I welcome the students from Gaelscoil Bhrian Bóroimhe in Swords, na buachaillí agus na cailíní. Tá fíor-fháilte rompu go léir. Tá siad ar turas scoile agus is dóigh liom go bhfuil an turas go hiontach. Cuirim céad míle fáilte roimh gach duine, go mór mór na múinteoirí.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
I also welcome the boys and girls. We are really glad to have them here to see how democracy happens.
The Order of Business today is No. 1, motion regarding the proposed approval by Seanad Éireann of a proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2011/36/EU on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims, to be taken without debate on conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 2, motion regarding the proposed approval by Seanad Éireann of a proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the collection and transfer of advance passenger information for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/818, to be taken without debate on conclusion of No. 1; No. 3, statements on the sheep sector, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to conclude at 2.15 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, those of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, those of all other Senators not to exceed four minutes, on which time can be shared, and the Minister to be given not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 4, Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022 - Second Stage, to be taken at 2.30 p.m. and to adjourn at 5 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed 15 minutes, those of group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes, those of all other Senators not to exceed six minutes, on which time can be shared, and the Minister to be given not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 5, Private Members' business, Civil Liability (Schools) Bill 2023 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage, to be taken at 5 p.m., with the time allocated to the debate not to exceed two hours.
We have read in the newspapers and seen the coverage in respect of the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Michael McGrath, and the healthy surplus we have. That relates to the very healthy corporation tax rates that are coming in. Those things do not happen by accident. We are a very favourable country for investment and foreign direct investment because of our good governance, membership of the European Union, being a stable democracy and all of those positive things we espouse. It certainly is a change from a number of years ago. That is fine but it is a question of how we spend that money and how we can help people. We have pressing needs, obviously, in housing, which is not an easy, quick fix in terms of builds. We have financing and we need to put that to good use. I ask for a debate on public spending and the issues pertaining to it at the moment. There are a number of areas that can be sorted quickly, for example, our local authorities. In Galway there has been serious underfunding for decades and it is an opportune time to sort that out once and for all. There are easy wins for local authorities such as providing funding this year, for this summer, for our road networks. Local authorities would be able to spend however many millions they got to provide better roads throughout the country. There is an absolute need and a concern from councillors that there is never enough funding for local roads. Because there is a surplus, if the Minister was disposed to provide that funding across all of our local authorities, a number of millions each to put into roads this year, it is something we could see happening very quickly. It would be a good win for local authorities and a prudent use of the funding that we have. Getting back to the original point, we have a surplus and we need to assist people as best we can. I am calling for a debate on these matters.
I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Acting Leader. The big topic is our finances. We see there may be a surplus of €12 billion. It is worth noting that if we were to take away the corporation tax, things would not be as bright. As long as it lasts and as long as we are aware it might not always be there in such great strength, we have to be cautious. That is why I believe the Ministers, Deputies McGrath and Donohoe, were right yesterday to urge caution on spending. There is no doubt that if there is more money, those who need support and help should get it. If there is more money needed for housing, yes. It does not seem to be an issue of money. We have the biggest budget ever. If it is needed, absolutely, yes. As Senator Kyne has said, there are many other areas such as local authorities and so on that need funding. We must be careful as we go forward.
I would also say that colleagues who were staunch critics of our reception for President Biden last week should take note of the fact that we have a huge corporation interest from America, as we have Irish firms now in America employing more than 100,000 people in the USA. That is very important. We cannot do anything unless we have the money. We have the money now but we must be careful how we deal with it. We must definitely look after those who need support and assistance.
Our parties will be making their points to the Ministers about where funding and assistance are needed. I welcome the fact that both Ministers have said we must be careful as we plan for the future. The future will be bright if the planning of our economy continues as it is. Not everything is perfect. I accept that. Not everything is right. We need to improve those things. However, we had many years of bleak financial records and little money was available to do much at all. We cannot splash out money for every little thing. As I said before - I know I am repeating myself - it is important that those who need support and help are looked after.
One of the best things we could do would be to further invest in, especially smaller, businesses and giving people the option to go into business. Irish people are entrepreneurial. Sometimes the State puts obstacles in their way. Obstacles should be removed so we can encourage more people to go into business. It is not for everyone but if people have the proper financial supports they will do so. All in all, it is a good day, but careful planning for the future is extremely important.
For the record, I will mention a social media message that was posted last night by Senator Keogan. It refers to certain officeholders in the State, including the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. On my behalf and that of Senators McDowell, Boyhan, Craughwell and Norris, I wish to publicly repudiate the tone, content and message contained in that post. It will raise feelings of alienation among many people we have welcomed to this country. That includes everyone from bus drivers to shopkeepers, to the highest officeholders in the land. If a similar post was made by a parliamentarian in any other jurisdiction about an Irish person, we would find it reprehensible. The phrase "no Irish need apply" is a phrase that is held in infamy. Similarly, the phrase, "no non-Irish need apply" is equally reprehensible.
