Before I ask the Leader to outline the Order of Business for the day, on my behalf and on behalf of all the Members congratulate the Houses of the Oireachtas on achieving the autism friendly parliament award. It is also important to recognise and to pay tribute to our colleague, Senator Carrigy, on the huge work he undertook along with the equality, diversity and inclusion, EDI, team in the Oireachtas. With everyone's help and co-operation, Leinster House has achieved this extraordinary recognition. It could not have been done without the support of many of those who work in Leinster House, including the facilities management unit, the superintendent's section and members of the Seanad team as well as broadcasting and the communications and web teams. It was a superb team effort to achieve this award. There was a need for a leader and Senator Carrigy pioneered that. I congratulate him this morning. He is not a person who likes to be singled out. He is a very humble man who does not want to see himself lauded but he was the person who drove this along with Roisín Deery. I congratulate the Senator and thank him for his huge endeavour.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Senator Ardagh also did a lot of work on getting that accreditation. Congratulations to both Senators. It is a great accolade for both Houses to have achieved.
The Order of Business is Nos. 1 and 2. No. 1 is Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023 – Second Stage to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to conclude at 2.45 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 eight minutes and all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate. No. 2 is the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023 – Committee Stage (resumed) and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 3 p.m. or on the conclusion of No. 1, whichever is later. The proceedings shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 7 p.m., by the putting of one question from the chair which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government.
I welcome to the Public Gallery Jim McMahon, Ned Buckley, Padraic Dolan, Bryan Dolan and Kevin Murphy who are guests of Senator Conway,. They are all very welcome. A combination of counties Roscommon, Tipperary and Clare is represented. I also wish Jim McMahon every success on his retirement from his previous role and wish him many years of active, healthy retirement.
I also congratulate the chair of the autism committee, Senator Carrigy. In our various groups, we all tried to push our colleagues to ensure that they did the training and we were pushed by the Senator. It was well worth the effort.
I raise the issue of buy now, pay later services. Many of us because of our age - I am middle aged - use mainstream banks. Revolut might be as far as I go in terms of being creative in my banking but younger people are able to access many online apps. They have these buy now, pay later services and it is easier to rack up debt. It is a similar idea as a credit card but it is even easier than applying for a credit card. We need to send the message out that by entering into a buy now, pay later credit agreement, someone is actually taking out a loan that has to be repaid. Getting loans from various institutions, or even just one, can really affect a person’s credit rating for the future. People should really be aware. There is so much fast fashion and such pressure on people to have all the latest items but they have to know that they have to pay these loans back and that they are loans.
I also want to raise scam text messages. Many people are getting them. Banks tell us that every day a few people come in telling them about their daughter or son who lost their phone. The scammers are at pains to enter into conversations with people and it is quite a sophisticated scam. I want people to be aware that they should report it because many people feel shame when they are scammed and have transferred money and there is a sort of scam shame, but scams should be reported. We should speak more widely about it because people, especially older people, are really vulnerable to this. There should be more regulation and perhaps a debate in the House on how we can create awareness about these because the elderly are very vulnerable.
I also thank Senator Ardagh for her role in the autism award.
I thank the Cathaoirleach for his kind words. I want to thank a number of people who worked on this project and drove it. First, in particular, I thank the members of the committee who put to the Houses of the Oireachtas that this was something they wanted to see implemented, including Senators Ardagh, Wall, Garvey and Flynn. It was taken on board by the Cathaoirleach, the Ceann Comhairle and the Secretary General, Mr. Peter Finnegan as a project they wanted to see implemented. It was a challenge to be one of the first parliaments in the world to do this and to be the parliament with the highest standards and to set a standard for all government buildings and organisations throughout the country. I pay tribute to them. I also pay tribute to Breda Burke, principal officer, Roisín Deery and Roisín Sweeney who drove the project on the ground and spent a considerable time putting in the background work and working with all the teams within the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Cathaoirleach mentioned facilities management unit, the superintendent's section, training section and the broadcasting and web teams. It was a broad collaborative effort from all sections of the Houses of the Oireachtas Service to make sure we got our accreditation in an extremely short time. We launched the project in April 2023 and we officially achieved our accreditation at the end of December. It was presented to the Ceann Comhairle by AsIAm last week. I thank Zarah and Adam in AsIAm for the considerable work they put into the project. I also thank the entire parliamentary community, the members and political staff of all parties and groupings who got behind the project and spoke to people in their own parties to make sure that we played our part in the parliamentary community and that we have an understanding of what it is to be autistic. When we have more understanding in society about disabilities in general, we have a better chance of making changes and the significant changes that need to be made for autistic persons and, indeed, across disabilities. Only yesterday, following a Commencement matter taken by the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, we received confirmation of the roll-out of a pilot one-stop shop throughout the country for those on the autism spectrum.
I thank all of my colleagues and the team in the Houses of the Oireachtas Service for delivering this project. This project is bigger than the project itself. It sets a standard for all Government organisations and other organisations to follow. That is a challenge I intend setting and I will be calling on all Departments to follow the Houses of the Oireachtas by getting autism-friendly accreditation for their buildings, and also that all Government staff and ultimately local authority staff undertake autism awareness training. That is a challenge I put to them from today.
