The Order of Business is Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 25, motion 23. No. 1, a referral motion whereby the subject matter of motion 14 on today's Order Paper is being referred to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights for consideration, concerns the examination of measures aimed at simplifying the exchange of information and intelligence between law enforcement authorities of member states, to be taken without debate; No. 2, statements on waste management, to be taken on conclusion of Order of Business and to conclude not later than 1.30 p.m., with the contributions of spokespersons not to exceed 12 minutes each, and those of other Senators not to exceed eight minutes each, and the Minister to be called upon to reply not later than five minutes before the conclusion of statements; No. 3, statements on ageism, to be taken at 2.30 p.m. until 5 p.m., with the contributions of spokespersons not to exceed 15 minutes each, and those of other Senators not to exceed ten minutes each, and the Minister to be called upon to reply not later than five minutes before the conclusion of statements; and No. 25, motion 23, to be taken from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be a sos from 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.
Order of Business.
When Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats first came to power in 1997, their concerns about increasing house prices led them to commission Peter Bacon and Associates, a firm of economic consultants, to produce a report with the objective of dampening house prices. The firm followed up with two further reports in 1999 and 2000. However, house prices have since escalated out of all control, with the average house price in the first quarter of this year standing at €375,000 in Dublin and €245,000 outside the Dublin area, and the interest expressed in 1997 with regard to reducing prices has gone by the board. The Taoiseach recently said the property market is doing well but I would point out to him the market is doing well for people who already own houses but is impossible for those trying to get on the property ladder or stuck on local authority housing lists.
I remind Senators that when we bought our houses, mortgage institutions lent on the basis of twice the annual salary. They now provide 100% mortgages on the basis of five or six times borrowers' annual salaries. Even those who were successful in getting mortgages are in danger of falling into an economic trap in the future. While the Government will point to the 70,000 or more new houses built each year, a lot of houses in estates are being bought by investors on the basis of low interest rates and leased to people from eastern Europe. First-time buyers are in the minority on many estates compared with those from eastern Europe who are renting.
I want to know how the Government intends to address the issue of escalating house prices. Has it given up hope at this stage? People are concerned about how they can cope with these prices. The Bacon reports have been long since forgotten and the promises made in 1997 have not been fulfilled.
Yesterday, another incident took place involving a school bus, bringing the total number of such incidents to about six in the past year. Thankfully, nobody was injured in yesterday's accident. The previous accident was also a fire in which, luckily, nobody was injured. This must be taken in hand and if money must be invested, so be it. Anybody regularly driving around this country will have noticed that one can turn the corner of a quiet road and see the same school bus with the same registration number in the same place for the past 30 years. Some of these would not be useful as hen houses yet are being used to transport children to schools. I would like a full statement from the Minister for Education and Science, or whoever is the responsible Minister, outlining the condition of these buses, how often they are checked, how many have seat belts, the normal capacity and the qualification of the drivers. These issues have come to the fore in recent times and the least we can do for the parents, pupils and school authorities is to reassure ourselves about these buses. They cannot be passing the type of NCT tests we require for ordinary road users. This responsibility must fall on us as legislators and public representatives.
I recently noted that the Minister for Defence made a proposal to the Government, which was accepted, to increase the pensions of survivors of the 1916 Rising and nobody would have a problem with that but would welcome it. To reiterate a point I made here some months ago, with the increased interest around the 90th anniversary of the Rising, many people are trying to do research into that area. Most of the information is available from the Bureau of Military History, which is unable to deal with the demand. I have spoken to the staff there. There are fewer than 20 chairs and there is a two month wait to get a space for a number of hours in a day. The staff is superb and enthusiastic about the work and has had assurances from everybody right up to the Taoiseach. It would be useful for the Minister for Defence to come here and tell us the plans he has to give public access to the records available in the Bureau of Military History, including statements taken in the 1940s and 1950s from survivors of those times, which give vital information on local and national history. It is the least he could do and would be more useful and helpful than some of the commemorative events.
