry to hear about this.
I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 130(9) be taken before No. 1 without debate. This is Senator Keogan's motion on Iran and the repressive measures being taken in that country.
In the House today, I wish to raise the issue of the appalling set of circumstances in Ukraine now. We quite rightly are outraged at the deaths of more than 22,000 people in the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye and we are all mobilised by that event. In this last week, however, starting on Monday 6 February, the Russian winter-spring offensive has begun. In the area of Bakhmut, 1,034 Russian soldiers were killed in one day. We do not know what the corresponding figures are for Ukrainian troops, but I imagine they are broadly similar. Independent eyewitnesses, reporters and intelligence sources are saying that in the last week an average of 850 troops have been killed on the Russian side every day.
From this, we can infer that more than 1,000 young men, and in some cases boys, are being slaughtered in Ukraine. I wish to echo what I said in the address to the President of the European Parliament, Ms Roberta Metsola. We must invest our energies in bringing this absolute catastrophe to a halt. It is not enough to send weapons, and Ukraine absolutely has the right to defend itself. We must make strenuous efforts to bring this conflict and killing to an end because it is completely and utterly pointless and futile. If we are prepared to deal with Assad to bring relief to Syria, surely we can talk to Putin and his cronies to try to bring some sense to this situation.
In our discourse, there is increasingly an attempt to frame our membership of the European Union in the context of the war in Ukraine and to get rid of our neutral status. During the late 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s, armed Russian and Soviet troops were all over Europe and missiles were pointed at every capital city on the continent, yet we did not frame our neutrality against that background. We have a unique voice. I would like the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Deputy Micheál Martin, to come to the House. He did great work in brokering an international ban on cluster munitions in Croke Park. We must consider how Ireland can invest its energies in being a unique voice to bring an end to the awful conflict in Ukraine.
I rise on behalf of the Sinn Féin group to remember Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old who tragically died in Warrington, which is in Cheshire in England. The young girl and her family have been savagely visited by the unexpected. Brianna is described by her mother and father as having been fearless. We live in a world where people are often afraid to be themselves and go to great lengths to fashion personas that people will accept and admire. Brianna, a trans girl from England, did not allow her life to be limited by fear. I acknowledge the bravery and fearlessness of all our trans brothers and sisters who I know are hurting from this tragic murder. Life is short. Everyone deserves to live in a world where they are safe and respected. We are not doing enough in these Houses to create a safe and respectful environment for people who are trans and sometimes the words I hear in this House do quite the opposite. I will return to those issues on another day. The family and friends of that young girl have been utterly disturbed forever. Ireland has a great tradition of hospitality in the face of death. Neighbours gather to offer support and help. I am glad there will be a vigil for Brianna at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the GPO. I put her name on the record of this House and remember her today.
I wish to be associated with the remembrance and kind words of Senators O'Loughlin and Clonan regarding Sergeant Declan "Doc" O'Connell. We send our sympathies to his family. Doc, as he was so fondly known, played some over-35s football in Athy town during his time there. He is fondly remembered in the town. It was a shock to everybody in County Kildare when the news of his death broke in recent days.
I bring to the House the story of a young girl. Her name is Slaney and she is from Athy. I met her yesterday in connection with her recent diagnosis of ADHD. Slaney is 24 years of age. She wants to tell her story because as she says, if she can help one person by sharing her experience, that is good enough for her. She was diagnosed with combined-type ADHD in November 2022 at the age of 24. She had gone through her whole life with undiagnosed ADHD, which she described as an exhausting struggle. She endured stress while trying to avail of an assessment. She told me that despite the fact she struggled to respect authority figures, including teachers, and also struggled to get along with her peers, no one suspected she had ADHD. She said there is a serious lack of education regarding ADHD as the stereotypical idea of someone with the disorder is a hyperactive young boy. As a result, many girls and women live with undiagnosed ADHD.
Slaney went on to tell me that her ADHD became more prevalent in her teenage years when she started secondary school. She fell behind in class and acted as if she did not care when, in reality, she was ashamed and embarrassed that she could not focus on her work and reach her potential. She told me it was not that she did not know how to do the work but rather that she could not force herself to do it. She could never understand how everyone around her kept up with their work and studied with such ease as it was completely alien to her. She hated school and looking back now, she can see that the main reason for that was because she did not receive the support or understanding she needed. Nevertheless, she passed her leaving certificate. She tried to pursue an honours degree in law at Carlow IT but, unfortunately, she stepped away after two years.
