Before I call on the Leader to outline the Order of Business, I wish to welcome Maggie Owens and Aideen Lynch, teachers from the Holy Family School for the Deaf, Cabra. They are guests of Senator O'Loughlin. I welcome them to Seanad Éireann this afternoon.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
The Order of Business today is No. 1, motion regarding the Orders of Reference of the Seanad Select Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, motion regarding proposed approval by Seanad Éireann of a Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating corruption, to be taken on conclusion of No. 1, without debate; No. 3, motion regarding appointment of a member to the Policing Authority, to be taken on conclusion of No. 2, without debate; No. 4, motion regarding Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations 2023, referral to committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 3, without debate; No. 5, motion regarding Planning and Development (Fees for Certain Applications) Regulations 2023, referral to committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 4, without debate, No. 6, motion regarding Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. XX) Regulations 2023, referral to committee, to be taken on conclusion of No. 5, without debate; No. 7, Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022 – Report Stage, resumed, and Final Stage, to be taken at 3.15 p.m., and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to conclusion at 5.15 p.m. by the putting of one question from the Chair, which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by Government; No. 8, Representative Actions for the Protection of the Collective Interests of Consumers Bill 2023 – Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 5.45 p.m. and to adjourn at 6.15 p.m., if not previously concluded; and No. 9, Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Bill 2022 – Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 6.15 p.m.
I welcome Maggie Owens and Aideen Lynch, teachers at the Holy Family School for the Deaf, Cabra. They just appeared at the Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. I welcome them both and I am glad they have the opportunity to sit in and listen to some of the proceedings in the Chamber. It has been a particularly sad weekend for deaths in Ireland and, particularly, deaths abroad. We heard the harrowing circumstances of a woman who died in Salou. I believe she was a mother of two. We do not have her name. I express sympathy with her family and children. I also express my deepest sympathy with the family of Munster Rugby coach, Greig Oliver, who was in South Africa supporting his son Jack, who is on the under-20 Irish team. In particular, we must remember the two young men, Andrew O'Donnell and Max Wall, who died tragically in Ios.
I wish to express the sympathy of the Fianna Fáil group on the tragic passing of Andrew and Max, two young men who had just graduated from St. Michael's College and who were on the cusp of the next part of their lives. We all know what it is like to have the opportunity to travel, to make friends and to have fun as a rite of passage after sixth year. For a trip to end like this is utterly devastating for their families and friends. We remember them. Perhaps we might have a minute's silence after the Order of Business.
I have long campaigned, as has the Leader, for an increase in pay for members of the Defence Forces and for better conditions for them and their families. The Army Ranger Wing has finally won its battle for better allowances. I commend PDFORRA, especially Mark Keane and Ger Guinan, on their work in this area. It has been a long fight but it has finally been delivered. I commend the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, on delivering this. The Army Ranger Wing has served us diligently abroad in Afghanistan and Chad. For years, its members received significantly less in allowances. The new adjudication will be backdated to October 2021, which is very important. It represents an increase of approximately 27% in the special allowance. I ask that this happen immediately. We cannot have any more delays relating to it.
Yesterday I had an opportunity to visit the new day-care centre for people with dementia in Kildangan. It will open in early August. For 20 years we have been looking for a permanent place in Kildare. I commend the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, the HSE and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on all of the work they have put into ensuring that we will have a five-day service in Kildangan. More than 1,500 people live with dementia in Kildare. We know there are 65,000 in the country. It is very important that we have support services in place. I commend all of those involved.
I join Senator O'Loughlin in expressing our heartfelt sympathies to the families of the two young men who died so tragically in Greece. It seems to be a feature of this time of year that this type of thing happens. It is a great tragedy for the families and for the entire school community. It is just awful.
I want to turn to several issues relating to housing. When I came into local government in 1985, we used to build rural cottages. They were dotted throughout rural Ireland. They came within the category of social housing. With regard to social housing, the current limits need to be increased as they are unrealistic. For rural cottages, there was usually a requirement that the person had a site or access to one in some fashion, perhaps through a family member or relation who would give a small plot of land. These rural houses were built. It was good for rural communities in terms of social mix from every perspective, and that does not need to be elaborated upon. It was good for the dynamic of rural communities and bringing in new people. It was also good to give people the dignity of living in their own area. The only prerequisite was that they had access to a site. In some instances, it was possible to provide a site because of a bit of vacant land that the council owned. We should revisit this and I ask the Leader to convey this to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It would be worth looking at it again. The argument against it is with regard to once-off housing, but I do not agree with that. It should be done subject to proper planning and environmental considerations.
The Croí Cónaithe scheme, or rather the money for doing up derelict buildings, is very attractive. It is a very good scheme.
There is a technical difficulty with it, though. In certain scenarios, councils can employ a clawback where persons do not fulfil the various terms. This is making banks less than enthusiastic about mortgages. The matter is being dealt with by the Department and I have been in direct contact with the Department myself, as have other colleagues, but I wish to bring it to the Leader’s attention again. She might raise it with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Regarding vacant housing, it is an amazing experience to walk around Dublin. I had occasion to do it recently. The number of vacant properties – large buildings that should be brought back into use – around this city is incredible. Perhaps Croí Cónaithe will help, but those properties should be brought back into use by whatever means necessary, from compulsory purchase orders to taxation. Seeing their number when walking around is frightening. I would invite anyone to walk around this city some day to see them. They are all along the quays and everywhere else.
