It is a beautiful sunny day; long may it last. The Order of Business is No. 1, Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022 [Dáil] – Second Stage, to be taken at 11.45 a.m., and to conclude not later than 1.15 p.m., with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, and the Minister to be given not less than eight minutes to reply.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. Yesterday was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. I was not aware of that myself until after the Order of Business. It is important to speak very briefly about it. As it happens, I had organised to have a meeting with Patricia Rickard-Clark, who is the chairperson of Safeguarding Ireland, which is a terrific organisation that does a lot of very good work. It believes in the dignity of every human being and that everyone is entitled to respect. I know that is something in which we believe very strongly. Elder abuse is not something that is really out there. We hear a lot about child abuse but elder abuse is hugely important as well. I will give two very small examples. During Covid, when everybody was afraid to leave their homes and there was nervousness, in some cases older parents handed over financial details and asked somebody close to them to collect the pension. In many cases, those rights were never handed back, which gives rise to concern. We know from research that a third of those over 80 are in some way financially abused. We had long discussions about coercive control and its impact within domestic relationships, but there is no crime of coercion in situations other than domestic, in terms of familial relationships. It is beyond time that we introduced legislation on adult safeguarding. I call on the Leader to make this a priority and to also ask if the Minister would come in. It falls between the Minister for Health and the Minister for Justice. It is very important that we put something on the Statute Book in this regard.
I also want to raise something that I know is common to all of the communities and towns that we live in, namely, drug taking. People feel very intimidated when they see drug dealing going on in streets and on estates, among other places. It is a very difficult and sensitive area for families. We all know the impact drugs have on families and communities, and Newbridge is no different. In the recent past we have had a number of engagements with members of the community. I have been liaising with the Garda. Just two months ago, the Garda set up a Kildare South drugs unit. It has made significant seizures and arrests in the Newbridge area. Yesterday, it seized €1.2 million worth of cocaine, cannabis and heroin. It also seized two people and a drug preparation unit. It is important to say "Well done" to the Garda. They are working on behalf of communities to make sure that the scourge of drugs is minimised.
I would like to raise two issues this morning. The first is the retained fire service and the challenges for retained firefighters. I know that colleagues have raised this during the week. We have had people presenting on the issue as well, and people who have travelled to stand outside the gates of Leinster House. In my local area, retained firefighters provide an essential service, in particular in the likes of Ballinasloe, where there is a retained team on the ground. They are the ones who are called out. They are very much in need of a proper new fire station, but leaving aside infrastructure, they are unable to just get structured time off. In rural and regional areas in particular there are many people from farming backgrounds who see this as a supplementary income. There are also many people who work in jobs during the day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are very fortunate in that we even have women in the station in Ballinasloe. It is a challenge to get women involved and to be able to give time. We are so fortunate to have it, and yet it is such a challenge at the moment to provide enough staff so that people can take structured time off.
For a young family, if somebody goes away then someone has to mind children and people can be called at the last minute. It is a family decision for the mum or dad to take time to do this. I feel strongly that this is something we need to work on. I know the Government is engaging with this. The service is very important. In rural areas they are the people who answer the calls 24-7. It is one of the services we rely on in our community; whether it is a call-out for a fire, an accident or, God forbid, the loss of a loved one. They are the first people on the scene. They are the first ones who tackle someone who has been in an accident and bring them to hospital. They work with the other emergency front-line services. I am in awe of what they give and what they do daily. I know this applies as well to all the towns around Ireland where they provide this service.
The second issue I wish to raise is Active* Consent. The Minister, Deputy Harris, is involved in launching this programme in the Department of Justice this morning. It is being rolled out to secondary schools. It is another University of Galway initiative that is now on a national footing. Funding is coming from the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and also from the Department of Justice through the Dormant Accounts Fund. It is a programme that shows how Departments are working together to make a difference. Active* Consent is crucial in order that young people are able to make sure that at all times they are happy in the situation they are in.
