The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re the draft Protection of Young Persons (Employment) (Exclusion of Workers in the Fishing and Shipping Sectors) Regulations 2014, back from committee, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 2, Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 - Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 11.45 a.m. and to adjourn not later than 1.30 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 3, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014 - Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 1.30 p.m. and to adjourn no later than 2.30 p.m., if not previously concluded; and No. 4, Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 2.30 p.m.
Order of Business
There is a Chinese proverb that states "May you live in interesting times", which I discovered some years ago is an insult, not an aspiration. Politically, we are living in very interesting times. In England, there is a practice that when a barrister is being promoted to the bench, he or she does not receive a letter or a telephone call but actually gets what is called a tap on the shoulder. I have no doubt but that many Members of both Houses are wandering around today, waiting for the tap on the shoulder. It is a great honour for people to be elected to public office in the first instance and then to be promoted to higher office and, consequently, Members on this side of the House wish every success to those who will be among that lucky few. However, I am sure Members will deal with that issue on another day.
Yesterday, several thousand people converged on Leinster House for a rally - I use the word "rally" as it was not a protest as such - of rural Ireland, that is, of the ordinary, decent, hard-working people of rural Ireland who in many cases are finding their jobs and communities to be under severe threat as a result of the inaction of the Government in not coming up with a clear solution to and resolution of the ongoing controversy surrounding the future of the county development boards. I compliment all those who organised the rally and acknowledge that Mr. Jack Roche from Cork, who has been a pioneer of the promotion of rural values for many decades, was one of its leaders.
The man from Rockchapel.
Yes. I also compliment our colleague, Senator Ó Murchú, who was one of the speakers yesterday and who made a strident and passionate appeal, as he has shown himself to be capable of doing on so many other occasions. The appeal was to the Government and, in particular, to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, to make a decision on the future of the county development boards. It now appears as though a grab-all situation is under way on the part of local authorities and, in particular, by the executives of local authorities, which is in direct contrast to the wishes of the members of the authorities to the extent that in recent days, a number of councils that wished to nominate councillors to the county development boards have been prevented from so doing for all sorts of what I suggest are vacuous legal reasons that have been put forward. This happened in my own county, where the county council has deferred the nomination of three members because it was told there could be a legal challenge. However, I discovered yesterday that the councillors in County Clare, of all parties and none, in their wisdom overruled that particular executive call, went ahead and made nominations. This also happened in County Donegal.
My point to the Leader is this is a vital cog in the life of rural Ireland. The people who attended yesterday's rally were not solely those who are concerned about their jobs, although obviously there were people who are working. In my native town of Drumshanbo, where the Leitrim county development board operates, approximately 40 people are employed either full-time or part-time. Can Members imagine the impact it will have on that community of approximately 900 souls were 40 jobs to be lost overnight? The uncertainty surrounding this matter is completely unacceptable. I call on the Leader to convey to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the absolute urgency of ensuring that a decision is taken as to what will be the future for the county development boards. They accept that, sadly, there will be some job losses. However, neither they nor my party can come to terms with the reason for breaking this model. If it ain't broken, why fix it?
It has been proven and was stated repeatedly on the platform yesterday that the Irish Leader model is the best in Europe and that other European countries have taken a leaf out of the Irish model. I fail to understand why the Government is trying to dismantle what has been a hugely successful project over the past 15 to 20 years, which has sustained rural Ireland, has created jobs there and which has given hope to those who have been without work, right across the entire spectrum of economic activity. Consequently, as a matter of urgency, I call on the Leader to convey to the Minister the urgency of ensuring a decision is taken in this regard. I will go so far as to table an amendment to the Order of Business calling on the Minister for the Environment, Community and Looking Government to come before this House on this very day. While it may be his last day, perhaps he will go out with a flourish and will come before the Seanad to give some hope and reassurance to the people of rural Ireland. Sadly, I must state the Government has gone completely in the opposite direction and has been the most anti-rural Government that has ever been elected to office in Ireland.
That is correct. Well done.
Can the Senator clarify the amendment?
It asks that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government come before the House to clarify the position in respect of the future of county development boards.
I am sure that those who await the tap on the shoulder will be grateful for Senator Mooney's good wishes. It is important to state at this point that while some people would characterise the events of this week as having been delayed, I believe it is worth taking the time that is necessary to have a good and strong new Cabinet and to put in place the policies to which both the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach agree, because once one rushes into something, one cannot undo it. I find it slightly annoying that people persist in talking about the delay as though some class of deadline had been put in place, which is not the case. There is a big job that must be done and I hope and trust there will be a good outcome for the Government and for the people.
If I may, I will take this opportunity to pay tribute to the departing Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, for the incredible amount of work he has done over his years of service in the Oireachtas.
Hear, hear.
While others have paid tribute to him previously, I wish to thank him for what I believe was a visionary Ministry. As Minister for Education and Skills, he worked incredibly hard and was incredibly dedicated to making changes and to taking on the difficulty of effecting change, which as all Members are aware, is something people talk about but find incredibly difficult to do. He has started the changes that are necessary in the education system to retain the things that are good about it and to improve the things that ought to be improved.