As a teenager of 16 or 17 she decided to speak to her GP about how she felt and was put on antidepressants but these did not help. She stopped taking them after a few months, despite the box specifically saying not to stop taking them before consulting a doctor. Slaney's story goes on and on. She said that she lacked most of the symptoms associated with the various diagnoses that she got and continued to get. She was referred to the mental health services in Kildare. Eventually she had no choice but to seek a private ADHD assessment, which cost a few hundred euro. However, that did not bother her because she felt it was worth it. She asks how many young people have been diagnosed with mental health issues like she was, when they actually have ADHD that has been overlooked. It is a scary thought for her.
There is a complete lack of support for people with ADHD from schools and colleges. There is a stigma around it, with those who have ADHD thought to be lazy, unmotivated and unreliable. It is Slaney's opinion that her anxiety stems from trying her hardest to mask her ADHD in public. She is clumsy and awkward and she talks too fast, which heightens her anxiety as she forces herself to act normal in front of other people and not to show these little traits. Slaney says that ADHD is not shameful and should not be treated as such. She finishes by saying that if she can help even one person by sharing her experiences, that is good enough for her. I ask for a discussion on this issue with the Minister for Health. ADHD in adults is under-diagnosed in this country and I am sure Slaney's experience is shared by many.
Today I welcome the fact that the memorandum for a citizens' assembly on drugs went to Cabinet this morning. Hopefully, over the next few weeks we will get to see what that looks like. Obviously we do not know what the terms of reference are or who will be the chairperson but given that this time last year I could barely bring myself to come into this Chamber because I felt that all of the efforts, conversations and work of drugs workers and people sharing their stories of how they are impacted by addiction in this country were going nowhere, I am happy to know that the citizens' assembly is going to happen. I am also really hopeful because there are not many subjects on which I will assume authority but I refuse not to assume authority when it comes to addiction and drugs in this country. I have dedicated my entire life to working with people who are the most ostracised because of their drug use. Obviously we have lots of drug use, in a wider sense, in all sectors of society, across all classes and professions, but the burden of the story of the hardship, poverty, mental health, drug-induced psychosis and prison has been borne by the working class. The middle class and those from more affluent areas have not had to pay the same price for drugs in this country, even though drug use is in every part of society. Communities like mine have had to carry that for a long time. In carrying that, they have been the ones to push, fight and advocate for a better response to drug use in this country.
I first worked in the drug sector at the age of 17 but I first used drugs before I had even hit my teens. I know what it is like to want to use drugs, not to completely remove oneself from this life but to temporarily take oneself away from reality. The sad thing is that some people's reality is much more painful than the drug use itself, even though over time the drug use can ultimately be the thing that causes the hardship. In the beginning, it fills a massive hole.
When we look to a citizens' assembly, we cannot only look at the substance. We also have to look at the conditions that allow people to feel so empty, helpless and hopeless that drug use literally saves them and keeps them in this world. I have buried many friends and have had to intervene in many overdoses. I have seen way too many families lose too many people due to addiction and yet, in this country, we still have media using words like "zombies" and "junkies". The word "zombie" really stays with me. It is literally non-human, devoid of consciousness and its use separates the drug user from society at large. That is how we want to see people who are addicted. We want to be able to say we are not that, we are not "them" over there but that is just so far from the truth. The fact is people have to use drugs because of the conditions we create in this country. Drug use is due to poverty and to the huge levels of trauma that are felt in so many working class communities around this country.
We need to be sure that we also focus on the conditions in which people live as we move forward in how we respond to drug use through drug policy. I am eager to see how the next few months go. I wish the new Minister of State well in her job. I know she is already reaching out to and meeting many people and doing what she needs to understand the issue.
I thank the Leader for the business she outlined today. I am happy to agree to it.
I was not in the Chamber on Wednesday last week because I was attending the funeral of former Senator, Minister and Deputy Niamh Bhreathnach. I wish to put on the record my sympathies to her family, friends and colleagues in the Labour Party. I served for almost 11 years with Niamh on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. She was great fun, very warm and very friendly. When I arrived, she was a former Minister and Deputy and she was a bundle of wisdom for all of us who were kind of new. I was sad to see her passing as suddenly as she did. She was an asset to the country and the local authority of which I was a member for a number of years.
