Before I commence the Order of Business, on behalf of Members, and on my own behalf, I send best wishes to the people of Taiwan, whose national day is today, and to Representative Yang and his team in Hatch Street. I thank them for all their engagement with us. I wish the people of Taiwan and my own brother-in-law, Fr. Seán O'Leary, who is a priest in Taiwan, a very happy national day.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on budget 2024, from the Department of Finance, to be taken at 5.05 p.m. and to conclude not later than 6.30 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed seven minutes and all other Senators not to exceed four minutes, with the Minister to be given not less than seven minutes to reply to the debate; No. 2, statements on budget 2024, from the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, to be taken at 6.30 p.m. and to conclude not later than 8 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed seven minutes and all other Senators not to exceed four minutes, with the Minister to be given not less than seven minutes to reply to the debate.
I thank the Leader for setting out the order for today.
At the outset, it would be appropriate that this House would condemn unreservedly the actions of Hamas on Saturday morning. The indiscriminate attacks on civilians, regardless of where they reside, is an abhorrence and should be condemned with the greatest ferocity by every parliament in the democratic world. Of course there are issues in the Middle East that predate this issue. That is a context that we should not be blind to, but nobody with a right mind would believe that the actions of Hamas will in any way advance the case of the Palestinian people, a people that we hold very dear to us in this country. We have shared and share many similar situations and issues, but none as traumatic as they have gone through. We now have a situation where the Israeli people have a right to defend themselves and the integrity of their people but we hope and must insist that it is a proportionate response.
I am always reminded when I hear terms such as "the rules of engagement" and "the rules of war", that war is an abhorrence to most right-minded people. It should never be part of their lives but sadly for some on this Earth it is. We have a responsibility as a country that is not militarily aligned to use our strong voice at European level to ensure the continued provision of humanitarian aid and general aid to maintain the Palestinian Authority and provide assistance to the Palestinian people. There was some scoffing during the Tánaiste's recent visit to the region when he clearly set out his views, which are the views of most right-minded people in this country and I hope on a wider scale. They are that we need to get back around the table to a situation where discussions and negotiations take place around a two-state solution. That is the only solution. Let us not be in any way misguided. The actions of Hamas differ greatly from that. The only aim Hamas has is to wipe the Israeli State and the Jewish people into oblivion. That will not happen. It will not be allowed to happen. By the same token, the dreadful situations in which Palestinian people find themselves are not acceptable either. Sadly, these actions show - Hamas is acting as a proxy for Iran - that it cares nothing about the men, women and civilian children of the Gaza strip or the West Bank. I ask the Leader if it would be possible to organise a debate in this House next week so that we can have a full and frank discussion about this issue. As the budget is in play this week, we could push it back to then.
As I do not have a speaking slot on the budget later, I will comment on it briefly. I commend our negotiating team. It looks like a thoughtful budget. We have all known about the cost-of-living crisis for the past 18 months. The budget continues to support people exactly where it needs to, not only through increases in weekly payments to people who have no other income, but also through one-off universal payments to acknowledge that people are still struggling with their ESB bills, the petrol in their tanks and such things. As a parent who has three children in college, I am particularly mindful of the fees reduction and continued support for university fees. The increase in the student universal support Ireland, SUSI, grant is welcome for the hundreds of thousands who go to college every year. I welcome the rental tax credit and continued support for housing, which not only the Government, but the rest of the country knows is the single biggest issue facing the country, the continued investment of billions of euro and the continuation of some of the effective schemes that are helping people, such as first-time buyers - 400 per week, according to the statistics - to buy their homes. These are not just statistics. They are real families and real couples getting their first real house because of the supports provided by the State. I acknowledge the hard work that has been done in recent months and I hope things will get easier for people in the next year. The predictions are that inflation will start coming down. I hope people's wage increases will be larger than the increases in costs and things might get back to a little bit of what we used to think was normal before Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war.