On the Middle East and the conflict that is unfolding there as I speak, it is deeply disheartening to hear the same language, the same difficulty and the same entrenched positions, as people are yet again losing their lives in Palestine where the same inflamed situation is happening over again. Anyone listening to the news in recent days can discern it will only unfold and get worse. I hope the Minister for Foreign and Affairs and Trade or whoever the incoming Minister will be, will do everything he or she can to at least assist, if at all possible, to try to bring an end to this conflict.
Finally, I pass my best wishes to the family of Gavin Glynn, the young four-year old who has just undergone emergency surgery in Texas. In particular, I thank the people of Ireland for raising €350,000 and showing yet again what an extraordinary spirit we have when we pull together. It shows what extraordinary community spirit we have when someone is in need. Clearly, young Gavin's need was greater than most and the people of Ireland came to his aid. I trust and hope that his recovery will be a good one and that his parents will be able to continue to support him. They are in Members' thoughts at this time.
May I alert Members to a matter arising from a meeting yesterday of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform? I refer to the Setanta Insurance Company, which is licensed in Malta and has left 75,000 policyholders in the lurch, the cost of which may yet again be imposed upon the Irish consumer and taxpayer. The Leader and I have discussed that matter in this Chamber. The company was licensed in Malta and started to get into difficulties in September 2013. The difficulties were notified to the Department of Finance in January and its licence was handed back to the Maltese authorities in April. How on earth do the Irish taxpayers and consumers yet again end up paying the bills for badly regulated organisations in the financial services sector?
We discussed this issue in rushed form in September 2011. I am aware that the Leader dislikes rush legislation and thanks to him we have not done much of that since then. We were debating the provision of €750 million to rescue the Quinn Group. Apparently one result of that legislation is that we are now liable for the debts of foreign companies, such as the Maltese insurance company, trading in this country. The briefing note provided by the Central Bank yesterday states that, following advice from the Attorney General that charges could not be levied on insurance companies in respect of risks outside the State, we brought in legislation that had the exact opposite effect and we now have to bear the risks irrespective of whether the insurers are based in Ireland or another member state. If we apply this in banking and other financial services, it is estimated that the debts run up by foreign banks in this country, such as KBC Bank, Bank of Scotland and Rabobank, would bring the €64 billion figure up to €111 billion. We cannot afford badly regulated companies from other countries to be sending the bills here. This is an extremely dangerous development and we should seek to amend the 2007 legislation if it has the effect of imposing the burden of foreign financial institutions on Irish taxpayers.
Turning to a more serious matter, I welcome the intervention suggested by President Obama, the Taoiseach, the Lord Mayor and Mr. Kieran Mulvey, who tried to abolish this House, and the Mexican ambassador in regard to concerts. Yesterday the Leader referred to people who need friends in high places. All the world is a stage and all the men and women are merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts. I note that the Taoiseach is standing by his man and is willing to go through a ring of fire to ensure these concerts proceed. He has put his sweet lips a little closer to the phone.
Has the Senator a question for the Leader?
I am responding to the Leader's wonderful invocation of country and western music yesterday.
Country music, not country and western.
Should the concerts now proceed under the theme of 40 shades of green backs, the theme music should be Johnny Cash. The Taoiseach recently announced to some German industrialists that his first car was a Volkswagen Beetle. Should it not have been a 57 Chevrolet?
Further to Senator Barrett's comments, last year was the celebration of The Gathering and this year is the Garthering, or the disjointed. What is happening at present is a shambles. I have been trying to figure out whether this is democracy at its best or if democracy is getting in the way. I have been thinking about it a lot over the last 24 hours and I can see the movie being called "Licence to Thrill" or, perhaps, "Licence to Sing". I am not sure which it will be.
When the Garth Brooks concert was first announced earlier this year, we had a spectacular launch in Croke Park and the sales went through the roof, from three to four and then five concerts. There were various contracts between the promoter and Garth Brooks, the GAA and the hotels, respectively. There were also contracts with the various suppliers who would be working on these concerts. They have generated employment for the community and people in Ireland. However, all of this was subject to a licence from Dublin City Council. Where in God's name would one get this?
Now it has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous, with the Taoiseach getting involved and President Obama being asked to intervene. The Labour Relations Commission and the Mexican ambassador are also involved. I might even get involved as Garth is an old mate of mine. I think Garth Brooks and the Irish people will benefit from this in the end. His CD sales and public relations are skyrocketing around the world and this world premier, which should have been a celebration in Ireland, has been an embarrassment to Ireland from a public relations perspective. For a country that celebrates its country and western music -----
Country music, not country and western.
----- I urge the Leader to ensure that whoever negotiates on behalf of the Government, whether the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport or somebody else, it is time to sort out these licensing laws. All of these contracts can be called into question and many laws will surround them. In addition to sorting out the licensing law, we must also address the root of the problem, namely, the local issues arising in the neighbourhood. Let us not have an Irish solution to an Irish problem. Senator O'Keeffe referred to the community spirit for young Gavin Glynn. Let us have a little community spirit and enjoy Croke Park.
Given all of the big stories we are currently dealing with, the rally outside Leinster House yesterday did not register on the radar. These were ordinary decent and proud people from rural Ireland. They conducted an exceptionally civilised rally in an attempt to have their voices heard. Given the subject matter, one would imagine it is possible to engage with people whose jobs and communities are at stake.