Sometimes in this country bureaucracy goes mad. I am proud – we should all be proud – to have in our Visitors Gallery today retired Lieutenant Colonel Earnán Naughton, retired Sergeant Major Seamus Gannon and retired Sergeant Larry Carthy. These three men sent an email to all of us regarding the death of Billy Kedian, who gave his life to save the lives of 14 people in Lebanon. I have called time and time again for a medal for gallantry to be awarded to this man. These men wrote the citation for that medal. Why has it not been delivered to date? One of the reasons is that Defence Force regulations, DFR, prevent the award of a medal if the claim has not been made within two years for a military medal for gallantry, MMG, and four years for a distinguished service medal, DSM. Have we ever heard anything so ridiculous? We are concentrating on a ridiculous line in DFR A9, which effectively says: "You have got to get it in in time; otherwise you can't get it." All it takes is the stroke of a pen from the Minister to do away with that. One might ask why the Minister would do that. He has done it already because DFRs were amended as a result of the Jadotville inquiry to provide for the award of a medal to Commandant Pat Quinlan by those who did not see the action and it eliminated the time. Why do we not eliminate it for everybody? These men travelled from Galway today to meet people here to explain the case. I think we should get behind the "Kedian Act" and ask the Minister to amend DFR A9. Let us trawl through the valour that existed in our Defence Forces - the good stories - and honour those men.
In the time I have left, I will very quickly refer to another matter. I was rather disturbed yesterday to see that the search and rescue tender is now going to come before the courts. Everybody in this room is well aware of the fact that for years I have been talking about oversight of the process. I have a letter from the Ministers with joint responsibility telling me that they were not involved in the process and that they trusted the Civil Service.
It now looks like we are going to engage in serious litigation as a result of the way the tender was handled.
To go back to something I have said time and time again, what is the point of having Oireachtas joint committees if Secretaries General can refuse to attend? We must compel those who hold the highest office in the Civil Service in each Department to appear if they are called to a committee. There should be no out and no way they can say they are not attending. They are perfectly within their rights at a committee to say that they cannot answer a particular question for whatever reason but if they are called, they should attend. I ask the Deputy Leader to bring those remarks back to the relevant Ministers.
On behalf of the House I welcome Lieutenant Colonel Earnán Naughton, Sergeant Major Seamus Gannon and Sergeant Larry Carthy to the Public Gallery. Thank you for being here, for your advocacy and for your service to the country and to the men and women of the Defence Forces.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus leis an Leas-Cheannaire. Ba mhaith liom labhairt faoi thoscaireacht a bhí againn go Londain an tseachtain seo. I want to reflect, if I may, on a trip that a delegation of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement made to London on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. The purpose of the delegation was to make a last-ditch effort to plead with the British Parliament to scrap its legacy proposals that the Government seems determined to bring forward, despite knowing full well and having heard from the UN, the EU, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, victims groups and every political party on this island that it is the wrong way to proceed and will cause further hurt, harm and trauma for victims and survivors of the conflict. I regret to say it is my assessment that the British Government is determined to proceed with this despite all of the concerns expressed and despite all of the questionable legality of the legislation. It seems that when it comes to Ireland, Irish voices and the experiences and needs of victims and survivors right across the board do not matter. What matters are Tory manifesto commitments appealing to a very small constituency of British ex-service men and women.
Next week, both the British-Irish Council and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference will meet, in Jersey and London, respectively. The Irish Government needs to take this opportunity to step up its diplomatic efforts and ensure there is a broadening of diplomatic efforts around Europe and North America to ensure that this really harmful, regressive legislation does not come to pass. If we park party politics for a moment, we are hearing this universally from every victim. Every victim is telling us that this is not the way forward, that this is actually about protecting perpetrators. We have worked collaboratively on this across these Houses, between Government and Opposition, and it is the same in the North. There is unanimity on this but the clock is ticking. Unfortunately, despite the efforts made up to this point, the British Government is not for changing its mind. That said, there is still time and we need to do that bit more because we owe it to those most hurt and most impacted in our society. We must do that bit more and ensure not just that the proposed legacy Bill - I refuse to call it a reconciliation Bill, as the British Government has named it - falls but that we return to the agreed proposals under the Stormont House Agreement, imperfect as they were. We must utilise that agreement as the mechanism for moving forward on this issue.