I support Senator Finucane's comments on the housing crisis we face. I recently listened to Professor PJ Drudy speaking on the radio about this issue. We all know the year on year rise in house prices is unsustainable. We have been listening to the vested interests, such as auctioneers, developers and right-wing economists, telling us the prices will reach equilibrium. That will not happen. There will be either a soft or hard landing and we must ensure it is a soft one. What happened to the report of the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution on property rights? I am a member of that committee and that document contains proposals to deal with this issue. It was announced at the time with great fanfare by the Taoiseach. That report has not been implemented and the issues raised in it have not been addressed. They should be addressed as a matter of urgency. If not, we could face a situation of negative equity, and we must ensure that does not happen to present and future homeowners. Housing is a right and it should not be left to the private market to deal with people's right to a roof over their heads. I support calls to have this issue debated in the House.
I welcome the campaign by Treoir, which represents unmarried parents. The campaign, funded by the Family Support Agency, is about the importance of children having contact with both parents and raises the issue that many children are born without the right to know and have contact with their fathers because their parents are not married. This concerns the rights of the child. It is important that the child, if possible, has contact with both parents. I support the campaign and we should debate the matter in the House. Unmarried fathers do not have automatic guardianship rights to their children. They can get those rights only if the mother gives permission or by going to court. Many other countries have addressed this and extended rights of unmarried fathers to guardianship rights. We must introduce that type of legislation here as a matter of urgency.
There is a telephone ringing. I asked before that telephones be silenced as they interfere with the electronic equipment.
Recent newspaper reports stated that people walking on the boardwalk along the River Liffey adjacent to Liberty Hall were heckled and verbally abused by people who were high on drugs and openly injecting themselves and by others selling drugs. This is unacceptable and I call on the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Garda Síochána to address this as a matter of urgency.
Another telephone is ringing. They should be turned off completely and not set to silent. I apologise for interrupting the Senator twice.
Tá sé múchta. Last week I asked the Leader about the position of the Medical Practitioners Bill and when it would be brought before the House and I seek an update on that.
The Leader may have seen last night's "Prime Time" which presented a worrying report on the effect on babies of mothers drinking alcohol while pregnant. We are unsure whether the results are true. There is some doubt about the findings. However I would be interested in the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children coming here to give us the opportunity to debate the issue of prenatal health. Apart from the dangers to the unborn of the effects of the mother's drinking, there is also the effect of drug taking. We need to examine drugs generally in terms of the health of our future generation. When one considers the high incidence of ADHD among children one wonders if it is true that Irish mothers drink more than they used to while pregnant. The findings of that programme showed that pregnant mothers should not drink at all. Other drugs including tobacco and hard drugs have a serious impact on the unborn child. The issue was well highlighted and we should campaign on it. An advertising campaign should highlight the dangers of drinking or taking other drugs while pregnant. I would be glad if the Leader would invite the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children to come here and give us the opportunity to raise those issues.
As many Senators are offering, I ask that contributions be as brief as possible.
I will be brief. I welcome the return of the train drivers to work and thank the mediator for his successful and professional input; indeed I welcome his return to work in the public interest, from which he had to temporarily step back last year.
On housing, in most of the towns earmarked for decentralisation houses are available at or below the national average.
From today, every home in Northern Ireland will receive a disk entitled "How to use the Internet". This is a very interesting concept. Ten years ago, this State decided it wanted to get to the top of the league regarding information technology but it has failed miserably to do so in the area of broadband. We need somebody to highlight the opportunity that exists for us and argue that we cannot be left behind. An initiative such as the one in Northern Ireland should be copied here.
The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, has spoken quite often about the need for dedicated personnel in each local authority to deal with the affordable housing scheme. He gave examples of the good work being done in south Dublin but these should be taken on board by every local authority, especially at a time when there is a lot of land available from the HSE, county councils and VECs. Affordable housing could also be provided on agricultural land, including Teagasc lands. I believe it will be provided and if sufficient personnel were in place, the scheme would be more user-friendly for those who badly need houses. I agree with all that has been said on the need to build more houses. The affordable housing scheme should be promoted further by each local authority.