The Leader programme now operates throughout Europe. A young gentleman from the Czech Republic who is the current president of Leader in Europe has stated that the model now being used is the old Irish model. The European Court of Auditors has given its imprimatur to this model, which is regarded as one of the great success stories to come out of Ireland and which was adopted by all the European countries. In such a context, the Government has decided to change our model. One of the placards at yesterday's rally asked a revealing question, namely, if it is not broken why fix it? This is a case of the small people - the little people if one likes - asking those of us who have a certain standing in public life to listen to what they area saying. I hope it will not be necessary to vote on this issue. I have no doubt that if Members on all sides of this Chamber took the time to read even two or three pages of the documents supplied to us, they will see that what these people are asking for is real and reasonable.
The situation in Gaza has to be worrying for all of us. It has reached the floor of the UN and the UN Security Council has taken an interest. However, I was very disappointed to hear the response given to the Palestinian Government by the Israeli ambassador to the UN. Not only was it dealing with a downtrodden people and slaughtered innocents but, in the UN, the Israeli ambassador was saying the Palestinian Government was representing terrorists. That makes no sense. In any conflict, one has to move forward. We have only to travel a couple of hundred miles from where we sit to see how dialogue and power sharing works. Human rights and humanity demand that we do not continue the slaughter of men, women and children in Gaza. If all the other big stories have taken over, these types of issues will come back to haunt us in years to come. We have a voice on this issue, as does the Dáil. Our Ministers and Governments have always taken an honourable stand on this issue but we need to up our game in light of the urgency of the situation.
Is the Senator seconding the amendment?
Yes, I second it.
The Garth Brooks affair is like the Cabinet reshuffle in that it goes on and on. I realise there is a considerable number of disappointed people and a huge cost to the Irish economy but it is going from the sublime to the ridiculous when we get to the point of asking the President of the United States to intervene in five Garth Brooks concerts in Ireland.
If he has got that amount of free time, I would prefer him to bring his great intelligence to bear on resolving the situation in Palestine. There were 322 air strikes on Gaza last night, bringing to 750 the number of air strikes there since Operation Protective Edge commenced. It is truly time to get a grip.
I wish to bring Senators' attention to another matter. The Samsung Electronics Company is urgently investigating allegations that one of its suppliers in China has employed children and under-age students. China Labour Watch is looking into this matter and has said that Samsung's monitoring systems on child labour are ineffective. If it is proven that the Samsung Electronics Company, which is an electronics giant, is operating with the use of child labour, I would ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to ban all imports of Samsung products. In this day and age, it is outrageous that anybody would buy an electronics product wherein any child labour has been involved.
Yesterday, Senator Mary Ann O'Brien made a strong case for re-examining the plans for the new national children's hospital. The day before, her husband, Mr. Jonathan Irwin, enclosed a letter to all of us from a mother who made a strong case also. I hate the thought that we will delay this matter for any longer, but we saw what happened when it was going to be located on the Mater site. Now similar complaints, concerns and objections are being made about the St. James's Hospital site. Senator Mary Ann O'Brien made such a strong case that it deserves attention. The onus is on us at least to respond to one of our own Members who, with the Jack and Jill Foundation, has huge experience of exactly the sort of difficulty the new national children's hospital aims to resolve.
I wish to respond to Senator Ó Murchú. I have a slight worry about the attitude that says Israel is always wrong. One must expect a response at some point if rockets and bombs are being dropped on civilian areas in Israel on a permanent basis. Those in Gaza who are responsible for that must recognise that a response will be made, although it may be over the top. How are they going to solve it otherwise? We must get a balanced viewpoint on this, rather than condemning somebody all the time for responding to the aggravation they have had to face. I am not getting involved in the actual details of it because we are a long way from it. It would be like somebody in Israel telling us how to sort out Northern Ireland. We must have a balanced attitude to that whole conflict between Gaza and Israel.
Senator Mooney has raised an important point about local authorities and nominations to county development boards. It happens differently in various counties, so we should have a debate about it because it is important to have a balance in local community developments. Section 128(e) of the Local Government Act provides a role for elected local authority members. It also provides that the corporate policy group, in consultation with the CEO or manager, can select members. The corporate policy group must decide on balance because it cannot all concern councillors and community groups.
Corporate policy groups are stronger in some counties than in others and they know their powers. When they have agreed the selection process with the CEO, it is put to all the members. Confusion may have arisen, however, because when it comes to the members it states that it has to be without a change or differentiation on what has come down from the corporate policy group or the CPO. Councils will need clarification on that matter to avoid doubt. Given that different methodologies are being implemented throughout Ireland, as Senator Mooney has said, perhaps clarification is required from the Department. Section 128(e) of the Local Government Act should be re-examined in that respect.
When we return in the autumn, we should have a debate on the new and more inclusive local government structures. Hitches and glitches will occur, so such a debate would be welcome.
Ba mhaith liom tacú leis an méid a dúirt an Seanadóir Ó Murchú maidir le muintir na Palaistíne. Beidh agóid taobh amuigh de na geataí ag 12.30 i.n. le tacú leis an ngéarchéim atá ansin agus le hiarracht fuascailt a fháil ar na ceisteanna sin. Ceapaim go labhróidh an Seanadóir Cullinane faoi sin ar ball beag.