I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 7 should not be brought to a conclusion at 5.15 p.m. by the putting of a question but should instead be adjourned. There is a strong tradition of opposing the guillotine in this House. It would be disgraceful for the Government to push for a guillotine on any legislation, but especially the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, when one considers the fine advocacy of my colleagues in the House, including Senators McDowell and Craughwell, pointing to flaws in the Bill and introducing amendments. It would be appalling to propose a guillotine on this matter. I ask that the Leader consider my proposed amendment and accept it.
It seems to me that the usual insider groups have belatedly started lobbying Senators on the ill-advised Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022. I find remarkable the response of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL, which wants the Bill pushed through using language like how it attempts to criminalise extreme forms of hate speech and suggesting it is an urgent problem. This is a pussycat response. I say “pussycat” because cats are on my mind. Previously, the ICCL had very sensible amendments to offer on this legislation. I am fairly certain that most of them were not accepted, but all of them were important. It is remarkable now that the cat seems to have got the ICCL’s tongue because what we are now getting are expressions of support for the introduction of this legislation without any further delay. I do not know if this is because the ICCL has been captured by other elements within the Coalition Against Hate Crime Ireland or, as it makes a plea for a follow-up action plan against hate, it might have a budget in mind that might be helped along by the Government to prepare and deliver such a programme on foot of the legislation being passed. That would be disappointing, given that the ICCL said, and others and I have been making this point repeatedly, that hate speech should only be outlawed in the most extreme cases, such as incitement to violence. This was the ICCL’s recommendation, yet there is no reference to "extreme" in the Bill. The ICCL stated that hate speech should be treated in separate legislation than hate crime so as to avoid confusion. That is not happening. It stated that criminal law should only be used as a matter of last resort. That is certainly not happening. The Minister is reaching for the most extreme element of social sanction without even supplying a definition of “hatred”. The ICCL recommended and supplied such a definition, but the fact it is not included in the Bill does not seem to bother the ICCL one bit. It is amazing that an NGO that has freedom of expression as a central plank of its ethos could abandon its defence of free speech so cravenly. Is this a case of capture by the Government or a hope of funding from the Government? Does it have to do with the ICCL’s connection with international organisations like the Open Society Foundations? Whatever it is, the ICCL is not serving the public. Now more than ever, we need people to defend freedom of expression, which is a core element of our democracy.
Hear, hear.
This evening in the Dáil, my Sinn Féin colleagues will move a motion calling on the Government to recommit to a 50% contribution to the redevelopment of the A5 road. Anyone who knows the north west or has to travel it knows how notorious and dangerous a stretch of road the A5 is.
Tragically, the significant loss of life over several years on this road has devastated families and communities. The people behind the Enough is Enough campaign are to be hosted in Leinster House today. In this regard, I encourage colleagues to attend a briefing hosted by Deputy Pearse Doherty at 4 p.m. in the audiovisual room. The name Enough is Enough says it all. It is time for the Government to recommit to the 50% stake in the redevelopment of the A5. We can all agree that the most important thing is the effort to save lives and improve safety on this stretch of road. The road is important as infrastructure that connects the oft-neglected and forgotten north west with the rest of Ireland and makes it easier for people to visit, commute to work and go about their daily lives in a much more safe and connected way. I encourage people to attend the briefing at 4 p.m. and urge their colleagues to support the motion that will be debated in the Dáil this evening.
The Leader will know that I have been calling for some time for statements on the situation in Palestine. Senator Black and others across the Chamber have joined me in that call. I understand we are limited in what we can do, but I am just so frustrated and anguished by the scenes of a refugee camp being attacked by air and land. On RTÉ radio, I heard this referred to as an ongoing Israeli operation. I want to have the opportunity to convey the solidarity that I believe the vast majority of Irish people show for the people of Palestine and the determination of the vast majority of Irish people to see a peaceful and just settlement. Also, I want to hear what the Irish State is doing at international level to hold apartheid Israel to account for its war crimes. It is not controversial or too much to ask that. The Members of the Irish Government have rightly laid out its actions regarding Russia and its flagrant breach of international law. Maith siad; more power to their elbow. I want to know what action the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs is going to take – not on behalf of himself, because he has made it clear where he stands on these issues, but on behalf of the Irish people and the Irish State – to hold apartheid Israel to account. I hope the Leader can facilitate statements next week so we will have the opportunity to engage on this important issue and hear what action will be taken.
I want to follow on from what Senator Ó Donnghaile said about what took place in Jenin overnight. Activities have now been escalated to a new level given the loss of life and the campaign by Israel to effectively uproot whole communities. We need to hear a clear message from the Irish Government. I very much support calls for statements next week.