I support Senator Finucane's call for a debate on housing. Half the population live on the east coast and the rest live in the remainder of the country. It might be useful if the Leader arranged for us to have a breakdown of the figures pertaining to house construction across the country. In Templemore, which is in my part of the country, not one local authority house has been built in at least four years, maybe longer.
A Senator
The Senator should be ashamed of himself.
Senator Coonan without interruption.
That is an indication of how the Government treats the people in rural Ireland.
I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on agriculture. Normally when one calls for such a debate, one asks for the Minister for Agriculture and Food to come to the House. However, the Minister seems to have lost control of what is happening in agriculture and we possibly need a debate involving the Minister for Finance and the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The Government made great play of getting an additional 10% to cover the cost of construction of projects under the nitrates directive programme but we now discover the Department is operating on costs based on figures for 2004. Costs have escalated significantly since then and any increase has been well and truly eroded.
The Government has made 3,700 beet growers redundant. If we want to keep farming alive we need a revised farm retirement pension that will make land available to young people. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on these issues.
Will the Leader organise a debate regarding a review of the safety standards that apply to school buses? A number of other Senators have called for such a debate. It is important because there is real concern among parents over the safety of their children who travel on school buses every day. To some extent, the issue is hyped up and I still believe that travelling to school on a school bus is one of the safest methods of doing so. However, there are still concerns, particularly regarding buses that have passed the test but which nevertheless find themselves involved in very serious accidents within a number of months of their having done so. There needs to be an audit of standards and I would like to see both relevant Ministers in the House to allay parents' fears and, if necessary, introduce amending legislation to upgrade the standards.
I, too, call for a debate on school buses. It is inevitable that there is concern when one hears of incidents such as that which occurred yesterday. Buses are passing the test but do not appear to be up to the desired standard. One must question the quality of the tests because there is now widespread concern over the safety of school buses. I listened to the Minister of State on the radio this morning and she was being as reassuring as she could be, but when an incident such as the one that occurred yesterday takes place, one must be very concerned.
I very much welcome the memorandum of agreement between our Government and that of the United Kingdom in respect of the list of sex offenders. A number of issues need to be explored in this regard, one of which has potential legal implications. I am referring to the Garda having and being able to make available information on potential sex offenders or people suspected of sex offences who have not been convicted. This is a very difficult area legally. It is being managed in the United Kingdom but appears to be subject to serious difficulties in Ireland. I ask the Leader to return to us on this matter. If there is a need to explore the legal issues, we are clearly the ones who should do so.
The Garda vetting office is in need of further resources and should therefore get them. Considering what is at stake, it is simply not acceptable that it would be short of such resources.
Will the Leader arrange a debate on wind energy, particularly on the need for relevant guidelines to be issued to local authorities? There are lobby groups in many counties both for and against wind energy and windfarms. Some local authorities have taken a very restrictive view in that they are refusing to grant planning permission for wind energy schemes. As part of our commitment under the Kyoto Protocol and our commitment to have a sustainable supply of energy and independent energy resources, it is important for the Department to issue guidelines such that a uniform position will be adopted across the country.
I support Senator Tuffy's call for a debate on the report from Treoir, which is worthy of support. The organisation is seeking that all children would have a right to the support of both their parents and to know their identity. We should support its call to ensure that the name of the father is included on birth certificates when they are being issued. This does not always happen. We could have a useful debate on this subject.
I support Senator Finucane's comments. It is not just house prices that are increasing. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, promised great reductions on foot of the abolition of the groceries order but, as we know, prices have continued to increase steadily. A reduction of up to €1,000 per year was promised but the exercise is beginning to look like it was a total con-job. Mr. Eddie Hobbs, who ran a series of programmes entitled "Rip Off Republic"——
We cannot name individuals.
The point is that he said a reduction of up to 20% should be available. What the blazes is going on?
Hear, hear.
When can the Minister come before the House to explain what he intended? What he promised simply did not happen.
