Today's Order of Business is No. 1 and No. 2, with No. 1, motion re Freedom of Information Act, 1997 (Prescribed Bodies) (No. 2) Regulations, 2000, to be taken without debate. Contributions of spokespersons on No. 2, statements on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act, shall not exceed 30 minutes and contributions of other Senators shall not exceed 20 minutes.
Order of Business.
The Order of Business is agreed. The pool of skilled labour has almost disappeared in Ireland and that is a good thing, given that we are facing growth of 8.5 per cent in the economy. This point came home to me when I recently visited a hospital in my area and found a ward closed. When I asked why I was told it was due to the lack of nursing staff. This is a real problem as the economy grows. Will the Leader arrange for a debate on the labour shortage? It may seem unusual, but that is the point the economy has reached.
The Order of Business is agreed. Will the Leader ask the Minister for Health and Children to tell the House how he proposes to run the health service during what now appears to be an inevitable strike among junior hospital doctors? Non-consultant hospital doctors have complained for years about their hours and conditions and, as the Leader knows – the Minister certainly knows – most of the motions before the Irish Medical Council conference, which will take place in days, are on proposals to withdraw labour. There is already a serious situation in hospitals due to the shortage of non-EU junior hospital doctors and operating lists are being cancelled because of this. Accident and emergency wards all over the country are also grievously short staffed. I am sure the Minister is drawing up a contingency plan, but it would be wise for him to tell us what he plans to do during such serious disruption.
The Order of Business is agreed. Will the Leader speak to the Minister for Health and Children about the report in this morning's newspapers, which the Minister has clearly published, regarding the clinical trials carried out on children in care and State homes in the past? It appears that a report on this was prepared in the past two years in the Department of Health and Children. Will that report be laid before the Oireachtas and will the Minister come to the House for a debate on this serious matter? There appears to have been a lack of follow-up by medical practitioners in many cases of children who had trial drugs administered to them.
Will the Leader arrange for a debate on aggression in society? There seems to be a lack of confidence in our police force. Those hurt by criminal activity feel it is no longer worthwhile calling the Garda. Has the psychological do-gooder society of the past 25 years failed? I think it has.
Will the Leader impress upon the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the need for a once-off provision of funding to local authorities to have roads completed in housing estates? This is a nightmare for local authorities all over the country. Estates may be ten years old, yet the councils have no money to complete them and the builders have moved on. If funding could be provided for such work on a once-off basis it would do a great service for many people all over the country. The Leader should impress on the Minister the seriousness of this matter.
I support Senator Doyle's comments regarding the shortage of labour, particularly skilled labour. A debate on this matter would be timely. I realise this shortage is a result of a buoyant economy and virtually full employment, but there are huge pressures on charitable, cultural, artistic and sporting organisations which are unable to provide the services they have provided in the past. I am particularly worried about the impact this shortage will have on the tourism industry – it could change the character of the whole industry. Now is the time to discuss this matter rather than when it is too late.
Will the Minister for the Environment and Local Government introduce some flexibility to the rules governing the testing of cars that are ten years old? Where the owners of such cars are awaiting the delivery of special parts, will the Minister arrange for the test to be postponed for a short time?
Given the unanimity in this House in regard to the retention of the groceries order, will the Leader consider allowing a debate on No. 17, motion 10, at an early stage?
I support the call made by Senators Doyle and Ó Murchú for a debate on the shortage of skilled and unskilled labour. The council in my area decided to provide a house for a needy family in a rural area but, in spite of putting the contract out to tender on two occasions, no builders applied. When I made inquiries of five or six contractors, they informed me that they could not get workers. We are facing a major crisis in this area. Given the billions of pounds we are proposing to spend on infrastructural developments over the coming years, we will face major difficulties if we do not have a sufficiency of labour.
Will the Leader draw the attention of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to the problems created in recent days in the new economy with the upheaval in the stock market following the Microsoft decision in the United States? This poses both a threat and an opportunity for this economy but we are geared for neither. This new economy could provide a great opportunity for us to leap into the next world, if you like. I am aware that the Minister and the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment have done a great deal of work but I am concerned that we have neither the legislation nor the technical ability in our law enforcement agencies to protect ourselves from the type of terrorism which has occurred in the past and which could happen again if somebody decides to launch an attack on the systems. People fear the effects this could have on our economy.
On Senator Coghlan's comments on the groceries order, about which I hold strong views, I do not accept there is unanimity in the House on this issue although I would be very happy to participate in a debate.