I also wish to put on record my sympathies to the people of Türkiye and Syria and their ambassadors or representatives in Ireland. Almost 38,000 people at this stage have died - I am sure that figure will rise - and multiples of that have been injured. It is important that we do whatever we can. There have been huge efforts throughout the country in helping and getting supplies for these people. It is important we do as much as we can. When I was a councillor, there were 20-something thousand people on the register. It is like the entire electoral area I used to represent died. It is a shocking number.
I wish also to send my condolences to the new New Zealand ambassador, Trevor Mallard, who is presenting his credentials on Thursday. For only the third time in the history of New Zealand have they declared a national emergency today. There are significant floods and many other severe weather events going on at the moment. As somebody who was there recently, it is a beautiful country but they are going through a very difficult time. It is a long way from here and, thankfully, there has been relatively limited loss of life so far, but anything we can do, we should to help them out. I wish to send the message from this House that we are there to support them.
I congratulate our colleague Senator Ruane on her latest television appearance. It is becoming something of a regular occurrence at this stage. She is getting better all the time. Well done to her.
I wish to raise two serious health matters which are related, in a sense. The first is the CAMHS waiting list for the children's mental health services, which I raised with the Leader when she was Deputy Leader. She empathised on that occasion and assured me she would follow it up. I would like it to be followed up again. It is important that the waiting list be shortened or be virtually non-existent and that there is a comprehensive service. Will the Leader respond to that? It may merit a discussion with the Minister in the House.
I also wish to raise another health matter of a different kind, which is very serious. People are granted home helps, who, like carers, are vital to keeping people out of institutions and hospitals. Not only is it a great human response and the correct human response, it makes good economics as well. Home help hours are being granted to people but those people are not receiving the home help hours simply because home helps are not available. They are not available because we are not making a career of being a home help. I suggest that, rather than agencies being brought in, there should be a core of people working in each community health area as full-time home helps who are properly paid, pensioned and trained.
They should be available to provide a core home help service. We are currently using agencies, at great expense, and not enough hours are being provided. People are going back to institutions or not getting out of them. There is a host of reasons necessitating what I propose and they will not be lost on the Leader. I would like a positive response to this and possibly a debate on it. I would certainly like a response from the Minister.
I second the amendment to the Order of Business. At this stage, no one here does not know what is happening in Iran. Thousands are being interrogated, unfairly persecuted and arbitrarily detained solely for peacefully exercising their human rights, and hundreds remain unjustly imprisoned. Torture and other forms of ill-treatment, including denying prisoners adequate medical care, remain widespread and systemic. Judicial punishments of flogging, amputation and blinding are being imposed. The death penalty is being used as a weapon of oppression, and executions are being carried out after unfair trials.
This week, the Royal Navy intercepted a boatload of Iranian missiles and drones that were being smuggled to Yemen, proving Iran is breaching a UN Security Council resolution on drones and missiles. Iran has used boats and a State-owned airline to smuggle new types of advanced long-range armed drones to Russia for use in its war on Ukraine. Just yesterday, the BBC reported that after one of the world's most promising chess players, 25-year-old Sara Khadem, decided to play at an international tournament without a headscarf in solidarity with the protest movement in Iran, she could not return to Iran. Arrest papers were issued and the authorities are waiting for her. She now lives in exile in southern Spain with her husband and one-year-old son.
In a defiant speech at Tehran's Azidi Square on 11 February, President Ebrahim Raisi claimed nationwide anti-government protest movements had been defeated. The authorities have cracked down hard on the widespread protests, which are demanding more freedom and women's rights. Security forces have killed more than 520 people, including dozens of children, and have detained more than 18,000 activists. Following unlawful detentions and biased trials, the judiciary has handed down stiff sentences to protesters. Despite all this, Ireland is set to open the embassy in Tehran before the year is out. What message does that send to the world about Ireland and its values? Ireland now has a seat at the UN Security Council and has played a key role in facilitating the 2015 deal struck on Iran's nuclear programme. Are we now to turn a blind eye to Iran's support for Russian atrocities in Ukraine and Iran's human rights violations at home? Today I am looking for the support of the Leader on this.