The programme for Government contained a commitment to promote the recognition of sign language. Yesterday, most of us were approached at the gates of Leinster House by a young man who held up a sign because he could not communicate otherwise. The sign read: "I am deaf. I need an advocacy service to help me access a society that I am isolated from. Our deaf advocacy service has been closed without funding. I would ask you to contact the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, to reinstate the funding because I can't." I ask the Leader to take that message to the Minister, although he has probably been asked to do so already. The Irish Deaf Society's advocacy service has closed its office with a loss of staff following the Department's announcement that it was withdrawing funding. This will affect 5,000 people.
There is much debate over what personalities will, or will not, be involved in the Cabinet reshuffle. Before the House rises for the summer recess, I want to raise the impact of the removal of the allowance for people accessing SOLAS-funded training. It was heartbreaking to listen to the presentations yesterday from a number of students who have experienced setbacks in their lives. They may have a disability, a mental health difficulty, an illness or an injury. They described what a huge impact a €20 cut in the allowance would have on their ability to continue in education. We need to address that issue.
I am raising this matter because negotiations are continuing between the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste on the programme for Government. These Houses should not rise without having some debate next week on what they have decided. Before the summer recess, it is important for us to know what direction this Government is taking. Will it maintain the promise to promote the recognition of sign language, as well as supporting the deaf community generally? Will it row back on cuts like those made to SOLAS-funded training? In what direction are we going? Will we merely see a change of personnel on the deck, or will the ship alter course? Many people, including those campaigning for Leader funding, want to see a change of course, as we do. It is only fair that parliamentarians should be given some indication of what direction the Government will take, instead of hearing it through the media. I would hope therefore that we can debate that matter before the House rises for the summer recess.
I support Senator Ó Clochartaigh on the cut in funding for the Irish Deaf Society. It would be a good idea for the Leader to invite the Minister to attend the House for a debate on that matter. Many of these decisions on cuts are just handled by civil servants and then handed to Ministers who follow suit. On many occasions, however, I do not think the cuts are a good idea at all. This cut is a prime example.
A banking inquiry is planned, but it is time this House debated the administration of the banking system. We had an excellent debate yesterday on the administration of the Environmental Protection Agency, so we should have a similar discussion on how our banks operate. We own our banks, yet the service they provide is appalling. When one goes into a bank branch now there is a queue out the door, with elderly people among those in the queue. Some 80% of bank customers are dealing with machines when trying to lodge money or withdraw it. It is absolutely outrageous. Meanwhile, there are very few tellers who can deal with customers.
A friend of mine, who is a businesswoman, went into a bank on Tuesday to take €2,400 out of her account to pay a plumber. She was told that the teller was sick and was asked to return the following day because they could not give her the money then. That is outrageous. On the other hand, the credit union movement-----
Is the Senator seeking a debate on this issue?
I have a question for the Leader, which I want to explain. Some 98% or 99% of credit unions were fully compliant during the Celtic tiger era.
They have €10 billion in deposits.
Approximately ten credit unions in this country lost the run of themselves. We need a credit union movement which provides full banking services. We should also allow credit unions to lend to small businesses because the banks are not lending to them. The banks will lend to big farmers because they know they can go after them and they will get their money back. We need to lift the restrictions on the amount of money credit unions can lend to small businesses. Could we have a cross-party debate on this issue in the autumn? We might solve the problem.
Senator Ó Murchú spoke earlier about the impressive rally by Leader groups across the country which took place yesterday outside the House. What he did not say was that he was among the fine, eloquent speakers on the platform, although those of us who know and listen to Senator Ó Murchú will not need to be persuaded as to his eloquence. He spoke very clearly, as did others, about how this was a very significant example of an Irish success story, that is, the way Leader funding was delivered over the past couple of decades. It was an example of bottom-up community development and of local development companies, managed by people operating on a voluntary basis, with multi-sectoral representation. It delivered vital resources to rural Ireland to help close the gap between rural and urban Ireland and to improve the prospects of people's lives and to give employment.
Only a couple of months ago on St. Patrick's Day, I had the honour of being present when the former Tánaiste, Deputy Gilmore, opened a new community centre in my home town of Caltra, which was assisted by the local Leader group in the county. What has happened as a result of last year's legislation and what is causing great concern to people across this country is that there appears to be a power grab whereby the disbursement of these important resources will come under the control of local authorities through local community development committees. The question is, why are we fixing it if it is not broken?
Listening to the people on that platform yesterday, it seemed that a very important complement to politicians making decisions was ordinary people helping themselves and that seems be what Leader, and the way it was delivered, has been about up to now. I would be very grateful if the Leader could organise a debate on this. I do not believe it is too late for a change of course on this matter and the European Commission will examine it in due course.
It is about time the Taoiseach intervened in trying to secure these five Garth Brooks concerts in Dublin. I note what Senator Hayden said and I sometimes think the Labour Party does not get the importance of these things to many people in rural Ireland. It is no harm to involve President Barack Obama except Garth Brooks is more than likely a Republican, although he has said kind things about President Obama. I would say to give it until Monday and I would expect we will have these concerts. I suggest that if we are not back in love by Monday, as Merle Haggard once said, we can then go our separate ways. I hope that by then, it will be well and truly sorted.
I never realised there was so much knowledge of country music songs in this House. I am completely stunned. In fact, Senator Barrett even said he had a message from Dolly Parton asking if the Taoiseach was working nine to five on this.
Parliamentary karaoke.