As we speak this morning, retained firefighters from all over the country are making their way to Connolly Station to join us here in about one hour's time. It is the second time in two weeks that I have had to raise the issue of retained firefighters in the Chamber. Last Monday, they were told there would be a very positive statement by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage during a debate on a motion tabled by Sinn Féin in the Lower House. The positive statement, as I read it, was that there would be a 20% increase in staffing levels across each station but when I talk to retained firefighters, they tell me that they cannot retain the staff they have in the stations as it stands, let alone try to recruit an additional 20%. As I said previously, retained firefighters have to live and work no more than 2.5 km from their fire station. In the town of Athy, I am aware of firefighters running through the streets to get to the fire station, to get to us and save us, and that is the bottom line here. These people are absolutely essential to us all in our communities. References to a "positive statement" gave them all much hope last Monday. I was on the picket line with them last Tuesday and they were all of the view that the response would be good, that they would get a positive statement. They are devastated. They are absolutely devastated that the statement made was the best the Minister could come up with. Something needs to change radically for them. We need to have a debate on the issue in this House. The Minister needs to realise that these people are adamant that they are losing women and men from the retained fire service because they cannot afford to live. I am dealing with a number of retained firefighters in relation to mortgages. The banks are laughing at these people coming through their doors because they do not have the funding to get a mortgage. That is the issue here. What is happening in our retained fire service is unbelievable. As I said earlier, retained firefighters are an integral part of our communities but, unfortunately, the Government is turning its back on them vis-à-vis that so-called positive statement which everyone felt devastated by. I encourage everyone in the Chamber to get out and meet the retained firefighters today because that is what is needed now. We need to support our retained firefighters. They are essential in rural communities, major towns and every place where there is a retained fire service. I ask the Deputy Leader to comment on that and to write to the Minister on behalf of everyone.
The other issue I wish to raise is one I have raised previously, that of playing facilities. Yesterday one of my local GAA clubs was forced to go to a vulture fund auction to try to get a second pitch. The club, Castledermot GAA club, is landlocked but unfortunately it lost out to a phone bid. The club is confined, landlocked, with 29 teams playing on one piece of land. This is happening right around the country at the moment. The situation is the same for my local camogie club. We need to have a debate, as I said to the Minister on a previous occasion, on Government and local authority funding for playing pitches and facilities for all of our communities. Castledermot GAA is now in a bind and does not know where to go next and the same is true for a lot of other sports clubs throughout the State. We need national, State funding for our communities and we need it very rapidly. I call again for a debate on this issue.
I welcome students from rang a sé, Kiltale National School, County Meath, who are here on a school tour. I hope you have a very positive and enriching day here in Leinster House. I thank your teachers for their work and dedication and I propose that you get no homework for the rest of the week so that you can enjoy the sunshine.
I was at the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, briefing yesterday in Buswells Hotel, which was really powerful. The organisation is campaigning for a series of budgetary measures to improve the primary education system in Ireland. It has four requests or recommendations including a reduction in class sizes, the full restoration of 2,400 posts of responsibility in schools, an increase in funding for schools and investment in mental health supports. The last recommendation is the one that I want to talk about and I know it is something that also interests the Deputy Leader.
The INTO is calling for age-appropriate mental health supports to be funded for all children with mental health and emotional issues. It seems that every second child is suffering from stress or anxiety. It is almost a pandemic and the INTO actually said that yesterday. The recent Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, PIRLS, report found that pupil well-being, as measured by feeling hungry or tired or being bullied, had decreased since 2016. Referrals to child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, and other services rose by 40%. The INTO believes that the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, should be augmented, that the in-school and early years therapy support demonstration project should be reinstated and expanded and that funding for the school completion programme should be increased. That is what the INTO is looking for and the estimated cost is €3.7 million from September to December 2023 and €11 million per annum thereafter. As of 2022, there were 500,054 primary school pupils and at €20 per pupil, the proposals would cost only €11 million per annum.
If one looks at that intervention piece and the prevention piece, and if one catches students at that level, it is a no-brainer really, if they are caught at that level before they grow into adulthood.
I want to send my condolences to the family of the wonderful and amazing Christy Dignam, another legend who will never be forgotten by the Irish people, and certainly by Dublin people. He was a pure, out-and-out gentleman, and a talent who we as a country should be very proud of. He was everybody's friend. Everybody loved him. I loved him, and I was very lucky to be able to meet him, hang out with him, talk to him and hear his stories. He was funny, and just a pure, out-and-out gentleman. I know he will get a good and well-deserved send-off. I want to send out my condolences on behalf of all of us here to his wonderful family, his wife Kathryn, his daughter Kiera and his grandchildren. I know that the biggest thing for Christy was to have to leave his grandchildren. I want to pay huge respects to him, and tell him that we all really think he is an amazing human being.
I thank Senator Black, and that was well said. Yesterday, Senator Murphy equally had a very eloquent tribute to Christy. We all send our sympathies to the family, and we remember him fondly. Anois, an Seanadóir Pat Casey.
I welcome the Deputy Leader. I am returning to an issue that I have raised before regarding the national planning framework and how it arrived at its population growth figures, and, more importantly, how those figures were distributed regionally and on a county-wide basis. Something I predicted is now happening live in County Wicklow, as in the first planning application for 98 houses has been refused solely on the grounds that it exceeds the population target for that area. The plan was only adopted in October of last year.
