The Order of Business is No. 1, the Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill 2022 - Second Stage, to be taken at 1.15 p.m., with the time allocated for the opening remarks 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 six minutes to reply to the debate.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
I also extend my welcome to the ambassador. Céad míle fáilte.
The 2023 Estimate for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is €2.14 billion. This is the highest ever level of funding for the Department and represents an increase of €283 million on the 2022 provision. This is a 13% increase overall to support farmers, rural and coastal communities and the fishing community. The budget supports farmers and family farms dealing with the immediate and ongoing fallout from the illegal invasion of Ukraine. It also lays the groundwork for strategic supports for the sector over the next five years through the new €10 billion Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, strategic plan. The budget delivers large-scale funding to drive the sector's environmental ambition, helping improve both on-farm sustainability and farmers' incomes. Some €500 million has been secured in the 2023 budget to support farmers in their efforts to tackle the challenges of climate, biodiversity and water quality.
This is real money for farm families. The measures include up to 30,000 places in a new flagship agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES. While it might have some shortcomings, efforts will be made to improve it.
There is also a grant aid scheme to support the spreading of lime as well as an enhanced multispecies sward red clover scheme. Many years ago, farmers spread quite a lot of lime but unfortunately in recent years, they have not been able to do that because of cost. I very much welcome the €8 million investment and I think that many farmers will get involved in lime spreading.
There will be an increase in TAMS funding to €90 million. This will help fund the proposed increase to 60% grant rate and a stand-alone investment ceiling of €90,000 for solar installation. As an immediate step, which is important, farm dwellings will be eligible for inclusion for solar panel investment. There is also an increased budget for organic farming at €37 million, which is a whopping 80% increase on last year. Crucially, there is a €2.5 million budget for farm safety. Every Member, including the Leader and the Cathaoirleach, will recognise that we have had too many farm accidents. Too many people, young and not so young, have been killed in tragic farm accidents and, therefore, I welcome that budget for farm safety.
I am delighted that we have a good package. It is important that we have this kind of funding. I make this strong statement on the agricultural budget because the agricultural sector employs up to 300,000 people in this country. Its products are on our tables every day with the food that we eat. It generates almost €14.5 billion in exports and 90% of what we produce is exported. Every citizen should realise how important agriculture is and that it is still the backbone of our economy despite its challenges. I hope that governments will continue to invest more in the agricultural sector.
I also welcome the ambassador to the House on behalf of my grouping. I offer my best wishes on Germany's national day.
I have raised issues relating to Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, on numerous occasions and I understand that the report by Conleth Bradley SC into the board was received by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications on 22 July. It has been sent to the chair of the board of IFI and was received on 26 September. I look forward to the publication of that report. I suspect it will find that there was nothing untoward or wrong with the interactions, engagements and workings of the board of IFI. I believe that for two reasons, first, due to my experience of the board and its members and, second, if there were shortcomings or wrongdoing, that report would have been sent to the chair of IFI a damn sight quicker than two months after it was received by the Department. I will say no more on that because there are other issues that I have with IFI.
Myself and Oireachtas Members in the area had a very constructive engagement with unions regarding Clifden District Hospital earlier today. That follows on from a meeting last Monday about the hospital. I thank the Cathaoirleach for choosing the Commencement matter on this issue yesterday on this with my colleagues, Senators Pauline O'Reilly and Ollie Crowe. We talk about the HSE but in reality we need to talk about groups in the west such as the Saolta Hospital Group and the community health organisations, CHOs, because they are totally separate, as far as I can see, in their workings and engagement. For example, Saolta Hospital Group can recruit hundreds of nursing staff internationally, be it in India or the Philippines yet CHO west is unable to do that or does not do that. There are shortfalls in staffing in St. Anne's in Clifden and in Clifden District Hospital and that is putting pressure on the whole system. There is a huge variation between Saolta and the CHO. God knows, I have criticised the hospital group enough on various issues but at least it is going out and recruiting staff as best it can internationally because the well in Ireland is exhausted. We need to look at what we can do about that as well. I was shocked to hear the variation in practices between Saolta Hospital Group on the one hand and CHO west on the other. I asked for a debate earlier this week on workforce planning within the health system and international recruitment. I look forward to that being arranged in the near future.
