Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 22 Feb 2022

Vol. 283 No. 1

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

Before I ask the Leader to outline the Order of Business, I welcome to the Distinguished Visitors' Gallery the Lord Mayor of Cork, Mr. Colm Kelleher, and his son. We are delighted to have them here today. Mr. Kelleher informed me that the chain of office he holds is just one year younger than the United States of America, at 245 years old. I welcome him to the Chamber and am delighted he is with us.

The Order of Business is No.1, Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage, to be taken at 4.45 p.m. and to adjourn at 7 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the opening contribution of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 2, Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Bill 2022 - Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 7 p.m.

I add my voice to the welcome for my esteemed colleague and friend, the Lord Mayor of Cork, Colm Kelleher, and his son. It is a great pleasure to have them in the Chamber for today's business.

Stoyu z ukrayinoyu: stand with Ukraine. I was on the phone this morning to my esteemed friend and colleague, Yevheniya Kravchuk, who is a Ukrainian parliamentarian, speaking about the current situation in Ukraine. It is imperative that we condemn the actions of the Russian President, we stand with Ukraine and we demand sanctions.

On a lighter note, I thank the Cathaoirleach for his very warm welcome to Athy Sing and Sign Club. They are an incredible group of young people, led by the inspirational Maggie Owens, who has a super choir that signs everything they sing. They came to Leinster House this morning and signed the national anthem for the Cathaoirleach. It is wonderful when we see innovative people and communities like this throughout country and we need to celebrate them. It just happens this group is from Kildare, but they are very appreciative of the Irish Sign Language Act that was brought through the House.

I will also raise the issue of affiliation to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, for the Defence Forces. I understand the reason my Commencement matter on the issue was ruled out of order, but I will very briefly raise it now. In essence, we know public pay policy is set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the public services committee of ICTU, but PDFORRA and other Defence Forces personnel cannot influence this because they are not members of ICTU. It is simply wrong that while members of the Defence Forces are currently beneficiaries of the public sector pay determination process, they are, in fact, precluded from participating in any meaningful way because their representative bodies are not permitted to affiliate with ICTU. It is vital they are offered the support of ICTU prior to the commencement of any pay review and this should happen within the next four weeks.

Yesterday, I met Caoimhe O'Connor from Newbridge, who is graduating from the special needs assistant, SNA, course in University College Dublin on Thursday. She reminded me of the meeting I attended of the north Leinster branch of Fórsa union representatives, who were very clear in their demands for respect for the SNA campaign. It is very important that SNAs, especially those who have done this particular course, receive the appropriate accreditation and that they have a more professional qualification at Quality and Qualifications Ireland level 6, which would increase the standing of SNAs in the school system and secure proper recognition for their work. I am happy to say I will have a meeting with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, on this and other educational issues tomorrow, but this has to be a priority.

On behalf of the Fine Gael group, I accept the Order of Business. I also join with colleagues in welcoming Lord Mayor Kelleher and his son to the Chamber. It is a very prestigious position to be Lord Mayor of Cork, our second city. I wish him well during his trip to Dublin and for the course of this very important year.

The Cabinet is today approving the disbandment of the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, and the removal of most remaining public health measures, including the wearing of masks. It is appropriate this House sends a very clear "Thank you" to NPHET, Dr. Tony Holohan and Dr. Ronan Glynn for the outstanding work they did during this pandemic. From the very start and the very first press conference, right through to now, their communication skills have been outstanding.

They were conservative in their approach but that approach saved many thousands of lives. It is also appropriate to thank the people who support them. We think of Paul Reid and Damien McCallion and the team at the HSE.

They did not get everything right but nobody gets everything right. In the fullness of time, lessons will be learned for future pandemics from what we achieved and did not achieve during this pandemic. The critical point is that everybody proceeded with the best of intentions and the ultimate goal of protecting public health and saving the lives of our citizens. They did a damn good job. On behalf of this House, I propose that the Leader send a letter to Dr. Glynn, Dr. Holohan and the HSE and its management team.

I pay particular tribute to public health mid-west in my area. One looks at Dr. Favier and people like her and the manner in which they went on local and national radio. They were very clear, distinct and articulate in selling the necessity to abide by the public health measures. At a local level, I acknowledge the great work done by public health mid-west, not just during the pandemic but prior to it. I know that work will continue post pandemic.

It has come to my attention that the blind and visually-impaired students who are doing the leaving certificate this year will not have access to digital examination papers. Modern technology - iPads, computers and sign readers - has done such wonders for visually-impaired young people in terms of being able to communicate, do their business and study for their examinations. I remember when I, as a visually-impaired person, did my leaving certificate 30 years ago. Despite what is available now and the opportunity technology provides, the Department of Education is still so antiquated that it does not provide examination papers in digital form. I would like the Leader to bring this matter to the attention of the Minister for Health. Perhaps the House will have a discussion on it.

I first want to remark on the fact that representatives of the Uyghur community were in Leinster House today. It is a testament to the Seanad that we are not afraid to recognise and bring into the House people from any community anywhere in the world who are being subjected to horrendous treatment. I also welcome the Lord Mayor of Cork. It is always a pleasure to see him in the House.

I know the Leader has an interest in issues relating to aviation. She must be aware of the change in the law that took effect on 1 January as a result of a European directive on security clearance for people working at airports. The Garda vetting system is breaking down. Employers do not know who to contact. They do not know how to expedite for clearance people who are brought in to work. We presume, although we do not know, that the clearance procedure involves investigating the backgrounds of family members, as well as the individual concerned. There is some suggestion that people coming from overseas can be Garda vetted much faster than indigenous Irish people. We need to look into this fairly urgently.