If this same policy is adopted throughout Wicklow, not alone will we have no development in Greystones, Delgany and Newcastle, but we will not have it in Newtown, Ashford, Rathdrum or Roundwood, because we have exceeded our population targets in all those areas. Even Wicklow town, if I did the figures on that, will equally be very close to exceeding its population targets. I identified this as a problem as far back as 2018 or 2019. If this is implemented in the middle of a housing crisis, it is madness in its simplest form. I have called before for a review of the national planning framework, specifically on population targets and growth, and how it is distributed. I am back again looking for that debate to happen because we just cannot allow this to happen. These are towns that have the infrastructure in place. They are not being refused on infrastructure. They are being refused on how a target was set, and they are exceeding that target, and on no other grounds. It cannot stand in the middle of a housing crisis.
I welcome the Deputy Leader. I have a couple of issues. I concur with the comments by Senator Black with regard to the INTO. I also met its representatives at their presentation in Buswells Hotel yesterday, and not to repeat it, but I would like to support their very genuine and realistic ask. They are asks that are needed for the education of our youth. One of the proposals was about reducing class sizes and that is something we had in our report yesterday with regard to the Joint Committee on Autism, and reducing the class sizes due to the larger number of children on the autism spectrum who are in mainstream classes. I concur and support it. I would also like to welcome one of the proposals regarding mental health supports in schools. I know the Minister for Education, Deputy Norma Foley, announced what I think was €5 million in funding for seven counties, and I am delighted that my own home county of Longford is one that will be taking part in that trial to give counsel and supports in our schools.
Separately, I suppose I am around a long number of years more than I care to think about sometimes but I have never had as many phone calls on issues with regard to one examination as I did last weekend. That was the leaving certificate maths examination, and I assume everyone had the same number of phone calls. Something happened and something was wrong. I talked to parents whose kids left, walked out, and were not even able to write anything on the paper. I do not know what mechanism can be put in place or if anything can be done. These kids did not actually sit a junior certificate because of Covid-19, so to go and dramatically change a leaving certificate, which was their first State examination to do, was ill-thought, in my opinion. I do not know what can be done, or if anything can be done, but I would ask the State Examinations Commission, to which I have written, to take due cognisance of some of these issues that happened. If it is a case of some pupil who actually did not do anything in the examination, would they have an opportunity in July to repeat that examination? I ask that this be considered.
As I was listening here today, I was somewhat amazed by the contributions. It is always great to sit in on the Order of Business because one sees that varied array of asks, while remembering that the majority of this House is in government. I am always amazed on a Thursday morning to listen to "Morning Ireland" and hear, "Well, usually on Wednesday, they tell you what they are going to tell you at the parliamentary party because of their leaks and, on Thursday, they will tell you what the officials said about it." However, I am not a member of any parliamentary party, so I do not have that added layer of contact. My office is very close to the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting room, so I come across sometimes very few or very many on the corridor. That is an indicator of that activity going on in that corridor. What I can say is that-----
(Interruptions).
-----it is particularly interesting that one has that other layer. That is not a criticism, and I am learning from the listening and engagement.
Is the Senator seeking an invitation to parliamentary party meetings?
It just begs the question about the effectiveness of being in a party in government.
I will go on. I want to say-----
This is the Order of Business, I will remind the Senator.
Yes, this is the Order of Business, so I will get on to the main element. I am sorry.
(Interruptions).
Senator Boyhan is speaking, without interruptions, please.
The continued denial of access to personal transport supports for people with disabilities is nothing short of shameful. That is the view of the Ombudsman. He was on "Morning Ireland" yesterday, the great "Morning Ireland" that tells us so much. In his office's latest annual report, the Ombudsman, Mr. Ger Deering, said that he and his predecessors have been demanding reforms by the Government, this Government and other Governments, for the past 12 years. I understood that we may have had a debate next week, but I do not think that is now possible for a number of reasons. However, I respectfully ask that before we close up here for the summer recess, we have a debate with a particular focus on the Ombudsman. He has made recommendations and findings, and it would keep it focused. Disability is a very broad issue.
At the same time, I want to acknowledge the enormous work that the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, has done. She is exceptionally hard-working. There are constraints, and I am being honest, upfront and practical here. The reality is that there is not money for everything all at once, but I do think she is doing a great job. However, the Ombudsman has made a call now and we need to listen to him. I would like if we could have a very focused debate on his recommendations regarding this issue.
Anois, Senator Fitzpatrick. I am sorry if I got my personnel wrong - my apologies.
Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. This morning, I wanted to talk about tomorrow, 16 June or Bloomsday, which is the day we celebrate the hero of the James Joyce novel Ulysses, Leopold Bloom. It was written in 1922, and Bloomsday was first celebrated in 1954, and it has been celebrated every year in Dublin. It is interesting to reflect on the fact that James Joyce was an Irish immigrant living in Europe. He wrote that book as an immigrant, and today our city is home to a lot of immigrants. That is an important point.
It is also really important to remind ourselves that James Joyce famously said that he always wrote about Dublin because he could get to the heart of Dublin, and if he could get to the heart of Dublin, he could get to the heart of all cities in the world. The universal is contained in the particular. That is very true. He used ordinary people and events, and ordinary life, to explore the universal.
Tomorrow, right across Dublin, from Sandycove through here, the city centre and Grafton Street and out into my own constituency, in Eccles Street and Dorset Street, Glasnevin, down into North Great George's Street, there is a fantastic programme of events. Most of them are free. People are giving up their time voluntarily, like the Joyce Stagers and others. I encourage everybody to check out what is going on for Bloomsday 2023, and to celebrate not just Joyce and Bloom, but to celebrate the extraordinary city we live in and the extraordinary world that we live in and that is lived by all who have the privilege of residing in our city.
We need to talk about knife crime. Some 2,000 to 2,500 knives are seized per year currently, with 2,132 seized in 2023, and according to our colleague, Deputy Alan Farrell, that is an increase of 78% in the past seven years. The highest number was in 2020, during Covid, when there was a strong community presence. I think we all agree on the need for increased visibility of community gardaí on our streets and in communities. I sincerely hope the intensive recruitment campaign that is under way for 1,000 gardaí will do just that.
We have a fine tradition of community policing in Ireland. During this time of unprecedented population growth and increased development, and the change that comes with that, we need to keep it that way. A police force that is more about relationships, local knowledge and familiarity than force is what has made An Garda Síochána the trusted and respected organisation that it is today, and we need to keep it that way.
It is encouraging to know that the maximum penalty in the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1994 for possessing a knife in a public space without good reason or lawful authority was increased from one to five years in 2009, which is one of the most severe penalties in Europe. However, I believe we need an update from the Minister of State at the Department of Justice on the expert forum on antisocial behaviour, which he chairs and which includes a knife crime subgroup as part of the forum.
People are scared and they want to know what we are doing to tackle issues of police visibility, knife crime and antisocial behaviour. Just two days ago, there was the report on the youth diversion projects and how successful they are. We need more of them. We have excellent youth workers in our communities and we need more of them. We have the local community partnership clubs and we need more of them. We have excellent community gardaí and we need more of them. We have the strategies and we just need to support them more.
I want to pay my respects and offer my most sincere sympathy to the family of Aaron Keating, who was murdered in Ongar village at teatime on Tuesday. I thank the community for organising such a respectful vigil last night in order for the community to grieve.
I welcome the inclusion of data protection statements next week. This is something that Sinn Féin and others have called for in this House and it is long overdue. In July last year, the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, made a commitment to appoint two additional data protection commissioners. These posts have still not been advertised, let alone filled. We were told by the Minister that this process would take six months, yet these much-needed posts have not yet been advertised. GDPR provides strong protection for citizens and for investigative powers and enforcement powers for the Data Protection Commission, DPC. The failure of the Government to appoint two additional data protection commissioners leaves the DPC ill-equipped to do its job and exposes citizens to their personal data being breached and their rights being infringed. The job of the DPC is to safeguard the data protection rights of citizens and it needs these additional posts to do its job. When will the Government advertise these positions? What is the Government doing? We are now a year on.
I welcome the news that the new beef welfare scheme will be opened up by the Minister and the Government in July. This will be available to suckler farmers, which is good news and will be very important in terms of payments. I know the farming community for a number of years have been saying, in regard to efficiencies and being able to deal with costs, that they would want approximately €300 per cow in grant aid. If this works out, it could bring the funding to €240 per cow, which would be highly significant. From talking to farmers individually, I know they feel this could be a good scheme if it works out. The opening date should be announced shortly. I know the final details are being worked out and the opening date should be in July. It is another welcome development from the Minister and the Government.
The Minister and the Government have a very difficult job to do, as the Deputy Leader knows. They have to balance environmental issues with farming issues. The one message I want to send out today is that the farming community, particularly in my part of the country, are doing everything they can to be more efficient and more environmentally friendly. Any of us brought up on a farm does not need to be told this because we always had a great love of nature. That is very important.