I will touch on what Senator Dooley said. We are in the middle of reacting to the most horrific scenes we all witnessed at the weekend. The gratuitous violence and callous loss of life caused by terrorists is something to behold. I do not think I will ever be able to wrap my head around any reason for it. Despite the fact that many, including colleagues in this House and the other House, have sought to justify the actions of the weekend, there is no justification for violence, needless or not, in any situation. There is a genuine justification for the care of innocent people, including innocent Palestinians who do not support Hamas or any violence in their name, innocent Israelis and international people who are missing and being searched for. It is a horrendous situation. If there was ever a need for the international community to double down and genuinely show a serious intent to provide a solution to a situation that has gone on for far too long, and longer than I am alive, there is now. I welcome the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin's, statement this morning. We now need to see international leaders walking the walk and not just talking the talk.
I join with the Cathaoirleach in marking Taiwan's national day. I wish them the very best.
Further to what has been said by my colleagues about what is happening in the Middle East, Hamas has been armed by God knows who. Clearly it is saying the Iranians were not a part of this attack and we must acknowledge that. Both Hamas and the Iranians have said it and we must acknowledge that. However, we are very quick to jump on other countries when something like what happened this horrible weekend happens, which is only the start. It has only started and my fear is that by the time Israel extends its defence and the right to defend its people, there will be nothing left of Gaza. It will be razed to the ground. We must start asking who is behind who in this because there are forces from the West and forces from the East and they are supporting both sides. Who pays the price? It is women, children and old people with Parkinson's disease being dragged off as hostages.
We must be real at some stage. I have been listening to talk about the need for peace talks in the Middle East since Adam was a boy and we have got nowhere. There is a little step forward and then four steps back and the thing gets worse and worse. Everybody who has a piece of this on his or her plate needs to come out and be honest. Israel has been supported by the West and I would not like to live in Israel where at any stage and time, rockets could come my way. However, not unlike Northern Ireland during the Troubles, people in communities tolerated these terrorists who were prepared to wage war on the other side, knowing that some of them would die as a result, that innocent people would die as a result of it. We saw how the IRA and Red Hand Commandos did deals to kill off each other. If I did not like you, I could get one of the Ulster Volunteer Force, UVF, guys to shoot you and in return, they would get a republican to shoot one of their guys. War is filthy. We have to question ourselves and we must be honest. Support Israel - yes - but is it justifiable to take out an entire apartment block because one apartment is inhabited by some guy from Hamas? We will never encourage the local population to turn against Hamas if we start destroying everything in the place. It is utterly inhuman to cut off fuel, water and food. I do not care how bad things are. Cutting off the basics for life is totally unacceptable. I support Israel's need to defend itself but I also support innocent women, children and old people who are suffering today in Gaza. We have to switch back on the power to live. We have to give them that. The Israeli army is big enough to go in and find everybody from Hamas and take them out if it wanted to. Do not kill innocent people.
I also want to raise the situation in Gaza and Israel. The situation has obviously become so dangerous, it is necessary for us to schedule time to discuss the hostilities there. A decisive international intervention is needed to end the hostilities and bring about a lasting resolution to the Palestinian question. We need a discussion about what role Ireland can play to show leadership and to work with the international community to secure peace. Remember that Ireland can be very constructive on these issues. We have shown that before and the Oireachtas has found consensus on these issues, including recognising the state of Palestine. We have condemned the annexation and confiscation of land, while at the same time the international community has facilitated the breach of international law, collective punishment, the annexation of land and an apartheid regime. Can I remind the House that Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that it is illegal for an occupying power to "deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies"? Ireland needs to move beyond what has often been a good analysis of the situation in the Middle East and press our international partners.
The international community cannot stand idly by as this dangerous situation intensifies. The targeting of civilians is completely wrong and the deaths of the young people are horrific. Equally, the bombardment of Gaza is to be condemned. There is a new urgency for decisive international intervention and rigorous and impartial international leadership.
