When debating a motion on the refurbishment of the Houses of the Oireachtas one could decide to devote one's time to questioning the wisdom or prudence of allocating such a vast amount of money to the development when there are so many other needy causes, whether beds for children, homes for the homeless, repairing potholes or providing additional school resources. While I share those concerns I will contribute to this debate in a realistic way. As this is a Government proposal which will be voted through by a majority it would be wiser if I devoted my time to seeking to obtain the facilities I want rather than to other matters.
This House is an inadequate one for a modern Parliament. Whatever money is spent on this development it will be much better spent than money allocated by the Government to advisers, watchdogs viewing the success and progress of the Programme for Government and PR teams employed to decorate and add style to Government announcements. Money spent on this House will benefit all Members. This is a unique opportunity for Members to ensure that the facilities they consider deserve priority are included in the development.
I would like facilities for which I have argued for a long time. The struggle to secure child minding facilities in Leinster House dates back to the third Oireachtas Joint Committee on Women's Rights in 1990. When I took the chair of the fourth Oireachtas Joint Committee on Women's Rights I, and the other members, decided that the provision of child minding facilities was a priority. Because of the lack of space and the rules governing the provision of a crèche facility, we decided it would be more realistic and that we should have a greater chance of success if we sought a family room. We went through the stages but we were not successful because of the lack of space.
As additional space is to be provided the Minister should ensure the provision of this facility. At the last committee meeting the Minister was somewhat annoyed that members expressed their anger and frustration about the exclusion of that facility in the impressive brochure, but I make no apologies for arguing for that facility at that meeting and expressing my anger, frustration and disappointment about the lack of it. In that brochure details are given of the provision of facilities that will be given priority. As the Government's launching document for this development includes the provision of photocopying services, a shop, a tea-room, baggage and cloakroom facilities, why were a crèche and family room facilities not included among the new facilities? Surely, they deserve as high a priority as a baggage and cloakroom facility, a tea-room or a shop.
Despite having brought this matter to the attention of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and having met the Ceann Comhairle and the Minister it is frustrating and disappointing that the Minister did not mention in his proposals for the refurbishment of Leinster House the facilities for which we have argued for 18 months and for which the previous committee argued for four years. There is no justification for the omission of a crèche and a family room when it is possible to provide baggage and cloakroom facilities. Surely a provision for children is more important? The majority of Members and staff have children.
Our hours are unsociable enough and rural Deputies, in particular, are forced to be away from their families for a long enough period without making matters worse by excluding facilities for children in the House. Leinster House is a no-go area for children. Members do not bring children to the House because children associate the building with not being allowed run, talk or make noise in the corridor and with sitting in an office watching television. Surely the Minister will agree the House is a dismal example to other workplaces in relation to children and family facilities. We expect other workplaces to provide facilities for their staff but Leinster House cannot follow the example of supermarkets and shops which provide children and family facilities. As long as children are barred from Leinster House, this will continue to be an unreal world. Children are part of our world and they should feel wanted here.
Members and staff will continue to be discriminated against if facilities are not provided for children and families. To work in Leinster House, whether as a Member or staff, you must face the fact that you will be away from your family for a long period. If people from Dublin who work here wish to bring their children in after school to help them with homework, they must take them to an unpleasant office, which is unsuitable for that purpose. Those of us who work in Leinster House have suffered for too long from a lack of facilities and the House has also suffered. If Members and staff know that they can have their families near them they will be much more contented.
The Minister should give a commitment that these facilities will be provided. What is required is a crèche such as that provided for the Revenue Commissioners' staff in Mount Street. I visited that crèche and was most impressed. I congratulate all those involved in providing that facility. There are some basic facts to be borne in mind when considering the provision of a crèche. The most important is that demand for this facility grows as people become aware of it. We are fortunate to have expert advice available from the Office of Public Works which was involved in the provision of the crèche in Mount Street. While we realise that a crèche would be oriented towards pre-school children, the problem remains of facilitating children of school going age when school is over and during holidays. This House does not go into recess to facilitate shool holidays. The facility in this case would be more modest and would not require the same level of supervision and equipment as that required in a crèche. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Women's Rights put forward proposals for a family room which would contain a television, modest computer equipment and interactive CD, all of which would help keep children occupied and allow their parents get on with their day's work. A family room is a modest facility and there is no reason it should not be included in the refurbishment programme.