I welcome the further funding from the Arts Council, through the Government, of course, through Creative Places. Ballaghaderreen, County Roscommon, which has been long neglected, considering the number of migrants it has taken in without much support at all, is to share in a €1.7 million funding scheme with seven other towns. This will assist artists working with local businesses, community groups and individuals. It will be really good for the culture and the vibrancy of the area. It is a significant amount and there is a lot of other development going on in Ballaghaderreen and the wider area. It is very important that it is happening and I welcome that funding. After the summer, we might have a wider debate on the whole area of arts and how we could widen the scope of this even further.
I welcome the Deputy Leader. I also welcome the official opening today in County Mayo of the new 25 km stretch of the N5 from Westport to Castlebar. It is part of a €250 million investment and, as I said, it runs from Westport to east of Castlebar, with 20 km of dual carriageway and 5 km of single carriageway. I acknowledge the work of the former Minister, my colleague, Deputy Michael Ring, in advocating for and pushing for that road. We all believe in balanced regional development and this is the perfect example of rural improvements between two major towns in County Mayo. Investment in road infrastructure, as well as assisting economic development, also improves safety for road users, which is very important. It is a point that perhaps those who are against roads do not always acknowledge. I call for a debate on road developments in this country.
On a second point, I acknowledge the comments of the Taoiseach during the week on the improved terms and conditions for retained firefighters and also that the offer has been made of a 20% increase in staffing and more structured time off. I hope this allows both sides to re-engage on a very important issue. We all acknowledge the work of our retained fire personnel in the difficult, dangerous, physically challenging and demanding job they have to do. In particular, it is psychologically demanding in that they come across road traffic collisions and fires that can impact life, so they come across some very stressful and difficult situations. The review that was carried out in conjunction with the fire personnel initiated a number of recommendations. I hope they can be fulfilled by the Government over the coming period.
Yesterday, I met two guys who would be classed as International Protection Accommodation Services, IPAS, asylum seekers. One of them had quite good English and I was talking to him for a little while. He explained to me the boredom he faces in his daily life and the sense of a lack of fulfilment from not being able to work. One was a qualified carpenter and the other chap was a qualified mechanic. Most of these men are of working age and they are fleeing wars, persecution and whatever else. Most of the asylum seekers who have come to IPAS are men, of course, and we have approximately 25,000 here. While it is hard to get an exact number, it seems that most or a large proportion of the applications are approved when the State gets them through the system. As we know, that had been extremely cumbersome in recent years but we believe it has been speeded up to maybe a half-year process instead of the position heretofore, when we were looking at guys being kept in Ireland over a period of years.
Particularly because of our jobs crisis, these individuals should be entitled to training in specific skills under SOLAS and the education and training boards. Maybe they have all the skills already and it is just a matter of confirming what they are. After training, I would let the individuals work and give them their dignity until we assess them. They might as well be contributing to our economy as sitting in a room all day with four other guys or walking up and down the villages of Ireland. Our policy on this is insane. If there are 25,000-odd people, it is quite possible that some 20,000 will be retained in Ireland. We might as well educate them and let them find their way until we make an assessment.
I am not certain whether my well-respected colleague Senator Boyhan wants to join Deputy Devlin on the ticket in Dún Laoghaire but-----
I thank the Senator.
-----we will listen closely. He could be carrying out counter-surveillance or something – I am not certain. I will not get into any more of that.
I thank the Senator for the offer.
That is not relevant to the Order of Business.
I am glad to say that today is International Justice Day for Cleaners and Security Staff. There are protests and events happening right across the world, organised by our wonderful trade union movements. I am particularly proud of my union, SIPTU. I used to represent our contract cleaners and security staff. I am glad to inform the House that there is a protest taking place right now outside University Hospital Limerick. The protest is because the workers have still not been paid their pandemic bonus of €1,000. Considering how poorly paid these workers are – the contract cleaners get just €11.90 per hour and, even worse, the security staff get just €11.65 because of the collapsed employment regulation order, ERO – it is outrageous that they have been left waiting so long for the bonus payment. These are the lowest-paid workers, the workers who kept our hospitals open during the Covid pandemic. They are on the front line every day.
I want to draw the attention of the House to the plight of the security staff, in particular, because the ERO has collapsed due to a High Court injunction. What I found incredibly disappointing was the complete lack of action from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and our Ministers to deal with that injunction. It has been sitting there for months. Negotiations for a new ERO have been started, but, relatively speaking, the rate of pay of security staff has never been lower, which is appalling. The lack of Government action needs to be called out. I am trying to do that this morning. I call for solidarity and support for the immediate payment of the bonus to all contract cleaners and security staff who qualify for it.