I, too, support calls for a debate in this Chamber on what has been ongoing since the weekend. As has been said, it is important that the international community come together and that we debate this matter in the House to determine where we can go. We have all seen the horrific videos and photographs online of innocents being destroyed in this conflict. I totally support what has been said to the effect that a debate in this House is warranted at this stage.
I wish to refer to the important ESRI report of last week on gambling. It is an issue I have spoken about previously in this House with colleagues right across the political spectrum. For the first time in a long time, we have seen the figures that those on the front line have been telling us about. There are 130,000 adults engaging in problem gambling, which basically means they are gambling with money they simply do not have. It is something that those on the front line have mentioned on previous occasions. They have been told that what they said was not the truth, but the ESRI has come forward with figures that it is standing over. The figures are reflected in the number of people coming to my clinics and to those of colleagues throughout the Houses to discuss problem gambling. It does not affect 130,000 people alone because it is said that a problem gambler affects up to six other people, be they family members, friends or indeed members of the community.
I appreciate the work being done by the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, on introducing a gambling regulation Bill, but we cannot sit idly by now. We must ensure the legislation comes before this House and proceeds as quickly as possible through the Lower House. We must see it implemented as quickly as possible. It is great to see the regulator in situ. I have spoken to her and have been at conferences where she has spoken, and I believe that we can make a difference for the 130,000 affected people, and indeed the 250,000 who have shown signs of problem gambling. It is a mental health issue and a public health issue, and it is something we need to address.
In the time left, I want to raise an issue that I know other public representatives have raised, namely the subject of a recent meeting I attended in Suncroft, County Kildare, organised by Tracey Clarke Kiely. It relates to public transport. The people of Suncroft are struggling with their current public transport because, simply put, it is not fit for purpose. They have a service that gets them into the urban centres of Newbridge and Kildare town at very awkward times such that they cannot do their business, participate in education, attend doctors' appointments or socialise. I have spoken to Local Link about this and it is very much on board. I ask that the Minister for Transport be invited to the House once again to discuss rural transport so the good people of Suncroft and the surrounding areas can get a transport system for themselves that is actually fit for purpose.
I call Senator Black. I congratulate her on her concert in Cork.
I thank the Cathaoirleach. As others have said, what is happening in Palestine and Israel right now is absolutely heartbreaking. I extend heartfelt condolences to all the Israeli and Palestinian people who have lost loved ones. Thousands are dead and many more will likely die in the coming days and weeks. If we want this cycle of violence and repression to end, we need to understand and act on the root causes of this tragedy: the occupation of Palestine, the siege of Gaza and the failure to enforce international law. I was in Gaza back in 2018. It is horrific. It has been an open-air camp since 2006. It is populated mostly with refugees from the surrounding towns and agricultural communities who have been displaced by Israeli ethnic cleansing in what is now southern Israel. Gaza is the youngest and most densely populated place on this earth. In an area half the size of County Louth, over 2.5 million people, half of them children, try to survive without access to food, water and medicine, and that is in a time of supposed peace.
Now that war has been declared Israel is blocking access to electricity, food and fuel while it indiscriminately bombards Gaza. This is collective punishment and targeting civilian populations, both of which are war crimes. Most Gaza residents have never left the small areas they are confined to. They have never known life outside a cage. In 2018, thousands of Gazans, independent of the Palestinian political factions, organised the march for return where they marched peacefully towards the border fence day after day protesting their confinement. I was there just days before and spoke to those who marched peacefully, knowing what may come. Some 223 Palestinians were killed, including children and medical personnel. Thousands more were shot by Israeli snipers who aimed at marchers' knees and ankles in order to disable them. The horrible violence of these past days cannot be understood without acknowledging the senseless cruelty inflicted on those who have resisted occupation non-violently. The rhetoric from the Israeli Government in response to the latest attack is openly genocidal.