I would like a debate on local government and how it is structured. We are now approaching the ten-year anniversary of the abolition of town councils. I say this as someone from County Louth, which has two of Ireland's biggest towns, namely Dundalk and Drogheda. We should consider the re-establishment of some town councils. I am not asking that a council be re-established everywhere that had one; it would be sufficient to ask for a study on towns with a population over a certain number. Such towns should certainly have some form of council. Dundalk, for example, has 40,000 people, and Drogheda has 41,000. Both are set to expand, each by 40,000, under Project Ireland 2040. We want 70,000 to 80,000 people living in these two towns in the next 20 years. My proposal should definitely be considered. There is nothing wrong with at least reconsidering the matter.
When there were town councils, there were obviously town clerks. These could be replaced with directors of services in large provincial towns. I ask for this because of the major issues faced by provincial towns, which are missing out because they are in with municipal districts. It was a mistake to abolish town councils nine years ago. We should consider having a debate on this. I am certainly not coming into this House saying town councils should be reintroduced tomorrow but there is nothing to fear from a debate about it. An analysis should be carried out by the Departments responsible for local government and housing to determine whether the right decision was made ten years ago and whether there is space for reintroducing town councils in substantial provincial towns with very large populations, such as Dundalk and Drogheda in County Louth.
I echo the comments of my learned colleague from County Louth about how a decision made by his party might not have been the wisest. I acknowledge his acceptance of that and the need to consider restoring town councils. They should never have been abolished in the first place. I would encourage such a debate.
I refer to the ongoing discussions about possibly restoring the 9% VAT rate to 13.5%. The Government introduced the lower rate in November 2020 as a worthwhile measure to address the challenges the hospitality sector was experiencing during Covid. It was a wise decision that I welcomed at the time. Now there is talk that perhaps the time has come to restore the rate to 13.5%. I would caution against such a decision as 13.5% would make ours the third or fourth highest rate in Europe. At a time when the number of visitors from the UK is down, we must ensure we do not put ourselves at a competitive disadvantage.
Some have proposed it might be time to split the VAT rate, with the 9% rate retained for food and drink while VAT on beds and accommodation is increased to 13.5%. I am open to that suggestion, but there are many small pubs, coffee shops and restaurants that are just about keeping their heads above water. Times are difficult, given the increase in energy costs and so forth. Now is not the time to think about increasing the rate. I would welcome a debate on this matter. I understand the Cabinet committee will meet this week and that this will be one of the issues on the agenda, as will cost-of-living measures. The time is right for the Seanad to debate this subject, which is of particular importance to rural parts of the country like mine.
I wish to discuss the IFA sheep protest that was organised in Roscommon yesterday. IFA branches from across the country gathered in Roscommon to highlight challenges for farming families. The price of sheep would normally see a natural bump as we enter this season. Unfortunately, that is not happening. There are also reports that there was an increase of nearly one third in farming input costs in general in 2022. That is significant. Inflation is levelling, but feed costs alone have increased for farming families. This is of great concern for the sustainability of our farming sector, particularly as regards sheep as we enter lambing season. It is a major concern around Roscommon and Galway.
It was important to see the IFA bringing people's concerns to bear and for us to hear what those were, especially in the west, but there were branches in attendance from all around the country, including Cork, Kilkenny, Waterford, Laois and Longford. They showed that it was important we listen to their concerns.
Markets are opening up, particularly in the US, but Europe is a key market for us. Given that prices in France are higher than they are in Ireland, we need to work with Bord Bia on how to increase demand for lamb and sheep meat more generally.
I met public representatives at the protest, including Deputy Naughten. Today, we heard his announcement about his future plans. His family kept a strong tradition in politics and public life for many generations, especially in south Roscommon. I have had the opportunity to work with Deputy Naughten as a constituency colleague. For 25 or 26 years, his family has been involved in delivering for the communities in Roscommon and Galway.
It is a commitment. There is always sacrifice when it comes to public life with family, friends and so on. In this I acknowledge the timeframe and what has been given. I wish him well for the future, as a colleague.
I join Senator Dolan in wishing Deputy Naughten all the best in his future endeavours.
I too welcome the announcement about the citizens' assembly today. It is no exaggeration to say there is a weight of expectation in regard to what the assembly might recommend. Obviously we do not want to pre-empt the outcome of what the assembly might say but the attempt to prosecute our way to a drug-free country has simply failed. Because of that approach over a number of decades, there are thousands of people suffering in private or in a more public form from the stigma and shame within their own communities and in terms of health, housing and work. That has to change. I welcome the announcement today and the April date given.
