Vol. 294 No. 3
I welcome the ladies from the Liberties History Group, which is based in Robert Emmet centre, Usher Street. You are very welcome, ladies, to our Public Gallery. Thank you for being here and for your real interest in our Irish history. I hope you have a very enjoyable and informative morning.
The Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, is very welcome.
Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, and I welcome the women from the Liberties. I am a fellow Liberties woman, so it is great to see them in the Chamber.
I wish to raise the issue of the impact of increasing electricity demand on electricity costs for households. The focus over recent months in the cost-of-living crisis has been on the cost of energy and the cost of gas heating. In October 2022 there was an emergency EU regulation on an intervention to address high energy prices. It proposed a mandatory target for member states to reduce consumption of electricity during "peak hours" by 5%. The focus on peak hours is really important and justified because gas-fired power has the most significant impact on prices at this time. We know that gas is the issue around the war in Ukraine. The regulation states: "Natural gas-fired power plants are often needed to satisfy the demand for electricity when the demand is at its highest during the day." That is why, according to the European Commission, reducing demand peaks would "contribute to a reduced fuel consumption and [therefore] to a smoother repartition of demand across hours, impacting hourly market prices". In other words, in plain English, during times of peak demand, electricity providers often rely on additional power plants, including those powered by fossil fuels, to meet the increased electricity needs. If, therefore, we could bring down our demand peaks, there would be less reliance on those extra power plants, and that then would result in lower fuel consumption. When demand is evenly distributed, it lessens the need for costly measures to manage the peak demand, such as activating expensive backup power plants.
It is very obvious from what we see at EU level that the EU thinks there is a serious problem with peak demand and its impact on the cost of electricity and energy that households are paying. The Government says it has complied with the regulation, and that seems to be because, while I would not say there was a little bit of "cooking the books", it seems very odd to me that the target was set against projected electricity demand instead of looking at previous demand. Technically, we might have reached the 5% reduction in electricity demand, but what really matters is whether we have actually reduced absolute demand, and it is very clear we have not because the analysis carried out by Ember reveals that Ireland is the only EU country that has increased its electricity demand. We might have set a target for reducing demand by 5% but, because we chose a baseline of projected electricity demand as opposed to what the demand was in the previous year, we will now technically reach the target without having reduced our electricity demand.
What is the Government doing to reduce overall electricity demand in this country? How many people are employed in the Department to look at this? I am not talking about demand-side reduction, whereby data centres power down when there is pressure on the grid; I am talking about how this country is addressing and reducing its absolute electricity demand. It does not take a genius to work out why Ireland is an outlier and why we cannot reduce our electricity demand. It is because electricity consumption by data centres increased by 32% between 2020 and 2021, and between January to March 2015 and October to December 2021, there was a 265% increase in electricity demand. That is why we are going in the wrong direction when we talk about reducing our overall electricity demand in this country.
Just in case they leave soon, I welcome the ladies from the Robert Emmet centre, specifically the Liberties History Group whose members are all from my home constituency of Dublin South-Central. You are very welcome, ladies.
I also welcome all the guests to the Seanad for this debate.
I thank Senator Boylan for raising this issue. I wish to report on further measures the Government is taking to enable consumers to become more involved in and aware of their own energy usage. At an EU level, the REPowerEU programme calls for much more citizen engagement with the clean energy transition to empower citizens to take action. Since November 2022, customers have been able to access their smart meter data directly from ESB Networks, following the launch of its new customer portal. That portal provides online independent access for customers to see their own electricity consumption data in order to better understand their electricity demand profile and to be in a position to assess opportunities to reduce their use, move their use to off-peak periods or compare tariff options from other suppliers. That, in turn, can reduce the carbon footprint of their electricity use and, potentially, save them money on their bills.
We have more and more smart meters installed - 1.3 million to date - and competition between suppliers on standard smart tariff, SST, rates is increasing as well as further offerings on smart services and energy insights.