There is growing anxiety in many communities over the escalation in the number of applications for telecommunications masts. People are worried about them on environmental and health grounds. Will the Leader invite the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to the House to indicate whether, in an effort to deal with these fears and anxieties, he proposes to introduce new legislation in this area or to modernise the guidelines, which were set down ten or 12 years ago? This subject is related to Senator Jim Walsh's comments on masts in general. It is felt that it is necessary to modernise the guidelines and perhaps introduce new legislation.
I support Senator O'Meara's comments on the availability of the memorandum on sex offenders in both jurisdictions. I was very worried to hear a senior official in the Home Office tell a committee in the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, that the authorities had no idea of the location of thousands of illegal immigrants. Is it possible some of them are here?
It is quite possible.
Is there any co-operation on this issue? Foreign nationals in the United Kingdom who have been convicted of crimes and served their sentences have not been deported. Have we received any communication on this? I would be grateful if the Leader could ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to address this issue.
I support the call for a debate on housing and have called for one in the past. House prices have gone through the roof and young people find it difficult to get on the bottom rung of the property ladder. Local authorities have zoned sufficient land for development but it is not being released. Much of it is in the hands of developers who are not releasing it. We must take action soon.
I call for a debate on illegal moneylenders operating in many large towns. The less well-off are the victims of these moneylenders, some of whom charge 140% on money borrowed. This causes serious family problems for those who cannot afford to pay. Greedy moneylenders must be put out of business because they are a blight on our society.
I refer to an important issue that has been raised so many times that I am tired of raising it. The British Prime Minister made a speech on nuclear waste and nuclear energy last night. In the height of arrogance in dealing with the Irish republic, he decided to approve another generation of nuclear plants in the United Kingdom. This morning the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche, made the same noises I have heard for the past ten to 15 years about protesting about Sellafield and taking a case to the European court of this and that. The British are laughing at us on this issue and the Government seems to have decided nothing can be done. Ireland has a vital interest in the dangers of waste in the Irish Sea and a possible serious explosion.
Can the Leader ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs to attend this House to explain why he has not called in the British ambassador and made a formal protest, pointing out that this is not the action of a nation that is, in other areas, a friendly nation? Sellafield poses a serious danger and if production of nuclear power increases we are in greater danger. I am worried by the placid and calm response. The British Government has worn us down and won the battle. Irish Governments are lying down and taking it. We should issue a formal, serious protest.
I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 22, in the name of the Independent Senators, be taken today.
I second the amendment.
I ask the Leader to invite the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children to explain to the House the diabolical decision taken by the HSE western area not to grant free ambulance transport services to people who do not hold medical cards. This is vital to those on dialysis and is not available through private health insurance. Removing the transport facility to those who do not hold medical cards is punishing rural patients, most of whom must travel over 500 miles per week. This affects very weak people, oncology patients, transplant patients and acute lower limb patients without medical cards. I ask the Tánaiste to reverse this draconian decision immediately. My father was on dialysis until he died three years ago and the transport service was of great assistance to families. We are told that the country is awash with money. For this reason the decision should be reversed.
I second the amendment proposed by Senator Ross. I share these concerns, especially about the arrogance of Mr. Blair to which Senator Ross referred, and the fact that he pre-empted a report he commissioned. He announced a decision before he had received the report, a curious way of behaving.
I ask the Leader about the fate of the insurance Bill promised to groups such as the Irish Haemophilia Society to cover those who have contracted diseases due to blood transfusions. I have been contacted to find out the status of the Bill and when it will be debated in the House.
If Senator Quinn's suggestion is taken up and discs are provided to explain computers to the Irish public, could this be extended to the north inner city? I am still awaiting my millennium tree, my candle and my iodine pills. I hate to be excluded from the disc as well.
Senator Norris should contact his local Deputy.
On the subject of technology, I received a curious circular from the Cathaoirleach about the prohibition of Blackberries in this House. Is it intended to extend this to cover raspberries also?
Sméara dubha.