We received correspondence this morning from the Social Economic Environmental Forestry Association of Ireland, SEEFA. Afforestation is raised regularly in the House. Based on the information we got today, it looks like we will hit only 1,500 ha of afforestation in 2024. We need another discussion on forestry. This cannot continue. I have seen the knock-on effect of it in my own community which is without electricity for the fifth time in two and a half months because of trees falling on power lines. The landowner is waiting for a felling licence to cut these trees down and the ESB cannot do anything about it. Things need to move on or we will have the same problems again this year.
I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that Committee Stage only of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023 be taken today and that the Remaining Stages be taken next week. The context for this, which Senator Craughwell will elaborate on, is the manner in which very important legislation is being guillotined. It is not only guillotined with respect to the time we have to debate matters but also by way of timetabling. Even if amendments were suggested and considered reasonable by the Government, there would not be an opportunity to have them incorporated into some of the very important legislation before us. In particular this year, a year of elections, we have a concern that a principle or precedent is being set where we rush through and guillotine very important legislation. It is not a personal matter for us. It is that it is disrespectful to the Houses and the process.
I echo the praise for Senators Carrigy and Ardagh on their very important initiative. I was delighted to be able to participate in the awareness workshop and the little certificate I received has pride of place on my wall. I learned an awful lot from it. We are a big community of carers, parents and disabled citizens but it is very interesting to have an opportunity to learn in the workplace. It is very much appreciated. I hope we can work together on other initiatives in the House. We badly need a fully accessible changing place in the Houses. As the Houses of the Oireachtas, we should take the lead on that matter nationally.
There is a crossover here between the guillotining of very important legislation and disability matters generally. Last night, we concluded Committee Stage of the proposed changes to articles of the Constitution. With regard to the proposed wording of Article 42B, which will go before the people, I have serious concerns that it contains within it the constitutional expression that the family is the sole provider of care, or that it should be the primary provider of care within the State, and that the State has no real role in intervening in caring and supporting independent living in the community. We were given reassurances by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. and Senator Seery Kearney that this was not the intention or meaning. I take those reassurances in the utmost good faith but there is an opportunity to consolidate that in the lifetime of this Government by fully ratifying all protocols of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. I ask all of my colleagues to impress upon the Government, if they have any leverage in their parliamentary party meetings, the need to get that over the line during the lifetime of this Government. What a legacy that would be.
Míle buíochas. I welcome to the Public Gallery the students from Johnstown National School, Glenageary. I think they are from rang a sé. They are guests of Senator Barry Ward. They are very welcome to Leinster House and I am glad to see them here. Maybe their teachers will give them homework off as a token of our appreciation of their visit to the Houses of Parliament.
I also acknowledge the presence of a very good friend of many of us in the House, Mary Danagher from Limerick. It is good to see Mary here this morning. Anois, glaoim ar an Seanadóir Mark Wall.
I, too, welcome our guests to the Gallery today. As a member of the autism committee, I am proud of the achievement of getting autism-friendly accreditation for the Houses of the Oireachtas. It is a really important day for us all. I give particular credit to the chair of the committee, which I know Senator Ardagh has already done. Senator Carrigy has driven this through the Houses over the last year or so. He has been an excellent and exemplary chair in doing so. He deserves great credit for what has been achieved in this House and for what he has done to raise the profile of autistic people in this country through the autism committee.
The committee has already linked in with the Scottish Parliament. There is an open conversation taking place with it and it is looking at what we have done here in Ireland. I am sure it will be one of the next parliaments to follow the lead of Leinster House.
I also thank Róisín Deery for her considerable work. Róisín was the one who was pushing this accreditation in the background and, as Senator Carrigy said, making the phone calls. It is a proud day for us all. I thank Senator Carrigy for being a wonderful chair in pushing that forward.
I also raise the National Transport Authority's announcement within the last hour and a half of its national fares determination. The Cathaoirleach will be familiar with the fact that commuting is one of the biggest issues I raise in this House. Today is a good day for what the NTA is now referring to as the Dublin commuter zone. It will mean reductions in single adult fares of 45% from the train station in Newbridge and 37% from Kildare town. That is what we have learned so far. This document has only been published in the last hour and a half. It is 90 page long, so we want to walk through it. I ask that the Leader request the Minister for Transport to come back to the House to discuss commuting, rail fares and this document. When we discussed the matter in February last year the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, told me that towns were being treated unfairly with regard to rail fares. As a result of that, and a campaign by the Newbridge Labour Party on fares determination that has run for six years and collected 8,000 signatures, we are where we are today. I also give great credit to Jennifer Caffrey and Newbridge Community Development for the organisation's campaign. It has dealt with 1,800 families in Newbridge, Kildare town and Kilcullen who are affected on their daily commute.
The Cathaoirleach will be aware that the last time we spoke on this issue, I mentioned that the N7 and M7 are a car park. Reducing rail fares is a way of ensuring that fares do not constitute a reason for anybody not using public transport or having to get into their car to travel, in the case of Newbridge, to Sallins train station. It is a good news day and we will need to work through this. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate with the Minister, so we can move forward again.
I join others in congratulating those who worked to achieve autism-friendly status for this building.
