The Order of Business is motion 38(10) on the Order Paper, Private Members' business, to be taken at 4 p.m. and to conclude no later than 6 p.m.
Order of Business
Today the country was greeted with the news of yet another broken promise by Fine Gael and the Labour Party. This was not just a pre-election promise but one that was made repeatedly in official statements from Ministers and the Government. That promise was on progressing the introduction of free GP care. The Government made a specific commitment to introduce free GP care for those on the long-term illness scheme. Lest we forget, people on the long-term illness scheme have conditions like diabetes, haemophilia, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, hydrocephalus and leukemia or are victims of thalidomide. These people, who were promised that they would be included in the initial phase of free GP care, were landed with the bombshell that nothing was going to be done for them. Had they googled the website of the Labour Party any time since just before the general election they would have found multiple announcements on this subject. Every couple of months announcements were made on the issue by Ministers and repeated by Deputies and local representatives in their constituencies. It is a shame that this has happened. It is not right. The two key pillars of the Government's plan to develop the health service, which it gave itself ten years to progress even though we are not even ten years into the HSE, were universal health insurance and free GP care for all. They were interlinked. It appears that the entire edifice of the Government's health policies is collapsing.
I propose an amendment to the Order of Business to urgently ask the Minister for Health to come into the Seanad to debate the issue of free GP care, particularly for those with long-term illnesses but also for the population at large. As recently as the by-election in County Meath this issue featured on the Government parties' leaflets. One constituent told me he did not believe Government canvassers when they raised the subject on the doors. We need an urgent debate to provide clarity on this issue.
I remind colleagues that Labour Party Senators have tabled a motion on domestic violence for debate this evening. Senator Moloney will propose the motion and it will be seconded by Senator O'Keeffe. I hope we will have a good debate on the supports that are needed for the victims and survivors of domestic violence. Our motion is intended to enable a general debate while also homing in on specific actions that can be taken to ensure adequate supports and safeguards for victims and survivors.
When Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn was in the House earlier for a good debate on Horizon 2020 on the EU's commitment to innovation and research, Senator Colm Burke raised the issue of ovarian cancer. Today is the first annual world day for ovarian cancer, a condition sometimes referred to as the silent killer. We need to raise awareness about this cancer because 140,000 women die from it internationally every year. The survival rates tend to be lower than among those affected by breast cancer. In Ireland alone, over 370 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed annually. I have been asked by three charities, Ovacare, SOCK and the Emer Casey Foundation, involved in this initiative to mention that they are asking people to wear a teal ribbon. I have plenty of these ribbons as well as leaflets on ovarian cancer for anyone who is interested. A research project into ovarian cancer is currently being led by Professor John O'Leary in Trinity College Dublin and Dr. Sharon O'Toole, the senior scientist in TCD, is co-ordinating the day. I am conscious of other initiatives in breast cancer and testicular cancer but we should also raise awareness about the aforementioned condition in light of its serious health implications.
I wish to move an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 17 be taken before Private Members' business. No. 17 is the Public Health (Availability of Defibrillators) Bill 2013 - First Stage.
When the Minister for Education and Skills next comes to the House we should discuss the issue of school holidays. I recently read an article on the steps being taken in Britain to increase the number of school days and learning opportunities for children. If we are going to build a knowledge society we cannot afford three months of holidays every summer at secondary school level in addition to Easter holidays, Christmas holidays and days off for parent-teacher meetings and other events. There is a need for something else to take place. Children could study a foreign language or allocate some of that time to voluntary work. A great deal could be done in developing different kinds of education. It is worthy of discussion and I suggest that the next time we meet the Minister we include it on the agenda.
I have previously called for a debate on banking, as have other Members on both sides of this House, but we have seen further worrying developments on the banking front. In particular, a proposal has been made during our Presidency that uninsured depositors should be bailed in so that they do not rank far ahead of other creditors. One can imagine what such a measure would do to confidence levels. I do not expect any kind of bank collapse or wind down but, God forbid, if such an event occurred I would worry about a drift of deposits out of the country. This proposal should be killed off because it represents an extremely worrying development.
The question also arises of the licences in the IFSC, to which Michael Somers referred recently. All of us know the importance of the IFSC to the economy, not to mention the capital city, given the thousands of jobs it provides. Three or four large institutions are handing back their licences. What is that going to do for the city and the economy? We urgently require a debate on banking and I ask that the Minister for Finance make himself available in early course. This is a beautiful area of the city thanks to the regeneration policies pursued by successive Governments, not least the current one. I do not want to go on about its importance but it is hugely important.
I would be remiss not to mention the young chicks in Killarney National Park. Dr. Allan Mee announced that whitetailed sea eagles were also born last week in Mountshannon, where a couple nested last year. I do not know what happened to the eggs last year but we now know there are young chicks in Killarney National Park. These are the first whitetailed sea eagles born in Ireland. This is an important development for tourism and Members are welcome to visit the lakes. I know where they are nesting and I will show them to visitors from a safe distance.
The Senator should not count his chicks before they hatch.
I leave that to the Cathaoirleach.