I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the BMW region. A recent report of the Western Development Commission indicates a widening gap between development in the west and other areas of the country. For several years, the west has had Objective One status yet expenditure on infrastructure shows the widest gap between east and west. The gap is now increasing in employment and other services and, if it continues, there will be a serious decline in employment opportunities in the west. I hope the relevant Minister will attend the House. The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs can spend €19 million on administration in his Department. Is it any wonder there is inequity in expenditure on infrastructure and development projects?
I call on the Leader to invite the Minister for Finance to discuss a number of issues. There has been a worrying increase in inflation and this month's figure is the highest in four years.
While the Minister is here perhaps we could raise the issue of decentralisation. We had a debate on it two months ago in which the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, outlined the Government's firm commitment to achieving its objectives as set out by the former Minister, Charlie McCreevy, in the budget three years ago when all on this side of the House and many on the Government side knew the timeframe set could not be achieved. Perhaps the Minister of State would outline the timetable and the proposals for decentralisation, which we welcome but which must be put in place on the basis of an agreed and workable scheduled. I hope we can have that debate as soon as possible.
I join with a number of Senators opposite who raised the issue of wind energy on which I recently called for a debate. A debate is needed because there is a serious problem not so much with local authorities and their guidelines but with the ESB in terms of ensuring wind farms, which have planning permission, can be connected to the national grid. A number of wind farms in my area have been given planning permission but they have faced serious difficulties connecting to the national grid and obstacles have been put in their way by the ESB. If we are to have a debate on wind energy, we could usefully spend time discussing the problems affecting those people.
Will the Leader invite the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to the House for an urgent debate on broadband? This call is in light of a comment from our colleague, Senator Quinn, that information packs on how to use the Internet are being distributed to households in Northern Ireland. It is important to remember people in Northern Ireland are in a very fortunate position in that there is 100% roll-out of broadband there. That is not the case across the Border, so it is very much in our interest to roll out broadband before we even start to think about giving out information on how to use the Internet. Inishowen is in close proximity to Northern Ireland and it is very hard for small businesses there to compete with Derry and Tyrone where there is 100% roll-out of broadband.
Recently, the Taoiseach visited Inishowen to open a half finished road, switch on the lights in a community centre and switch off the lights in Fruit of the Loom in Buncrana. The next time a Taoiseach visits Inishowen, we want to hear him or her make an announcement in respect of broadband which is the key to the survival of the small to medium-sized enterprise sector there. We need to remain competitive with our neighbours across the Border. I would like the Leader to expedite a debate on broadband with the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
Following on from Senator John Paul Phelan's comments on decentralisation, we noted with interest the Taoiseach's remarks at the weekend that perhaps the timeframe was ambitious. The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, which is to move to Knock, has acquired temporary accommodation in Tubbercurry, County Sligo. The Office of Public Works will take over a building on 1 June and 77 people will be employed in the next two and a half months. There are successes, although I know there are problems. The action, in principle, is good and it will be beneficial to rural areas. It should be given a fair chance because it is easy to sit back and do nothing.
Senator Finucane, the acting leader of Fine Gael, raised the serious matter of housing. All of us who conduct public business at weekends will know it remains, and has always been, the biggest issue affecting people. I now notice parents becoming very much involved. Parents come to us about their son or daughter who needs a house. They are very willing to put money down or to help financially. Some parents are remortgaging their own houses so that their child will get a start in life. It is a very serious issue. Senator Kitt said it is down to local authorities how they implement social and affordable housing schemes. County Westmeath has a very good record of social and affordable housing and it has been taken up most enthusiastically by builders and by people who need completed houses. We would benefit from a debate on the provision of housing. It is a serious matter, which Senator Finucane was right to raise.
Senator O'Toole spoke about school buses which Senator Ulick Burke raised comprehensively yesterday. There is nothing, however, to stop anybody else raising it the next day. We have asked that the issue be discussed, so we will see when that happens. Senator O'Toole said he was glad the rail strike is over and the mediator is back at work. The mediator has always been an extremely useful person and I used him on many occasions for that same purpose. Senator O'Toole asked if the Minister for Defence could provide more space and staff to the military history bureau.