The Climate Action Plan 2023 commits Ireland to the development of market incentives to support and encourage active energy citizens to switch demand to times of high wind or solar. Such incentives include the development of dynamic green electricity tariffs at times of high wind and solar output facilitated through new market participants operating in the retail electricity market.
The capacity remuneration mechanism is designed to ensure the demand for electricity is always met. This is achieved through a series of auctions, which are run at varying timeframes in advance of capacity delivery, new investment and existing generation capacity. They compete to ensure that payments closely reflect the value provided by the capacity and deliver the best outcome for consumers.
As the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, stated during its appearance before the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action last week, it continues to monitor the market and it is also reviewing the effectiveness of the enhanced consumer protection measures that have been put in place over the recent winter months.
I thank the Minister of State. We all know that households have to play their part in reducing their demand, and smart meters are part of that. I have flagged numerous times that many people who live in apartments and flats are being gaslit by the Government's policy when they hear people on the radio telling them when is a good time to dry their clothes outside when they are not actually allowed to do that under their residential tenancy agreements.
The question today, however, is about looking at electricity demand overall as a society and the impact that is having on people's household bills. We know from EirGrid's forecasting that even with the electrification of heat and transport in households, the biggest driver of electricity demand in this country is from large energy users and data centres. Will the Minister of State commit to providing us with the two updates he gave to the European Commission on Ireland's progress on reaching our targets for overall electricity demand reduction? How many people in the Department are actually working on reducing demand? I am not referring to demand-side reduction but to reducing our overall demand for electricity?
The Senator is asking not how many people are working in demand-side reduction but how many people are working on reducing demand.
Yes.
I will clarify with her afterwards exactly what figures she wants, which I am happy to do. I am also happy to give her or any Senator the updates or documents they want in this regard. Reducing demand, of course, involves smart meters and industry. We have changed the rules on data centres and how they can connect. It is very difficult to get a grid connection at this stage for a data centre. Two things are needed for a data centre. One is a grid connection and the other is planning permission. In future, full back-up of a data centre will be needed in order to connect, which was the standard anyway. I see data centres moving towards using biofuel instead of fossil fuels. Therefore, they have to play their part.
With the development of solar, which is spreading very fast now, and the addition of batteries, we have taken VAT off solar panels and batteries. That battery combination with solar, with the smart control system, allows people who install solar, or schools or hospitals, to be able to balance their energy demand at peak hours. At times when electricity is most needed and expensive and hardest to get, people with solar would be able to rely on their battery storage in their homes to balance the grid better.
The Senator is absolutely right. I am delighted to see her going into such detail on this topic. She has obviously thought it through and considered the challenges around peak electricity use and how much of that should be borne by consumers and how much should be borne by industry. It is a vital topic. It is important not just for reducing our emissions and avoiding using gas but also for avoiding the situation of power cuts. We have taken huge measures to ensure that does not happen.
I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy O'Donnell.
I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this Commencement matter. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donnell, for coming into the Chamber. The designation of special areas of conservation, SAC, ultimately falls within his remit. It has come to my attention through correspondence from various NGOs, other environmental groups and local councillors in County Kerry, particularly with regard to Killarney National Park, and Clare County Council with regard to the Burren, about areas of designation and the obligations in terms of ongoing and protracted issues around the infringement of the EU habitats directive. This is an important issue that needs to be looked at.
It has been reported that Ireland has not yet taken action to protect at least 40 SACs. I do not intend going into the 40 areas, however. This Commencement matter is with regard to the Burren and Killarney National Park in County Kerry. Therefore, that is why I have asked the Minister of State to come to the House and I reckon he has prepared in that regard.
Sites that have not been designated in the legislation are of concern. These special areas of conservation are particularly important places that recognise sensitive habitats and support flora and fauna. They must be of concern to the Minister of State. When we hear there is ongoing engagement with the European Union with regard to infringements of directives, one has to be alarmed. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, is particularly committed in this area.