As always, Ireland should be a firm voice for de-escalation and the protection of civilians in the immediate term. We need to take decisive action to support political efforts to end the Israeli apartheid and occupation. Political inaction and international apathy make violence inevitable. Civilians are suffering. The status quo is broken and I commend the Department of Foreign Affairs on its principled stance on continuing aid to Palestine - it was wonderful to see that there was some hope - and in calling for the de-escalation in line with our shared commitment to international law. We have to do something and we have to face reality for the Gazan people today. It is horrific and absolutely wrong. I call for an urgent debate on this issue.
I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding Irishman, by virtue of how he was recognised by the State, and that is Chuck Feeney. As people know, he grew up with an Irish-American family background during the time of the Depression and set up a global duty free business. He then discovered that by giving while living he could have a transformative effect on so many aspects of global affairs. He obviously transformed the lives of so many and played an instrumental role in the peace process here. In particular, I want to acknowledge the contribution he made to Irish higher education and in particular to research. It is fair to say that the research infrastructure that exists in Ireland today would not be there were it not for Chuck Feeney and his contribution.
In the late 1990s when the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, was Minister for Education, Chuck Feeney said he would put up a certain sum of money but the Government had to match it. The Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, went to Bertie Ahern and Chuck Feeney said that if it was not matched, he would walk away, and he delivered on it. All of our universities are much richer places and our research infrastructure in Ireland is far better as a result of the contribution of Chuck Feeney.
He famously never sought attention or accolades for all of his work. As somebody who had a transformative effect on this island and on the lives of so many, it is appropriate that this House acknowledge that contribution.
I will raise one issue on the Order of Business, that is, the large scale sports infrastructure fund. As the Leader will know, it was introduced in 2018 to try to focus on those larger national governing bodies and regional projects. In my county of Waterford, the county board received €3.753 million in 2019 for the redevelopment of Walsh Park. Fantastic work has been done there in terms of phase one of that redevelopment. However, it is my understanding that many of these larger scale projects have come in for significantly more than what they were originally budgeted for due to construction inflation.
They were all asked to send in the additional costs associated with the projects, of which there were about 33 around the country. I am seeking an early announcement allocating additional funding for all these larger scale infrastructure projects. It is very important that the county board can continue to phase 2 of the redevelopment of Walsh Park and build on the momentum created in phase 1. It was great to be able to have the senior hurling and camogie finals there in recent weeks. The stadium is looking well. For projects such as Walsh Park to move on, an additional allocation is needed in light of the increased costs. I would like an early announcement in that regard.
We should remember our former colleague, friend and Minister of State, Paudie Coffey, who was very much involved in that. It is good, as a GAA man, to see Walsh Park back.
It will be good to have the Cathaoirleach back.
I am not sure I would like to go there again next summer but that is a different day’s work.
I want to remember the deaths of ten people from the Traveller community. Today marks the eighth anniversary of the Carrickmines fire. I want to remember Tara Gilbert, her partner Jimmy Lynch and their daughters Jodie and Kelsey, Willie Lynch, Thomas Connors, his wife Sylvia and their children Jimmy, Christy and Mary who sadly died in a fire in Carrickmines eight years ago. Unfortunately, eight years later, little or nothing has changed around Traveller accommodation. The extended family of the ten people who lost their lives are still living in that location in absolutely horrifying living conditions. It is no different for many Travellers around the country who are living in horrible living conditions.
For the three and a half years that I have been a Member of the Seanad, I have raised Traveller accommodation numerous times. We made recommendations to the then special committee on Travellers. One of the recommendations was to establish a Traveller accommodation authority which would oversee delivery by local authorities. We are pleading for that. I call for a debate on Traveller accommodation at local and national level and how we are still failing Travellers. I am thinking of the money drawn down by local authorities last year. The funding has changed in that local authorities are allocated the money if they need the money. Unfortunately, as I said, very little has changed around Traveller accommodation. I call for an urgent debate in the next week or two on delivery and where the money from last year’s budget for Traveller accommodation has gone. We know it is being spent but we need to know how and what the outcomes are.