Senator Tuffy echoed the calls for a debate on housing but also asked what had happened the recommendations of the All-Party Committee on the Constitution. Those recommendations went to the Taoiseach and I suppose they will emerge in due course. She also raised the important issue of the rights of children to have access to both parents.
For some time Senator Henry has asked that the Minister for Social and Family Affairs come to the House. He will be here next week to give a statement on his plans regarding lone parents. We will ask that he include in his statement the rights of children to have access to both parents. The Minister is very keen to come to the House because he has developed his thoughts which are reforming and informative and I am sure the debate will be such.
Senator Glynn spoke about people walking on the boardwalk along the River Liffey being jeered by people who had taken drugs. That is reprehensible behaviour. He also asked about the Medical Practitioners Bill which will be introduced later in the year and not in this session. Senator Terry spoke about "Prime Time", by which I was very struck, and whether alcohol affects the baby in the womb. Even Dr. Peter Boylan was not sure and he expressed some ambiguity. We need some certainty about it and the Senator called for a debate. She spoke about children with a propensity for attention deficit disorder as a result.
Senator Mansergh thanked the CIE mediator and said he is glad he is back at work. We are all glad about that and that the cloud has been lifted. The Senator noted the towns to which Departments and offices are to be decentralised have average house prices which is good to hear. Senator Quinn said that from today, an informative disc on how to use the Internet will be provided to every home in Northern Ireland. That is an excellent point. I do not know how the Senator manages to pick up these nuggets but he is great at producing them.
Senator Kitt said it was up to each local authority to promote social and affordable housing. Senator Coonan called for a debate on house construction and on agriculture and the 3,700 redundant sugar beet growers. He said there should be a redundancy pension scheme for them which would free up the land for young people. Senator Dooley raised the issue of the safety of school buses, which was also raised yesterday. We are endeavouring to arrange a debate on it.
Senator O'Meara also raised the issue of school buses. She welcomed the memorandum between Ireland and the UK on sexual offenders but she is worried about potential sexual offenders or people likely to be a threat in that regard. Senator Browne yesterday asked that the vetting powers of the Garda be increased and accelerated.
Senator Jim Walsh spoke about wind energy. I remind Members that there will be a debate for two hours tonight on energy policy. I look forward to seeing everybody who raised the topic this morning here tonight to talk about it. I hope all the Members read their clár. The debate will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., courtesy of the Independent Senators.
Senator Coghlan raised the issues of house prices and the groceries order, asking where Eddie Hobbs's promise is.
I asked where the Minister's commitment is.
This debate is quite foolish. I do not mean the Senator is foolish — I know well he is not one bit foolish.
Will the Leader tell us when the prices will come down?
There was no way there would be significant price reductions in local supermarkets the day after the order was rescinded. That was never going to happen. I agree that we need to know what the passage of time will reveal in that regard and that is the type of debate the Senator seeks.
Senator Daly mentioned the proliferation of communications masts. That is a constant concern. Some companies are seeking to modify and modernise their masts. Senator Henry is worried about the BBC report of thousands of illegal immigrants not deported from the United Kingdom who should have been. She wonders whether some of them are coming in here. The Senator can bet her bottom dollar they are.
Senator Bannon said developers are not releasing land. It is their land. That goes back to the Kenny report. What can one do?
Many of them are Fianna Fáil cronies.
Under the Constitution no land can be snatched from anybody, thankfully.
The Senator also mentioned illegal moneylenders. The Consumer Credit Act should take care of them. The Money Advice and Budgeting Service, MABS, is a marvellous facility for helping people who cannot manage their money. I am sure the Senator has recommended MABS to many people.
Most definitely.
I have done so and it has proved worthwhile. Nevertheless, I will ask if we could debate illegal moneylending.
Senator Ross spoke about nuclear waste and energy. I was amazed at the ferocity of the Prime Minister across the water when he said nuclear energy is back on his agenda with a vengeance. He used those words, which was terrifying in its own way. The Senator said we should stop pussyfooting and make a definite, formal protest by calling in the British ambassador and asking him what his Government is doing about it.