As I said, areas of conservation fall under the remit of the Minister of State. Ireland is facing legal proceedings from the European Commission with regard to its obligations and failure to deal with the habitats directive regarding these obligations, which are ultimately to protect our natural habitats, and we are failing to establish the necessary measures to ensure their conservation. I understand there is to be progress in the coming months but that is a bit slow given that this has been an ongoing and protracted issue which there has been a commitment in Government to address.
As the Minister of State knows, the main aim of the habitats directive is to conserve the best examples of our natural and semi-natural habitat species and flora and fauna throughout the EU. We have our role in terms of the national Government in Ireland and our obligations under this really important directive. Of course, the Minister of State will be aware that each state is required to designate special areas of conservation and protect those habitats.
To be specific, I want to hear specifically about parts of the Burren and our national park in Killarney. Can the Minister of State confirm whether I am correct in my understanding of the infringements? If I am not, he might correct me. Will he set out how the Government intends to deal with these issues and indicate a timeline for the roll-out of this response? It is an important issue. I do not doubt the Government's commitment to it but we must push it along. I am particularly interested to hear about the timelines involved.
I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this very important matter of the protection of our European sites and the nature directives. Obviously, his issue is specifically around Killarney National Park and the Burren National Park, which have enjoyed the full protection afforded to special areas of conservation for several decades.
From the date of public notification, sites proposed for designation as special areas of conservation enjoy comprehensive protection under the birds and natural habitats regulations 2011 and Wildlife Act 1967, as amended. Ministerial directions further protect these sites by way of restricting certain activities, that is, notifiable actions and activities requiring consent. These are activities that require the permission of the Minister before they can be carried out within or close to the sites. We very much wish to protect these sites. That is an absolute and firm Government and Department policy.
The EU habitats directive, transposed in Ireland via the European communities (birds and natural habitats) regulations 2011, requires Ireland to designate special areas of conservation for the protection of threatened and endangered habitats and species. In all, since 1997, 441 sites in Ireland have been proposed for designation as special areas of conservation and have been publicly notified as such. These sites are protected under Irish law from the time they are publicly notified in accordance with the provisions of the European communities (birds and natural habitats) regulations 2011, and there are ministerial directions in force in respect of every one of the sites in question. Therefore, Killarney National Park and the Burren National Park enjoy and have enjoyed the full protection afforded to all Natura 2000 sites for many years.
The final step in the formal process to conclude the designation of these sites is the making of a statutory instrument. To date, as the Senator has identified, 401 sites have statutory instruments in place.
I am informed that the remainder of the more than 40 sites will all have statutory instruments in place before the end of this year. Killarney, for example, will have one in place in the coming weeks. Historically, the boundaries of SACs were mapped using Irish Grid, IG, co-ordinates on reduced scale six-inch maps. In recent years, much more accurate, digital mapping technology has become available, which overcomes many of the shortcomings of the old mapping system, including non-compatibility with GPS and legacy distortion issues. Accordingly, as part of the finalisation of the statutory instrument for a special area of conservation, the National Parks and Wildlife Service has taken the opportunity to transfer the boundary mapping for SACs to the Ordnance Survey Ireland-developed Irish transverse mercator, ITM, co-ordinate system. It is a GPS compatible mapping system that takes advantage of the accuracy of GPS while minimising mapping distortions. The new mapping technology also eliminates legacy issues whereby the six-inch map series, which was developed in the 19th and early 20th centuries, in many instances did not reflect the features on the ground when sites were surveyed and selected.
This new mapping system, in conjunction with the recently developed 1:5,000 maps therefore provides a much more accurate co-ordinate-reference system that is compatible with modern surveying instruments such as GPS and provides a standard framework for relating geographic information.
The site referred to by the Senator, the Killarney National Park, Macgillycuddy's Reeks and Caragh River catchment special area of conservation site, code 365, was first publicly notified and advertised in March 1997 and adopted by the European Commission as a site of community importance, SCI, in 2004, becoming a European site within the meaning of Irish law. The site has enjoyed the full protection afforded to an SAC for almost 20 years. Any suggestion to the contrary is misconstrued.