I thank Senator Flynn for reminding us today of that awful tragedy and the ten people who died eight years ago. I thank her for her advocacy and work in championing the causes of our fellow citizens.
In relation to what is happening in Gaza I want to make some remarks. What happened last Saturday must be classified as utterly unforgivable, utterly wrong and completely inexcusable. To invade across an internationally recognised boundary, round up people and slaughter them and bring some of them back across the boundary for the purpose of making them hostages is a crime against humanity, in my view, and cannot be excused. I was extremely worried, then, when I heard Prime Minister Netanyahu say that the Israeli response would echo across history. I was equally worried by the failure of UN member states much more powerful than ours to acknowledge the point that the Irish UN delegation was making.
This was that the use of force in these circumstances, of a kind that deploys massive force against civilians, is itself also likely to be a crime, a war crime and a crime against humanity. Reducing Gaza, which is a location where unparalleled international neglect and cruelty are being visited upon a people, to rubble and bringing it back to the Stone Age, removing water, electricity, sewerage, health facilities and all energy from a people, and then bombing them and their buildings with such ferocity that it will reduce their urban areas to a state of being uninhabitable, is inexcusable. Nothing should be said in these Houses which in any way encourages the Israeli Government to use disproportionate, unlawful and vindictive retribution against innocent people who had nothing to do with what happened last Saturday.
I concur with Senator Cummins's comments regarding the large-scale sports infrastructure fund. This is also an opportunity to start considering future capital projects to have those in train across the country.
I raise the issue of the new Garda divisions and the concerns I have in this regard relating to my area. Until recently, County Longford was joined with County Roscommon as a division. Now, as the Leader is aware, it is now a division including counties Longford, Roscommon and Mayo. It probably takes about two and a half hours to drive from Belmullet to just outside Rathowen in this new Garda division. County Westmeath will now be going into a division with County Meath. Legislation will come before the Oireachtas in the next few months which will set up local community safety partnerships, LCSPs. Trial models are already operating in Longford, Waterford city and the north inner city of Dublin. These LCSPs will be rolled out next year, and this concept is all about having a multiagency forum for policing in an area. This will mean the agencies in an area will be working together.
I will list the various agencies already operating in my home county. From a medical perspective, there is the regional hospital for Longford and Westmeath. Educationally, there is the Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board. Additionally, County Longford is joined with County Westmeath when it comes to rural transport services, court services and Tusla, as well as politically. We are now going to create a divide that will make it difficult for the partnerships to be successful. As I said, these partnerships are about having a multiagency strategy to support policing in our communities. The Garda Commissioner needs to look at this again. He has already made some changes to it but I do not think the current model is going to work in future for us in County Longford, or, indeed, in County Westmeath. If we want to make these partnerships successful, then we need to see where counties are already working together across various areas.
I join with my colleagues in paying tribute to Chuck Feeney, who did so much not only for education but also for peace initiatives on this island. He supported everything he did quietly and without looking for recognition or publicity. He championed the idea of giving while living and, in many ways, got a lot more people who had a lot of money, including billionaires around the world, to follow his example. For that, we in Ireland, especially those who benefited from his concept of giving while living, should be forever grateful for his service not only to this country but to humanity in general.
I also join with my colleagues in respect of what happened last Saturday and what is now happening in Israel and Palestine. The crimes committed last Saturday and the statements being made now will only bring more death and destruction. I say this because we have seen this happen over and over again, not just down through the decades, but down through the centuries. There is a need now for there to be less war and violence, for the people who have been kidnapped and taken hostage to be released and for everyone to take a step back. Escalation has been promised by some and this is the last thing needed in Palestine and Israel.
I wish to be associated with the remarks to the late Chuck Feeney who, through The Atlantic Philanthropies, not only changed Irish life by his, as Senator Byrne said, "giving while living" approach, but transformed the lives of so many people through higher education in the North and indeed, in social policy, in particular around marriage equality and his support of the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, GLEN, at the time. We thank him for his work and his commitment to Ireland and we extend to his family our deepest sympathies.