There is much talk about Ireland's seat on the United Nations Security Council and how we won it. According to an article in one of today's newspapers, we won it with 945 pairs of socks and with umbrellas, badges and notebooks. Some €125,000 of our hard-earned taxes were used to bring on side the diplomats who would be voting. It is repugnant to everything the United Nations stands for that these annual competitions should take place for a seat that rotates every 20 years in any event. There is something terribly wrong, in a world that is full of inequality and hungry, about us throwing out socks, umbrellas and fancy notebooks in order to win a seat on the United Nations Security Council. It is horrendous.

I will move swiftly along to Ukraine and what is happening there today.

On Mr. Putin's suggestion that he would move into eastern Ukraine in a peacekeeping role, there is only one organisation in this world that can decide on peacekeeping and that is the United Nations. If Mr. Putin is that afraid of the possibilities of problems in eastern Ukraine, what he needs to do is to bring it to the United Nations Security Council and let it pick a peacekeeping nation that will look after the needs of the people in eastern Ukraine.

I have been engaging with the Ukrainian ambassador and her staff over the past few days. My heart goes out to them today. They are miles from home and at the end of the day, they have no idea what will happen over the next 24 or 48 hours. We saw that in the incursions into Georgia, there was absolutely no support. We cannot allow that to happen in Ukraine.

Since the Seanad last sat, we learned the sad news of the passing of a fellow parliamentarian on the island. On behalf of the Green Party-Comhaontas Glas, I convey my deepest sympathies to the family, friends and the DUP on the sudden loss of Christopher Stalford, who represented the people of South Belfast since 2016 and had been the Assembly's Principal Deputy Speaker since 2020. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Like previous speakers, the Green Party is appalled by the developments in Ukraine, and the aggression. The Russians are not only recognising but are occupying the two eastern provinces in Ukraine. It is in flagrant breach of international law and the Minsk agreements and is a wholesale assault on the sovereign integrity and the territory of Ukraine. It is a matter to which this House perhaps should devote a separate debate. Last week, we celebrated 100 years and one thing that was said is that we can play an advisory role to the Government. We can think differently.

Maybe in a debate, Ireland, which has a good solid reputation, could in a most difficult situation pave some small way forward. At such a debate, I would why Ireland is not one of the following eight EU member states which have signed a declaration on the EU membership perspective for Ukraine, namely, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, the Slovak Republic, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia and Bulgaria. I believe the Czech Republic and Romania are due to give that support. It is a complex and challenging matter applying to be a member of the EU. I would like an explanation. There may be a reason for it. There are other countries conspicuous by their absence from that support. We talk the talk but when Ukraine wanted to come into the EU, which is such a difficult task, Ireland with its credibility was not leading the way.

Also, we have learned from the peace process here. Despite a long-term occupation on the island, it did not stop peace. It did not stop the silencing of the guns. Have we something to offer our fellow European neighbours here as we face the worst outbreak potentially of bloodshed and war since the Second World War? Could we nudge some great peacemakers, like them or not, such as former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, Gerry Adams, Lord David Trimble, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, Ms Monica McWilliams, and Liz O'Donnell? If they were asked, they would bring our credibility and experiences. It is a precious peace, albeit not a perfect peace, on the island of Ireland but maybe we can bring something to at least trigger bilateral talks, which, according to what I am reading, do not seem to even be happening at present. There is no sign of bilateral talks. I note both parties might be reluctant to enter bilateral talks but as a catalyst, even if it is behind the scenes, Ireland, as a credible country, has something to offer on its own peace journey.

Cuirim fáilte roimh Ardmhéara Chorcaigh agus a mhac atá linn inniu fosta. I welcome the lord mayor to the Chamber.

I echo the sentiments of Senator Martin in relation to the very sudden and very sad death of Christopher Stalford, MLA. I have known Christopher for a long time.

We were on Belfast City Council together. We travelled on a number of international delegations to the United States, in his role as chair of the development committee and my role as ardmhéara in Belfast. I knew Christopher before that, perhaps not in the same personal sense but certainly in a political sense, as he would often turn up at events wearing Union Jack socks and a pinstripe suit. One thing you could never take away from Christopher was his commitment to his unionist and, he would say, conservative views and the very articulate and passionate way that he advocated them. He and I had many disagreements on political issues relating to Ireland but also more broadly. I have to say, however, that I always found him a great character and a great wit. After a robust debate, I could join him for a cup of coffee or, dare I say it, even the odd pint, to have a really respectful conversation.

One thing that struck me in later years with Christopher was the real love and commitment he had for his wife Laura and their four children. They are first and foremost in all of our thoughts. Christopher's death is a big loss to them, his broader family, his DUP family and his constituents in south Belfast. On my behalf and on behalf of the Sinn Féin group and, I am sure, colleagues across the House, I extend deepest sympathies to Laura and Christopher's children.

I might return to this matter given the limited time I have available to me but the Leader will have seen coverage of our neighbour, the National Gallery, whose staff and a number of artists have taken issue with the award of a particular contract. I sense your eyes on me, a Chathaoirligh, so I will not go into the specifics around contractual and procurement issues. Nevertheless, the best artists are those who hold a mirror up to society and challenge some of its worst elements. Direct provision remains a real issue and a problem and concern for many people across society. I hope to return to the issue, but in light of what has been said in the public domain in recent weeks about the National Gallery, it is timely for the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, to come to the House to discuss the programme for Government commitment to end direct provision and to give an update on that.

I very much welcome Lord Mayor Kelleher and his son to the Chamber. I also extend deepest sympathies, on behalf of the Labour Party Senators, to the Stalford family on the loss of Christopher. It is a shocking time for the DUP and the wider unionist family but there was shock right across the island of Ireland in recent days when people learned of his passing.