Today marks 700 days since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Yesterday, 18 people were killed and more than 130 wounded as a result of Russian air strikes on Ukraine. It is essential that we continue to stand with the people of Ukraine as a country and in multilateral institutions. It is important that, even though there are conflicts in other parts of the world, we do not forget about this horrific conflict and Russia's barbaric actions. I ask that we have a debate on Ukraine and further actions that Ireland may be able to take.
Related to that, I am concerned about what I read today in my local newspapers in Wexford. I disagree with him on many issues but Aontú councillor Jim Codd, who is a very good secondary school teacher, has rightly expressed concern that refugee pupils no longer feel as safe as they once did here. This is a concern I have heard from other teachers but Councillor Codd is raising it and putting it on the public agenda. We have to be very conscious, in the debates we have in these Houses and in other public debates, that language matters. When children and young people hear some of the hateful rhetoric that is being used to describe refugees and asylum seekers, it impacts on them to a far greater extent than it does on others.
In the context of any debates that happen in these Houses or in public, we need to remember that. I ask that in facilitating a debate around immigration, the question of language features as part of that.
I join others in congratulating Senators Carrigy, Ardagh, Wall and other members of the autism committee on their leadership and advocacy in regard to these Houses becoming an autism-friendly Parliament. I concur with the suggestion that this should be rolled out to all local authorities and Government buildings.
It becomes a cliché to talk about balanced regional development. I have to say that it is not a cliché if we look at what happened in Galway last Friday with the sod-turning of the Dexcom facility in Athenry, which will be providing 1,000 full-time jobs in the west, which is not just for Galway but the broader region. These things do not happen by accident. The foundations were put in place a long time back, nearly 15 years ago, when the Athenry-Oranmore economic corridor was identified in the Galway county development plan by councillors and officials as a driver for the Galway area. Because of that and because of the intersection of two motorways, the Galway-Dublin motorway and the Limerick-Tuam motorway, it is a perfect vantage point for the new development of Dexcom. It is important to also acknowledge the rail infrastructure that is present on the Galway-Dublin line and the proposed facility running from Athenry to Claremorris and, hopefully, onwards. I acknowledge the partnership between Dexcom and Connacht Rugby, with Dexcom Stadium now the new name for the sports ground. I also acknowledge the €20 million Government investment in providing the new facility for Dexcom Park.
It is important to note the positives in regard to balanced regional development, not just for Galway but for the whole region. I am sure plenty of people across Mayo and elsewhere will be working in the Dexcom facility in Athenry and travelling there by car, rail or bus.
There was an attempt to abolish this House in 2013, before I was elected here. I worked hard during that attempt to save this House, as did many people. My colleague, Senator Clonan, has put forward an amendment to the Order of Business today which I am seconding. It proposes that we do not take anything more than Committee Stage of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023.
I can understand that there are times when legislation is urgent and needs to be passed through the House quickly but this is a total undermining of the role of this House. We are well paid and well looked after in this establishment. We owe it to those who put us here to perform in the way we are expected to perform. We are a revising or reforming House of Parliament. We are here to look at legislation and to give it full consideration. As Senator Clonan said in the debate over the past two days on the amendments to the Constitution, many good amendments were discussed but none would be taken, irrespective of how good they were. Why? It is because there was a guillotine that meant the legislation had to be finished yesterday so we can have the referendum votes on International Women's Day – an old scam, that is all it was. This House was used as a scam to provide a vehicle for the Government to hold a referendum on International Women's Day.
On the last day that this Bill was in the House, we had the appalling debacle of the two main Government parties at each other's throats.
Tá an t-am caite.
I will be calling a vote on the Order of Business today. This cannot go through and if it does, I sincerely hope we get a public lashing for the way we are abusing the democratic system.
Before I call Senator Burke, I congratulate him on his elevation to the status of father of the House. For the first time, I call the father of the House, Senator Paddy Burke.
There is no need to highlight that, a Chathaoirleach. I congratulate Senators Carrigy, Ardagh and Wall and the Cathaoirleach with regard to the great work done on the committee in raising awareness of autistic people and the work they did to make this an autism-friendly Parliament.
I raise the issue of the severe storms in recent days that have resulted in a lot of damage to property and trees, in particular in my own area. I know the Leader will be very familiar with the tennis club in Castlebar, where the dome was completely blown away, and the exact same thing happened at the Galway Lawn Tennis Club. I ask the Government to look at this. I am sure both of those clubs were funded through sports capital grants in the past. They need to receive funding to put the domes back in place because they are essential to areas like Castlebar and Galway in order to promote tennis. Given the weather we have for six months of the year, it is very important that we have a cover over the courts, and the domes were ideal in that regard. I ask the Government to look seriously at funding the reinstatement of the domes at the tennis clubs in Castlebar and Galway. The Government has aided other places following flooding or storms in the past. These are two essential pieces of infrastructure for our communities. I ask the Government to look seriously at funding them in the near future.
I thank the father of the House. I congratulate him on his elevation as the longest-serving member of the House. He has been here since 1993 and has 31 wonderful years of service. We wish him many more years as father of the House.
I want to continue the congratulations for Senator Burke, who is an amazing man from Mayo in the west. It is an honour because his is an amount of experience that we are fortunate to have in the House. We are very lucky to have Senator Burke with us today.