I thank all Members who raised issues on what is also budget 2024 day. Remarkably, and rightly so, the main topic for discussion was Israel and Palestine and what happened at the weekend. Almost every Member who spoke this morning or this afternoon raised this issue and asked for statements. I have already requested that the Tánaiste come to the House next week and I am awaiting a reply. We all echo our utter condemnation for what happened on Saturday and over the weekend, and the indiscriminate murder of people and the shooting, killing and kidnapping. I saw some footage of a mother and her two-year-old and five-year-old being taken hostage and their father watching the video. It does not bear thinking about. Innocent civilians both in Israel and in Palestine are at the heart of this. It is important to draw a distinction between Hamas and the Palestinian people. Hamas is a terrorist organisation. It is important for Members of both Houses and our MEPs to reflect on some of their commentary over the weekend and over the past number of days when they raise a flag to one nation over the other. They are not helping to solve the situation and they are not supporting the stated position of this Government which is a two-state solution of peace between Israel and Palestine.
Hear, hear.
The comments of some public representatives were disappointing and shocking, while maybe not surprising in some parts, but certainly do not serve the cause of peace, which we all seek. I concur with the remarks of Senators who called for the release of those who have been taken hostage. We call for a ceasefire and for peace talks to begin again as soon as possible. I also welcome the comments of the Tánaiste and the Government in their support for Israel to defend itself but also in support of the Palestinian people and getting an aid corridor opened up, which we hope will happen soon. Preventing basic supplies from getting to the Palestinian people will only cause further death and entrenchment in this situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent civilians on both sides of the conflict who have lost their lives, and will lose their lives in the coming weeks.
Senator Doherty spoke about the budget today. The will be statements on finance and public expenditure later but not every Senator will get an opportunity to contribute during those debates as time is limited to a certain extent. It is important to acknowledge that it was a very good budget. It was a positive budget containing a significant package for social protection payments of €1.1 billion. As Senators have acknowledged, the renter's tax credit has been increased. The reduction in taxation in income tax bands and USC is really welcome, and also the energy tax credits. There are people who will say there was something for everybody in the audience in it, as if that were a bad thing. However, a budget that can serve all people, target those who are the most vulnerable but still acknowledge that middle-income workers are also feeling the pinch and give something to those households too, is a budget to be commended.
When I listened to the opening remarks of the Minister for Finance in particular where he outlined the challenges this Government has faced in the past three and a half years, it is worth remembering that as a country, a State and a Government, we have been through the tail-end of Brexit, a pandemic, a war in Ukraine that is still ongoing, an energy crisis, and inflation that is affecting the global community. The fact that we can deliver a budget today that has a surplus, balance our books, and are able to give back to all elements of our community is an extraordinary achievement by this Government. We only need to look across the water at what can happen when a bad budget is delivered and what can happen very quickly to an economy when the public finances are not managed properly. I particularly acknowledge the two funds that have been established by this Government to save and put away money, not for a rainy day, but for expenses we know are coming down the tracks. We have a fund put in place, the Future Ireland fund, which will help us to pay for the increasing cost of a growing and an ageing population when it comes to healthcare and pensions. This is something that may not be the most glamorous aspect of this budget or the one that people will feel the impact of today, tomorrow, or next year.
In 20 years' time when we look back on a budget that established these two funds, in which we put away money to pay for future spending, it will be seen as a very important step in securing our country's future and ensuring we can pay for capital projects and the pressures that come with an ageing and growing population. I commend the Government in particular on these two measures. It is not something that will be noticed in the lifetime of the Government and it would be easy to spend what is there. A much more prudent and sensible Government puts away money for the next five, ten or 15 years and this is very important.
Senator Craughwell acknowledged Taiwan's national day, as did the Cathaoirleach. I concur with their remarks.