The Continent of Europe has entered a very dark period with the events in Ukraine in recent days. I express my solidarity with all the people of Ukraine. While the news of the package of sanctions is very welcome and the detail is eagerly awaited, we need to hear a very strong message from the Government about supporting the sanctions. Ireland is a net exporter to Russia, but we rely hugely on fossil fuel imports from Russia. We must be seen to be very strong in backing the sanctions against Russia at this point following its acts of aggression against its neighbour, Ukraine.

The main issue I wish to raise today relates to the announcement yesterday of the postponement of the citizens' assembly on drug use until 2023. This flies directly in the face of the Taoiseach's commitment on the floor of the Dáil just two weeks ago. It runs contrary also to what he said in the Fergus McCabe lecture last year. We must have an open, honest and detailed conversation about drug addiction and drug use in this country.

People's lives, their communities and their families depend on that conversation. As my colleague, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who spent many years campaigning on these issues, said, lives are going to be lost. Ireland has one of the highest rates of lives lost to drug overdoses when compared to every other EU member state. In 2017 alone 377 people lost their lives due to a drug overdose. Many were concentrated in some of the most deprived and disadvantaged parts of this country. It is, however, important to say this is an issue affecting all of Ireland. It is not just confined to Dublin, Cork or Limerick or the main urban centres.

There is much anger and frustration at the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan. We had tried to work constructively with the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, on the drugs issue since he took up his position but we now need to hear from people more senior than him, namely, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health, what they are going to do about drugs policy in this country. If there is going to be a citizens' assembly on drugs in 2023 - we are told it is going to happen then but it may not - it will be 2024 before the Government can even begin to consider the recommendations. Are we really going to have a Government make sensitive and difficult decisions a year or months out from a general election? There is a very serious question mark over all that but the key issue is that we need to hear from the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health what their plans are with regard to drugs policy in this country because lives depend on it.

We support the call for the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to come into the House to have a debate about where we are on ending direct provision. Too often I come into this House and speak about the people we are leaving behind. On 28 February we are leaving behind our most vulnerable people. We are leaving behind people in our society with long-term health issues and who will now be living in fear, without the protection of mask wearing. It is something we need to look at. We are forgetting about people who have COPD. I have COPD and I am anxious about people sitting beside me not wearing a mask. I was on the bus yesterday coming from Donegal and I put my bags beside me because I was not comfortable. There are many people in the world, especially in Ireland, who are not comfortable, including wheelchair users, people who have cystic fibrosis or other major underlying health issues already. Unfortunately, this Government has failed to listen to those people and to our elderly people. It is extremely sad.

Last week I met with people from the Respect for SNAs campaign. The scheme for qualification has not been changed since 1979. That was more than 43 years ago and we have not looked at changing the scheme. The Department wants to look at the contracts of SNAs before it looks at the qualifications of SNAs. I am a qualified SNA and I have a FETAC level 5 qualification. We might say it is only an SNA. That is a load of crap. I am sorry, a Chathaoirligh, but an SNA is more than just an SNA. We go into classrooms and we are caregivers and educators. That needs to be respected and recognised and, most important, it needs to be valued. If we are all serious about giving every child equality of opportunity to be successful within our education system, we need to be serious in supporting that success by supporting our SNAs.

The review group is looking at having an expert group to look at the qualifications of an SNA. I support the setting up of that group as soon as possible.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for welcoming the representatives of the Uyghur World Congress and colleagues who attended the meeting to hear about the ongoing abuse of human rights in China.

Since we last met and with the storms, we in Wexford lost a very valued employee of Wexford County Council, Mr. Billy Kinsella, who sadly died while out serving his community. He was working hard on behalf of the people his community. I hope Members would join with me in extending sympathy to his wife Rita, their son Conor and, indeed, his family, friends and Wexford County Council, generally, on that loss.

I, too, want to raise the question of what is happening in Ukraine. We have previously talked in this House about an increasingly authoritarian Russia and the approach that it has taken. Russia has now violated the sovereignty of an independent state. This is a defining moment now for Europe. Colleagues have spoken as well about how the sanctions we need to see at European level need to be strong. I believe that every Russian oligarch and their family should be stripped of any EU visa in order to send the message very clearly home to Vladimir Putin. Certainly, there have been calls that UEFA should withdraw the Champions League final from St. Petersburg. We should in no way allow the Russians to host such an event.

A message needs to go out very strongly from these Houses, that we stand very much in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Also, I believe that there are a number of political parties and representatives from this island who have been ambivalent in their attitudes towards Russian aggression and we need to call those out. It has to be very clear that we will no longer tolerate this. We have seen two of our MEPs, Mick Wallace, MEP, and Clare Daly, MEP, who, quite frankly, are nothing more than Putin’s sock puppets parroting the line of the Kremlin. Those political representatives who have supported Russia over this time need to be called out. I would hope that our Government would continue to do so.

I, too, want to extend my sincere condolences to the family of Christopher Stalford, MLA. It is an incredibly sad time for his family - his wife Laura and their four children, the DUP family and the entire political family in the North. Our thoughts and sympathies are with them today and this week.

I want to reflect on the announcement yesterday about the connected hubs in relation to the launch of a mobile app where people can locate a local hub that they can work from. There is a network of more than 200 hubs that they can choose to work from, a campaign to generate awareness of that and €5 million to enhance the services. This is about making remote working a more realistic proposition into the long term and providing the community infrastructure to support it. Some €100 million has been put into making that happen in communities. We are addressing the barriers along the way. This is change in motion. One of the things the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys rightly pointed out yesterday was the need for this to be affordable for people. She is looking at ways to do that. Anchor tenancies are a way to do that as well, in terms of bringing in an employee to work on a long-term basis and multiple employees and employers setting up those arrangements.