The business I want to raise this morning relates to the disability services in Cluain Fhionnain, Killarney, County Kerry. I remind the House of the recent Kerry CAMHS scandal. It was an appalling vista where hundreds of vulnerable children and adults were exposed to inappropriate prescription regimes with horrific outcomes for children and their families. We will all remember the life-limiting and life-altering consequences. The outcomes were so serious that the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, ordered an audit of all Kerry CAMHS. In addition, the divisional protection unit of An Garda Síochána invited those affected and their family members to make statements as part of a potential Garda investigation into criminal wrongdoing. This morning I draw the attention of the House to the HIQA inspection report of Cluain Fhionnain disability services dated 19 December 2017 which stated, "Inspectors were informed that for one resident a review of their medication resulted in the discontinuation of a medication that was used to block their hormones". To laypersons and parents of children and adults with disabilities, like me, this practice is sometimes referred to as "chemical castration" or "chemical incarceration". It is to inappropriately sedate or pacify persons with disabilities in residential settings.
I am calling for a Garda investigation into the prescribing regime and regime of care in Cluain Fhionnain, Killarney, for the same reasons that prompted ministerial and Garda interest in the Kerry CAMHS situation. In particular, I want HIQA to hand over two unpublished or suppressed reports into Cluain Fhionnain, dated 29 and 30 August 2017, along with any evidence used to support them. I am calling on An Garda Síochána to interview all inspectors who produced these three reports and the regulatory support officers and to consider any possible reporting obligation of HIQA management under the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012. I am calling on An Garda Síochána to investigate any possible concealment or destruction of evidence of any wrongdoing. I am deeply concerned about the status, welfare and safety of disabled citizens for the same reasons highlighted in the Kerry CAMHS scandal with which many of the locations and facilities share the same campus. We do not want a repeat of the Áras Attracta scandal. We need an urgent Garda investigation into the matters I have raised today. These are our most vulnerable citizens.
I did not see the tweet until a few seconds ago but I will put on record, as an independent Cathaoirleach, that all public appointments are done in a manner that is open and transparent in line with public service appointments. I thank Senator Clonan for his contribution. It is up to all Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas to uphold the standard befitting us.
Some Senators raised the surplus in the public accounts this morning. It comes as cold comfort to many families that are in arrears on their gas bills. At the end of December 2022, 139,785 domestic gas customers were in arrears. I am sure many Senators have constituents who are horrified by the large gas bills that are landing on their doorsteps. It was the subject of a commencement matter this morning. Gas bills are in the thousands of euro. Pensioners are having to face finding the money to heat their homes. I know people personally who are going cold for fear of turning on the gas. The temperatures are quite low even this week once the sun goes down. On foot of those figures in December, I asked the energy regulator for the quarter 1 figures of 2023. Unfortunately it was only in a position to provide figures for the first two months of the year, but those are terrifying. Between December 2022 and February 2023 an additional 12,491 household have fallen into arrears with their gas bills. There was nothing in the supports to provide for those households. That is a 9% jump in two months. It is now the case that 20% of the households that depend on gas to heat their homes are in arrears. What is the Government offering them? Fine Gael is running an online petition. Sign up and ask the gas suppliers to drop your bills. Fine Gael is in government. It needs to help people. An online petition? Come on, get real.
It could be tackling the price gouging we know is going on. We know hedging takes place but bills go up much quicker than they come down when the gas prices go down. We also need to give the regulator the powers to properly engage in the market and not just say "shop around". Many people are not capable of shopping around for various reasons. They might be forced to have direct debit bills or they might not have the capacity. They are left to their own resources. They cannot shop around. Equally, we need to give the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, the proper resources to do the job of a regulator. noteworthy.ie recently produced research that showed the CRU needs an additional 70 staff just to carry out its day-to-day activities. We need to properly resource the CRU. Perhaps some of the surplus could be put to that purpose. We need the Minister to engage with the regulator and to get the regulator to interact in the market. It is not good enough for it to be passive and we need our Government to lead and not be asking people to sign a petition to do the job it should be doing.
I will read into the record a survey on sexual violence carried out by the Central Statistics Office, CSO, which came out today. There is coverage of it this morning which states that four in ten adults have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime. The results of the survey showed a clear difference by sex and age. This is evident in that half or 52% of women experienced sexual violence in their lifetime compared with 28% of men. Anyone who took part in the survey was 18 or older. Some 65% of women aged 18 to 24 experienced sexual violence in their lifetime compared with 17% of men aged 65 or older. Six times more women experienced non-consensual sexual intercourse as an adult than men. The survey also found that 18% of women experience non-consensual sexual intercourse compared with 3% of men. The data also show that child sexual violence was experienced by men and women across all age groups but young women aged 18 to 24 reported the highest levels. For example, unwanted sexual intercourse as a child was reported by 10% of women aged 18 to 24 compared with 2% of men in this age group.