Earlier this week, I mentioned the issue of homelessness, the number of people on housing waiting lists and the number of vacant houses in many of our local authorities. I am very happy to welcome the announcement yesterday of a further €15 million this year for refurbishment of local authority houses. It will mean a €30 million investment in this refurbishment programme, which is welcome. It will also mean that in excess of 2,000 vacant properties will be available to those on the housing list. It is a very positive programme and it will sustain hundreds of jobs in the construction sector.
I do not wish to follow the musical highs of Senators Barrett or Mullen but it is an understatement to say the Garth Brooks events are resonating more deeply with the public than the Cabinet reshuffle. On a more serious note, approximately 20% of the working population in Ireland has spend money on this event. We are always trying to reactivate and inject confidence into the domestic economy and this has managed to do that. In terms of reaching a solution, last night Mr. John Delaney of the Football Association of Ireland was in the House. He confirmed to me and a number of others that he has three pre-licensed concert dates available in the Aviva, with a capacity of 50,000 for each date, which is 150,000. On Tuesday, I sought Cabinet intervention and now the Taoiseach is suddenly interested in this.
That is wrong. He received direct communication.
Could somebody please tie all of this together? Our beloved Garth Brooks also needs to be a tiny bit flexible if he wants the ship to reach the shore and to stay here. It is a no-brainer. If the licensing laws are such and cannot be fixed, could we tie it up so that the concerts can happen in Dublin, in particular as Croke Park and the Football Association of Ireland are willing to offer venues? I think that is a fairly good offer.
I support the call made yesterday that we invite the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to the House to discuss the worsening situation in the Middle East. The appalling loss of life over the past number of days is a cause of concern to all of us. It is now incumbent on EU Foreign Ministers, in their collective wisdom, to put their heads together and attempt to broker peace talks. One does not want to apportion blame to either side but there is significant blame on both sides of this intractable dispute in Gaza. This matter needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency by the EU, as a very powerful body.
I will not deal with the Garth Brooks situation but we all hope-----
Is Senator Mullins not welcoming it?
I very much applaud the very constructive and innovative offer brokered by our colleague, Senator Michael D'Arcy, where hotels in the south east have offered an inducement of five days in the sunny south east to those local residents who are against the concerts. It just might be the initiative to help to broker peace talks.
I refer to the statistical information on social welfare services report published yesterday. Will the Leader arrange a comprehensive debate on social protection expenditure in the next session? Some €20.8 billion was spent by the Department in 2013. Some 32% of all day-to-day spending is now spent by the Department of Social Protection, which represents 12.4% of GDP. Some 1.4 million people are in receipt of a weekly payment and child benefit now amounts to €1.89 billion and is paid to 612,000 families. Given that 782,000 people are in receipt of the free travel pass and many other services are supported by the Department, we need to have a comprehensive debate to see whether we are spending our moneys in the most effective and efficient manner.
A comprehensive debate is required to ascertain whether money is being spent in the most effective and efficient manner and targeted at the most deserving. Such a comprehensive debate would need to be scheduled over several days. I ask the Leader to make the necessary arrangements.
I welcome the agreement on a memorandum of understanding between a group of business people in counties Cavan and Fermanagh and the current owners of the former Quinn Group to purchase the manufacturing and construction businesses of the former Quinn Group. This is welcome news for people in the locality as it will ensure the businesses remain in the hands of local business people.
I also congratulate everybody who contributed to the rally to which Senator Mooney and other speakers alluded on the future of the Leader groups. It is ironic that the successful Leader model, which had provided thousands of jobs in rural Ireland, is being used throughout Europe as an example of the invigoration of rural areas given that it is being dismantled by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. Members of the previous Seanad from the north east were familiar with an organisation known as RISE or Rural Ireland Says Enough. If rural Ireland had enough five years ago, what is it saying under this Government which has the worst record on rural areas as any Government in the history of the State. This is a serious matter for those living in rural areas and it is time we woke up to what is happening in rural communities.
Senator Mooney referred to the Garth Brooks fiasco. I welcome the intervention of the various individuals whose names have been mentioned. I am fascinated by the dance that is being done on this issue and pleased that the Taoiseach and others in high office have finally heard the thunder roll.
I, too, welcome the funding that has been made available this week to refurbish vacant local authority housing. I am disappointed, however, that my local area, County Louth, has been allocated a mere €76,000. This sum will not go far given the length of the housing list in the county. Another issue that needs to be addressed is the position of people with a disability who suffer a loss when a local authority cannot renovate or modernise their homes because they do not own them.
On my journey to the House this morning, I was shocked to hear on a radio programme that another ambulance broke down while transporting a patient from the Lourdes hospital in Drogheda to St. James's Hospital in Dublin. I understand the patient was on a life support machine and the journey was delayed by 15 minutes as the crew waited for another ambulance to arrive to complete the journey. This is the second time a serious incident involving an ambulance has occurred. Only a few weeks ago, an ambulance caught fire while transporting a child to a hospital. We also had a case of an ambulance breaking down. I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the service plan for the National Ambulance Service. The ambulance service was also the subject of recent television programmes. It is important to have a debate on this issue.