It is not just the Department that can help, it is also Revenue. We have a remote working tax relief, but that tax relief seems to be only for employers, which can pay their employees €3.20 per day tax-free to work from home. That should immediately be available for people to work in hubs. The community gets more from people who will be working as well as spending in the community. We should be looking at reduced VAT rate for people who are paying it for themselves. We need to invest in hubs in general to make them affordable and accessible.

Ireland has always been at the forefront of speaking up for those who have been oppressed. We recognise the interconnectivity of the countries of Europe and the world at large and that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We have had calls in this House to address serious human rights abuses occurring in all places over the world, from China in the East, to here in the West, and addressing the issues in our own country as well.

I find it odd that we have heard nothing of the well publicised, high profile, peaceful protest that is being violently suppressed and dispersed by armed government forces. Ranks of uniformed and armoured military figures, stripped of their badges and identification tags, converged on protestors, an officer on horseback trampled over a disabled woman, approximately 200 arrests were made and over 60 vehicles were seized by the state. This sounds like something we would hear about in regard to Russia or actions which we would condemn in Hungary or Poland but instead this is happening in the supposedly liberal democracy of Canada and no condemnation has been forthcoming.

To legally permit the level of force, Prime Minister Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act 1988, the first time this Act has been evoked since it replaced the War Measures Act 1914. Not being satisfied with merely dispersing protestors, the state froze the finances associated with certain individuals and companies believed to be involved in the protests. These are people who committed no crime and have not been convicted lawfully in court but who the Government decided to punish because they might have been connected with a protest that was inconvenient to the government. It was an unprecedented act by the state against its citizens, which should be roundly condemned.

I call on the Leader to write to the Canadian ambassador, H.E. Ms Nancy Smyth, condemning the excessive force used by the government on the overreach that is happening there to its citizens. Authoritarianism is a threat to democracy no matter whose foot the boot is on.

Senator Currie spoke about the remote working hubs, how important they are and the recent Government announcement regarding extra funding for those hubs, which is very welcome. They are going to be very important to all parts of the country, particularly rural Ireland. There are approximately 200 hubs in place, with a plan to increase that number to over 400 within the next two years. That is really good news.

The other good news is the announcement today by the Government of €7 million in support for the pig industry. There are 8,500 people employed in that industry. Not that long ago, pig farmers were doing very well but now they have hit on hard times. I welcome that the Minister and the Government have stepped in again. There are 1.6 million pigs, 300 pig farmers and 8,500 people employed in this industry. I hope the funding announced by Government will be of assistance to all of those people.

I want now to return to an issue that is discussed here year in, year out, that is, flooding along the River Shannon. I have been speaking to people who live in the Callows area. I am told that at this stage thousands of acres are flooded, some of the side roads are blocked such that people have to make round trips or cannot get out and that water levels have risen by almost five inches in the past 48 hours. We are heading into a crisis there. I hope that the weather is going to improve somewhat. It has been horrible over the past number of days, particularly in the west and the midlands. In that regard, I ask that the Leader would ask the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, who has responsibility for this area to come to the House to update Members on progress made. This Government and previous Governments have been very committed to flood relief. A significant amount of money is there but we need an update in regard to where we are going. I am aware that improvements are being made but this is a really bad time for farmers along the River Shannon.

I ask that the Leader and the House would consider issuing an invitation to the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Tony Holohan, to address Seanad Éireann on the occasion of the wind-up of NPHET. It would be a fitting end to a pandemic that on behalf of the nation, we would afford Dr. Holohan an opportunity to address the Seanad on the handling and management of the pandemic. As a nation, we owe NPHET a debt of gratitude.

We may not have agreed with everything it said, prescribed or did, but, collectively, we stood up to Covid-19. The actions of NPHET, its management and its honesty saved thousands of lives. The state owes the members of NPHET a significant debt of gratitude. I thank them all most sincerely for the work they did, the sacrifices they made, the decisions they took and, most importantly, the professionalism they showed in their handling and management of the pandemic.

I join with other Senators in asking for a debate on working from home. The issue of work hubs is a new dimension and they are important and welcome. Working from home has brought a new dimension to thousands of people's lives that is to be commended, but it is not for everybody and we cannot lose sight of that fact. There is an obligation on employers, unions, employees and workers, families, children and all stakeholders in society to have a debate on what working from home should look like, what it will mean and what will be the obligations and responsibilities of employers and other important stakeholders, an issue I will return to another day.

I passed by the Ivy restaurant on my way to the House today in order to have a look at its quite extensive menu, which mentions a 12.5% service charge. It did not mention the price of being a member of a trade union but, thanks to the Labour Court, we now know that price in light of the fact that two very brave young women lost their jobs as a direct result of joining a trade union and of trade union activism. The 32-page judgment is well worth reading. It outlines how the case against these two workers was completely fabricated, how cameras in their changing rooms provided footage that was sent directly to management and the appalling victimisation of people just seeking the right to join and be represented by a trade union.

It was a good day for workers' rights when the two women got justice got in the court, but the elephant in the room, of course, is that the Ivy restaurant was just implementing accepted policy. The Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Irish Hotels Federation are absolutely clear that they do not recognise trade unions nor engage in collective bargaining, which is why there is no joint labour committee for hotels that could put a floor of decency back into the sector. I again reference Dr. Deirdre Curran and the powerful report she compiled just prior to Covid in which she detailed a series of levels of abuse throughout the sector. They relate not just to breaches of employment rights but also to verbal, psychological and physical abuse of workers.