New data on the prevalence of sexual violence from the CSO show that almost eight in ten adults who experienced sexual violence at least once in their lifetime knew the perpetrator, with very little difference between men and women in that regard.
About half of all adults, or 47%, who have experienced sexual violence in their lifetime have told someone about it, whether that was one person, many people, a group or an organisation. This means that 53% of those who have experienced sexual violence never told anyone and just kept that locked away. We do not know why they did not tell anyone. The report did not go into it. Just over half of women, or 53%, who experienced sexual violence in their lifetime told someone. That is compared with one third of men, or 34%. That is a really worrying figure when we know that 66% of men who have experienced sexual violence have never told anyone about it.
I will quickly read the helplines in case anyone is interested in them. The national sexual violence helpline for men and women can be reached at 1800 778 888 or rapecrisishelp.ie, the national domestic violence helpline for women can be reached at 1800 341 900 and the male advice line for men experiencing domestic abuse is at 1800 816 588. This is important when there are many aggrieved people and near hysteria over children and adolescents receiving age appropriate consent education. I do not know if we need to have a debate about this particular report, but we need to have an overall debate around sexual violence, what is happening and how we are educating people, both on the giving and receiving of consent. I hope there will be the same level of outcry over this, because four out of ten adults experiencing sexual violence over their lifetime is a really shocking figure.
I welcome students from St. Benildus College. This is the second day of their visit to Leinster House and they are all welcome. I hope they have an enjoyable day.
I am asking for potential statements, maybe before the summer, on the use of AI in Ireland. I cannot speak for others but it causes me a high level of anxiety because no matter how much I read and try to understand it, I find it hard to grasp and grab. As legislators, we need to start creating space for conversations about it. We cannot only have conversations when legislation is coming through that involves AI or facial recognition.
I read a book last year called The Digital Poorhouse by Virginia Eubanks. It was based on the use of AI and automatic systems in the US, and how they are mainly used to manage some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities. That could be disability or schools that are not performing. It makes me really nervous. It would be good to create the space to have an open conversation. We should be able to explore whether we need - I do not think we have them - national standards and a quality framework on the underpinning of the use of AI and the ethics, bias and oversight. How does a machine learn and how do we know when a machine is learning in a particular way that creates a bias if we do not have that oversight or knowledge and understanding?
In the past couple of years, we have not replaced the Government's independent scientific adviser. I know that it has recently been confirmed that role will be decoupled from Science Foundation Ireland. That will be an individual role within Government and not attached to SFI. I do not know whether the independent scientific adviser to Government will also have a role in tech and AI, or if it is a particular role that does not encompass that area. It might be worth exploring, given the evolving space in AI and tech, whether the Government having an independent tech adviser is an important thing. This will make sure there is someone with a high level of expertise who can involve themselves in Government policy and legislation, and advise Parliament on some of those questions I am sure other people have in the same way I do. I hope we can have statements on that area before the summer.
Based on the Senator's important intervention, I suggest it might be worth considering that the Seanad Public Consultation Committee could look at that as a topic. It is a growing area and the Senator has raised some interesting points this morning.
Thank you.
I will refer briefly to the excellent figures released yesterday on the Government surplus position. American financial newspapers have today made the point that Ireland's budget surplus is now the highest of the 27 EU member states. It is almost unprecedented at a time when many other countries cannot get into a credit situation. There are lots of reasons we are in this happy state, not least the prudent decisions made by the current Government and by our Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, and his predecessor. However, I notice that the Opposition is already telling us how to spend this money. It is in an awful race as to how we should spend all of this. Most of the Opposition fought tooth and nail against the prudent fiscal policies that enabled this situation to arise, so they have to be patient. However, there is no doubt that there is obviously room now for one or two positive budgets to come, where the least well-off in our community can benefit from this largesse, which has been won for them by prudent government. We look forward to that.
Recently EirGrid awarded State contracts to a company called New Fortress Energy, which is based in the Shannon Estuary close to where I live. This contract is for construction of two new power plants between now and 2027. Hopefully, this will come to fruition. The problem is that New Fortress Energy is waiting a long time for a planning decision on its major project, which is the liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminal. I know the Green Party has serious difficulties with this. It is one of its major issues, and I appreciate that. It is our partners in government. However, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications recently indicated a softening of his position. I think it would be timely to invite him to this Chamber to give a definitive statement on energy security and the future of that project.