I congratulate Senator Carrigy on his work on the autism-friendly Parliament. I know that each of us partook of training and it is training that we should be doing in many sectors. I admit that to do that training gave a great insight into how we can engage, how to be aware and how to get rid of that unconsciousness and unawareness, which is really what training is about. I pay tribute to Senator Carrigy and everybody in the Oireachtas who worked to achieve that.
Between Storm Isha and Storm Jocelyn, there has been quite a lot of damage, particularly in the counties of Galway, Roscommon, Mayo and Donegal, and there have been many power outages. I thank the front-line teams, particularly those in ESB Networks, Electric Ireland and Irish Water, who have done Trojan work over the last two or three days. In my own town of Ballinasloe, many were without power yet it was back again that morning, if not working throughout the night, once the storm status of yellow, orange or red had changed. It is very difficult as the teams cannot go out when there is an alert, but once the alerts are finished, they are pretty much out there straight away. I want to acknowledge that because it was not an easy time, particularly with the two storms coming together. They tried to prioritise everything but businesses in particular, some of which were closed for two or three days. It is crucial that we have those front-line emergency teams out working on this. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.
I welcome yesterday's news on what the Cabinet has approved for the rent-a-room scheme. It is an issue I have raised here many times, including in two Commencement debates. It is a win-win situation for older people but also for those who need student accommodation. People can rent a room for up to €14,000 and it does not affect their medical card. It is welcome news because many people live alone and to have someone living with them means they have company, as well as the fact it will not affect their medical card.
People were afraid to rent out a room because until now, it would have affected their cards. This is most welcome news and I thank the Government for approving it yesterday.
I know I am only supposed to raise one item but I would also like to raise the fact that businesses, especially small businesses, are in turmoil at the moment. I have received a lot of contact from small hospitality businesses concerning the minimum wage and sick pay. All those measures came in this month, which is the lean time of the year for businesses. January and February are the leanest months and those businesses are now facing all these extra charges. There is also the initiative to bring back one's plastic bottles. While I fully support the initiative, the training was held during the ten days running up to Christmas, when businesses are at their busiest. I believe the training needs to be held again because so many businesses are not aware of the full facts in that regard. Whoever organised it for the ten days leading up to Christmas is not aware of what businesses face.
I join my colleagues in supporting the amendment of the Order of Business today. The Leader and all my colleagues across the House will recall the lively debates we had in the run-up to Christmas. We believe this needs more time. We only returned on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Today is only Wednesday. There is also a proposal that the Seanad will not sit one day next week. We have a lot of business to do. Having looked at the schedule and the conduct of our business for some months, it has become evident that people are under pressure and shorter timeframes are being proposed. I understand that people have commitments but we also have commitments as elected Members of this House. We want to exercise due diligence in respect of legislation. I hope, therefore, that the Leader will be sympathetic and supportive. I know she is supportive of many of the proposed changes. She articulated that support well and in fairness to her and her colleagues, she teased out at great length some of this legislation with the Minister for Justice. I too have engaged with the Minister for Justice outside these Houses. I have made a case on behalf of some of our Members. We think we should have the opportunity today. We should move away from guillotining where at all possible. We are democrats. We all want debate and discussion. I hope the Leader will agree with the proposal and I think she will. It is a matter for her, and I respect that, just as it is a matter for us to propose a change to the Order of Business. It would be helpful for all sides.
Having talked last night to representatives of the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, and to various councils from all parties and none, I know they are watching this space. They believe they have a good cross-party case. All parties met us on this issue before Christmas. They will be tuned in and to be fair to them and the work they have done and the commitment they have given to the joint policing committees, we can reach a compromise. Let us work together in a collaborative way on behalf of the city and county councillors who elect most of us, although not all of us, to this House.
I would like to remember the late Councillor Con O'Leary, an Independent from Cork, who died and was buried last week. He was a great character. He was an Independent councillor for Cork and had a small shop called Con's Shop. The word, "Con", had many connotations in itself but he was a lovely man. He was elected in 1991 and sought re-election in 1999. Indeed, I think he may have run as an Independent candidate in a general election. I know the Cathaoirleach knew him particularly well. That is what I have to say.
I ask the Leader to consider the reasonable request before her today.
I wish to be associated with the Senator's remarks and offer sympathy to the family of the late Con O'Leary. He was a formidable politician and an illustrious character. I was away last week and missed his funeral. The Senator is right that he served the people on the north side of Cork city with distinction in his own unique way. He had a wonderful shop, an emporium with everything in the world you could want. We sympathise with his family.
I welcome to the Gallery the students from Johnstown bunscoil in Cabinteely, not Glenageary. We had students from a Johnstown school here earlier but they were from Glenageary. The students now with us are from Cabinteely. They are very welcome. Cuirim fáilte roimh gach duine. I hope that as part of their visit, they might get off homework tonight to celebrate their visit to Leinster House.