I have raised a couple of times the question of why the Houses of the Oireachtas do not act as a living-wage employer. Why can we not all agree here that the cleaning staff who work so hard across this building should be paid €13.85 per hour, the current living wage, and set an example for employers throughout the State in the public and private sectors? I have raised this before but we need to see it happen. There should be no delay.
I join the Senator in thanking the cleaning and security staff in our hospitals. I had the pleasure of working as a porter when I was going to college, so I know at first hand the work the staff do. I join the Senator in thanking them. The Senator, like many other Senators, has raised the issue of the pandemic unemployment payment.
With regard to the living wage, the Senator's party, like other parties, has a member on the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. Maybe he could raise the issue with that member so it can then be raised at a commission meeting.
I welcome the students from St. Patrick's Girls' National School, Hollypark, Foxrock. They are most welcome. I thank them for being here and hope they have a very pleasant visit to Leinster House. In keeping with the summer tradition, I thank the teachers and advocate no homework for the students for the remaining two days of the week. The teachers would like to see them rewarded with the sunshine for the hard work they have put in this year. I thank them for being here.
I second the Cathaoirleach's proposal of no homework for the ladies from Foxrock.
I would have no problem in extending an invitation to my good friend Senator Boyhan to join Senator Ward and the Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, if he wishes to run in Dún Laoghaire for Fine Gael.
I thank the Senator-----
We are on the Order of Business.
-----on the record of the House.
I, like other colleagues, met INTO representatives yesterday. It was a very fruitful engagement. When the representatives come to see us, they usually come to us with what I would describe as very reasonable requests. The average class size at primary level in Europe is 20. Our average is 23. Over the past three or four years, significant progress has been made – I believe our average was once 26 – but the INTO is asking that we reduce it by two, to 21, in the upcoming budget. We would all support that. If we can make class sizes small, it will give teachers a much better opportunity to create the type of learning environment we want to see in our schools.
Issues arise concerning posts of responsibility that have not been fully restored. I was quite surprised by this because I had assumed they had been. Some have been, but not all. The request in this regard is very reasonable considering that FEMPI measures and so on are being stood down.
The INTO representatives also raised the issue of the capitation grant and the fact that the capitation grant for second level students is almost double that for primary level students. When there is a rise in capitation grants, it is usually across the board. Therefore, if there is a 10% increase, it means a 10% increase for both primary and secondary students. However, there is a case for a once-off increase, above and beyond what might be done in general, for primary schools because their costs and challenges are much the same as those at second level. This needs to be considered.
The three requests are reasonable. I would like the Leader to convey INTO's views to the Minister for Education ahead of the budget negotiations.
On many occasions during the Order of Business in recent years, specifically last year, there has been talk about Cherry Orchard. I am crying out on behalf of the people there for support from the Government and movement from it to support what is a fantastic community of people with a very tiny group that sullies its entire name. Today, I want to mention all the fantastic things that have happened. Yesterday, a presentation on the south area was made by Mr. Alan Sherry of Dublin City Council. We saw all the details of the Cherry Orchard development that is to occur. A housing development, retail units and community spaces are included, and there is to be a considerable amount of supporting infrastructure. Dublin City Council has now published the plans, working in conjunction with the Land Development Agency. The momentum created by the Government behind the agency is coming to fruition for the communities like Cherry Orchard. On top of this, the implementation board is up and running and working, bringing together agencies to support the community. There are fantastic organisations in the community with which I have the privilege of working, including St. Ultan's school, where the whole campus embodies everything that should be done regarding the child from the cradle to the day of leaving school. I refer to nurturing, the promotion of hope and the promotion of the idea that not only the child but also his or her family can do anything and are supported, loved and cherished in doing so. We have the equestrian centre, community centre and community crèche. All have big plans for change and a vision as to how things can be different. They are working with the implementation board and various agencies to achieve this. It has been my privilege to be part of this, advocating at Government level with the support of colleagues, particularly the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris. I am very grateful for it. I want to celebrate it and end on good news, glad that I am the last speaker.
It is lovely to hear an area that is so often maligned spoken about so beautifully and eloquently. We should all be delighted that an area that has been disadvantaged for far too long under successive Governments is finally getting what it deserves, which is to have its community live with dignity and supports so every child can have the equality of opportunity that we all espouse so much. I thank the Senator for raising the matter this morning.