I also wish to raise the establishment by the Taoiseach of the child poverty unit. We heard that announcement over Christmas. I warmly welcome that announcement. There has been a failure right across Government for many years in regard to child poverty. Our public finances are in a healthy position yet people are living in poverty in this country. It is not a new phenomenon from the cost-of-living crisis. There is housing, social welfare and education, but I also want to raise access to early years education. While the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has done progressive work with regard to childcare over the past year in particular, there is a stumbling block in that Department, which does not recognise that there is a difficulty in accessing free preschool places in Dublin’s north inner city, because the physical space is not available. I acknowledge that the Department is doing good work but I also highlight its blind spot in regard to this issue. I hope the Taoiseach’s child poverty unit can take up this issue. I ask that the Taoiseach come into the Chamber to set out his vision as to what the unit will look like, and also for us to set forward what our priorities should be for it.
I seek a debate on the regulation of people who are living in hotel accommodation. On what grounds can residents be evicted? I know of many people in hotels who have been there for more than five years, moving from one hotel to another. I now work with a woman who with her four children was evicted from a hotel. It is appalling given that people go in to seek safe accommodation. Obviously rules are rules but the reality is that these hoteliers are making profit from people. Basically whatever rule breaking there is, if a person steps outside that box they are evicted with four children onto the street with nowhere to go. That person then was moved with four children to another accommodation where there was drug use and social activities going on in the place where she and her four children were placed. There are many conversations to be had on how to keep women and children safe in hotels so that it is sustainable. However, in my opinion hotels are no way to house people. Of course it is a short-term solution for a homeless person and for homeless children. That is something we really need to have a conversation about.
I also welcome Senators to Ballyfermot this evening, if they have time, at 5 p.m. We are having a celebration of different nationalities within our Ballyfermot community. Even though I live in Donegal, the site, Labre Park, in which I was born and reared, is also my community. That is at 5 p.m. There will be more than 100 different flags to mark the different nationalities within our community. At 6.30 p.m. Senator Ardagh and I will go to Drimnagh for a candlelight session against racism.
On St. Valentine's day it is brilliant to see all the love in Leinster House today and people sharing love, not hate comments on the Internet.
First, I wish to express my condolences to the family of Acting Sergeant Major Declan "Doc" O'Connell from the Curragh. Sadly, he is the second from the Cadet School in recent times to lose his life. They are going through tough times down there.
Last week, I spoke about the helicopter that was forced to land in Derry as a result of an emergency declared by the pilot. I got a reply from the Minister's office that tells me the area the helicopter flew into had already suffered turbulence. A Boeing 737 had experienced turbulence in that area two hours previously. This brings me on to the organisation that operates those helicopters. I announced in this House a couple of weeks ago that the company concerned had shown in its accounts for 2020 and 2021 that it was insolvent. The accounts showed losses of €6 million over the two years. The company paid very little corporation tax over the period. On looking at the payments being made to the company, I note these are averaging at around €6.1 million or €6 2 million per month. I am trying to figure out where all this money is coming from, because the original contract was for €500 million over ten years, which is about €4.2 million a month. I asked the Department if the company was charging for training exercises and for the transportation of patients from the islands to the hospitals. I was told that I could not have the information because it was commercially sensitive. I was not told that we do not pay for it. I was told in recent months that some in the organisation refer to training exercises as "search and revenue" rather than "search and rescue". If it is true that pilots are being put under pressure to carry out training exercises, then we have a serious problem. I repeat my call on the Minister to come to this House and engage in a debate. We need to find out exactly what is going on in this company. There is a contract up for renewal right now. It is vitally important that we know exactly what was contracted for in the first instance and second, how that contract has been managed to date. Six-odd million euro a month is an awful lot of money.
I think today's announcement of the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use to look at the issue of drugs and what our approach should be from the perspectives of legislation, education, health and public policy in general, is very welcome. To me, drug abuse and the hardship and turmoil caused by it to thousands of families the length and breadth of this country is one of our biggest challenges in modern Ireland. This time last year, I called for the drugs assembly, as other people did as well. I remember tabling a Commencement matter and ironically enough, at the time the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Naughton, came in and took the Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister. She is now the Minister of State responsible for drug policy in this country. As part of my work with the Oireachtas committee on justice, between 2011 and 2020 we did a significant body of work looking at the approach to drugs and drug abuse in this country. We travelled to Portugal and looked at the Portuguese model, which is very much a health-based model as opposed to a justice-based model.