I commend a judge in a case down the country who imposed a five-month driving ban on an individual who parked his car in a disabled parking zone. I commend the judge on taking such a hard stand on this matter. Stronger legislation is needed to penalise people who park in disabled parking bays, causing serious inconvenience to people who require disabled parking. I understand that the individual in the case to which I refer parked his car across two disabled parking spaces and claimed to be unaware that disabled parking regulations were still in force after 5 p.m. Disabilities do not vanish after 5 p.m. or before 9.30 a.m. I call for stronger legislation and a debate on this issue.
Senators are not supposed to refer to any sentences imposed by judges, good or bad.
I join previous speakers in calling for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to come to the House to discuss the serious situation in Gaza and the Middle East generally. We all respect and accept Senator Quinn's view that a balanced response is needed and we must take a balanced view of developments in that part of the world. The difficulty is that Israel's response to events in Gaza is not remotely balanced. Israeli air strikes have been indiscriminate and have killed civilians. They are not proportionate or balanced and cannot be described as such.
The root causes of the conflict in the Middle East are an illegal occupation, illegal settlements, severe poverty in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank, the continued existence of refugee camps in which people are treated appallingly, and the flouting of UN resolutions by Israel, almost on a daily basis. Israel does not have any respect for international law and the rule of law and frequently operates as a rogue state. It imposes an illegal blockade on Gaza and it is reported to be planning an invasion of Gaza. Would such action create more violence? Most reasonable people will agree that it has the potential to do so. An international focus and response is required on this issue and the State of Israel must face up to its responsibilities.
If the Leader is willing to arrange a debate with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, I ask that we also discuss the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. On 17 May 1974, 34 people lost their lives-----
The Senator should raise the matter on the Adjournment.
I will conclude on this issue if I may. Six years ago, the Oireachtas passed an all-party motion calling on the British Government to make available all information in its possession on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. It has failed to do so and I ask that the issue be discussed with the Minister if he comes to the House next week.
It is wrong to suggest that the Taoiseach has suddenly become interested in rescuing the Garth Brooks situation. Yesterday evening, the Office of the Taoiseach or the Government received a direct communication on the matter from Mr. Brooks's organisation. As I stated yesterday, there are two things wrong in our democracy. First, 400,000 people were allowed to buy tickets for functions that had not been licensed or approved. Second, that any one person, manager or chief executive should have such power without a right of appeal or any check on this power, is clearly wrong in a democracy. We must put these two issues right and I hope, for the sake of the economy and everyone concerned, that the problem will be rectified. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, the Office of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, the Office of the Taoiseach, Mr. Kieran Mulvey, the GAA and the promoter are all engaged and I hope common sense will prevail. These two matters must be put right for the future.
I have a very specific and technical parliamentary request to make of the Leader. I seek clarification in the aftermath of the vote yesterday that resulted in the insertion of a fairly harmless amendment in the Health (General Practitioner Service) Bill.
It is nevertheless an amendment which many of us see as critical in enshrining the principle of whistleblower protection.
Let us be honest. If we examine the history of the country over the past three decades, would anybody want to oppose whistleblower protection? Does anybody want to refuse an amendment or amend legislation which includes whistleblower protection? If we had more whistleblower protection, the child abuse scandals would not have occurred and if we had more whistleblower protection in the Department of Finance, we would not have had the economic meltdown which occurred.
We cannot re-open a debate from yesterday. We dealt with that business yesterday.
I am making a point. There was substantial misinformation last night arising from a practical and technical aspect of parliamentary procedure. The suggestion was made in multiple news organs last night that our successful insertion of a socially constructive amendment to this Bill would result in a delay in the implementation of free GP care by six months. I have looked into this and there is exactly no parliamentary basis for believing that any part of this Bill would be delayed one second longer than it would have if that or any other amendment had not been inserted. I appeal to the Leader's professionalism, his parliamentary experience and expertise in this House and his sense of fair play. I ask him to make a statement on the record today that there is no reason the specific inclusion of an amendment in a Bill could delay it by six months. We can then put the issue to bed.
I am very troubled by one aspect of the Garth Brooks fiasco. As a country we have a history of flouting all kinds of planning regulations and although there is an absolute need to examine the processes whereby this kind of approval occurs, it appears that as things stand, the correct legal decision was made. It would be great if an appropriate compromise could be reached but for anybody to try to overrule the legal position, when the predetermined number of approved concerts was known to everybody before tickets were sold, would be wrong. The Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, our own country boy, when he gets behind closed doors and realises there is a need for him to "walk the line", might realise it would be crazy for him to intervene on this. Sometimes he says it best when he says nothing at all.
I do not know if I have ever heard so many clichés in a sentence. I wish to raise the case of State citizens who were given a flu vaccination and who now suffer from narcolepsy. To my great disappointment, the current Minister for Health has done nothing for them. I am hopeful that if there is a change in the Department of Health, the incoming Minister - whoever he or she may be - will shine a spotlight on the issue so the affected people will be looked after in some manner, as that has not happened to date. It is regretful and wrong that citizens are being ignored like this.
I take this opportunity to thank a number of hoteliers in the south east who formulated the novel idea that those people living in the Croke Park area who would be impacted by the five concerts could have rooms made available to them. It was a clever suggestion and those hoteliers have indicated if the people affected want to move for the duration of the concerts, there is room in the south east for them. I thank them for those efforts.