My apologies, I should have said "near unanimity".
I support Senator Farrell's call for a debate on aggression in society. Only last night we saw sport being tarnished once again through incidences of aggression and we sympathise with the families of the people who were killed and injured in Turkey.
I support the call for a debate on the shortage of skilled labour, which is an indication of the success of Government employment policies. There is practically no unemployment in this country at present. The Tánaiste's decision to travel to India where many people have IT skills is to be welcomed.
I support the call for a debate on health. We have now reached a situation in which hi-tech beds in acute hospitals are being used for longer periods than are acceptable to health administrators. This is occurring because elderly people in western counties are not in a position to go home, often because there is nobody to take them home. There is a need for a medium care service in the health area, particularly in western counties.
The psychiatric service must also be addressed. While we dismantled many of the services which existed – it was time to get rid of many of those old institutions – we have failed to provide alternatives. That is creating problems and would merit debate in this House.
Some weeks ago, Senators Quill, Fitzgerald, Costello, Cox and I requested a debate on litter and waste disposal and the Leader was kind enough to provide time for a debate on litter. Many worthwhile suggestions and proposals were made during the course of that debate which the Minister may consider taking on board. I was also supported by Members from the Government side in seeking a debate on waste management, incineration, gasification and recycling. This is an issue which all local authorities will have to deal with in the near future. There is a great deal of contradiction in regard to this matter – experts on one side tell us that incineration is quite safe while experts on the other side say it is quite dangerous.
I note that Senator Coogan has tabled a motion on this matter on the Order Paper and I do not wish him to debate it on the Order of Business this morning.
The Cathaoirleach is as perceptive as ever.
Perhaps the Leader will arrange for the motion to be debated in the House. There was a degree of subterfuge in the litter debate. The Minister of State added water pollution to the content of the debate because the Government had made an announcement a few days previously about the generous funding to be provided to address this issue. All local authorities will have to make decisions on the controversial matter of waste management in the near future and we should be as well armed as possible about it.
The Minister does not want to make any decisions.
Will the Leader ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to conduct an investigation into the holding of identification parades in Garda barracks? I am advised there is no legislation governing the holding of formal parades and the gardaí are of the opinion that the current methods are totally outdated. The idea of a woman having to view a line-up of men, one of whom may be suspected of having carried out a vicious rape, is barbaric to say the least. Purpose-built rooms should be provided in which to carry out such activities.
On infrastructure, I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for the Environment and Local Government to make representations to the NRA to get it to provide 1 per cent of its overall budget for major infrastructural developments to ensure that communities and individuals who are affected by the building of by-passes and new roads receive basic facilities such as public lighting, noise barriers and footpaths. Local authorities cannot afford to provide these and it is up to the Minister to request the NRA to provide these essential facilities for people who are discommoded through no fault of their own.
Senator Henry has frequently raised the issue of the mental health Bill over recent months. We are ready to debate the Bill in this House as we have had a shortage of legislation in recent days.
I agree with Senator Coogan that we should hold a debate on the direction which waste management should take in this country, be it gasification, thermal or incineration. I would prefer the thermal method. I do not accept that local authorities must make decisions in this area. The Minister should look to Europe to see what the most current and up-to-date technologies are there. From a technical point of view, we will not be ready to proceed with any of these methods for about five years and will be able to avail of expertise elsewhere. Local authorities do not have the resources to carry out that investigation. The only people who are becoming rich from this issue are the consultants who are carrying out this research which the Minister should be able to carry out within the confines of his—
All these points can be made during the debate on Senator Coogan's motion.
I support the call for a debate on waste management and incineration. Such calls are strengthened by a news item this morning in regard to difficulties which occurred in Louisiana following the release of toxic material from an incineration plant.
I strongly support the call by my colleague, Senator Quinn, for a debate on the economy and the challenges facing us. I say this with added strength because I am deeply concerned about one thing he said. He spoke about the fears for the economy of the next world. If there is a problem with the economy in the next world we are certainly in trouble – I think I am quoting him correctly. Perhaps this will be bowdlerised, as previous comments of mine were, simply on the basis that they were unkind, but they are not meant unkindly. I am deeply anxious about the economy of the next world and I share the view of James Joyce when he was asked what he thought of the next world. He said: "I don't think very much of this one."
