I welcome the students from Monkstown national school to the Gallery. They are very welcome and I hope they have a very pleasant visit. In keeping with tradition, I think we should give them homework off today.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Is that Monkstown in Dublin or Cork?
Dublin.
I live there.
They are very welcome to Leinster House. I ask the Leader to outline the business for today.
Everybody is very welcome to the Chamber. The Order of Business is No. 1, Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 – Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to adjourn at 2.45 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 2, Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022 – Committee Stage, resumed, to be taken at 3 p.m. and to adjourn at 5 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 125, motion 10, Private Members' business, regarding the naming of the new national children's hospital after Dr. Kathleen Lynn, to be taken at 5 p.m. and to adjourn at 6.30 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 3, Social Welfare (Child Benefit) Bill 2023 – all Stages, to be taken at 6.30 p.m., with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister on Second Stage not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed six minutes, all other Senators not to exceed three minutes, and the Minister to be given no less than six minutes to reply to the debate, and Committee and Remaining Stages to be taken immediately thereafter; No. 4, motion regarding the earlier signature of the Social Welfare (Child Benefit) Bill 2023, to be taken on conclusion of No. 3 without debate; and No. 124, motion 1, panel and university Members' forum debate on motion from the National University of Ireland Senators regarding academic precarity, which, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, is to be taken at 8 p.m., or on the conclusion of No. 4, whichever is the later, with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed one hour, the combined speeches of the proposer and the seconder not to exceed 14 minutes, the speech of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, all other Senators not to exceed four minutes, and the proposer to be given no less than four minutes to reply to the debate.
It is great to hear the great spirit among the young people this morning. They are very welcome. Not alone is the good weather here and they are in Seanad Éireann but the holidays are coming soon as well. All of us here wish that they enjoy themselves.
I will start this morning by referring to the number of motorcycle accidents occurring in this country. Sadly, overnight two people were killed on motorcycles. The number of people who have been killed since the beginning of the year is substantially up on last year. I stand to be corrected but it is close to double figures already. It is affecting all parts of the country – west, east, north and south. Maybe we should have a discussion on road safety with the relevant Minister about how we can move forward and have a safer aspect to all motorcycle activity. It is highly regrettable and we extend our sympathies to those families who are suffering this great loss.
Second, I refer to budgets. All of us here, as Oireachtas Members, are now being lobbied and we have to attend sessions all over the place from the various groups, including the charity groups, the teachers' organisations and the farming organisations. However, we cannot put our budgets together through opinion pieces. Everybody's contribution has to be listened to, including the submissions and representations that are made to the Oireachtas people. I know the Government is anxious to work together on this. That is extremely important that when we talk about the upcoming budget. There are challenges there because we know there are people for whom it is very difficult with the cost of living and the Ministers for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and Finance are both working to ensure those people are well catered for. People on low to middle incomes are suffering cost-of-living problems as well. I urge that the Government work together and work in unison. I think most Members would agree with me, on whatever side. We cannot do this type of negotiation through opinion pieces. We have to be more respectful of the electorate. I certainly take my role seriously and I know that my colleagues, whatever side of the House they are on, have that respectful attitude towards this.
We just cannot promise people this, that and the other and then not deliver it. The figures have to be done and have to be worked out. We are in the fortunate situation where the balance of payments looks well and where the taxes, particularly the corporation taxes, are looking very healthy over the coming years. That does not mean we do not have challenges. That does not mean there are not people being left behind. All of us, whether we are in government or in opposition, want to ensure that when those moneys are distributed in the budget, they are distributed fairly. Equality is the most important thing. I do not know if we can have a discussion on this but it is my wish and the wish of most of my colleagues that we not go around promising things willy-nilly and then not being able to honour those commitments and promises.
I welcome the students from Monkstown. I went to school in Monkstown myself. There are a number of schools there so I do not know if they are in Scoil Lorcáin or one of the parish national schools. I can see the uniform there and it is Scoil Lorcáin. They are very welcome. I certainly would have loved the opportunity to get in here as a student. I did not get in until many years later.
It will be hard to get you out of here now.
Absolutely. I also live in Monkstown. It is a particularly beautiful part of the world, Baile na Manach.
I want to raise the issue of the very controversial residential zoned land, RZL, tax. It is a new tax which is planned to be introduced and I am calling for a debate on it. The Leader represents a rural constituency. Many people here live in rural communities and represent rural constituencies. This is a very controversial tax proposal that has been met with strong opposition from farm organisations. The tax has been described as a land grab and as a revenue-generating instrument. That is the perception of many people living in rural communities. It has generated huge backlash in rural communities. As someone who is based here in Dublin but who is on the agricultural panel, with contacts right across communities in this country, I know this tax is going to be strongly resisted. It is considered an unfair tax. It is considered a tax on family farms and on productive land that is being used for agriculture, horticulture or commercial vegetable production.