Moving to the Burren, this is a region that covers a very large land area, with multiple sites designated covering approximately 35,000 ha. All of these sites were publicly notified and advertised in March 1997 and adopted by the Commission in 2004. Statutory instruments have been published in respect of these sites. The remaining sites in the Burren area, the East Burren Complex cSAC and the Termon Lough cSAC have been protected since March 1997 and are on course to have a statutory instrument published in the coming weeks.
In relation to the legal case mentioned by Senator Boyhan, which is currently before the Court of Justice of the EU, a judgment has not yet issued. We expect that will happen some time in the summer. Accordingly, I do not propose to comment on the case in detail at this time.
I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. In summary, he has confirmed to me that Ireland had legal proceedings issued against it by the European Commission in relation to its obligations under the habitats directive, which are to protect natural habitats, and for "failing to establish the necessary legal measures to ensure its conservation".
It was great to hear the reference "in relation to the legal case" in the last part of the Minister of State's reply. That is all I wanted to know, and the Minister of State has confirmed it for me. I thank him for those last words. He has given a comprehensive response, for which I thank him, and provided great clarity on the issue. He has demonstrated by his words that there is a commitment to get on with it. I just hope it will happen soon. I suggest we will have another opportunity in June because I understand that is when it is going to happen. I will then have another opportunity to raise another Commencement matter and we can tease out the issues in regard to the findings of the EU. I thank the Minister of State very much.
I thank Senator Boyhan for raising this matter. While not commenting in any way on the European case, it relates to what was in place in 2019. The Government and the Department have made seismic advances in terms of registering statutory instruments. We are now down to just 40 and we expect to have them dealt with shortly. I agree that the protection of Ireland's natural habitat is of the utmost importance. The Department is fully committed to continuing the process already ongoing to ensure we will be fully compliant with the directives on birds and habitats. This is why the Government has placed such an emphasis on the transformation in the role of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and its proper resourcing to allow it to carry out its functions and protect nature on behalf of the people of Ireland. I am committed to working closely with all stakeholders and landowners to continue to introduce new initiatives, projects and partnerships to ensure ongoing protection for all of the special Natura 2000 SAC sites.
Senator Boyhan mentioned two sites. There will be statutory instruments in place for both the Burren and Killarney National Park in the coming weeks. The work that has been done by the Department since 2019 in the number of sites registered as special areas of conservation is to be commended. We are now down to 40 statutory instruments remaining. We are working with great efficiency to get those in place as well. The two sites the Senator mentions, the Burren and Killarney National Park, will have statutory instruments in place in the coming weeks.
I am delighted to welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, to the House. He is a great friend of councillors and has been very proactive and has worked hard in his role since his appointment. He knows about this because he was at the front line and he started from the ground up. He is to be commended on all his experience over the years, which makes him understand the issues affecting councillors probably better than most.
Recently, the Department rolled out a scheme worth up to €5,000 that has beefed up security for Oireachtas Members, following a recommendation made in a security review by the Garda. The matter I raise details that councillors are the first line of politics on this island. They are immersed in communities in every respect. In some instances, they are probably at a greater security risk than some Oireachtas Members, but there is no doubt the two groups are on a par.
I am grateful the Minister of State is taking this Commencement matter because I know he has been working on the issue. We discussed councillors' expenses previously and the Minister of State allowed them to include as expenses the cost of security cameras, gates and alarms. However, we must go a little stretch further, as has been recommended by the Garda for Oireachtas Members. Councillors should be afforded the same possibility. I am sure the Minister of State is doing his best to do what he can. I look forward to his response.
I thank Senator Davitt for raising the matter of the security of councillors once again. I acknowledge the work he has done in this area on behalf of all our colleagues and councillors the length and breadth of Ireland. I have huge respect for the work they do. I started as a councillor and my colleagues were very supportive in allowing me to continue my political career by electing me to the Seanad. I wish to acknowledge that.