I welcome the German ambassador to the House. Many of my friends go to St. Killian's, the magnificent German international school and education campus on Roebuck Road in Clonskeagh. It is funded substantially by the German Government. It is a wonderful educational campus. Many Irish citizens, who are also European citizens of course, choose to go to this amazing school. I wish the ambassador and the campus continued success.
Councillors from all over the country are gathering for the annual general meeting of the Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, today. I acknowledge and thank the outgoing president, the Donegal councillor Cllr Nicholas Crossan and Cllr Nick Killian, the vice president, from County Meath, who will stand down today. There will be a change of officers today but I want to acknowledge the importance of the day, of their work and the importance of the AILG and the Local Authority Members Association, LAMA, in engaging with us. A substantial number of us are elected by members of local authorities; they are our constituents. I never apologise for raising issues relating to city and county councils in this Chamber. We are, after all, elected by them. It is important. I call for a debate in the future on the issue of devolved powers. We have more powers relating to local government centralised than any other EU member state and it is important that we address that. As strong advocates of local government across the House, the reform of local government is an issue on which we need to focus more. We previously discussed the funding of local government. Local government needs to stand on its own feet but to do that it needs sufficient resources and finance. Many Commencement Matters an other issues raised in this, the Upper House, usually relate to local government and local issues. Often the parliamentary questions tabled in the Dáil are the same. We need somehow to empower and strengthen local government and local democracy. I ask for a focus on these themes over a period, particularly on greater powers for our city and county councillors and how we can empower local government and devolve more powers from central government to local government.
I also want to give my regards to the German ambassador and acknowledge the importance of Germany's national day. Through him, I also thank the German Government and the German people for the important and steadfast support for the Good Friday Agreement and our peace process after the fallout from Brexit. It has been key along with the support member states across the EU. I am sure we can continue to learn from and engage with the German people and the German experience as we journey towards our own reunification in the years ahead.
I wanted to reflect on the positive launch of the Northern Voices exhibition yesterday as part of the Seanad 100 celebrations. I thank the Cathaoirleach and all those involved in yesterday's event, including the Leader. I pay tribute to former Senators, Catherine McGuinness, Ian Marshall and Martin McAleese, for their thoughtful contributions at yesterday's launch. I thought the three of them, and their speeches, were indicative of the positive experience of having diverse Northern voices here in the Seanad. I hope that as many people as possible get to see that exhibition, engage with it and reflect on the issue at the heart of it.
I do not disagree with the Leader's remarks, which got a bit of coverage in the media last night, on the Taoiseach appointments to the Seanad and setting aside some of those for diverse Northern voices. While I endorse and support that, ultimately the best thing we can do, which was reflected in Ian Marshall's speech yesterday, is to get to the point where we reform the Seanad to ensure universal franchise and that, as we agreed in the Seanad reform Bill, citizens across our 32 counties would have a vote in future Seanad elections.
One thing that Ian Marshall and I agreed on several times in the previous Seanad was that while we were very proud to be "Nordie" voices in the Seanad, we did not want to be a novelty. We wanted to be here in our own right regardless of whether we came from the British, Irish or any other tradition. We wanted to be here on the basis of our own Irishness and everything that diversity represents. I encourage the Government to seriously consider tabling the Seanad reform Bill because there is so much in it for us all to consider. A hell of a lot of hard work was put into it. In our own group, Senator Warfield led and Senator McDowell chaired that committee. There is a significant opportunity in that for us all to ensure the Seanad is just not reflective of the North but is reflective, as we advocated yesterday, of so many of the rich tapestries of Irish life.