Prior to calling Senator Currie, cuirim fíor-fháilte roimh na múinteoirí agus na daltaí ón rang eile as Gaelscoil Bhrian Bóroimhe in Swords. Tá fíor-fháilte roimh gach éinne go dtí Teach Laighean.
I was not here yesterday for our first day back. I was in Belfast for the Agreement 25 conference. It will go down as one of the best conferences I have ever attended. I had the honour of being in the room and in the presence of George Mitchell when he made his speech on Monday. I felt as though I was in touching distance of history. At this point, it is all the more bewildering that the Assembly is not at the stage of coming together again.
I want to reflect on the teaching conferences that occurred over the Easter period. Many important points were raised and a lot of important responses came from the Minister. I would, therefore, like to ask the Acting Leader for a debate on teaching supply. It is something that affects all of us in our constituencies and it is affecting both primary and secondary schools. I agree that it is about individual choices, and post-primary students in particular should be able to make the choices they want and can foresee in their future career. However, we also have to think about things like STEM, and the lack of teachers in STEM subjects, particularly for girls.
I very much welcome the 610 places for initial primary school teacher training, in both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. However, I would welcome the opportunity for us to engage with the Minister for Education on both short-term and long-term actions that will solve this issue. As the teachers said, it is about the ability to access full-time jobs and salary. The Minister committed to looking at promotional opportunities and that is important, as is looking at the pensions and allowing retired teachers to work more hours. Access to training colleges are also really important.
I raise the possibility of having a debate in this House with the Minister for Justice on the subject of the Garda Reserve.
There is, on paper, a strategy for the revitalisation of the reserve over five years from 2021 to 2025. We are already in 2023 and no recruitment has taken place in recent years to the reserve. The result is that the membership of the reserve has fallen from around 1,200 to approximately 300. Many members of the reserve feel they have not been utilised and that there has been a degree of hostility among a minority of ill-informed members of An Garda Síochána to their presence in Garda stations at all.
In Ireland today there is a role for volunteering just as there was in the past with the FCA and the Reserve Defence Force. There is a role for people to become involved to assist the State. There is a crying need for An Garda Síochána particularly to have friends and allies and roots in communities in both urban and rural Ireland where they do not exist at the moment. I ask the Acting Leader to ask the Minister for Justice to come here to debate the future of the reserve and to outline the Government's policy in relation to revitalising it and giving people an opportunity to assist in the vital work of An Garda Síochána.
I want to follow on from the comments of my colleague, Senator Tom Clonan. In doing so, I suggest that at the earliest possible opportunity we arrange a debate on immigration and migration. If one follows social media, one will see there is little doubt that there is a very sinister campaign being waged by some clever individuals to create the impression in the minds of a sometimes unsuspecting public that all immigration is bad - people seek refuge for different reasons, in some cases financial - and that those who come to our shores have a nefarious purpose, and that they are somehow illegitimate individuals who are here to do damage to this country. One regularly hears the notion that people who come here are unvetted and are perpetrators of rape and murder. Unless we, as constitutional parliamentarians, challenge that in an open way, we are going to lose the battle. We have to face it head on and upfront because I am picking it up in my own community. People are starting to worry because there is no pushback against it. As a collective, we tend to not poke that bear. We kind of ignore it and hope it goes away. It is not going away because there is a sinister element and it is represented in the Oireachtas. There are individuals here who are preying on the concerns of people who feel vulnerable in their own community. They may be finding it hard with the cost of living or from a housing perspective. That context is being used by clever agitators. They have mouthpieces in this House.
I am really annoyed by what Senator Keogan posted. It is disgusting. I know three of the individuals. They are three of the finest people one could find anywhere. I ask Senator Keogan to reflect on this. I saw her in the other House last week running to get a ringside seat and to be part of the Joe Biden situation. If she feels so strongly on migration and immigration, she should not have been there. We were celebrating the fact that an Irishman had made it to the highest office in the United States and yet we see this kind of vile language being used against some of our nearest neighbours.
I bring good news on matters that have been advocated for in this House. Yesterday the Minister for Justice, Deputy Simon Harris, brought an update to Government and to Cabinet on the Cherry Orchard implementation board. Over the last year and a half, I have been advocating for specific action in the area to support what is a fantastic community of people, proud of where they live and of the people they share a community with. A tiny element has given the area a bad name. They are a minuscule element. The community needed support and we had the announcement by the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, of the implementation board just prior to her going on maternity leave. Then yesterday we had the update that the board is now in place. We have a chairperson who will report to the Department of Justice and we have resources that will come in behind that, including a full-time co-ordinator similar to what was done in Drogheda. The report on Drogheda notes that it has been highly successful. I am really pleased about that.
The board will be made up of local representatives from the HSE, the local authority, the Garda Síochána, Tusla, the Probation Service, the youth services board and the education and training board. There is quite a significant group of people and expertise around the table to support the community and to ensure it has its needs addressed.