The matter raised is in the context of the recently published regulations on security for Oireachtas Members. I am grateful for the opportunity to come to the House to speak about the important issue of councillors' security. Senator Davitt makes reference to that. It is hugely important that councillors are able to go about their representation work in a way that is secure. Local government plays an important role in the life of the nation and is responsible for the delivery of a wide range of services. Elected councils provide a vital forum for the democratic representation of local communities. All elected representatives should be free to carry out their functions and representational role without fear of harassment or intimidation. In some quarters there are heightened adversarial attitudes, which is corrosive to democratic participation. They risk deterring potential new candidates and, more particularly, inducing existing representatives to withdraw from political life.
The regulations to which Senator Davitt refers were published in recent weeks, at the end of last month. Officials from my Department have been in touch with their Oireachtas counterparts, whom I understand are currently working out the details of the scheme for Oireachtas Members. I have asked my officials to study the full details of the Oireachtas scheme closely, once they are finalised and available, with a view to preparing a specific business case for the introduction of a similar security allowance for councillors, taking into account their particular context. A business case should of course set out the rationale and evidence for any such allowance, as well as its value and cost.
My officials will engage with councillor representative organisations, the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, and Local Authority Members Association, LAMA, in relation to the evidence base for such an allowance. I have given that commitment and I am following through on it, but I want to do it in a structured way. It has come through at Oireachtas level as a statutory instrument but the details of the scheme are now being fleshed out. We are in contact and have been through it at an official level. I want to see the final details of that scheme and then we will proceed to do a business case for councillors but taking account of their particular context.
Any such allowance would have to be introduced by the making of ministerial regulations under section 142 of the Local Government Act 2001 and countersigned by the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, as was done with the Oireachtas allowance.
By way of general overview, I would like to draw the Senator's attention to the existing financial supports for councillors according to the provisions of the Local Government (Expenses of Local Authority Members) Regulations 2021. These include the local representation allowance, LRA, which is of a value of €5,160. There are 14 eligible various expenditure items.
Senator Davitt and I spoke previously and a clarification issued from my Department in December 2022, which I committed to doing, on the issue of home security systems for councillors who have home offices. It is my intention that further clarification will shortly issue in an updated circular to councillors which outlines and provides guidance on the various allowances of which councillors may avail. I want this to be an updated and evolving system. Installation costs of CCTV systems may be covered in full under the improvements to office accommodation category. Monthly and annual costs associated with home alarm monitoring may also be apportioned and claimed under utilities up to a maximum of 20% of the total cost.
I thank Senator Davitt for raising this issue and I welcome his comments. I, in my role as Minister of State with responsibility for local government, along with my officials, am proactively working on this. We are looking to see what is happening in terms of the scheme that comes out of the Oireachtas. Then we will be looking to make a business case on the specifics with councillors.
I thank the Minister of State who, as always, has come here with good news. As he says, he is being proactive. He understands councillors and he understands their safety and security concerns. It is great news that he is actively looking at this scheme. I have no doubt that its roll-out will happen in time. I really appreciate his work.
I appreciate that he has looked at the different categories in relation to the allowances. He is keeping us updated on what the different allowances can be spent on, as he discussed here with us previously. I thank him very much again. This is a good news day for councillors.
Once again I thank Senator Davitt for raising this very important matter. Improved home security measures can help somewhat to reassure councillors and provide peace of mind for them and their families. However, there are wider questions of civility in public life and respect for elected office, which must be tackled at a societal level.
Hear, hear.
We are here to represent the public. It is very much an interactive model. We have a particular system in Ireland where we are very close to the public and we must maintain that. It brings an added dimension to our political life that is not available in some other countries. For that to happen, we must have respect on both sides. That is the case for the majority of the public. I would hate to have a situation whereby the behaviour of a few impinges on our interactive electoral system that works very well for the politicians and more particularly for the public.
I note with interest the recent publication of SI 196 of 2023 and my Department will exam the details of the emerging security allowance scheme for Oireachtas members closely. As I said, it will have to be introduced by way of a statutory instrument, ministerial regulations under section 142 of the Local Government Act and countersigned by the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform.