I am generally supportive of the comments from Senators Wilson and Ó Murchú on Leader funding. I and many others were probably remiss when the original legislation went through the Oireachtas. I do not suppose it is feasible that the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government would come before the House this afternoon but I hope we will have some opportunity with the new Minister next week to debate the issue. All of us who have represented a rural constituency would be very much aware of the tremendous work done by Leader projects, with real jobs created by people on the ground. It would be a shame to see an end to that type of process. The concept of bringing this closer to local government might be fine but, unfortunately, the sort of local government we now have, especially with the new electoral areas, is very distant from communities. There are large geographical council areas, some of which are 70 or 80 miles long, which means the government is not really local or community-based. The Leader programme would be very much out of place in such a structure, and I hope the Leader of the House might facilitate a debate at the earliest opportunity on the matter.
I support Senator Quinn's comments regarding the need for a balanced debate on the Middle East. We spoke about the matter yesterday and many times previously. I am surprised, from an Irish perspective of history and politics, there is so little empathy among the broader Irish body politic for the people and State of Israel. As an Irish nation we speak about a history of being downtrodden for hundreds of years but I hope we have some degree of empathy and sympathy for people who have been downtrodden for thousands of years. This is a small state in the Middle East, the only genuinely democratic country in the region, and the people of this country should have a much stronger affinity with Israel. I appreciate that a balanced solution is required but the presentation of Israel as somehow always being wrong is very incorrect. We need to open our eyes a little to some of the more profound problems in the Middle East. Some countries, states, governments and extremists have an avowed policy to destroy Israel and write it off the global map. It is an aspiration of certain groupings, states and militias in the Middle East. If such a policy were pursued against our country, we would take very strong defensive measures.
I rise to agree with Senator Bradford in his sense of bewilderment at a lack of empathy in this country. One can only bring this back to a fact that society is becoming bland and disconnected. History has been dropped as a core subject and it has been diminished as a topic in second level education. One must be very worried about that as we cannot go forward unless we understand the past. Even civics, a subject which is crucial in creating some sort of awareness of the general public, politics and civic responsibilities and duties, as well as what comprises a good citizen, is also being sidelined. It was diminished over years before coming back into vogue but it is to be sidelined again. It is a worrying trend in our education system. We must consider a more holistic approach to education. Perhaps in the autumn the Leader might be able to arrange a debate on the teaching of history and civics in schools.
With regard to the Garth Brooks fiasco, the country must realise that the law cannot be taken for granted and it will be all right on the day. It should be a lesson to everybody that one is best doing things right, rather than following a culture which seems to prevail in this country that it will be fine on the day. I hope there will be a resolution, as in fairness to Mr. Peter Aiken, he was just following the practice of hundreds of others when it came to licensing. I have tremendous sympathy for him as he has found himself in what he calls a "nightmarish" position. In the autumn, if possible, we need to have a debate on promoting the entertainment industry in this country. It is a significant tourist attraction and the capital city in particular is seen as a place where artists like to perform. We already know 70,000 people were coming for this concert. I know thousands of people come when U2 or many other acts come here to perform. We should be growing the sector rather than decreasing it or ignoring it. Tourism can involve event tourism as much as anything else.
The Senator is way over time.
People come for walking activities, festivals and music events. These are a significant part of the tourism sector in this country. Perhaps we could have a debate with the new Minister responsible for tourism.
The Garth Brooks debacle has continued and I sincerely hope we will not have to talk about it next Tuesday.
The reality is that there is a willingness on the part of the performer to do the five concerts. I agree with Senator Crown's comments on the city manager in the sense he ruled definitively on this issue, indicating there was no flexibility and the law seems to be the law in this regard but afterwards offered the option of a fourth concert. The exact position is open to debate. I am honestly not sure what the city manager can do at this stage. Talk of emergency legislation is fanciful.
The statement from Garth Brooks offers some hope of a compromise, and I heard a very sensible suggestion from the Minister of State, Deputy Joe Costello, that he have three concerts in Ireland at the beginning of his world tour and two at the end, which should accommodate everybody. I take issue with what Senator Crown said about the Taoiseach. Obviously I will defend the Taoiseach, but in fairness, Ministers travel all over the world on trade missions to try to bring business into the country. The Ministers at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport go to various parts of the world, at expense to bring tourism to the country. At the end of the day, the Taoiseach is being criticised for making a phone call to ask people to have a chat about this event to see if something can be done. That is unreasonable. Let me reiterate that we do something to amend this legislation, which is the fundamental point.
The Order of Business has been dominated by three subjects, Leader programme funding, Garth Brooks and Israel and the situation in Gaza. Senator Mooney called for clarity in respect of Leader programme funding and county development boards. I will ask the Minister to come into the House. We have a great deal of legislation to deal with between now and next Friday, but I will ask the Minister to address that matter. Let me remind Members that we had a very comprehensive debate when this legislation was on its passage through the House and many Members spoke on that issue at that time. We are proposing to have a debate on what has been discussed already but I will try to facilitate it. I am not quite sure whether the Minister will come in to deal with this issue. Of course, it has been agreed that we will debate the CEDRA report on rural Ireland as soon as the Minister is available.
Senator O'Keeffe complimented the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, on his stewardship of the Department. She also raised the question of the atrocities in Gaza. There is a need for an international response. I have heard balanced views from both sides of the House on the subject and I agree we should have a debate on it but both the Government and the EU have responded in statements calling clearly for all sides to act with restraint. The Minister has been making representations with his European counterparts on that subject. Let us hope that sanity will prevail and that we can curb the current loss of life.