I want to endorse Senator Lynn Ruane's call for a debate on AI. I have studied the subject and have qualified in it. For the last few years, I felt like I was part of the tin hat brigade when I spoke about how it was influencing and changing our culture. We have no idea where we are interacting with AI and how pervasive it is in influencing and feeding social media. I am relieved that the debate is becoming mainstream now because previously people sounded mad when they spoke about how influential it is unbeknownst to us.
I want to raise the issue of housing once again. Last week I spoke to a really impressive a young woman working for an NGO that engages with all of us here in the Oireachtas. She had returned from Europe where she had completed a PhD. She has been living at home with her parents for the last eight months because even on a decent salary, she could find nowhere to rent. What she said to me was very stark. She said that she knew she would not be living in this country in five years' time. She said there was no future for her here. That is how stark it was.
The second example is of a young woman living quite close to where I live in Limerick who currently has to live at home with her parents. I think the phrase the council uses is "involuntary sharing". She shares her bedroom with two young children, aged two and six. She has absolutely no prospect of a home. There is huge damage being done to these people and to a whole generation of the best people who are facing emigration at this point and telling us that they have no chance of making a life for themselves here in Ireland. Then I reflect on the stark facts in Limerick. Right now, in Limerick there are 230 vacant council homes. We put this beside the fact that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has underspent his budget by €1.5 billion. I want to be very clear that the council does not have the funds approved to get that work done. The council has told me this explicitly. We have a Government underspending to the tune of €1.5 billion, 230 vacant council homes in Limerick and we have thousands of homeless people. This Government has failed and it has not got the ingenuity, the enterprise or the wit to deliver on housing. I ask for a debate on this.
I want to raise the issue of career guidance in our post-primary schools. I am sure we all agree on the need for guidance for our students and young people, particularly post Covid and considering the pressures young people are under at this time of year leading up to exams. I would like to welcome the young people to the Public Gallery this afternoon.
As the Acting Leader will know given her background, since 2012 the allocation of guidance hours is a matter for the school management. It is up to the school management to decide how many hours are allocated to each school. Prior to 2012, there was an ex gratia allocation of hours across the board. Depending on the nature of the school, whether it was a DEIS school, a fee paying school or whatever, the hours were allocated en bloc to each school. That has not been the case since 2012.
That is a backward step and one I propose we look at again. Unfortunately, in some schools, management is deciding to allocate more time to teaching, or perhaps to guidance, whereas maybe due to the location of that school, it might be more appropriate to allocate more time to mental health and the pressures young people are under. It is something we should look at.
I ask that the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, comes to the House to discuss this issue. Our young people should be given all the necessary supports they so richly deserve in order that they can be the best they can be in their future careers.
I welcome the publication in The Irish Times yesterday of a letter from eight veterinarians supporting the call for a veterinary college for University of Limerick. I have met the president of University of Limerick and her team on this matter. The concerns highlighted by the veterinarians in the letter in The Irish Times concerned recruitment and retention and the fact that many people training to be vets have to travel abroad. There is a process that is live at present and I understand there will be a decision within the next two or three weeks.
We have a very fine veterinary college in Dublin. I have availed of the services of the small animal hospital there in the past but we need to have a counterbalance by putting a veterinary college into the regions. The University of Limerick is well placed to facilitate this call. It has many courses already in place that would be complementary to the provision of a veterinary college in Limerick. The decision needs to be made as soon as possible because, from reading the letter in The Irish Times, it is important a decision is made in order that a veterinary college can be opened in 2025, which is the commitment from the University of Limerick. It will work in collaboration with local vets in the region on training and providing that support for young students.
I ask the Leader to contact the Department of Education to find out when the decision is imminent.
I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the motion on a proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament on the collection and transfer of advance passenger information, requiring approval by the House, not be taken today but on a future date. We need a little more information. This is a regulation that states it is for the sharing of passenger information in advance-----
Is the Senator proposing that No. 2 not be taken today?
I am happy for it to be taken but I am looking for further information.
The Senator is proposing that No. 2 not be taken today.
Not be taken today.
I second the proposal.
Of course, nobody wants to obstruct the sharing of information relating to the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes or terrorist offences, but it would be useful to have more information and guarantees on how this regulation will be used. I would like a briefing from the Government clarifying that it will not become a mechanism used solely to screen or limit intra-EU migration but would only be used in an active situation whereby we are searching for persons who are a danger rather than screening people on an ad hoc basis.