I acknowledge the work of both AILG and LAMA, which are representative associations for their members. We will continue to interact with the Oireachtas on the design of the scheme. We will see exactly what comes out of that. We will then look to create a business case for councillors, we will look at security and we will look at the specific circumstances for councillors. We will then produce a business case that will have to go to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. We will interact with representative associations on this matter and we will continue to work on it.
I thank Senator Davitt and the House for the opportunity to speak about this very important issue.
I thank the Minister of State. That was well said. Just get the cheque book out.
I thank the Minister of State. That is a very necessary intervention and a very necessary support.
I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to the Seanad today. I put on record my thanks to her for the work she has done since coming into the role on the formation of the Government. She has been a very strong advocate for people with disabilities and, in particular, those people who are on the autism spectrum, with whom I work in my role as Cathaoirleach of the Joint Committee on Autism. I thank the Minister of State for her support on that.
As I know from my involvement in that committee, approximately 25% of those who are on the autism spectrum are either non-verbal or have communication issues. We had a very powerful day in the Seanad a number of months ago when parents and self advocates appeared before the committee to give testimony and evidence to us. On that day, a number of parents spoke about safety concerns for their children, particularly for children who are non-verbal. To me, there seems to be an issue somewhere, possibly within the judicial system, where a child cannot communicate. We have heard stories, one of which was on that particular day. A young child was bruised when they came home. The parent made representations to the school but because the child was not able to communicate their complaints, the principal of the school, Tusla and An Garda Síochána were not able to process the issue.
We need to look at this area and at the Acts in place. In particular, I refer to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 and the Criminal Evidence Act 1992. These should be reviewed and looked at to ensure that non-verbal and minimally communicative children are protected in all cases-----
-----whether they are in schools, residential settings, respite care or, indeed, in healthcare settings. I will not mention individual cases here, but it is an issue that has been brought to the committee by parents and parents' representative groups. I ask that it would be looked at and that any changes in the law that need to be made are made to reflect the need for increased protection for those children and families. This would allow for any issue of concern that is brought forward to be dealt with in the same manner as anyone else who brought forward a claim. For a child who is non-communicative, there are assistive communications and there are other methods out there. I have said before that, as a State, we need to provide augmentative and alternative communication, AAC, devices to all children who are non-verbal. We, as a State, should be able to put the apps on these devices to allow children to be able to communicate.
The Minister of State is well aware of young Fiacre Ryan-----
Yes.
-----who is a young lad who is non-communicative. He is now in university in Atlantic Technical University, ATU, using the rapid prompting method, RPM, which some people have concerns about. Yet, it is a method of communication. Any method of communication that works should be used and supported.
I ask that we look at these Acts and at whether gardaí are trained in interviewing non-verbal kids and at whether they are aware of these other various communication methods. It is all about protecting the kids.
Yes, absolutely.
I thank Senator Carrigy very much for raising this very important issue. It is important to have it on the record that we understand this.
The script I have in front of me is a combination of a script from the Department of Justice and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth so we could try to give a comprehensive response. I am conscious we have a visiting a school group in the Public Gallery who will hear me talk about young people and their rights, and the voice of the young person. Sometimes not everybody has that voice and we are here to discuss how we can protect their voice.
There are more than 600,000 people with disabilities in Ireland whose daily lives, lived experiences and support needs are as diverse as each individual person behind the statistic. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD, contains universal rights and the approach taken by the State via the Disability Act and the Equal Status Act defines disability in broad terms and not with reference to specific impairments or diagnoses. The questions Senator Carrigy asked regarding access to justice are as important for all children with disabilities as they are for those who require specific communication supports. For that reason we need to find the right balance in our approach to recognising and responding to the bespoke needs of particular cohorts of people with disabilities without creating a legislative hierarchy of disabilities. The principle of parity of esteem between disability constituents was advanced by the landmark work by the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities in 1996 and is as relevant today as it was then. We need to continue our journey towards fully adopting the social model of disability as the UNCRPD asks of us, recognising that the societal barriers and challenges may be the disabling factors in people's lives, not their impairment.