The genesis of this idea was tied in with realising land under the Government's housing policy but it is the wrong tax for a number of reasons. Many farmers feel it is indicative of a growing shift or disconnect between them and the Dublin-centric Government policy advisers. I make that point wisely. It is the policy advisers who are informing the Government; it is not necessarily Government Deputies. This is impacting hugely. It is a tax that should be halted. The message is clear and I am hearing it loud and clear too. This tax is a tax on agri-land, farm families and rural Ireland and it should be strongly resisted. There are clear issues with the residential zoned land tax. The Government has acknowledged that. It is time to do a U-turn. It is never too late to do a U-turn or halt a proposal if you think it is not going to go down well. It is not because it is not politically the right thing to do but I think there is genuinely a miscalculation in relation to this tax. The Limerick Deputy Willie O'Dea raised in the Dáil that the new tax would have profound implications for what were described as genuine farmers, that is, farmers who are working the land. In response, the Taoiseach confirmed that the tax will be modified to address the anomalies. He accepts that there are anomalies in this tax. I am asking that we acknowledge that there is concern across all parties about this tax on agricultural land. I ask that we have some sort of briefing and debate within this House to see if we can in some way re-navigate this issue and address the issues concerned so we do not penalise rural communities, farmers and active farm land management.
Go raibh maith agaibh a Chathaoirligh agus a Cheannaire. Ba mhaith liom droch-ábhar a lua ar dtús ar an drochuair. A number of weeks ago at the initiation of the Cathaoirleach, the president of Cumann Lúthchleas Gael addressed the Seanad on the really positive work the GAA does not just the length and breadth of Ireland but around the world. Senator Black mentioned the fantastic pioneering work of East Belfast GAA in County Down. Unfortunately, East Belfast GAA has been subjected to quite negative and hostile remarks over the past number of weeks. Yesterday, the training pitches where the teams, including the children's teams, go to play had to be searched for a suspect device. We are seeing some really nasty things said about that club despite the fantastic, inclusive and positive work it does in the east of the city to bring the GAA and Gaelic sports to all age groups and people from all backgrounds, ethnicities and communities. I am sure it is the united stance of this House that we would send our solidarity to the members of East Belfast GAA and condemn outright anyone who would attack that club in any way for simply wanting to enjoy its sport, have fun and bring people together. If it is agreeable to the House, perhaps the Cathaoirleach would write to the secretary of East Belfast GAA expressing the solidarity and support of this House. I wanted to take that opportunity this morning.
The Cathaoirleach will not be surprised because I know he has had his issues with passports in the past but the latest problem we are encountering has come to light through the work of newly elected Belfast city councillor Caoimhín McCann, who is the youngest councillor in Belfast City Hall. He has initiated a petition online calling on the Passport Office to accept Northern electoral ID cards as acceptable photo ID. These are Government-issued IDs. It was what I used to vote last Thursday. I have also travelled within the common travel area using this card. I have gone to the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly events in Great Britain with it. Unfortunately, the Passport Office is not accepting it for new applicants for a passport. The office will accept British passports and driving licences but this really needs to be added to the list. I might raise it as a Commencement matter next week but in the spirit of sharing the island, the Cathaoirleach might raise it with his party leader and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. To me, it seems as though it would be easily resolved and would make sense. Fair play to Caoimhín McCann; it is a good initiative that will assist more people to be able to avail of their right to an Irish passport.
I would be happy to talk to the Senator about that incident in east Belfast and stand in support of the GAA community.
I support Senator Ó Donnghaile's comments about East Belfast GAA. The fact that the Cathaoirleach is taking that on board is most welcome.
The first item I wish to raise is one I have raised a number of times in this House, namely, the Life Saving Equipment Bill 2017. This morning as I made my way to the House, I listened to my local radio station KFM where a local Independent councillor from Clane, Padraig McEvoy, spoke about the theft of nine lifebuoys from the waterways around Clane. Councillor McEvoy outlined the problems this is causing the community and Kildare County Council because it is the body that must replace them. I have previously raised this problem in the House. It is also a problem with regard to another query I received yesterday relating to the Newbridge Community First Responders, which informed us yesterday that someone took it upon themselves to break the cabinet with automated external defibrillator, AED, equipment on the front of the credit union on the main street in Newbridge. They went on to say that the Garda has been notified and the CCTV will be reviewed. Because of this action, the AED has had to be removed. Those people who are damaging or stealing these lifebuoys and damaging these AEDs do not know the hour when they or a member of their family will need these pieces of life-saving equipment. I spoke to Senator Gallagher yesterday about the Life Saving Equipment Bill before I became aware of these two incidents. I know he brought it through with members of Fianna Fáil. We all supported that when it came through this House. I ask the Leader to see where that Bill is at the moment. I support Senator Gallagher in bringing forward that Bill because this cannot continue. We are coming into the summer months. This life-saving equipment will become more and more important. Everyone in this House needs to get behind this Bill.
As we speak, there is a motion in the Lower House brought forward by the Labour Party on autism and disability services. As a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Autism, I thank Senator Carrigy for his work to date on autism. We are about two weeks away from the final report of that committee. I am sure we will get a chance to debate that report when it comes before this House. I know Senator Carrigy will ask for that as well.
I met a local group in Kildare on Monday. When you come face to face with mothers of special needs children, it brings home what the needs are, particularly with regard to respite. One lady informed me that she has been waiting since February for information on respite, while another lady informed me that she is on a half-rate carer's allowance for 24-7 care she provides for her loved one. There are so many issues around this that we need to have that debate. I look forward to the report as a member of the committee and getting the time here to debate it.