I was contacted last night by the excellent Labour Youth student branch at Maynooth University over its concerns that the proposed student centre and hub will not be going ahead as promised. My concern, which is shared by the Labour Youth student branch, is that students have been paying a student levy towards this building since 2015 with the promise that it would be built in the quickest possible time. I listened to my local radio station KFM on the way into the House this morning where the issue was raised and discussed. The programme's presenter Eoin Beatty read a statement from Maynooth University that the levy would be ring-fenced and only used for student matters. There is an obvious concern among the students in Maynooth University about what is happening to their much-needed student hub, given the significant increase in the student population there over recent years. The Labour Party student branch is also rightly asking about where the student levy money is at this time and indeed how much is in the fund since 2015. I ask the Leader to raise this important matter with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. He needs to tell us what he knows about this important matter. As has been said by other public representatives this morning, there is a need for all the relevant bodies to get together with the management of the university to evaluate the current position regarding the much-needed centre and to plan a path forward for its completion.
I also wish to raise the ongoing issue of school bus transport. I continue to receive daily calls from families that previously had tickets and are now finding it extremely difficult if not impossible to get their children to school. Some people have had to hand in their notice. There was an announcement in the budget of €10 million for fuel and school transport. In her press conference yesterday, the Minister for Education seemed to indicate that the Government and her Department were trying to facilitate those families that had applied on time and previously had concessionary tickets. It would be very useful if we could get clarity on this. When she was in this House for a Commencement matter and a Private Members' debate, the Minister indicated that she had sought extra money. Thankfully, it would seem that this was achieved in some form. The clarity sought by so many people who are contacting me concerns whether they have to reapply or contact Bus Éireann again, what their chances of getting a ticket are and, most importantly, how long this process will take. Any assistance with this matter would be welcomed by many people.
I ask again for a debate in this House on the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. There was a welcome increase in the defence budget, with talk of new planes and primary radar. Unfortunately, our Defence Force numbers are heading below 8,000 for the first time in over 50 years - far below the number envisaged in the report, which proposed up to 3,000 new recruits. This, in the first instance, is the biggest threat to our Defence Forces. Simply put, too many loyal members are leaving because of pay. They cannot continue to live on promises and reports. Their families need those pay increases. That is the simple fact. I would appreciate the chance to discuss this further with the Minister for Defence if that could be arranged.
I wish to move an amendment to the Order of Business, to provide that No. 15 be taken ahead of No. 1.
I second that amendment.
The Senator probably does not need to second it until we come back in. I am looking for a debate on combating poverty. I know we have had lots of discussions about the cost-of-living crisis but there is a risk of us merging the two concepts. The cost-of-living crisis will affect many communities across different social classes, employments and professions but poverty has been a consistent cause of suffering for many communities for generations. Even though I care very much about the cost of living, I am also very mindful that when we have a cost-of-living crisis or recession, people in many communities have the capacity to bounce back from that and still have some level of safety because of their professional background, family connections or the safety afforded by having their own home. However, when it comes to poverty, the level of resilience is very different and people are pushed beyond any normal amount of resilience anyone should ever be expected to have. I read a small booklet this morning by John Bissett, who is a mentor and friend of mine. I think it came through the post but it was about the power of the arts in enacting social change. It stated:
I have learned that it is difficult to express the raw emotion of suffering while at the same time exploring deeply political themes and retain the interest of those affected without lecturing or alienating them.
It really stood out for me. After being in here for six or seven years constantly talking about communities like mine and how hard it is, I sometimes feel that at some level, they even begin to resist that because it is very hard to acknowledge how hard it is and still survive and have humour, hope, desire, ambition and aspiration. It would be good for all of us to really look at combating poverty as a targeted measure. We used to have the Combat Poverty Agency but we no longer have such an agency. Perhaps it is time for us to consider having some sort of agency looking at poverty in and of itself.
Before I call the next speaker, I welcome to the Visitors Gallery the pupils and staff of St. Paul's Secondary School in the Oughterard area of Connemara, County Galway. They just missed hearing from their local representative, Senator Kyne, although all Senators are national. I welcome Chris Hurney and all the staff and students. I hope they have a great day and enjoy the day off school, which is the most important part, along with learning about democracy.