I want to talk about housing and a model of housing we are familiar with but the residents of Dublin 15 are just getting to know about, which is cost rental. Some 247 apartments, a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, are available through our new State agency, the Land Development Agency, LDA, under the cost-rental scheme. Long-term, secure tenancies are available at a cost that is at least 25% less than market value. That is available to households with a net income of less than €66,000, which could be a gross income of €100,000. They are available in Barnwell Point Apartments, Hansfield, which is an enviable place to live. It is only a couple of kilometres up the road and has been a strategic development zone for the past ten years. It has schools, one open crèche and another that is for sale. It is beside a train station for which I am working to get more frequent trains. We rightly talk a lot in this Chamber about the resources of the Garda and teacher shortages. I have met the teachers and principals in those areas. They want to put down roots and this development gives them that option. We are going to see more of that through the LDA with affordable purchase schemes and cost rental.
We saw reports yesterday about a couple on a combined income of €89,000 who cannot afford a three-bedroom semi-detached home in the greater Dublin area. Representatives of Threshold and Alone are in Leinster House today to talk about housing options for older people. This responds to that. We obviously need the cost of housing to come down and supply to go up. The LDA has more objectives in that regard and a target of 5,000 affordable homes by 2026.
I will say that there has only been a week for initial applications for the development and the deadline for applications through the LDA is tomorrow. I ask the Leader to bring it back to the Minister that people need more time to get to know the opportunities of this model.
I wish to be associated with the Cathaoirleach's introductory remarks regarding Jim McMahon, who served the Fine Gael party for 24 years and is retiring at the end of the month. I wish to put on the record my appreciation for the role he has played over many years. He has supported me and many others.
The National Transport Authority, NTA, today published a report on fare determinations. It is very interesting because, unfortunately, it does not refer a huge amount to rural Ireland. There are significant discrepancies between various services and their costs in rural Ireland. I have regularly highlighted the difference between the cost of getting a train from Ennis to Limerick and the cost of getting a train from Maynooth to Dublin. It is more or less the same distance but the cost of the train from Ennis to Limerick is far higher.
There is an even bigger discrepancy that I cannot for the life of me understand. We have Bus Éireann and Transport for Ireland, TFI. TFI is providing fantastic support and services in rural Ireland. There is a Bus Éireann service from Ennis to Ennistymon at 6.30 p.m and there is a bus serving the same route at 6.04 p.m. as part of the TFI service. If you were to book a ticket online today without a Leap card, the Bus Éireann service costs €6.80 while a ticket with TFI costs €2.50. Any amadán would understand that does not make sense. We need a standardised fare structure among all public bus and rail services that are provided directly by Bus Éireann or Iarnród Éireann or that are being funded by the taxpayer and provided by other operators. It is ridiculous, does not add up and does not make sense. It needs to be changed.
The N24 road is the link road between Waterford city and Limerick.
Never.
I am raising it again because it is at a very key point in the process.
The route was chosen a number of days ago. That has meant that the buffer zone that will happen with the planning of the new road has been reduced significantly to 300 m. That has been presented to the public and, obviously, there is concern with where the new road is going and whose land it is going through and things like that. It is a positive thing, however, and it is progressing along nicely.
So, you have succeeded.
We have succeeded. It has taken a long fight but I will now start another fight. It has not got funding to continue to design stage yet. That needs approval by the Minister for Transport. It needs to be prioritised as quickly as possible. As the Leader knows, that route is divided into two sections, one of which is from Limerick Junction to Cahir. That is in design stage at the moment and moving along well. However, the section from Cahir to Waterford is approximately one year behind it, essentially. We cannot have what happened in previous stages of this process, which is a delay or a decision not to fund it, and then we have to start a campaign to try to get it funded. We need a decision by the Minister for Transport as quickly as possible to say that he recognises we are now at a stage where we need to make a decision on funding the design up to when a planning decision or planning application would be made. I ask that this decision be made as quickly as possible.
People who have houses or families with farms who have houses and potentially want to build are within that buffer zone. Until it gets to design stage and the road is actually designed, that buffer zone will not reduce any more. It is 300 m wide at the moment. It will reduce to 100 m six months after the design stage starts. For the design stage to start, however, we need the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to commit to funding this. I ask that we get that done as quickly as possible so that the people who live on the rural stretch of that road can have certainty as quickly as possible.
Míle buíochas. I thank the Senator very much.
I thank Senators. I call Senator McGahon who is literally taking his seat.
That was excellent timing. I thank the Cathaoirleach for letting me in at the very last minute.
I do not want to anticipate what I hope to say later in the Second Stage debate on the Limerick mayor. It is very specific to Limerick, however. Therefore, I just want to talk about local government in general and the concept of mayors. First, they are a very good idea. Second, every county in Ireland and every local authority should have a directly elected mayor. That is a very good thing because where there are directly elected mayors in each local authority, they are elected for a five-year term with a very specific mandate whereby they have to go out and actually try to deliver that.
Did someone else raise this issue before me?
The Senator is straying into the Second Stage debate.
The debate later today is specifically about Limerick. While I will chat about that, that is Limerick based. What I would actually like a debate about is the concept of directly elected mayors for every local authority. The idea of having to have referendums for them does not necessarily work because as we see with referendums, and as we may see with the referendums coming in March, people are mainly voting on them based on different reasons and not the actual substantive issues. Therefore, I do not think referendums are the way to go when it comes to directly elected mayors either. However, my thinking behind this is because chief executives and executives of local councils have ultimate power. They are not held accountable to anybody. They can make decisions as they wish. They are not accountable to the Oireachtas. In theory, they are accountable to county councillors. However, county councillors are not going to make life difficult for themselves by challenging the executive because then the executive could turn around and blackball them. I would really appreciate a debate about directly elected mayors, not just for Limerick, Waterford or Dublin but for every local authority. That is the future of local government in this country. A debate around that at some stage in the next few months would be timely enough.