I say that in the context of a report published by the Dublin Inquirer this week, which showed that a large number of Bolivian citizens, who are entitled to travel to Ireland under our visa rules, are being blocked by airlines from boarding planes to Dublin because those airlines fear they are about to be fined by the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Indeed, that bureau has fined a number of airlines up to €3,000 in respect of certain passengers. We have had situations where people from particular countries seem to be getting screened. That has been highlighted as an outsourcing and less accountable form of immigration control. We need to ensure we have best practice for immigration control and it is not something that gets outsourced to airline officials who have no qualifications or accountability for it.
I call for the publication of the abortion review. I note that the Irish Family Planning Association, IFPA, has today published, as part of its research, that the three-day wait is not having any impact on decisions but is causing stress. I ask for that review to be published and for a debate in this House on it.
I again welcome students from St. Benildus College. They have waited patiently. They are part of our rolling school visits. I thank them for being here again today.
I will talk about the issue of the dangerous and criminal antisocial behaviour relating to stolen cars. Recent Garda numbers indicate that in the first three months of this year alone, more than 1,300 private cars and vehicles were stolen. That is a 21% increase on last year in just the first three months of this year. It is an upsetting thing for anyone to have any of their property stolen, tampered with or damaged, but it is also an incredibly dangerous activity that is undermining safety in our communities. Some 38% of the vehicles stolen were stolen in residential areas. People park their cars near their homes, expecting their vehicles to be there when they come back, but they are gone.
It is an issue of real concern in communities throughout the country. In the community where I live, Dublin Central, I commend the residents who work with the Garda. In Drumcondra, the Iona and District Residents Association has re-established a neighbourhood watch to engage and work with the Garda. The Cabra Community Policing Forum, of which I am a founding director, has gone as far as not just talking to other stakeholders in the community but trying to engage with parents and young people. The Garda has indicated there is a trend in the stealing of second-hand imported vehicles. Some of these vehicles are more easily adapted for joyriding, for want of a better word. It is an incredibly dangerous activity, most importantly for the young people who engage in it. It can put their lives at risk and can lead to criminal prosecutions.
I commend the Cabra Community Policing Forum, and all the residents and communities, that are engaging with the Garda to try to tackle this issue. I encourage all communities throughout the country to be vigilant.
I will raise an issue the majority of households with kids who have gone back to school are dealing with at present. Kids are detoxing themselves from technology. They have been off school for the past two weeks, and have been on phones, PlayStations and so on for the past two and a half weeks. A significant debate is required by society and both Houses regarding where we are going with technology when it comes to kids. When is the right time to get a mobile phone for your child? Is it at the Confirmation stage or first year in secondary school? We are giving children access to mobile phones at an exceptionally young age, which gives them access to who knows what, and who knows where the predators are? There is a lack of information and understanding and a need for parents to have some kind of help along this journey because technology is now becoming a huge part of every child's life. I have four kids from the ages of six to 12 and iPads and phones are a significant drain on families, as are the games they play and their suitability.
We need to have a debate in the House with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on his views regarding this technology. I met a parent in Kinsale last Sunday who had every iPad and phone in the boot of the car because he was detoxing his children before they went back to school. I knew exactly what he was on about. I could feel the pain. I know it and we live and go through it. This is a bizarre situation. I attended a meeting on digital safety about three weeks ago. The interaction from parents on this issue was amazing. They told stories about anger issues, in particular, with certain kids regarding certain games they played.
It is important that we have a debate, particularly as this has got out of control. It is nuts. Society needs to realise that it is not right to give a child a phone at nine years of age and leave them off with it. We need to educate parents.
I second what Senator Lombard said. It gives me a bit of concern. I am at the stage with my kids where we are looking at "PAW Patrol" and a little four-month-old is turning over. When they get to the 10, 11 or 12 years of age, they will have access to mobile phones. There is no regulation in that regard. We need to have a serious discussion about this matter.
The Ardfinnan, Ballybacon, Grange and Newcastle Gun Club has been in existence for years. It has about 90 members. I have referred to it in the Seanad on previous occasions. The club has a number of serious concerns about game hunting, its organisation and the things it loves most. Its members are seeking some reassurance. I hope the Acting Leader might be able to get some answers from the two Departments and Ministers concerned. The first issue relates to firearms. The latter are the responsibility of the Minister for Justice. The club wants assurances that the proposals put forward by the firearms expert committee will be backed by publicly available data and that all affected parties, including firearm owners and those who will be most impacted by the increased restrictions, will have a voice in the making of the final decisions. Another concern the club has, which I raised previously, relates to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, regarding having full and public visibility of the available data the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, is using to inform decisions on the review of the open seasons order and transparency regarding the stakeholders the NPWS is engaging with as part of public consultation.
I have visited these groups. I have been to the Knockmealdown Mountains to discuss their concerns. They are more concerned than anyone else about the wildlife in the area and preserving the area. They love what they do, but they love the region and their area even more. They feel that many decisions are being made without their having an input. They feel helpless and that they cannot offer their views. They understand the region and their area better than most. All they are asking for is a bit of inclusion and understanding of what they do. I ask for some answers to my questions.