Now is the time to provide a crèche and it is very important that it be included in the initial stages of development so that we can ensure we keep within the guidelines. Such a provision would be a contribution on the Minister's behalf to the International Year of the Family. I hope the provision of a crèche will become a priority in the refurbishment programme. Until such time as a commitment is given in this regard the question will be raised by the Joint Committee on Women's Rights. Why should there be a question mark over this matter? One Member said this evening that there is still scope for a family room and crèche facilities. Why should this be the last item to be included? Why should it be provided only at the last minute if the space is available? That is not good enough. I am sure the Minister will agree that our families and children deserve better.
I wish to raise a point relating to correspondence from the Minister. On the provision of facilities the Minister's correspondence states that the Joint Committee on Women's Rights should forward detailed and well researched proposals, including such matters as numbers who would use the facility, who would meet the running cost and the size of the facility. The committee will be most co-operative in that regard. However, must proposals be put forward on the use and space of the baggage room? Will a survey be carried out on the number of bags that will be left in the room? Will we have to indicate the size and shape of the bags and who will look after them? Will a survey be carried out as to how many cups of tea will be served per day in the tea room or how many coats will hang in the cloakroom, so that the size will be correct, it will be worthwhile and money will be wisely spent?
The Joint Committee on Women's Rights will co-operate with the Minister, but if guidelines are laid down for a crèche and family room they must equally apply to all other facilities. Why should different provisions apply to a family room? As the majority of Members have children and all of us have relatives and friends, nobody could doubt that there would be full and valuable use of a family room and crèche. This matter could be compared to a housing programme in a rural area: sometimes there is no demand until an announcement is made that houses will be provided. The same will apply with a crèche once Members know that a crèche will be provided the demand will grow. We have no problem providing the Minister with the necessary information, but facilities in this area should not be treated differently from other facilities being provided under this programme. Surely it is not too much to ask that the children and families of the staff of this House be provided with facilities equal to those for baggage, cloakrooms, tea rooms and a shop.
I agree with my colleague, Deputy Sheehan, on the lack of parking facilities. It would be unwise to lose this opportunity to provide such facilities for the staff of this House. Since Dublin has not an adequate or satisfactory transport system many of the staff have to travel to work by car, but there are not sufficient car-parking facilities here. That is a daily problem and now is the time to solve it. An effort should be made to ensure that such facilities are provided.
Other Members spoke about restaurant facilities and I would like to dwell on my experience as a rural Deputy. The restaurant in this House closes down as soon as debate in this Chamber ends. There is an assumption that you eat only while the House is sitting. Many rural Deputies work here late at night and on many occasions it is impossible to get even a cup of tea in Leinster House. During the recess when one comes to Leinster House to work, after 5.30 p.m. it is not possible to get anything to eat or drink except a glass of water. This should not be allowed to continue. Those of us who are rural Deputies, who do not have homes to go to while we are in Leinster House, can find ourselves here without even the facility of a cup of tea. Such a basic requirement is not available in the national Parliament.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to this motion. I had intended devoting my time to what I believed should be a priority in the programme rather than debating the wisdom or otherwise of the allocation of funds to this programme. While I have some concerns, I want to reiterate that we are frustrated and angered that in spite of our enormous efforts to have some type of facilities for families and children, there was no mention of this in the Minister of State's opening speech. That is very disappointing and I hope it is not an indication of his commitment in that direction.
I was surprised at this omission because in discussing this matter with the Minister I found him to be very positive towards our demand for such facilities, and I mentioned this at meetings of the Committee on Women's Rights. For that reason I expected those facilities to be a priority in the programme presented to the House this evening. I would like to believe this was simply an omission on the part of the Minister rather than something intentional. I hope he will assure me that these facilities will be provided in Leinster House. Whatever support or information our committee can furnish to him in this regard will be given. The provision of these facilities is our aspiration and not only would this be a worthwhile contribution from the Minister in this International Year of the Family but it would be worthwhile to all of us. It is only by having succeeded in providing these facilities in Leinster House that we can then demand on a firmer footing, that they be provided in workplaces throughout the country.
I look forward to a positive response from the Minister in relation to the issues I have raised.