I also welcome the students who have come here today. I commend the Cathaoirleach, the Seanad staff and the Leader on the launch of Northern Voices. It was an excellent presentation and exhibition. The contribution of all the speakers, including the Leader, was insightful. It brings us to the question raised by colleagues, namely, Seanad reform. I brought a Bill before this House in November 2020 that aimed to enact the seventh amendment to the Constitution, which was to extend voting rights to other higher education graduates. At the time, in response to the legislation, the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, a Minister for whom I have enormous respect, said:
These are issues that must be considered and addressed in the coming months as part of Seanad reform measures, subject to Cabinet agreement in 2021. I welcome the debate that has taken place.
The Leader might have a greater insight than I do but I am not aware of any Cabinet agreements to move on Seanad reform. The Minister, Deputy Harris, spoke to me earlier this year to support the proposals to finally extend the franchise in the university constituencies. I ask that at some stage in the coming weeks, the adjourned debate be resumed because I think it is important. I welcome the Leader's comments yesterday. We should have a realistic debate about Seanad reform. A lot of very welcome changes have been initiated by the Leader and the Cathaoirleach over the past two years but the question around the franchise, about which people have concerns, still exists. I hope we can have that debate.
Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh na scoláirí ó Choláiste Naomh Póil freisin. Ba mhaith liom labhairt faoi thalidomide agus na marthanóirí thalidomide atá fós ina gcónaí anseo in Éirinn. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil níos lú ná 3,000 duine acu ar fud an domhain agus níos lú ná 36 nó mar sin dóibh atá ina gcónaí in Éirinn fós. Dé Máirt seo chugainn beidh clár teilifíse, "Scannal" ar siúl ar RTÉ 1. Aithneoidh gach éinne anseo an obair a dhéanann an clár teilifíse "Scannal" faoi chúrsaí reatha. Nuair atáimid ag féachaint ar thalidomide agus an fhadhb atá againn, is scannal cinnte atá i gceist. Sin an fáth go bhfuil an clár teilifíse ag labhairt faoi scannal na marthanóirí thalidomide. Tá brón orm nach ndearnadh aon rud an tseachtain seo faoi sin sa bhuiséad nó in aon áit eile. Ní raibh aon chaint faoi ach an oiread. Tá na marthanóirí fós ann. Tá siad fós beo agus fós ag fanacht agus níl faic déanta ag an Rialtas go dtí seo. Sin an fáth go bhfuil mé ag labhairt faoi seo. Tá níos mó ná €2 milliún caite ag an Rialtas ar an gcás seo, ar an bhfadhb seo, seachas €600,000 ag na marthanóirí iad féin. Tá an-difríocht ann idir an tslí inár ndéileáil Rialtas na Breataine leis na marthanóirí agus an tslí inár ndéileáil an Rialtas anseo leo. Bhí rannpháirtíocht ann sa Bhreatain ach níl faic déanta ag an Rialtas anseo. Is an-fhadhb atá ann agus caithfimid rud éigin a dhéanamh faoi. Beidh mise ag féachaint ar an teilifís Dé Máirt seo chugainn agus ba cheart do gach Seanadóir agus gach aon duine féachaint ar an gclár teilifíse sin freisin.
I again raise the issue of Shannon Heritage and its proposed takeover by Clare County Council. I do not think any provision was made to provide the €4 million in essential funding that Clare County Council needs to make Shannon Heritage sustainable, or that it was announced in the budget. Perhaps it is in the detail somewhere. I again call on the Leader to intervene with the Minister to see what exactly is going on with Shannon Heritage. When will the funding council needs to make the facilities sustainable be made available in order that we can move into 2023, do the necessary marketing plan and sell Clare internationally as one unit, including the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre, Bunratty, Knappogue Castle and the other Shannon Heritage sites? I would appreciate it if the Leader could intervene on this matter.