I believe that significant progress has been made in terms of viewing the issue of drug abuse as being a health issue as opposed to a justice issue. Many people, including Members of these Houses, have worked hard to change that thinking somewhat in this country. This is without doubt, going to be the most important citizen's assembly that we will have in the lifetime of this Oireachtas. I hope its recommendations will be ground-breaking and that action will be taken swiftly afterwards because as I said, drug abuse affects thousands of families.
It has got a grip on our young people. They are prevalent in every town, city, village, parish and street in this country and unless we take it head on and deal with it in a sensible, informed way, we will not win the battle. The citizens' assembly has a huge job of work to do and I wish it well with its very important deliberations.
I know others have mentioned that today is St. Valentine's Day. I am also mindful that it is the anniversary of the Stardust fire that took place in the early hours of 14 February 1981, when 48 young people went out and did not come home and hundreds more were injured. I was with the families at the vigil last Saturday where a large memorial has been unveiled to them. They are all feeling that this is the year, after four decades of campaigning for truth, for answers and for justice that they might finally be able to get those answers. I wanted to mark their anniversary today and to wish them all well for April, when the inquest begins. No doubt this will be the largest inquest in the history of the State and while the families are anxious for it to start and get under way and to explore what exactly what happened on that night, it will also be an emotional and trying time for them and will open up a lot of wounds. I wish them all the best and to let them know we are thinking of them today, on the anniversary of that fire, and that hopefully, this will be the year we finally get the answers for them.
Today I call for a debate on the sheep sector. I have stood in this House on many occasions and discussed the failing sheep sector and how sheep farmers are crying out for support. For instance, in 2022 we exported sheep meat to 35 different countries, €476 million worth of sheep to factories. Yet the net returns for sheep farmers fell by 81%. Costs of production are going up and margins are clearly reducing. We really need to improve the sheep welfare scheme. I raised a Commencement matter with the Minister a couple of months ago on increasing the sheep welfare scheme payments. It is only €12 per sheep and needs to be increased by a minimum of €30. We need the wool council and we need to be able to ensure that farmers are able to look after their sheep. We also need to be able to ensure that their wool, which is a sustainable product, has a market that and that it is being sold for what it is worth and what it should be sold for. We need an increased export plan. We also need to protect sheep from dogs. We have an absolutely lackadaisical approach to looking after sheep in relation to sheep kills. We really need to move on that very quickly. We have 35,000 sheep farming families in the country and it is about time that both of these Houses started to stand up and listen to the sheep sector. It has been ignored for too long.
At the outset, can I say in respect of discussions about the embassy reopening in Iran that if we decided to never have diplomatic relations with countries we did not agree with or had issues with, we would have to close embassies in lots of countries. It is important that the reopening of diplomatic relations or of an embassy is not an endorsement of behaviour or practices in Iran but is an opportunity for us to engage more directly with Iran to show them why what is happening there is reprehensible.
I want to address the changes that occurred during lockdown and during the pandemic when all over the country, local authorities put in place measures to encourage outdoor dining and the use of outdoor spaces in towns and villages. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, to a large extent we were the frontrunners in that respect. Throughout Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, in places like Blackrock's Main Street and the coastal cycle route along Seapoint Avenue into Dún Laoghaire, the local authority really did take an opportunity to build infrastructure that benefited the people who live in the area and the businesses that trade in the area. That is not to say this was not without problems but on the whole, it was really good. Obviously the provisions the Government put in place had to come to an end at a certain point. The supports that were there to cover the cost of licences etc. all had to come to an end and that was flagged in advance. Now local authorities all over the country, including Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, must decide whether to put things back the way they were or not. Where those systems have worked, it is imperative on local authorities to make sure they remain.
Where there are restaurants with outdoor dining spaces and businesses with outdoor spaces that work for the people they serve and within that community, they should remain. Obviously, there will be times when that does not happen. I am aware that the council is now making those decisions in Dún Laoghaire, Foxrock and other places in my area, sometimes controversially. What is most important about that is -and there could be guidance from the Department in this regard - that it should be pointed out to the councils that they need to do so sensitively, collaboratively and in consultation with the local communities and businesses. Councils need to explain the reasons they are looking at the outdoor areas, what the criteria are and, if they decide to remove an area, why they have done so and, perhaps most importantly, councils need to make sure people understand that decision can be appealed and they are not being cut out of the process.