Senators Conway, Black and Carrigy all spoke about the ask of the INTO this week. As Senator Carrigy said, its asks are not made very often and when they are made, they are very tempered. We all should be able to support exactly what its members are looking for. Senator Black knows well from her own history and my own involvement that mental health and resilience is something I really champion, particularly among our younger people. They have gone through a lot in recent years but they are also going through an awful lot more than we did when we were kids. Even my younger kids are going through more than my older kids did. We need to recognise the fact that they absolutely do need resilience training and that the €11.1 million being looked for would be money well spent.
I am at a loss. I recall saying to Senator Gavan months ago that the particular issue around the employment regulation order, ERO, was going to be sorted by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and now he is telling me today that it is not. I am a bit mortified and I apologise to the Senator but I was told that in good faith. I will follow up on this again today because it is not acceptable that we would be negotiating a new ERO having not stood over the previous one in the first place; it is ludicrous. I am absolutely at pains to understand why the people in Limerick have not got their €1,000 yet. What is the problem? I ask the Senator to maybe speak to me about it afterwards and I will see if there is anything we can do because it is nothing short of outrageous. I thank the Senator for raising that issue today.
Senator Davitt spoke about our international protection applicants. There has been a lot of talk, particularly over the last 18 months, about the rise of these applicants and about their age. I was with the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, last Friday and we spoke about how difficult it is to get work permits for farm workers. That led us on to talking about the Australian system where the application for citizenship has a specific part in it where everybody who applies to be a citizen has to work on a farm for either three or six months in order to qualify for citizenship. I suggest that we should maybe do something as progressive and constructive as something like that here. I will certainly raise it with the relevant people but we definitely need to think outside the box to provide the much-needed workers we need but also the dignity that our applicants should be able to be receiving in this country and sometimes are not.
Senator Kyne welcomed the official opening today of the N5, that 25 km stretch from Westport to Castlebar, which is much needed and very welcome down that neck of the woods.
Senator Murphy spoke about the new beef welfare scheme and how welcome that is. I know any additional payment to our farmers is extremely welcome because they are at the pin of their collars. He also reminded us that our farming community is probably the most nature-friendly and nature-active community we have in the country.
Senator Warfield spoke about the two commission posts in the Data Protection Commission, DPC, that have not been advertised. I am at a loss as to know why they have not but I will certainly find out and come back to him to let him know. On the whole, and given that I am probably subject to some of the commentary around the DPC, I think it does a phenomenal job for the number of staff members it has and on the international stage on which they work. I put that on record.
Senator Currie spoke this morning about the very alarming 78% increase in knife crime and her feelings around this. She expressed her sympathy, as I know we all do, on the very sad death of Aaron Keating in her neck of the woods.
Senator Fitzpatrick reminded us that tomorrow is Bloomsday and Senator Boyhan spoke about looking for a debate on the impact of the Ombudsman on the disability transport system. He questioned briefly the effectiveness of being in a political party. I am sure there is not a political party in this House or the other that would not very much welcome having him and I put that on record.
It is not the first time that Senator Casey has brought this issue up. It is probably about the fifth or the sixth time yet no magic light bulb moment seems to have happened in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. That regulatory office of which Niall Cussen is head needs to be cognisant of the fact that we have a Central Statistics Office, CSO, report that will be officially launched or published this year. It is going to impact every single development plan in every single county and city in this country and we are blindly waiting for somebody to press a button to say we actually have to do something about it. If the application refusal of 98 houses this week in Wicklow was not that light bulb moment, I am at a loss to know what is. I thank the Senator for raising that but I will certainly organise a debate before the recess and let him know.
Senator Black spoke about the INTO this morning but she also acknowledged the very sad passing of Christy Dignam. I grew up around the corner from Christy. He was always ten years older than me and he was always an enigma. I had a misspent youth in a pub in Finglas called the Bottom of the Hill where I used to go and see him, not every weekend but nearly every weekend. Aslan was a legend and Christy is a legend. The legacy that man has left, not only for music in Irish society, but in our hearts, is something of which his family should be incredibly proud.
Senator Wall spoke about the retained firefighters this morning, as did Senator Dolan.
Senator Ó Donnghaile spoke to us about the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference meeting next week and the legacy Bill that the Conservative UK Government seems intent on pushing through. He asks us all to be mindful of that next week.
Senator O'Loughlin spoke about World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and it is something we should all be aware of.
Senator Craughwell welcomed three very senior, retired Defence Forces personnel and spoke about their plight to try to get Billy Kedian that very much deserved medal.
Order of Business agreed to.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 11.25 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 11.48 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 11.25 a.m. and resumed at 11.48 a.m.