I also wish to raise the issue of the human papillomavirus, HPV, catch-up programme. It was announced by the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, last July. This week alone, I have been contacted by two individuals who have been charged to receive the catch-up injections from their pharmacists. The programme is either free or it is not. We need the details as to when exactly it will be implemented because this is urgent. Women have been told that they will be able to access the catch-up programme free of charge but it is not happening and it needs to happen. I request an urgent debate with the Minister next week, if possible, to discuss the issue of the HPV catch-up programme and when it will be available to all women aged under-25 free of charge
I support Senator Kyne's comments on the Department's report carried out into the board of Inland Fisheries Ireland. I ask that the report be published as a matter of urgency and that the Minister lays it before the Houses of the Oireachtas. We could and should discuss the report in this House, and everything that is happening now regarding Inland Fisheries Ireland, where the Department is carrying out a report into one of its own boards. The report was carried out, finalised in July and it will be almost 1 October before it will be presented. It is timely that we should look for a debate on that report in this House as a matter of urgency.
I also ask the Leader to bring to the attention of the Minister for Justice the matter of security at courthouses, in particular, in Castlebar and Ballina. It has been brought to my attention that during the Covid pandemic a private security firm carried out security for those courthouses, which was greatly appreciated. I believe, however, that the Courts Service will lay off people who are security officers and are working locally. They have provided a great service, not alone to the public but to people involved in the Courts Service. It would be a retrograde step at this stage if the Courts Service was to end the security arrangements that have been put in place by private contractors who have won tenders for Castlebar, Ballina and, I presume, other courts throughout the country. It is something the Minister should revisit and have a look at. I ask the Leader to bring that message to her.
Last night, BBC's "Panorama" programme aired details of horrific cases in hospitals in the greater Manchester area of patients with mental ill health being humiliated, abused and isolated for weeks. It was an National Health Service, NHS, foundation. People were being held under the UK Mental Health Act and were all individuals classified as being at serious risk of harming themselves or others. The experiences shown in that programme were of patients being sworn at, taunted, mocked, restrained unnecessarily, slapped and pinched. Patients were locked into seclusion rooms for days, weeks and months. One woman described herself as being treated like an animal.
I am raising a matter relating to Manchester because yesterday the Mental Health Commission issued a press release stating that from 1 January next, restraints will not be used on children in services in Ireland. As part of a report it released, however, the use of seclusion and restraints in 67 inpatient mental health centres in Ireland in 2021 found that 645 people were secluded last year, with 6% of them being prevented from leaving their rooms for periods of greater than 72 hours. One individual's episodes of exclusion ranged from three minutes to - wait for it - 8,759 hours over a year. A method of restraint was used in 25% of instances. There was physical restraint; staff members would stop a patient from moving freely, which was used 75% of the time.
The "Panorama" programme was broadcast last night, but we had our own report yesterday that went under the radar and did not get any focus. I ask that we focus on mental health because at present the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill is working its way through the House. Under that Bill, patients with mental ill health have been ring-fenced as people for whom an advance healthcare directive will not apply. If they, in full capacity and in full health, put that document together and have it ready for a point when they perhaps will not have capacity and would not be in full health, that document can be suspended, if they are people who are at serious risk of harming themselves or others.
We are legislating at present to reduce the voice, and render powerless and without agency, people in mental ill health, while the Mental Health Commission is issuing a report and we see visuals on television about what is happening. We would be foolish to think it is not happening here. The reasons we are not being more nuanced with this legislation is the Mental Health Act 2001 is under review. That needs to be accelerated. We cannot have any delay on that. I am looking to make sure we have a debate because in advance of yesterday's Committee Stage debate on the assisted decision-making Bill in this House, I received a number of phone calls and listened to people. It was frightening. I lay awake most of last night thinking that this is happening in our State. It is absolutely frightening.
I rise today to raise two matters. First, I welcome the business supports that we are putting in place in the budget to tackle the high energy costs and rising bills and other costs for small businesses. I know that they have to go to the Revenue Commissioners. I am going back to an old chestnut that I have raised here. The Leader wrote to both the Minister and the Revenue Commissioners at the time. Revenue offices are still not open to the public. People are trying to get information. Did the Leader get a response to her letter? I ask that question because it is an important issue. The Revenue Commissioners are a public office and a public service. They need to be open to members of the public especially in this time of uncertainty for small businesses given the rising costs. It is very important that people are able to engage with the Revenue Commissioners.