I support Senator Coogan's request for a debate on waste management and the regional waste management plans. We must face up to this issue which needs to be debated. The public needs leadership because difficult decisions must be made. A report should be undertaken on the increase of young people begging on the streets. It is important we look at this in a caring and genuine manner and investigate alternative ways of dealing with the issue. A report from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform would be worthwhile so we could discuss the issue. A healthy economic society should care about this problem and some alternatives must be found to deal with it.
I support Senator Chambers regarding young adults on the streets. I previously asked the Leader to request that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform come to the House as a matter of urgency to discuss children who are out of control. I am not talking about those who need special care but those who engage in what we euphemistically call anti-social activity. These children are a greater scourge to our society than the drugs problem. They affect the lives of the elderly and the vulnerable daily. A debate on this urgent matter could also encompass Senator Chamber's request to discuss children sleeping rough.
I wish to raise a matter which could also be included in the debate on the national economy requested by Senator Quinn, that is, the Government's infrastructural policy, particularly regarding our airports. A report recently published by Warburg Dillon Read recommended the part-privatisation of Aer Rianta. This is a crucial issue for the economy, particularly as an island nation, and it needs full and open discussion. I ask the Leader to provide time for a debate on this important issue. The Minister concerned is a constituency colleague of the Leader and I am sure he will have a special word in her ear to encourage her to come to the House early next week to discuss this important matter.
I support Senator Taylor-Quinn's call for a debate on privatisation, which I have also requested on several occasions. Aer Rianta, TSB, ACC and other institutions are involved. It is important that we debate this because the last effort at privatisation was a disaster. Will the Leader arrange for a debate on health? It was brought to my notice that a man who was waiting two years for a bypass died recently. It is unbelievable that in an economy making billions of pounds annually, people are waiting two years for bypasses, four years for hip replacements and five years for other operations. This is a pressing issue in our communities and a debate is required urgently.
I agree with Senator Kett regarding the method of conducting identity parades in Garda stations. Numerous gardaí have complained vehemently to me about this. Will the Leader convey to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform that this is an abominable and unacceptable form of intimidation of witnesses? It is especially insensitive to victims of crime who have to view identity parades. Swift action is necessary to find a more sensitive way of making identifications.
Senators Joe Doyle, Ó Murchú, O'Donovan and Finneran called for a debate on employment, given the success of the Government in that regard, and training needs. Senator Joe Doyle called for a debate on the shortage of nurses and the impact labour shortages will have on tourism. The Irish Hotels Federation has undertaken a drive to recruit staff with the necessary skills from other countries. The request for a debate on this matter is worthwhile and I will put time aside for it after the Easter recess.
Senators Henry, Burke and Finneran expressed their concern about health issues and called for the Minister for Health and Children to come to the House for a debate, to which I will allocate time. Senator Jackman referred to the Mental Health Bill, which is before the Dáil and will be taken here immediately after the Easter recess. I will facilitate Senator O'Meara's request for a debate on the lack of follow-up to clinical trials. Senators Finneran and Farrell called for a debate on aggression in our society, for which I will put time aside. Senator McDonagh asked that the Minister for the Environment and Local Government make a once-off allocation for the completion of housing estates. I will convey that request to the Minister.
Senators Coghlan and Quinn called on the Government to retain the groceries order, a matter on which there is cross-party agreement. It would be to the ruination of rural Ireland and the fabric of our towns and cities if it was not retained. Yesterday the parliamentary parties let all Ministers know, whatever their portfolio, how important this matter is for life in Ireland as we know it and of which we are so proud. I take on board the views of Senators Quinn and Norris. The e-commerce Bill will come before the Seanad tomorrow week which will give the Senators an ideal opportunity to make their points in the presence of the Minister.
Senators Coogan, Norris and Chambers called for a debate on waste management, to which I will allocate time. Senators Kett and Liam Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to examine the matter of ID parades in Garda stations and I will convey their views to him. Senator Jackman asked that the National Roads Authority allocate 1 per cent of funding to provide lighting and other services. Senator Glynn asked yesterday for a debate on the National Roads Authority and I will put time aside for it immediately after the Easter recess.
Senators Chambers and Ridge called for a debate on homeless young people and those engaged in anti-social activity, for which I will allow time.
Senator Taylor-Quinn called on the Minister to make clear her position regarding the future of Aer Rianta and the privatisation proposals in a report which the Senator has outlined. I know the Senator is pleased with the announced allocation of £40 million for her area last week. I welcome Ryanair's announcement that it is to recommence flying from Shannon, which is a beautiful airport in a lovely part of our country. I will pass the Senator's views to the Minister for Public Enterprise.
Order of Business agreed to.