The first person to speak was Senator Ardagh who congratulated Senator Carrigy, as did most Members this morning, on the fantastic achievement by the Oireachtas, which was really driven by Joint Committee on Autism chaired by Senator Carrigy, and other colleagues as well, in particular, Senator Ardagh, who put much work into educating all of us on the importance of being more inclusive as a Parliament and leading the way in being one of the first parliaments to become autism friendly. I know from conversations with Senator Carrigy that he put in a good bit of work behind the scenes in getting people to participate in that training. As everyone is very busy and there is lots going on, to get people to take that time out to do that hour of training was of huge benefit. The numbers came through in the end with which I am delighted. It was a lovely email to get from the Oireachtas that we had achieved that accolade. Well done to all involved. It is nice to see that work has paid off and will benefit people. It will make us more inclusive and thoughtful of others as we continue with our work in here. Buzzing around the place as we often do, it is important to stop and reflect on how we interact with other people. Well done on that. It is lovely to hear so many colleagues across the House acknowledge the work that was and the contribution. As it does not happen every day, it is nice to see that as well. It shows the collegiality of the House, which is very important.
Senator Ardagh also spoke about something that is not so new now but that is becoming more prolific, which is the use of the buy now, pay later option. We see it in many fast fashion websites and the likes of Amazon and these places. It allows people to rack up bills that they think they can pay at the time and maybe will not be able to pay. It is something for the Central Bank of Ireland and Department of Finance to look at. The Senator rightly pointed out the level of scam text messages, which have reached levels whereby it is making it difficult for genuine text messages to come through from organisations. People do not know what to believe or trust. It is an ongoing challenge. We have done a good job to date and people are very alert. Even older people are more alert now to what might be coming through. The best way we can protect people is through education and dialogue and by highlighting that these are just part and parcel of life now. However, the Senator is right in saying that the banks need to do their best to protect customers where scams do manage to break through.
Senator Carrigy asked for a debate around forestry, which I will request. Obviously, the Minister with responsibility is a Member of this House so we will see if we can get the debate through on that. It is an ongoing challenge and a big issue in rural areas. As we are not hitting the numbers we would like to hit, we just need to keep a watching brief on that.
Senator Clonan proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, which was seconded by Senator Craughwell, which I will not be accepting today. I note the points raised by the Senator, however. I also want to acknowledge the point he made around changing space in the Oireachtas. We are always fighting for space in here, but we have to prioritise what is important. That should be dealt with by the facilities unit. There are spaces available that could be repurposed to facilitate what the Senator is asking for. We have to lead now and speak with actions following on from what we just achieved with the Joint Committee on Autism. I also share the Senator's desire to see the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities fully ratified. We all have to push for that to happen. It is regrettable that it has not been done to date but work is under way. It is about keeping it on the agenda and continuing to raise it, which the Senator always does.
Senator Wall spoke about the NTA and the development that came through in the last couple of hours whereby we will see a reduction in fares, which is a good news story for the many thousands of people commuting from those areas. I acknowledge the work done by this Government overall in terms of reducing fares. We reduced fares by 20% for all commuters right across the country back in 2022. We have just seen the extension of the student and young persons travel card up to the age of 26 with a 50% reduction in fares. People can now get a train from Mayo to Dublin for €8.80, which is fantastic value. Therefore, we are doing a lot of work to make rail travel and commuting more affordable for all our citizens, not just those who commute every day but even those right across the country and down the west and people further afield who might be making trips to the capital or other towns for school or medical appointments. It is also about getting to the younger generation and creating good habits. If people start using a train in their late teens and early 20s to get to school or college or work, they are more likely to continue that habit into later years and hopefully leave the car at home a little bit more. It is part of the bigger picture in terms of encouraging use of public transport and, obviously, the investment in public transport and getting the level of service we would like to have. That will always be an ongoing challenge because there is money attached to that and it costs money to do it. It can be seen that this Government is prioritising that, however. The Department is to be commended on that work. I welcome those fare reductions.
I take on board the point the Senator raised about the M7 and N7. It is not a nice space to travel through when trying to get to and from work and many people are stuck in long commutes. We saw recent data published a few days ago that shows the average commute is getting longer in terms of hours spent in the car. We need to do more to get that time down because that is impacting on family life, work-life balance and people's mental health. It is an ongoing challenge. We are going in the right direction but it takes investment and time. It takes local public representatives to keep raising local services to get them on the map, so everyone is playing their part.
Senator Malcolm Byrne spoke about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine perpetrated by Russia's illegal invasion and asked for a debate on same. It is really important that we keep that issue top of the agenda. With what is happening in the Middle East, to an extent, what is happening in Ukraine is not getting the same level of coverage. People's capacity is limited in terms of what they can take in and consume in terms of the news cycle.