The second matter I wish to raise relates to the launch in Limerick yesterday of an initiative by libraries to make home-energy saving kits available to library members. This is a very important issue. There is much emphasis on retrofitting and it has been suggested that people should apply for grants to get work carried out on their home. My understanding is that these energy-saving kits give people a rough idea of what the problems are in a home. They help to identify if there is not much insulation in an area. If they are placed near a cooker or kettle they can tell how much energy is being consumed. They are able to send a report to people on how they can reduce their costs. These kits should be rolled out to every library in Ireland. The home-energy saving kits identify common issues in homes and give people an idea of where they need to start. They also identify if there is poor ventilation in a room. These are important issues and I would like to see the roll-out of these kits to all libraries across Ireland. The kits would help householders to reduce their costs if they cannot afford to get a full survey carried out in their home.
The matter raised by Senator Maria Byrne is a fantastic idea. Do people have to live in Limerick to get a kit from a library there or could anyone else get one? What she has sought is that the kits would be rolled out to the rest of the country. It is a super initiative. I will find out more information and come back to the Senator with a response on the expansion of the programme.
Senator Maria Byrne also spoke about the welcome business supports, in particular from an energy perspective. We listened to coffee shop owners and petrol station owners talk about their bills quadrupling and their ESB bills being €10,000 and €25,000 for a month, which is just not sustainable. The 40% grant towards energy bills is very welcome. Given that the Revenue Commissioners are the people who will administer and monitor the supports, if their offices are not open it will be very difficult for businesses. I will follow up on the matter again. To answer the Senator's question, I did not even get an acknowledgement to the letter I sent a number of weeks ago, which should not surprise us at all.
Senator Seery Kearney asked for a debate on the report from the Mental Health Commission yesterday. In light of the very disturbing statistics that were reported in it and the visuals evident in the "Panorama" programme last night, she is probably right to say that just because we think it is not happening here does not mean that is the case. We have witnessed a number of very disturbing reports from disability facilities and congregated settings run by the State in the past that were not up to scratch. I will arrange that debate as soon as I can.
Senators Burke and Kyne both mentioned the Inland Fisheries Ireland report, which has been with the Department and also the board for some months. They asked for a debate on the report. I will organise that as soon as I can. I was also asked to contact the Minister for Justice with regard to the security contracts at courthouses that have been in place for many years.
During Covid.
It strikes me as odd that it was only just during Covid, but I do not see why we would need security then and not during normal times. It is bizarre. I will contact the Minister in that regard today.
Senator Conway, who has brought the HPV catch-up programme to our attention on many occasions in the Seanad, raised the fact that constituents of his have told him they have been charged for the HPV vaccine. That runs completely contrary to the intentions of the Department of Health's previous announcements. I will follow up on that. Senator Conway also asked me to contact the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, about funding needed by Clare County Council to take ownership of the Shannon Heritage sites so it can start marketing them off its own back. I will follow up with the Minister on that issue.
Senator Ward spoke about the continuing plight of Thalidomide citizens in Ireland. There is a "Scannal" programme next Tuesday that will highlight everything that has happened not just in Ireland but across the UK, including the glaring differences in how the two jurisdictions have treated their citizens. To be honest, it leaves us in a very embarrassing position. Senator Boyhan has also raised this matter numerous times. It is time for the Department to take action with regard to its responsibility for these citizens.
Senator Malcolm Byrne spoke about northern voices and the Seanad reform Bill that he has before the House. I will come back to him later today on his request.
Senator Ruane has tabled an amendment to the Order of Business which I am very happy to accept. That is no problem. More important, probably, she asked for a debate on combatting poverty. Notwithstanding that we are in a crisis that we have not seen in a generation - there probably was a similar one going back in the 1980s but I was only a young one so the problems were on my mam's and dad's shoulders not on mine - it is distinctly different to combatting persistent poverty, something that blights many towns and communities around the country. I will ask for such a debate.