I concur with the comments of Senator McGreehan with regard to the sheep sector. I recently met with members of the IFA and its sheep committee in my home county. The message they gave to me, as a public representative, is very stark. There are average profits of €7 per ewe, with an average flock size of 75. That is a very small figure for the farm income of more than 35,000 farm families in the sheep sector. I support the Senator's comments. We need an intervention from the Minister and from Government to make sure that we can sustain those farm families. We need to take a proactive view, the same way we did with the beef issue a number of years ago. We see now where the beef sector is in a fairly good position and, indeed, dairy is good, but people in both the sheep and pig industry are not so good. We looked for intervention from Europe to allow us to give state aid to the pig industry last year. We were successful in that. We need to look at going the same route again and going with a minimum of €30 per ewe. We need to intervene. A significant number of families are not in a very good situation.
I thank all Members who contributed to the Order of Business. Senator Kyne raised the issue, once again, of Inland Fisheries Ireland. I share the Senator's concerns. He has been quite consistent, in this Chamber, in advocating for the public interest and issues that he sees as being quite serious with regard to how the organisation is being run. He has consistently asked very reasonable questions. I ask that the Department engage with Senator Kyne to try to bring a resolution to this issue. That is about as much as I can say in my capacity on the matter.
Senator O'Loughlin spoke on a number of issues. Both she and Senators Clonan, Wall and Craughwell all expressed their sympathies and condolences to the family of Declan O'Connell who passed away. He was a member of the Defence Forces from Newbridge. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam. My sympathies to his family, his fiancé, Audrey, his daughter, Niamh, and, of course, to the defence community. It is a difficult time for them. Senator O'Loughlin also acknowledged that yesterday was Epilepsy Day. The Senator very interestingly said that while today is St. Valentine's Day, 14 April is the date in South Korea when being single is celebrated. It is something to bear in mind and an interesting bit of information.
Senator Clonan proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 130, motion 9, be taken ahead of No. 1. It has been seconded by Senator Keogan. I will accept the amendment, but I will flag that I only got notice today of the proposed amendment to the Order of Business. I ask that the Senator gives me a little more notice in future, because it did not give me time to take any advice on the issue, or have a proper response for the Senator. It does not really allow me to engage in any debate on the issue, or even give a view on it. I do not wish to divide the House either. The comments of Senator Ward show there is not consensus on the issue. It is good to try to build consensus on these types of issues and give a bit more time for debate and conversation before a motion is put. There is a motion on the Order Paper on Ukraine as well. It is my intention next week to bring a cross-party consensus motion. I believe the Dáil will do something similar. I ask the Senator to bear that in mind to allow me to be able to better respond in future to matters being raised, but I will accept the amendment to the Order of Business.
Senator Clonan also asked for a debate on Ukraine with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Deputy Martin, which I will request at the earliest opportunity. I share his concerns about the number losing their lives, on both sides. Given the loss of life, one would wonder what it is all for, really. We will request that debate at the earliest opportunity.
Senator Warfield spoke about the tragic loss of life of Brianna, the 16-year-old trans girl from the UK.
We send our solidarity, love and support to her family, friends and community. It was a tragic occurrence and an awful hate crime and it is something we also need to be mindful of in this country. I note a gathering will take place at 6 p.m. tomorrow evening at the General Post Office. I thank the Senator for alerting the House to that event.
Senator Wall spoke about a young girl, I think she was called Slaney - I hope I have the right name - who was diagnosed later in life, at the age of 24, with combined type ADHD. He said there is significant deficiency in diagnosis, especially for women who are dealing with ADHD and other mental health issues. He has requested a debate on that. It is quite specific. I will request a debate on mental health issues in general and allow members to raise other issues as well. Senator Joe O'Reilly mentioned CAMHS. We had a debate on that a few weeks ago so we might leave that for a time but perhaps a more general debate on mental health would allow all issues in that space to be raised with the Minister.
Senators Ruane, Sherlock and Conway welcomed the news of the memo to Cabinet this morning on the citizens' assembly on drug use. It is long overdue and we are long overdue a debate and a change of response in how we deal with drugs. It might have been Senator Sherlock who correctly pointed out that dealing with it through the courts - I am paraphrasing - is not getting us anywhere. It is making matters worse. I think the terms of reference will be before this House next week. As soon as I have that information, I will circulate it to Members. I certainly welcome the work of the citizens' assembly and I wish all its members the best in their deliberations. We look forward to the publication of their recommendations in due course.