Let us face it: the hospitality sector enjoys considerable lobbying in this Chamber and in the Dáil. When will this House call on the sector, very simply, to recognise the right to collective bargaining, engage in a joint labour committee process and ensure standards of decency are put back into the sector? There cannot be more victims like those two brave young women, who just wanted to join a trade union and be represented. All of us need to stand up. I ask for an urgent debate on the matter.

I might get some clarity from the Cathaoirleach before I make the point I wish to raise. Our colleague raised the issue of the unrest in Canada and requested he write to the Canadian ambassador. Before he does that, we should have a full debate in the House and let all sides of that issue be discussed. My reading of what is going on in Canada is that it is really an extension of Trumpism, whereby a certain group of far-right protestors, using Covid-19 to further a separate agenda, have intimidated journalists and residents of Ottawa. I have looked on in amazement. Everyone in the House is entitled to his or her opinion, but I have every faith the Cathaoirleach will not write such a letter on behalf of one particular side. If a motion is tabled in this House, where we will all have an opportunity to express our opinions, that is fine, and if it is passed, I will accept the will of the House. Nevertheless, I would like to have a say, if possible, before such a position is reached.

The main issue I raise is one I have been aware of for some time but it was brought into stark focus for me this morning, when I received communication from a resident of Clare. It relates to the delays in certain medical treatments, particularly hormone replacement therapy, HRT.

I have had direct contact with someone who spent seven years just trying to get a diagnosis in the first instance. After going through all the cost and trauma associated with that, she eventually reached the point where it was accepted that the menopause was the core of the issue. Now, though, there is an issue with getting the prescribed medicine. Approximately 32,000 women have faced difficulties in sourcing their HRT medication. It has been put to me by the woman who contacted me as well as by many others that changing from one medicine to another does not work and has profound impacts on their mental health, given the physical and emotional consequences of same.

We need to understand why the delays are happening. Perhaps we need to bring the Minister to the House. It has been put to me that such delays are not evident in other countries, particularly European ones. Perhaps the Leader could invite the Minister or a Minister of State from the Department of Health to speak to the House about when the supply chain issue might be resolved for those women who are going through a difficult time as a result of these delays.

I believe the Senator was referring to the Leader, who asked about the letter going to the Canadian ambassador. It is open to any Senator to write to anyone he or she feels appropriate.

Last week, the EU proposed and approved new targets for renewable energy. We want to hit 40% in the EU by 2030. That is very ambitious. Two elements stand out to me where Ireland is concerned. First, the EU wants to increase the number of cross-border energy connections. Second, it wants to accelerate the approval process for renewable energy projects like wind farms. This will be beneficial to Ireland. The European legislative process has just started and Ireland should use it to look for further funding from the EU to supercharge our wind farm efforts, including offshore. There is a funding pot for this. It is called the Trans-European Network for Energy, TEN-E. Under it, approximately €5 billion can be availed of by EU member states. It recently updated its criteria. One criterion is offshore wind. Recently, the EU placed Ireland in the North Sea offshore grid, NSOG, priority corridor. Given that the EU is looking at Ireland as a potential wind champion and other member states like Germany and France do not have the same capacity to produce offshore wind energy as we do, this is a good opportunity for Ireland to apply for funding from the EU to supercharge our wind farm plans and concepts. This might not only allow us to hit our own wind energy targets by 2030, but also to sell excess wind energy to member states that need it. The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has been good in coming to this House multiple times to discuss the range of climate action initiatives that are being worked on. I am calling for a debate on Ireland's wind strategy at some stage, in particular as it relates to offshore wind energy. That would be helpful for all Senators.

I will start by thanking the Cathaoirleach for facilitating today's visit by Athy Sing and Sign. He has been to the fore as regards the Irish Sign Language, ISL. Athy Sing and Sign has always put it first. It is a great group led by Ms Maggie Owens along with Ms Linda Dobbyn, Ms Mary Byrne, Ms Breda Moore Flynn and Ms Majella Harris. Of course, who could forget Mr. Aiden McHugh? The group promotes ISL at every opportunity and it was great to meet it today. The Cathaoirleach and the group discussed a number of interesting proposals on progressing ISL vis-à-vis other sign languages around the world. I look forward to assisting him in that as it is worked through. Today's visit was good and appreciated, and I wish to put on the record how proud we in the town of Athy are to have such a group among us. I congratulate it on the great work it is doing in our community.

I wish to raise the issue of the lack of GPs. This is a particular problem in the commuting counties. I am sure the Leader will have encountered it as well. I have had representations from Louth, Laois, Carlow, Wicklow and my own county of Kildare. We have provided housing in certain places and people have come to live and join the communities there, but they cannot find GPs. It is a major problem in south Kildare in particular. I have written to the Minister and the HSE. In its latest reply to me, the HSE stated that it had no role or authority in assigning a GP to a private patient. Where do we go from here?

These people have young children and are raising young families, and they are driving to Dublin to where their previous GP practices were to avail of services for their sick children. One can just imagine putting a sick child into a car or whatever in order to get them to a GP in Dublin an hour or an hour and a half away. It is just not acceptable.

As I have asked before, we need to have an urgent conversation in that regard and bring the Minister for Health into the Chamber. With the retirements, etc., of GPs into the future, it is a huge problem for commuting counties and for rural Ireland. We need a debate on it urgently.

Yesterday, Offaly County Council was pushed to provide safe houses for victims of domestic violence. It was asked to do so out of its housing allocation as a matter of urgency but the council's response was that it needed more time. I understand anyone's plea for more time but when we face a crisis, time is often something of which we have little.