It is important that we continue to talk about that issue. We will request a regular and ongoing debate on it. I take on board the point the Senator very eloquently made on the use of language when it comes to talking about migration and immigration and how we deal with refugees and asylum seekers. He referred to a point made by a local secondary teacher in his area that young people and children who have come here from other countries do not feel safe. That is regrettable. It is something about which we have to be very mindful. I have requested a debate in the House on migration, because it has been requested by lots of Members, even before Christmas, and I anticipated that it would come up again. We are seeking such a debate. The request has gone in but I just have not been give a date yet. I am sure that we will get a debate. That will allow us to air a number of issues that have come up and will continue to come up as we try to manage this ongoing challenge but do so in a humanitarian manner as well and make sure that we do things in the right way for all citizens.
Senator Kyne welcomed the opening of Dexcom in Athenry and the creation of 1,000 new jobs in that area, which will service the region. It was a really good news day and fantastic to see high-quality jobs coming to the west and Galway. The Senator is correct that people will travel from counties Roscommon and Mayo to work for that company as well. He is also correct about the investment in the area and in road infrastructure and the links with Connacht Rugby. All of that lends itself to making it a prime location for businesses to locate and to provide good quality jobs. While the region is still in transition and we are still looking to do more, it is clear that there is a desire by lots of companies to locate in the west, not just because of the educated workforce but also the work-life balance and the quality of life offered to employees. I am sure it is one of many good news stories we will see happen in the future. I wish the company and those who will work there well.
I reiterate my support also for what the Senator said about the importance of extending the western rail corridor to allow people who get a job in the company or those who want to work there to get a train from Mayo to Galway for work. That is something we should aspire to deliver in the short term because it has been sought for a long time.
Senator Craughwell seconded the amendment tabled by Senator Clonan. I disagree with him that we are abusing the democratic process in that regard, but we can agree to disagree. We did have three and a half hours of a debate previously and we have four hours scheduled for it today. I am confident that we will get through the amendments. Considerable time has been provided for debate - far more than was allocated in the other House. The right of Members to speak is certainly being facilitated.
The Senator also made some comments about the referendum Bill. That was well debated yesterday. There will be plenty of debate beyond these Houses on the two referenda on 8 March. Everyone will get a chance to have their say when we go to the polls on 8 March.
It is no more than a scam.
I thank Senator Craughwell.
That is the prerogative of the Government of the day.
No, it is not.
In any event, the debate will be ongoing. I have no doubt we will hear more on it.
I acknowledge the comments of Senator Boyhan, who supported the amendment to the Order of Business, which I will not accept. I take issue with some of the comments he made and the suggestion that somehow the time for certain debates in this House has been shortened. We have far more speaking time on legislation in this House per Member than the other House does. Ample time is always given. We have a weekly meeting, with all groupings in the Seanad where the business for the following week is discussed. I meet with those Members myself. I do my very best anytime suggestions are made to extend time or to rejig the business to suit Members. Most of the time we facilitate Members in making sure that the schedule works for everybody. I do my best to facilitate all Members to have their say.
Why is the House not sitting next Tuesday?
It is customary across both Houses that following a bank holiday there is no Tuesday sitting.
There is too much business to do.
Would you like me to address the point, a Chathaoirligh?
No, I am sorry. The time is up. I thank the Leader.
We will chat about it afterwards.
I will meet Senator Boyhan directly after the Order of Business so we can go through all of that. He will be well aware that the House does not normally sit on the next day following a bank holiday.
These are not normal times.
Whenever time is required in this House to get legislation through, it is provided. No Minister or Department has ever been found wanting to facilitate legislation. We get our work done and then some. There has never been any challenge in getting work through.
The Government uses the guillotine.
Senator Craughwell has intervened already on the Order of Business and he has interjected a number of times. He should please respect the Chair.
Members might not like what I have to say but the point is that we meet weekly to discuss the schedule and all business is facilitated. It has never been suggested that we have not been able to do our business. We have always done our business and we will continue to do it. I am sure that will happen long after the Senators and I are gone. We can have our conversation, as we do every week, after the Order of Business. To get back to where I was-----
There is too much rowdiness on the Order of Business.
Senator Paddy Burke spoke this morning. He is now the father of the House. I congratulate him. It is a proud day for Mayo that one of our local Senators has achieved such a length of service. It is a great achievement and something to be very proud of.
We can dream all right.
We can dream but we may not achieve it.
There is much rowdiness in the Chamber this morning.
On a serious note, it is a great achievement and a worthy of accolade.
The electorate is in no doubt.
Senator Craughwell is interjecting far too often in the Order of Business. He should know better. He is a long-standing Member of the House.
I acknowledge the points made by Senator Burke on the damage done by both storms, in particular along the western seaboard where there has been considerable damage to businesses and homes. I also acknowledge the points raised by Senator Dolan about front-line workers in the ESB, Irish Water and Electric Ireland working to get the faults fixed. I fully support the call on behalf of clubs such as the tennis club in Castlebar and the Galway Lawn Tennis Club, whose domes have been blown down. The club administrators are upset and devastated by what has happened and the loss of their sporting facility. It is a huge blow to them, given that it took them many years of campaigning, including application for the sports capital grant and coming up with the matching funding and all that goes with it. My understanding is that the costs of reinstatement are considerable and would go beyond the means of the clubs to meet the repair costs. I will do all I can to engage with the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, as I am sure the Senator will, to try and get some supports for those clubs. It has been done in the farming sector, for example, where a support mechanism was put in place when there was damage to tillage. I hope clubs will be facilitated when they are impacted in that kind of once-off situation. We will do our best to do something in that regard.