Hear, hear.
Senator Horkan put on the record of the House his sympathies on the death of Niamh Bhreathnach as he was unable to be here last week. He also extended his support to the people of New Zealand who have declared a national emergency because of the floods there.
Senator Joe O'Reilly commended Senator Ruane on her TV appearances. I concur with his remarks in that regard. Senator Ruane is doing a fabulous job. He raised a particular issue around home help and carers. I ask the Senator to table a Commencement matter initially. If that does not bear fruit, he should come back to me and we will schedule a more lengthy discussion on the matter.
I am happy to accept the amendment tabled by Senator Keogan. She raised the issues in Iran. I concur with the remarks the Senator made. I have also spoken about the issue in this Chamber. The significant severe human rights abuses and what women and girls are facing in that country are reprehensible. It is important we keep that issue alive and consistently debate and raise it in this House. I thank the Senator for putting that information on the record today.
Senator McGahon has requested a debate on local government and its structure. He suggested it might be wise to re-establish not all, but some town councils, perhaps the ones in his area at the start. I agree with the Senator. I am not sure that the removal of town councils was the right call at the time. Many communities are missing their town councils. I can certainly say that Castlebar-----
We might put one in Castlebar
Castlebar, Westport and Ballina miss their town councils. I notice the loss of representation and the focus on the town centre. Senator McGahon made a good point that some of the larger urban centres that do not have a town council would benefit from having extra representation and focus on their area. We will schedule that debate at the earliest opportunity. I will leave aside the opportunity to have a political nod at it; that debate has been had.
Senator Gallagher agreed with the re-establishment of town councils. He has also requested a debate on the hospitality VAT rate increasing from 9% to 13.5%. The Minister, Deputy Martin, will be in the Chamber next Wednesday and the Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, Deputy Niamh Smyth, will also be here. That will be an opportunity to discuss the matter and all issues affecting the tourism sector as they are coming to discuss tourism. Senator Gallagher correctly pointed out that tourism is one of the biggest sectors of employment in rural areas aside from multinational companies. It is a hugely important industry.
Senators Aisling Dolan, McGreehan and Carrigy spoke about the sheep sector. The Irish Farmers' Association, IFA, has been doing a lot of work recently in briefing members about the ongoing challenges being faced by sheep farmers and the sheep sector. We will request a debate with the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, at the earliest opportunity. I agree there are major challenges in the sector and we need to have a debate to address those issues.
Senator Sherlock not only raised the issue of the citizens' assembly but also asked for a debate on child poverty with the Taoiseach. I will see how that might work and request it.
On early years education, the Senator rightly acknowledges there has been a lot of work done in recent years in terms of funding to the sector and childcare costs have come down enormously, even in the space of the past couple of years. However, we have long way to go yet. It is not fully accessible across the country, and there are pinch points. We will certainly look to debate that issue in the near future.
Senator Flynn asked for a debate around hotel accommodation. We had a debate last week around the accommodation of those seeking emergency accommodation with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman. I wish Senators Flynn and Ardagh well this evening. Senator Flynn has notified us there will be an event in Ballyfermot at 5 p.m. to celebrate the diversity of the community, and also a further event in Drimnagh, at which she will be accompanied by Senator Ardagh, to tackle the issue of racism and call a halt to any racist comments.
Senator Craughwell asked for a debate on the issue of search and rescue and the Minister is happy to come to the Chamber to debate that. We are just working out what day and time he is available and, hopefully, it will be next week. We will let the Senator know as soon as we have a time locked in on that. We will get that debate for him.
Senator Boylan spoke to remind us that it is the anniversary of the Stardust tragedy. It is important that this be put on the record and that we acknowledge it is an important and significant date for all of those families in that community today. Obviously, we await the commencement of the inquest in April.
I note the comments of Senator Ward on the Iran motion. I also note his comments on outdoor dining facilities - a very welcome development that resulted from the pandemic - and the need to consult communities. We would like to maintain that option for people and businesses.
Senator Carrigy spoke about the IFA and its work in the sheep sector. As I said, we will get that debate organised as soon as possible.
Senator Clonan has moved an amendment to the Order of Business, “That No. 130(9) be taken before No. 1.” Is the amendment agreed? Agreed.
Order of Business, as amended, agreed to.