Recently, I met with Offaly Domestic Violence Support Services and it is obvious that victims do not have any more time. They cannot wait; this cannot wait. People in these areas need help now and I urge Offaly County Council to act now.

Last week, Tusla published its review of accommodation services for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. It highlighted major gaps in services across the country but particularly in the midlands. Some 62% of people living in County Offaly, 37% of those living in County Laois and a truly shocking 93% of those living in County Longford live more than a 30-minute drive from emergency accommodation. We need to fix this. Lack of services for victims is not only a moral failing; it is a failing of our international obligations and we need an immediate solution.

Following the publication of the Tusla review, the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, listed counties Laois, Westmeath and Longford for prioritisation for the urgent provision of family units. Laois Domestic Abuse Service has been campaigning for many years for a refuge and Portlaoise has been prioritised for eight family places. Laois County Council is collaborating to identify a suitable site, hopefully as soon as possible. We need to see the same level of prioritisation for County Offaly.

The Minister, Deputy McEntee, will outline timelines and structures for the delivery of safe accommodation and refuge places as part of the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I understand this strategy will be published in April and I look forward to reviewing it with a midlands lens.

I will follow up on my colleague, Senator Flynn's points in terms of public transport. Research from the UK has found that bus drivers have higher levels of Covid-19 deaths than other occupations. We also have research that found that 41% of people polled said they were less likely to use public transport after the pandemic.

I am really concerned that removal of masks as a requirement on public transport will, in fact, damage the safety of those working and those who have to travel by public transport and, indeed, as we have seen, discourage others from using public transport when that needs to be a priority in terms of our wider safety and in respect of climate. I really urge the Government to rethink its policy public transport.

What I will speak about today, however, is something even wider and more important in terms of the pandemic. It is premature to talk about it being over because we know people are dying all around the world. Last week, the 6th European Union-African Union Summit: A Joint Vision for 2030 took place. As we anticipated, the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, TRIPS, waiver was a huge issue of trust and damaged trust. The South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, tweeted that:

An agreement on the #TRIPSWaiver would strengthen and consolidate our relations with Europe. If we are not able to reach a solution, this will mean we were not able to find each other on a matter of life and death.

This House passed a motion before Christmas on the TRIPS waiver. We sent a very strong signal that we recognised the urgency of a TRIPS waiver on life and death. We wrote to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which responded by saying it did have lead responsibility and that the proposal is primarily one of health policy rather than a general trade or intellectual property issue.

Yet the Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, was at that EU summit and he did not speak about it as a life or death issue or as a health issue. He said at this EU-African summit that we want to avoid the pandemic being used to "undermine innovation or undermine intellectual property." I am really concerned that the Tánaiste on one hand tells us it is a health issue, and he acknowledges that, and then speaks on all our behalf in a way that is out of spirit with the statement from this House and with what the Minister for Health said. He is representing us at a key forum of Europe's conversation with African nations and telling them that he regards intellectual property as a bigger priority than health or life and death.

Again, I hope we can move forward on this. I will pass this to the Leader because she herself has been very good on this issue. Can we convey in some way our concern in relation to this matter?

I call on Seanadóir Erin McGreehan. I believe she has some distinguished visitors in the Gallery today.

I have very distinguished members with me today. I have three of my sons, Conor, Dónal Óg and Eoin. It is great pleasure to be here as a Senator and to have three of my boys here with me today. It is lovely to see their faces.

Make sure you wave to mam, while she is here.

It is appropriate that we are talking about children. The Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill was published today. It is a really important Bill. It is critical that we get this through our Houses, passed, put into legislation, enacted and put into place as quickly as possible. If I was born, and if those boys over there were born in a different time, I would be in a mother and baby home. I am an unmarried mother. When I look at those wee faces, I think of the burials in Tuam. It is very emotional, even to have them here today. We need to have this Bill. I congratulate the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, on the work that he, his Department and his officials did. They took on many of the recommendations that were in the pre-legislative scrutiny report. They have included coronial and scientific expertise in the new Bill, which was not there before. That is a big move from what it was. We really needed this and was part of what the children’s committee recommended.

I really welcome this. I hope that we do not have lots of delaying tactics on this Bill. It is a really good Bill. I congratulate all the officials and the outside expertise that helped the Minister with this Bill. I congratulate them on it. I look forward to seeing the Bill pass through all Stages in this House.

Could I say to the junior Senators from County Louth, you should be very proud of your mother. She does great work in the Seanad. We are sorry that she has to be away from home so often, but she is working very hard on behalf of everybody. I now call on Senator Maria Byrne.

I rise today to welcome last Friday’s news that the Tánaiste, the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, and the Minister of State, Deputy English, launched the recent development plan in Nenagh, with €18 million in investments for businesses to expand, as well as to avail of services such as Innovate Limerick and to work with different projects. As Local Enterprise Week is coming up, and will take place from 7 March onwards, it is good to get the message out to businesses that there are supporting services out there and that they should apply for them.

The other issue I want to raise is my concerns regarding University Hospital Limerick. I am like a wound-up record at this stage. I know that the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, visited the hospital recently. There are talks of HIQA carrying out an independent investigation. Yet, University Hospital Limerick is topping the charts in terms of trolley numbers. It has been doing so consistently for a long time and certainly, something has to happen. I acknowledge the Minister met staff and senior management but I believe we need to have a fresh pair of eyes looking at University Hospital Limerick to alleviate the plight of both the staff who are working there and of the patients. It is about safety as well and that patients feel safe when they visit University Hospital Limerick. Trolley numbers are definitely very high and have been consistently so for a while. Something has to happen about it. I believe it requires somebody independent to review it.

I welcome the three young McGreehans to Seanad Éireann today. They should be very proud of their mother. From looking at them and how well behaved they are, I think Fianna Fáil will be well represented in Louth for the years to come.