I am very conscious of what Senator Ruane said this morning. She is probably here for seven or nearly eight years. I am not surprised that particular communities turn off and ask us to please stop talking about them because all it ever does is bring negativity and bring them down from the positive parts and actions of the communities we speak about. This is not a reflection on Senator Ruane at all, but what we need to be mindful of is the tone of how we speak about communities. Sometimes we can very easily highlight all of the bad stuff in certain communities, as if they do not happen in every other community and that our lovely, leafy suburbs are perfect when we all know they are not. We must be mindful of how we speak about the negativity that exist in some communities but also at the same time balance it by highlighting the very positive impacts that most people in those communities strive for just to live a normal, decent life. I will try to arrange such a debate as quickly as I can.
Senator Wall spoke about the ongoing issues with the school transport system. I listened intently to what he said, following on from my own party's Private Members' motion some weeks ago, which was widely supported by everybody, as we are all experiencing the same difficulties with families who did have access to bus transport but who do not have it now. The Minister made a statement at the time that the matter would be resolved in the budget. Her press conference came and went and did not give us any resolution, so I will follow up the matter as we do need to get it sorted. The money is now there, which is great, but what we need is the buses, drivers and the mechanism for people who used to have tickets to get them. People must be told what they have to do. I will follow up on the matter with the Senator today, and with all Members.
Members will be very pleased to know there is a debate on the Defence Forces report next Tuesday. We have scheduled two hours with the Minister. I hope Members get an opportunity to make their views known. Maynooth is only down the road from me. It is very worrying that the project was halted yesterday with no clarity as to where the money that has been collected to date is going and what they intend to do with future funding. While I completely understand that building costs have gone through the roof - everyone has experienced that and we get reports on it daily and weekly - but it is still not satisfactory. The statement finished nearly half way, and it did not follow on. I will contact the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, today and see if he knows anything. I will come back to the Senator on the matter.
Senator Ó Donnghaile spoke today about learning from the German experience of reunification. He also spoke about the Northern Voices event yesterday which was very welcome and sought Seanad reform.
Senator Boyhan spoke about the international European school in Clonskeagh that is run and funded by the German Government. He also spoke today about the AGM of the AILG. Nick Killian, who has been the chair for many years, is a good friend of mine. He lives in the same village as me and is a Trojan worker. I thank him for his work in recent years and wish him continued success in his role as chair of the AILG this year. The Senator looked for a debate on devolved powers, which I have sought as others have requested it in the past.
We just do not have a date for it yet but I will follow up again.
Apart from the request for a debate on the inland fisheries, Senator Kyne spoke about the workforce planning debate that is badly needed. He spoke about his area where Saolta is recruiting with gusto, yet the CHOs that are responsible for all the local disability and mental health services do not seem to be doing the same. I noted with interest going home in my car late yesterday evening that Spin 1038 was doing a recruitment drive for Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. I have never heard the likes of that before and it was unique but it was also welcome. When you look at the national recruitment of nurses by the HSE, we are paying for flights to bring them home and for accommodation for the first couple of months. We need to step up our game and make sure that the nurses who are training here get to stay here and we need increased numbers of them as well. We will do so with better treatment and conditions and we must also get back those nurses who we have lost over the years. There needs to be proper workforce planning to do so and not individual parts of the system working well while others are flaying behind. That workforce planning debate request has gone in and I will come back to the Senator as soon as I have a date for it.
Senator Murphy opened the debate by welcoming the largest ever agricultural budget in the history of the State, given that it is probably the most important indigenous industry we have. He highlighted some of the great advancements that have been made with new policies recognising where we are as a country and a world with our climate actions. He welcomed farm dwellings being included in the solar grant schemes, which reminded us all that 300,000 people rely on agriculture for their living every year. Every single one of us relies on them to eat and be well. The €14 billion in exports is something we should be very proud of and we should continue to support it in every way we can.
Senator Ruane has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, seconded by Senator Ó Donnghaile: "That No. 15 be taken before No. 1". The Leader has indicated that she is prepared to accept this amendment.
Amendment agreed to.
Order of Business, as amended, agreed to.