Senator Ross also moved an amendment to the Order of Business, regarding No. 25, motion 22, in the names of the Independent Senators. The amendment has been seconded by Senator Norris.
Senator Feighan said that rural people who do not have medical cards are being penalised by the removal of ambulance cover. People are very ill when they go for treatment and the Senator asked for that rule to be rescinded.
Senator Norris has no tree, no candle and no iodine tablets. I hope he will not disappear soon. I do not know why North Great Georges Street has missed out.
The independent republic of North Great Georges Street.
Indeed, the independent republic of North Great Georges Street. Everybody got a tree. I cannot figure out how the Senator was not told about that.
Senator Norris also mentioned the insurance Bill. That was raised yesterday and it will be taken before the summer recess.
Senator Ulick Burke asked for a debate on the Border, midland and western region. He spoke about the widening gap between east and west.
Senator John Paul Phelan asked that the Minister for Finance be invited to the House to discuss the increase in inflation and to brief us on the changed agenda on decentralisation. He very properly said that he is in favour of decentralisation. I listened to the Taoiseach yesterday speaking on the Order of Business in the Dáil where he said that if one does not set the bar high one will go nowhere. The bar was set high but he is man enough now to say that perhaps not everything encompassed in the calendar for implementation will happen. If one does not aim high, however, one will achieve nothing. It will work very well in Westmeath, in Athlone and Mullingar, where things are moving ahead at a great rate, I am glad to say, to echo what Senator Scanlon said.
Is anything happening in Longford?
Yes. We are all bidden there quite soon for development. Our two counties are very happy.
For the fourth time we will have a public launch——
Senator Bannon has already contributed. He should allow the Leader to speak without interruption.
I do not mind if it is launched ten times, as long as we get it.
Senator John Paul Phelan also mentioned wind energy. He will be here tonight to talk. Good man.
The Senator will not be able to watch the match.
Senator McHugh asked that the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources be asked to attend the House to explain why broadband is available in the North of Ireland while we do not have it. The Senator cited the example of the Inishowen peninsula which is quite near the North but lacks this service. Small businesses there are trying to compete with businesses in Northern Ireland.
Senator Scanlon flew the flag for Tubbercurry and Knock and reported decentralisation is going well there too. It is a good news story.
Senator Coonan said Templemore has not had something for four years — what was it?
It has had no local authority housing.
I cannot understand that. I am aghast. Why does the Senator not do something about it?
Fianna Fáil controls North Tipperary County Council and Templemore Urban Council.
Senator Ross has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 25, motion 22, be taken today." Is the amendment being pressed?
Yes.
Tá
- Bannon, James.
- Bradford, Paul.
- Burke, Paddy.
- Burke, Ulick.
- Coghlan, Paul.
- Coonan, Noel.
- Cummins, Maurice.
- Feighan, Frank.
- Finucane, Michael.
- Hayes, Brian.
- Henry, Mary.
- McHugh, Joe.
- Norris, David.
- O’Meara, Kathleen.
- O’Toole, Joe.
- Phelan, John.
- Quinn, Feargal.
- Ross, Shane.
- Terry, Sheila.
- Tuffy, Joanna.
Níl
- Brady, Cyprian.
- Brennan, Michael.
- Callanan, Peter.
- Daly, Brendan.
- Dardis, John.
- Dooley, Timmy.
- Feeney, Geraldine.
- Fitzgerald, Liam.
- Glynn, Camillus.
- Kenneally, Brendan.
- Kitt, Michael P.
- Leyden, Terry.
- Lydon, Donal J.
- MacSharry, Marc.
- Mansergh, Martin.
- Minihan, John.
- Morrissey, Tom.
- Moylan, Pat.
- Ó Murchú, Labhrás.
- O’Brien, Francis.
- O’Rourke, Mary.
- Ormonde, Ann.
- Phelan, Kieran.
- Scanlon, Eamon.
- Walsh, Jim.
- White, Mary M.
- Wilson, Diarmuid.