The town and village renewal scheme is an important scheme for towns and villages in my county of Tipperary. It is part of a number of schemes in the Department of Rural and Community Development, which is a Department that was set up by the Fine Gael Party in 2016.

It benefits rural areas, which is really important. Hopefully, there will be an announcement soon on the town and village renewal scheme. An awful lot of projects in Tipperary have submitted applications. Will the Leader contact the Minister find out when the announcement will be made?

It is really important that these schemes get up and running as quickly as possible. We see the rising cost of construction almost on a weekly basis. I think there are ten applications from Tipperary alone. Some are from Tipperary town, including one to do up a recreational amenity.

There is a really good application from Ballyporeen for the upgrade of an old school house into a enterprise hub with broadband and a community centre. These are really important things for rural areas and towns. There is an application from Golden which my colleague, Councillor Michael FitzGerald, has been working on to do up the area at the kind of island where the bridge is. There is a range of other ones. It is really important that the announcement is made as quickly as possible. I ask the Leader to find out when it will be.

It is important that we have an early debate on tourism. Two years ago the name for tourism was "staycation". It worked very well for the country. Such a debate should be a priority because so many areas in the sector are under severe pressure. The hospitality sector is under pressure in terms of staff and in many cases it is looking for permits. That is something that crosses over to other Departments. There is a shortage of chefs and a whole range of staff in catering. Then there is the matter of sterling which is getting stronger. That could help our tourism sector. We should be encouraging people from the UK to holiday here.

In high-profile tourism areas, we should have very good Wi-Fi so that people visiting can use it for business as well as for pleasure. This is the time of the year to have such a debate. The hospitality sector needs a lift. It is experiencing massive increases in the cost of energy and other things. There are great challenges and if the House could be of any assistance in highlighting these matters, that would be very welcome.

Like others, I join in welcoming Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, to Ireland. Some of us had a chance to meet him today and to acknowledge what he said. It is important to speak to people like him and to hear what they have to say.

The European directive for transparent and predictable working conditions, which is due to be transposed in this jurisdiction by 1 August, according to article 21 of the directive. It is a very important piece of employment legislation that will particularly protect people in insecure or low-paid employment. It will have important provisions on maximum probation periods and the minimum wage. Another important provision is that an employer will not be able to advertise a job without setting out clearly a salary scale. That is something that not only addresses certainty for the applicant but it will also go a long way towards addressing the gender pay gap. There will be clarity on what pay will be available to people and it give people an opportunity to submit a job application with their eyes open.

I do not know what steps have been taken to transpose this legislation. I do not have that information. I hope this House will have an opportunity to speak about it because the details of how that is done will be tremendously important. The way that it is worded and takes effect in Irish legislation will dictate whether it is a strong measure for the employees who need it or not. I hope we will have a debate on that and have a clear opportunity to look at the legislative provisions that transpose the directive.

Before I call the Leader to respond to the Order of Business, I join colleagues in expressing my sympathies on the death of Christopher Stalford to his wife and all his colleagues across the community in Northern Ireland. I met him at an event in Queen's University on the future of unionism and he was most gracious afterwards when we had a cup of tea and a chat. He put across his point of view in a very forthright manner but in a way that brought the best out in every part of our conversation. We extend to his family our regret on his sad loss. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam.

I call the Leader to respond to the Order of Business.

I join the Cathaoirleach in expressing my sympathy on the loss of Christopher Stalford. When I heard the news at the weekend, I genuinely realised how fragile life is. A 39 year old gentleman with an incredibly promising political future ahead of him has died. We all have no doubt he would have been leadership material in probably the not too distant future. It is an awful tragedy. On my behalf, and on behalf of all the Members, I extend condolences to Laura and his four children, to all his constituents, to party colleagues and to all his colleagues in the North.

Senator Ward asked how the current EU employment legislation will be transposed. From my experience of being a Minister with responsibility with employment, unfortunately I have to tell him that it will probably take years to happen. It took us a long time to get the last miscellaneous provisions Bill passed in 2018 but I will make inquiries with the Minister today and find out.

Senator Burke asked for a debate on tourism, which I have scheduled in the diary, but I will see if I can bring it forward now that the days are getting longer and we all have had a spring in our step in the past few days.

Senator Ahearn asked when the announcement on the town and village renewal scheme will be made. I do not know but I will make inquiries today and come back to him on it.

Senator Maria Byrne raised, and not for the first time as she has done so nearly on a weekly basis, as have others, the inefficiencies in University Hospital Limerick that are nearly unique to Limerick. I am surprised by what she said and that is why I texted her. I was under the impression that the Taoiseach in the Dáil a number of weeks ago had agreed to an independent review and now the Senator has been told the Minister on a visit to the hospital this week has said they are only considering it. That is not good enough. I will certainly make known the Senator’s views to the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Leader of the Green Party today. We have a commitment to make sure we improve those services. Hundreds of thousands of euro have been given to University Hospital Limerick in recent years but there has been no comparable improvement in services for the people of that region. It is not good enough.

It is lovely to see people back in the Chamber and around the Houses and normal life returning. I wish Senator McGreehan and her three little boys well. It is lovely to see them with their squeaky clean little faces and lovely hairdos and great to see them here. The Senator raised a really important issue. I heard the Minister, Deputy Roderic O’Gorman, interviewed on radio this morning on my drive to the Houses. He is one of the most thoughtful Ministers we have had in a long time. I am not being disrespectful to anybody in saying we all have to be a Minister on our first day in office without having been one prior to that. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has taken this issue to heart and has put Trojan effort into making sure this Bill takes into account all of the issues that have been raised with him during the past 18 months. I have no doubt when it is published this week some people will say it is missing this or that, but he had done an enormous body of work to bring forward the institutional burials Bill. I reassure the Senator that I spoke to the Minister’s private secretary yesterday and there is no doubt we will have this Bill passed by both Houses hopefully by the end of May or the beginning of June. That should be a priority for all of us. There are 796 little bodies buried that need to find a connection with their family members. It is incumbent upon all of us to make sure that happens as smoothly as it possibly can.