Senator Maria Byrne spoke about the rent-a-room scheme and welcomed the memorandum brought to the Cabinet by the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, that the income received by those who provide accommodation under the scheme will not impact on their medical card. The scheme has been very successful and has been really useful in providing rooms and accommodation for students in particular. In some cases, an elderly person living alone might have ample space to accommodate a lodger during the week. It is a very effective scheme and it is good to see it is evolving to deal with the challenges that arise. I welcome that very sensible proposal.
Senator Currie spoke about the 247 cost-rental homes that are going into her area. She welcomed the long-term secure tenancy they will bring. The reduction of up to 25% in rent is also very welcome. It is the first time we have seen cost-rental homes delivered by the State on State land. It has been a hugely successful scheme and it will continue to grow and be even more successful. I acknowledge some good news in housing, of which there is plenty, but sometimes it does not get the air time it deserves. Those homes will be filled very soon, which is very welcome.
Senator Conway spoke about Transport for Ireland and the fantastic service being provided in rural areas. He also referred to Bus Éireann and the early buses that are providing a great service locally in County Clare.
Senator Ahearn spoke about the N24 with which we are all very familiar following his many contributions on the issue. I take on board the point he made about funding the design stage. It might be worth raising it with the Minister in a Commencement matter, as it is quite a specific question. I am sure there is an eagerness on the part of the Department to advance the project.
The point has been well made across the board on many occasions about roads projects and the fact that they need to be delivered where there is an agreement between the three parties. That is not up for discussion. Nothing should be stalled or frustrated at any stage. I am sure that is not happening, but it is important to get that point on the record perhaps through a Commencement matter.
Finally, Senator McGahon swept into the Chamber to make his point about the Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023. I am sure he will be back in to make some more points when we have that debate later. I take on board his comments that we should expand the role of elected mayor to every county or local authority area. It certainly merits discussion. The debate on that Bill will be interesting. Let us get the mayor up and running in Limerick and see how it works out. No doubt there will be things to iron out in the time ahead. It is an interesting concept and one that could be very worthwhile, provided that the person elected to the office of mayor of Limerick or wherever else has powers to do the job the public expect them to do.
Well said.
We will have that debate later.
I thank the Leader very much indeed. An amendment to the Order of Business has been moved by Senator Clonan and seconded by Senator Craughwell: "That Report and Fifth Stages of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023 not be taken today."
Is the amendment being pressed?
It is being pressed.
Tá
- Boyhan, Victor.
- Boylan, Lynn.
- Clonan, Tom.
- Craughwell, Gerard P.
- Flynn, Eileen.
- Higgins, Alice-Mary.
- Keogan, Sharon.
- McDowell, Michael.
- Moynihan, Rebecca.
- Mullen, Rónán.
- Ruane, Lynn.
- Sherlock, Marie.
- Wall, Mark.
- Warfield, Fintan.
Níl
- Ahearn, Garret.
- Ardagh, Catherine.
- Burke, Paddy.
- Byrne, Malcolm.
- Byrne, Maria.
- Carrigy, Micheál.
- Casey, Pat.
- Chambers, Lisa.
- Conway, Martin.
- Cummins, John.
- Currie, Emer.
- Daly, Paul.
- Garvey, Róisín.
- Kyne, Seán.
- Lombard, Tim.
- McGahon, John.
- O'Donovan, Denis.
- O'Reilly, Pauline.
- O'Sullivan, Ned.
- Seery Kearney, Mary.
Tá
- Ahearn, Garret.
- Ardagh, Catherine.
- Burke, Paddy.
- Byrne, Malcolm.
- Byrne, Maria.
- Carrigy, Micheál.
- Casey, Pat.
- Chambers, Lisa.
- Conway, Martin.
- Cummins, John.
- Currie, Emer.
- Daly, Paul.
- Doherty, Regina.
- Garvey, Róisín.
- Kyne, Seán.
- Lombard, Tim.
- McGahon, John.
- O'Donovan, Denis.
- O'Reilly, Pauline.
- O'Sullivan, Ned.
- Seery Kearney, Mary.
Níl
- Boyhan, Victor.
- Boylan, Lynn.
- Clonan, Tom.
- Craughwell, Gerard P.
- Flynn, Eileen.
- Higgins, Alice-Mary.
- Keogan, Sharon.
- McDowell, Michael.
- Moynihan, Rebecca.
- Mullen, Rónán.
- Ruane, Lynn.
- Sherlock, Marie.
- Wall, Mark.
- Warfield, Fintan.
Cuirim fíor fáilte roimh na daltaí agus na muinteoirí as Scoil an Duinnínigh from Swords in County Dublin. They are very welcome to Leinster House. I hope they have a very good visit. Their teachers might let them off homework as a celebration of their visit to the national Parliament. For their information, we just had the Order of Business. They are here on a very special day because today we have a new father of the House, the oldest sitting Member, Senator Paddy Burke. The Senator has been 31 years in the House, since long before they were born.
He is 75.
Yes.