I have received a few calls in the past month about what seems to be a co-ordinated plan on the part of county managers, or certainly from the top down, in the context of how local authority planning executives deal with councillors. The reserve function is very specific when it comes to the input of councillors regarding development plans, making representations on planning files and generally laying out the reasons why somebody in an area who may have contacted them should be eligible for planning. The process is quite detailed, and I have quite a good knowledge of it. This is quite a black-and-white matter.
Planners have always taken into consideration what elected representatives say and the representations they make. There now seems to be no feedback regarding the representation a particular councillor has made. The interpretation of the specific law relating to local government has been tightened up by county managers, especially in the past couple of months. This is systematic. Managers have decided they are no longer going to interact with county councillors in the context of planning.
As I said, councillors have particular reserved functions. I am not downplaying that or the role they have. They are certainly not decision-makers in regard to planning. I am more than aware of their specific role. This seems to be something that will not be helpful for councils and people looking for planning, in particular in the middle of a housing crisis. It is demeaning our councillors and their powers, which is the last thing any of us wants to do.
I welcome Mr. Jim Lamb to the Gallery, who is here on a visit. I thank him for being here.
A number of matters were discussed on the Order of Business. Senator Kyne commenced with yesterday's good news regarding the State's financial surplus. Of course, a surplus did not happen by accident. It came about as a result of prudent and careful planning by the current Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath, and his predecessor, Deputy Paschal Donohoe. We all agree that there are many pressing needs. It is appropriate, as the Senator said, that we have a debate on priorities because we as individuals or groups have many matters we feel should be prioritised in terms of funding. I will ask for the debate to happen. One matter Senator Kyne mentioned was funding for local authorities.
Senator Murphy also spoke about the €12 billion surplus and felt it was worth noting that we are in a healthy position because of the prudent planning that took place. The Senator also noted that we need caution in terms of planning for the future and investing in business opportunities and entrepreneurship.
Senator Clonan spoke about a social media post from Senator Keogan last night. He gave a view from other members of the Independent Group that they repudiate absolutely the tweet that was sent. I saw it last night and was quite appalled. Only that I try not to get into an adversarial situation with my colleagues, I would have called her out on it. I am glad the matter was raised today. It is important and we appreciate that the Senator has done that on behalf of his colleagues. I thank the Senator. He also raised the issue in Cluain Fhionnain in Killarney and disability services there. What he described sounds appalling. He said there are three unpublished reports, which is concerning, and asked for a Garda investigation into the situation. My understanding is that in calling for that the Senator has to go to the gardaí. We are concerned about this and will certainly raise the matter when we can. I understand that has to come from the Senator.
Senator Boylan spoke about the budget surplus, energy costs and the fact that the number of people who are in arrears with their bills jumped by 9% in the first two months of this year. That is a matter of some concern. Last week, I mentioned that the ESB made massive profits on the back of hardship suffered by people. The Senator also asked for the CRU to be staffed appropriately. That is something we in the Seanad should ask for. The Government has clearly stated that it is keeping an eye on the cost of living and will certainly review the situation in respect of the budget. I overheard the Minister, Deputy McGrath, speak about that last night.
Senator Hoey spoke about the survey on sexual violence. What struck me about what she said was the fact that 53% of those surveyed have not shared any of that information. They are holding that information within themselves, which is causing them more stress and anguish. I again thank her for mentioning the helplines for those who need them. It is a subject we have to turn to time and again.
Senator Ruane spoke about the use of AI in Ireland. She mentioned a book I want to read because it sounds interesting. She is absolutely right. We need to have a debate on the matter, something which is supported by Senator Seery Kearney. The fourth summit of the Council of Europe is coming up in Reykjavik on 15 and 16 May. I will be attending the summit along with the Taoiseach.
As part of a paper I did for the Council of Europe, we highlighted three different areas that we needed to discuss with the 47 member states. AI is one of the three areas and the other two are climate change and gender-based violence. AI is absolutely an issue. We need to have a debate here. We will certainly support that.
Senator Ned O'Sullivan spoke about the Government surplus. He raised the issue of EirGrid being awarded two new power plants in the Shannon Estuary and the issue of planning decision delays about liquefied natural gas. We need to have a discussion with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications. I suggest that Senator O'Sullivan table a Commencement matter about that. It is an important issue and we need clarity, but that is best suited to a Commencement debate.