Senator Higgins talked about the Trade-Relates Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, TRIPS, waiver and the Tánaiste’s perception of what we discussed here before Christmas. I will certainly convey the Senator’s message to the Tánaiste and come back to her on it.

The Minister of State, Deputy Hackett, talked about Tulsa's recent review of accommodation services presented to Ministers last week and the need for timelines, which I think we will get in a few weeks when the Minister, Deputy McEntee, has finished her three-week public consultation review.

Senator Wall talked about the urgent debate that is required for GPs and I will organise that as quickly as I can.

Senator McGahon talked about having a debate on renewable energy targets that have now been set at 40%.

To answer the question raised by Senator Dooley, I certainly will try to arrange a debate on the topic of the request Senator Keogan raised this morning because it would be very apt to hear wider views on it. As to why there are delays with the supply chain, having listened to delays of diagnoses of whether women were depressed or menopausal, which they have had to put up with for donkey's years, is beyond belief.

I will see what I can find out and come back to the Senator.

I thank Senator Gavan for raising the issue he did because I was trying to figure out how I would bring it up nobody else did so I am glad he brought it up. I had the privilege of meeting Julia and Lenka. Deputy Joan Collins brought them to me a number of years ago. They are two remarkable women, but they were incredibly vulnerable when I met them because of how badly they were being treated by their employer, the Ivy, the salubrious restaurant down the road. They were treated despicably by that organisation, and it gave me great pleasure to see the judgment that was handed down. The only thing that gave me a little bit of sadness was that they did not get four times the amount of money that was awarded to them. They had been treated despicably. We should name and shame every organisation that mistreats the people who go in and provide a service on its behalf on a daily basis and who give the best impression of that organisation. In the back rooms of such companies' premises, these staff are treated so poorly.

I have been in contact with the two ladies since. I want to let them know they are the reason we have the new legislation on tips. They are the reason we started that ball rolling a couple of weeks ago and we had the Tánaiste here a couple of weeks ago. They are the reason that will make me fight to make sure the service charge is included in the legislation and I have done a bit of research in recent weeks which I did not do when I was in the Department. The original agreement between the unions and the industry at the time, 48 years ago when service charges were introduced, there was no legislation covering it because it was an agreement between unions and the industry that the service charge would be introduced to make sure the people who were giving you the service got looked after and got paid well. That was because the wages were always considered too low to earn a living. There is no reason why any employer should take that to pay for knives, forks, their own bottom line, broken plates or whatever they are having themselves. It is for the people who serve us and that is where it should be going. I will work hard with Senator Gavan and others to make sure it goes that way and stays that way.

Senator Buttimer and others talked about NPHET in view of the fact that it was disbanded suddenly this morning. Colleagues have raised acceptance and delight at the fact that this time next week we will not have masks and the visible signs of Covid. Others, such as Senators Flynn and Higgins, have talked about the fact that there still is an air of cautiousness among some people. As a society, we need to make sure that we recognise both. There are people who will be gleeful next week and there are people who will still be scared and vulnerable. We need to make sure we look after those who are scared and vulnerable but also try to genuinely get down to whatever the new normal will be as quickly as we possibly can.

Senators Murphy and Currie talked about the work hub. Senator Currie spoke about the connected hubs and the extra 200 we are getting over the coming years, which will be great. Senator Murphy also sought a debate on the flooding of the River Shannon, which I will organise as quickly as I can.

Senator Keogan brought up the protests in Canada and I will try to organise that debate on a Thursday afternoon in the coming weeks because it would be interesting to do that. The Senator is right and she mentioned last week that there was little coverage of its so maybe it is a good time to bring it up.

Senator Malcolm Byrne talked about the Uyghur World Congress visit this morning. I note with interest the lovely email we got and I thank the Senator for his reply, which was well drafted. There is no reason not to shine a light when human rights violations are being made and to sing about them insofar as they should not be done in the quiet or in close corners.

Senator Flynn asked for a debate on direct provision, which we will organise.

Senators Sherlock, Martin and Craughwell, among others, talked about Ukraine and the sanctions I hope will be announced at some point in the afternoon. Each of them are right that the sanctions need to be as loud and reactive to the intolerable actions of the Russians last night as possible. They should not be tolerated by any part of a functional, normal and democratic society.

Senator Craughwell showed his dismay at the cost of the 945 pairs of socks. That sounds silly but you do not get to have a seat on the UN Security Council without lobbying all the people who make a decision. However, he has a point and he made it well.

Senator Conway talked about sending a letter to NPHET and looked for a debate on disability and digital papers for students of this year’s leaving certificate.

Senator O’Loughlin started the debate by condemning the Russian attacks and she again talked about the lack of ICTU affiliation for our Defence Forces and their powerlessness in talks on their pay. The Senator also referred to the Respect for SNAs campaign and Caoimhe O’Connor in her area, who will graduate as an SNA next week but who will not get the respect she deserves.

As I said here before, the Respect for SNAs campaign deserves all our support in any way, shape or form we can offer it.

Senators might invite Ms Julia Marciniak and Ms Lenka Laiermanova when that legislation is coming through because of what they had to endure to highlight that particular issue.

Order of Business agreed to.
Barr
Roinn