That is why the concept of universal design is so powerful, and something I raise frequently in both Houses. The concept of universal design extends to the way in which we develop appropriate and accessible pathways and supports through which all people with disabilities can seek justice and assert their rights through the legal system. The centre of excellence in universal design within the National Disability Authority, NDA, is a world-leading example of Ireland’s commitment to designing and adapting our support systems and our built environment in a way that does not distinguish between people on the basis of ability or impairment.
While I acknowledge that there will always be work to do as we continuously advance and strengthen UNCRPD rights, much has also been achieved to support and advance the rights of people with communication support needs in Ireland to date. For example, last year the Minister for Justice launched a new qualification programme at the University of Limerick to train intermediaries who will help vulnerable people, including sexual abuse victims, and children, when giving evidence in the justice system. Intermediaries are professionals, usually with a background in speech and language therapy or a cognitive discipline, with the skills and expertise necessary to assist witnesses who have communication difficulties in providing evidence. The introduction of this new programme for intermediaries is a key action in Supporting a Victim’s Journey, which is a plan to create a more victim focused criminal justice system. Once qualified, intermediaries will have an essential role in assessing and supporting the communication needs of vulnerable witnesses and to advise An Garda Síochána, advocates, and the court on the steps needed to assist such witnesses to give their best evidence.
The role of an intermediary is not to speak for people with communication support needs, but to bridge any communications gaps. Moreover, An Garda Síochána has procedures and provisions in place to engage with people with non-visible disabilities. Garda members receive training in this regard and An Garda Síochána also has specialist interviewers for interviewing vulnerable individuals, including children. l am informed that An Garda Síochána is satisfied that there are sufficient child protection provisions and requirements in statutory law to protect children. Tusla and An Garda Síochána play an important role in this regard.
I thank the Minister of State. The guests in the Public Gallery are from the East Glendalough School and they are all very welcome. They are guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond. I invite Senator Carrigy to reply to the Minister of State.
I thank the Minister of State. I suppose her reply tells me that everything is okay and that everyone is satisfied but what we hear from parents and parents' groups does not correspond with what is in the statement from the Department of Justice. I ask that this be communicated to the Department of Justice. We need to sit own and tease out where the issues are, because there are issues of concern. Ultimately, we need to protect those who are most vulnerable in our society. What we hear, and what we heard at the committee, does not marry with what was in the statement today. I ask that this concern be taken back to the Department of Justice and that it furnishes me with an updated reply or looks at the Acts I mentioned to see where there are issues and makes the necessary changes.
I thank the Senator. In my concluding statement, I can say my own few words. The opening statement was a combination from two Departments, trying to get to the basis of it. Quite rightly, much work is going on but that has not really been rolled out on the ground because what I heard in Senator Carrigy's introductory remarks was that parents say that when they encounter an issue, they do not understand it, or there is no mechanism there to support that communication piece.
The Senator is right in what he says regarding the augmentative and alternative communication piece. I genuinely believe that piece of technology needs to be embedded in society. I genuinely believe when it is identified through speech and language therapy in the early years, that assistive technology needs to be made available to young people so it becomes the norm and is not talked about and that everybody knows how it works and the voice of the child, while it might not come straight from their lips, comes through the piece of assistive technology. That is why that I placed an order worth €1 million to purchase 1,000 units of augmentative and alternative communication, AAC, last Christmas. I know it is only the tip of the iceberg but nobody could give me an exact statistic as to how many were needed. I listened to parents the same as Senator Carrigy and I compliment him on the work he has done on that committee. I also compliment Mr. Fiacre Ryan, who sent me his book, Speechless because we need more conversations to understand what voices are missing and what pieces are missing. Sometimes it is not legislation; it is our understanding. We need to move on from awareness of disability to an understanding of how a person needs to be included to participate equally in society and that is living and breathing the UNCRPD.
I will continue to work with Senator Carrigy regarding the assistive technology piece and will bring back what Senator Carrigy raised to the Minister for Justice.
I thank the Minister of State and Senator Carrigy for their ongoing work in this area.