Senator Wall spoke about the ESRI's gambling report which found that 130,000 adults have problem gambling. It is suspected that there are far more than this as a lot of gambling goes on behind closed doors online and it is difficult to put a figure on it. The gambling Bill is moving through the Dáil at present. It is stuck on Report Stage. We are waiting for it to come to this House. It is unlikely to be this term but as soon as it is ready, we will make sure there is space in the schedule for it to go through the House. It is very important legislation to tackle this scourge.
I note Senator Wall's points on public transport and the times of buses for the Suncroft community in Kildare. This is an important point. For many communities outside of larger urban areas the times that public transport leaves and arrives do not suit people getting to work, college or appointments. It is very important for public transport to be consistent and reliable and to have regular services, They need to be more frequent than every two hours. They need to be every hour or half hour to allow people to arrive on time. We are still working on this. There has been significant investment in public transport. This is where the country is heading, which is very important.
Senators Malcolm Byrne and Mark Daly spoke about Chuck Feeney and his contribution to Irish life. Senator Byrne focused primarily on his work in higher education and research and development and his legacy in this regard. Senator Daly spoke about his role in the peace process. He has made an incredible contribution to Irish life in many regards. As has been pointed out, he never sought credit or adulation for it. He leaves behind a remarkable and proud legacy.
Senators Cummins and Carrigy raised the issue of the large-scale sports infrastructure fund. Walsh Park was mentioned by Senator Cummins. I note the points made by both Senators in this regard and the importance to communities of getting this infrastructure in place.
Senator Flynn spoke, as she has often done, about Traveller accommodation. It is an ongoing challenge in every part of the country. I concur with her remarks on the Carrickmines tragedy and the ten Irish citizens who lost their lives. It is important that we never forget what happened on that day eight years ago. I am glad that Senator Flynn put their names on the record again. It is very important. I commend Senator Flynn on her work.
I fully acknowledge that we are not doing enough to meet the needs of our Traveller citizens with regard to accommodation. There are many instances of very poor accommodation throughout the country and this is unjustifiable. We need to work this. It is probably more challenging because of the overall housing challenge that we have. It is not getting the attention that it needs and deserves. There is an onus on local authorities to do their bit and to draw down the funds that have been made available. There is no consistent approach throughout all local authorities. Some are doing better than others. This is not justifiable either. I thank Senator Flynn for raising, and continuing to raise, the issue in the House.
Senator Carrigy raised the issue of the Garda divisions. It is an issue for us in Mayo also. As he pointed out, Longford, Roscommon and Mayo are now part of the same division. From Edgeworthstown to Belmullet is all part of the same division. Geographically, it is not really workable on the ground. There is a lot of anxiety about this issue in rural areas. There is the feeling that there is not the level of coverage that would be expected and that was there previously. It is an important issue to raise. I suggest a Commencement matter on the issue because it is a very specific question. The matter has been raised in the Department of Justice with the Minister and the Minister of State.
I certainly agree with Senator Carrigy's remarks, in particular with regard to interagency work and working with stakeholders. Longford and Westmeath are tied in many areas, so it would make sense for these two areas to stay together in a Garda division. I cannot understand the logic behind joining the three counties of Longford, Roscommon and Mayo. It is almost as though they were the last three counties left and were thrown together. I do not know and I am speculating. I hope the matter can be addressed to the satisfaction of citizens in all three counties and that we have a properly functioning Garda service in these areas.
I thank the Leader for her commitment to hold a debate on the events of the weekend. I thank all Members of the House for their temperate remarks, which were condemnatory but also understanding of the situation. I thank Senators for their remarks. Indiscriminate kidnapping and killing are wrong. I had the pleasure of meeting the new Israeli ambassador last week. I met Mr. Amir Ohana, the Speaker of the Knesset, at the EU speakers' conference. The words of John Hume are ones we should all listen to today. He said:
Difference is the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict ... Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace - respect for diversity.
I thank Members for their conciliatory words this afternoon.
Order of Business agreed to.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 4.15 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 5.05 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 4.15 p.m. and resumed at 5.05 p.m.