Senator Barrett raised the question of Setanta Insurance and I agree with him that it is a disgrace that the Irish taxpayer may be liable for some of the risks. Proper regulation of this sector is of paramount importance and needs to be done as a matter of urgency, whether it means amending legislation or whatever, it should be attended to as Senator Barrett has outlined.
I mentioned Garth Brooks yesterday and have spoken on it. We hope that the five concerts may be able to go ahead or some compromise may be reached in that regard. It is of importance to the business community and all involved in the capital city. We hope some agreement can be reached in that regard. I am not going to get into all the cliches. I never realised that so many Members of the House knew so much about country music, as well as all the song titles as we heard this morning.
Senator Hayden raised the matter of the Samsung Electronics Company investigating claims that child labour may have been used in producing some of its goods. It will be interesting to find out the situation in that regard.
I note the points made by Senator Quinn yesterday on the proposed national children's hospital. Senator Keane raised the need for changing the provisions in the local government Act regarding county developments boards. Senator Ó Clochartaigh raised a number of issues, which were also raised by other Members yesterday. Senator Kelly asked for a debate on banking. I understand there will be a banking Bill coming before the House next week so that may be an opportunity for Senator Kelly to raise the points that he raised today.
Senator Brennan raised the efforts to tackle homelessness and the funding that has been put in place to refurbish houses in many local authority areas. I am sure that is to be welcomed by all. Senator Moran raised the question of ambulance breakdowns. It is an important subject and I am sure all of these ambulances are serviced regularly. I would be very surprised if they were not regularly serviced but I would agree that the situation should be investigated and I am sure it is being investigated as we speak. I agree totally with the comments she made on people parking in disabled spaces. That is a despicable practice.
Senator Crown asked a question on the amendment of the GP Bill. I think suggestions that the Bill could be held up for six months are totally premature. The Minister will come to the House to deal with the matter on Report Stage and there is no suggestion that he will not accept the amendment that was passed on Committee Stage. We will have to wait and see what happens on Report Stage on that matter.
Senator Conway raised the question of having a debate on history and civics in September and I will try to arrange that.
That covers most of the items. I do not propose to accept the amendment to the order of business as proposed.
Senator Paschal Mooney has moved an amendment to the Order of Business, "That a debate with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government on the future of the county development boards be taken today". Is the amendment being pressed?
Amendment put:
The Seanad divided: Tá, 15; Níl, 29.
Tá
- Barrett, Sean D.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Crown, John.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Mark.
- Healy Eames, Fidelma.
- Leyden, Terry.
- Mooney, Paschal.
- Mullen, Rónán.
- Ó Murchú, Labhrás.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- Power, Averil.
- Quinn, Feargal.
- Walsh, Jim.
- Wilson, Diarmuid.
Níl
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Brennan, Terry.
- Burke, Colm.
- Coghlan, Eamonn.
- Coghlan, Paul.
- Comiskey, Michael.
- Conway, Martin.
- Cummins, Maurice.
- D'Arcy, Michael.
- Gilroy, John.
- Hayden, Aideen.
- Henry, Imelda.
- Higgins, Lorraine.
- Keane, Cáit.
- Kelly, John.
- Landy, Denis.
- Moloney, Marie.
- Moran, Mary.
- Mulcahy, Tony.
- Mullins, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Noone, Catherine.
- O'Brien, Mary Ann.
- O'Keeffe, Susan.
- O'Neill, Pat.
- Sheahan, Tom.
- van Turnhout, Jillian.
- Whelan, John.
- Zappone, Katherine.
Tellers: Tá, Senators Paschal Mooney and Diarmuid Wilson; Níl, Senators Paul Coghlan and Aideen Hayden..
Amendment declared lost.
Question put: "That the Order of Business be agreed to."
The Seanad divided: Tá, 32; Níl, 12.
Tá
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Brennan, Terry.
- Burke, Colm.
- Coghlan, Eamonn.
- Coghlan, Paul.
- Comiskey, Michael.
- Conway, Martin.
- Crown, John.
- Cummins, Maurice.
- D'Arcy, Michael.
- Gilroy, John.
- Hayden, Aideen.
- Healy Eames, Fidelma.
- Henry, Imelda.
- Higgins, Lorraine.
- Keane, Cáit.
- Kelly, John.
- Landy, Denis.
- Moloney, Marie.
- Moran, Mary.
- Mulcahy, Tony.
- Mullins, Michael.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Noone, Catherine.
- O'Brien, Mary Ann.
- O'Keeffe, Susan.
- O'Neill, Pat.
- Quinn, Feargal.
- Sheahan, Tom.
- van Turnhout, Jillian.
- Whelan, John.
- Zappone, Katherine.
Níl
- Barrett, Sean D.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Mark.
- Leyden, Terry.
- Mooney, Paschal.
- Mullen, Rónán.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- Ó Murchú, Labhrás.
- Power, Averil.
- Walsh, Jim.
- Wilson, Diarmuid.
Tellers: Tá, Senators Paul Coghlan and Aideen Hayden; Níl, Senators Paschal Mooney and Diarmuid Wilson.
Question declared carried.
I welcome Councillor Sean McGowan from County Leitrim to the Visitors Gallery.