Senator Currie spoke about being in Belfast for the last few days and Agreement 25. We congratulate all those on the island of Ireland who were involved in commemorating 25 years of relative peace since the Good Friday Agreement. We all have to play our party in trying to ensure that the Assembly sits again. It is so important for the people of Northern Ireland. Senator Currie also raised teaching conferences and the issues raised there. I was at some myself. She has looked for a debate about teaching supply, particularly for STEM subjects. The Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is currently undertaking stakeholder engagement about STEM. She also raised the issue of promotion. The Minister, Deputy Foley, has committed to restoring middle management, which is important for the world of education.
Senator McDowell looked for a debate with the Minister for Justice about the Garda Reserve. He is correct that I know many fine people who went into the Garda Reserve but then felt demoralised and that they were not being valued. There is a commitment for 2021 to 2025 but nothing has happened since. We are almost mid-way through 2023. Volunteering has always been important on the island of Ireland. I was always proud to take part in the biggest volunteer effort, which was the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games. I feel that since Covid, volunteerism has drifted way. The Senator is right that we should look at it. I certainly support that call. We need to look at volunteering in the main, the value of volunteering to communities and to State organisations.
Senator Timmy Dooley called out hypocrisy from Senator Keogan. When I saw the debate last night, it struck me that the greatest celebration we had in this country for such a long time was for President Biden. He is a returned Irishman whose grandparents emigrated from here. He is right to say that we need a bigger debate on emigration and immigration. Coming stealthily into our communities and society is a very far-right view on those that are coming to our shores for a myriad different reasons. We need to embrace all the talents, culture and employment opportunities that these people are taking up. I will certainly look for that debate. Senator Dooley is right that as constitutional parliamentarians, we need to take on the battle here.
Senator Seery Kearney spoke about the implementation board for Cherry Orchard being put in place and gave us an update on that.
Senator Paul Gavan gave an example of two people who could not find places to rent. None of us wants to see a situation like that. He also spoke about the 230 local vacant homes in Limerick. That shocked me more. I find it difficult to believe that funding has not been released from the Department, because the Department has plenty and adequate funding. Obviously there has to be oversight of how it is spent but we need to take that issue to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and try to do something about it. It is simply not true to say that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department are doing nothing. In the first full year of Housing for All, we have seen 30,000 homes completed. We have seen a 45% increase in home completions since 2021. More important, it is a 41% increase from pre-Covid. Social housing figures have shown more new builds between this year and last year since the mid-1970s. I appreciate we have had a decade of undersupply. Trying to play catch-up is a huge issue. It is the biggest issue failing all of us.
Senator Robbie Gallagher spoke about career guidance and the allocation of hours. I tend to agree with him that it is important that we have an emphasis on well-being. There is obviously a concern that hours are being given to academic subjects. We absolutely need to look at how we support young people through well-being classes and career guidance.
Senator Maria Byrne spoke again about the call for the veterinary college in Limerick. Many of us have had the opportunity to speak to veterinary organisations. She wants to know when a decision will be made. I suggest that that should be tabled as a Commencement matter.
Senator Alice-Mary Higgins has asked that No. 2 not be taken today. I will accept that amendment and we will look for the extra information that she is looking for. It is important. She also raised an issue about immigration control. That is possibly something that we need to have a debate on in the House. We want fairness and justice for all those who try to enter our shores. She also called for the publication of the abortion review.
Senator Mary Fitzpatrick spoke about the 21% increase in cars being stolen. It is a shocking statistic. She spoke about how some specific cars are stolen for joyriding. We have seen some of the most horrific results from that, with trauma for families and lives being lost. It is dangerous for everybody involved. I share in her commendation of the Cabra Community Policing Forum on doing the work it does. We should look at rolling it out.
Senator Tim Lombard spoke about detoxing from social media, where we are going with technology, and about young people accessing technology at a very young age, sometimes with no boundaries. We examined this in the Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science last year. It is an important area and possibly needs to come out of the education committee. It is something that we would all have a view on. We will look for a debate with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on that.
Senator Garret Ahearn spoke about his local gun club and concerns that it has about game-hunting. It relates to the Minister for Justice with regard to firearms and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with regard to national parks and wildlife. The Senator is seeking clarification on two specific areas. I think a Commencement matter would be suitable.
Senator Aidan Davitt spoke about his concern about the relationships between planning officials and councillors. When I refer to relationships, I mean instructions that seem to be coming down through chief executives of local authorities and the feedback that seems to be from councillors, that any intervention that councillors may make, as they are entitled to when making a submission on a planning application or having a conversation with a planning official, basically does not seem to count for anything. That type of local knowledge seems to be disenfranchised. We should call for a debate with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage on this.
Senator Alice-Mary Higgins proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, "That No. 2 not be taken today." While it was not formally seconded, I am happy that the Acting Leader has outlined in her response that she is favourable to the change proposed. I am inclined to allow for the amendment to be put to the House as an exception today. The amendment is, "That No. 2 not be taken today." Is that agreed? Agreed.
Order of Business, as amended, agreed to.