A second thing has to be said today. Very serious aspersions are being cast on the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, a very important organisation. While Senators may agree or disagree with its views, casting aspersions on it and its motives regarding the hate crime legislation before the Seanad is unacceptable.
I want to raise an issue I raised before. Last Friday, we heard about the loss of 44 preschool places in the very small area of Stoneybatter, Dublin 7. This means a loss of 105 places over the past 12 months. This is because the preschools have had to leave the primary school settings they were in because of an expansion of special needs education. This is all good in itself but there is a complete lack of joined-up thinking between the Department of Education and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. There is now a massive loss of preschool places on top of what is already a huge shortage of childcare places for the under-threes, a shortage of afterschool places and a provider who has found it impossible to source an alternative location and who is heartbroken as a consequence.
We have Tusla regulations that need to be set at a very high standard, but the reality is that it is near impossible, particularly in the inner city, to try to set up a new preschool or childcare facility. The Government has announced funding for next year, but the situation needs to be dealt with as a matter of urgency now because whereas the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has told us there is an increase in places elsewhere in the country, it is not happening in Dublin.
My final point relates to what happened regarding the administrative error within the Arts Council last week in respect of the notification of 141 individuals that they had received next generation awards. We all get that there can be administrative errors or human error, but we cannot overestimate the impact on those involved, particularly the artists, many of whom live a precarious existence. We also cannot overestimate the impact of their achievement in getting the award and then realising they had not succeeded in getting it. The Arts Council obviously needs to look at its IT systems. Just as importantly, there is a serious flaw in the system in that artists are precluded from applying for more than one award in any one year. Therefore, if you apply for the agility award, you cannot apply for the next generation award. It is not good enough that it takes five months for a response to come back to any artist on his or her application. If we want to support artists, and given that they may qualify for a number of different awards, we have to allow them to apply for multiple awards as opposed to limiting them to just one a year.
I again raise the issue of Palestine. I sometimes feel that people might consider me a broken record or, even worse, that they will switch off and not listen to the latest update on what is happening to the Palestinian people. There is such a steady flow of bad news, broken promises and hideous oppression that it can render even compassionate people desensitised to the point of absolute numbness. We cannot let that happen. We need to reckon fully with the destruction being wrought by Israel and with the complicity of the international community, including Ireland. Violence, discrimination and repression are making everyday life impossible and unbearable for the Palestinian people. The ongoing Israeli invasion of the Jenin refugee camp is the largest military incursion into the occupied West Bank since the early 2000s. It comes just after a massive wave of settler violence against Palestinian people and property which occurred with tacit military support. Of the at least ten Palestinian people killed so far, two were teenagers. Thousands of people have been displaced from their homes by soldiers who had their guns drawn. The Israeli military has again deployed the cruel and illegal tactic of impeding ambulance services from aiding the wounded. I cannot stop thinking about the children being marched down the street, their already meagre homes destroyed, carrying their toys, their pets and whatever small comforts they have to hold onto. In Israel war crimes are committed and Palestinians are killed as a form of political theatre to prop up public support for a corrupt, racist and increasingly authoritarian government. Yet we the international community refuse to impose meaningful sanctions, a mockery is being made of international law, and the dignity and humanity of the Palestinians are being denied.
If Ireland continues its policy of inaction, we will betray the Palestinian people's belief in us. They do believe in us - or, rather, they assume that the solidarity and concern expressed for them by ordinary Irish people is reflected in the actions of our Government. It is heartbreaking and deeply shameful to admit that they are mistaken. I call for a debate, like other Senators here today, about Palestine, an opportunity for political parties to explain to their voters who care deeply about the fate of the Palestinian brothers and sisters what they intend to do about the escalation of Israeli violence. At what point, if any, will they be spurred into action? To any Palestinians watching this today, I want to say that your courage and steadfastness are remarkable and that the people of Ireland, if not the Government, stand with you in your struggle for freedom. I really encourage us to have a debate very soon on this issue. It is vital. What is happening over there today is horrific, and we cannot sit by any more and watch the horrendousness of the situation.
Hear, hear. Well said.
Hear, hear.
I second the amendment by Senator Mullen.
I am calling for a debate with the Minister for Health on what seems to be the perennially unsolvable issue of wait times for essential lifesaving procedures in this country. We all read the harrowing details of the 17-year-old girl named as Ivy in the report of the Ombudsman for Children late last week, who could not breathe at times as her spinal curvature deteriorated from 30 degrees to 135 degrees over the span of her five-year wait for spinal infusion surgery.
Progressive scoliosis usually requires early surgical intervention, and the earlier, the better. For a teenager to have been subjected to a five-year wait for this surgery is the latest in what seems like a never-ending string of damning indictments of our national healthcare system. Of course, this is not a cherry-picked outlier. As the report notes, 309 children and their families, as of May 2023, were waiting for scoliosis treatment in Ireland. Something is dreadfully wrong with the HSE. There appears to be systemic failure at an organisational level in our bloated healthcare system, which remains the most expensive of the EU 15 on the basis of national income.
Every citizen of this country pays an absolute premium through their taxes to keep the HSE up and running. You would be hard-pressed to find one of them who would say they get premium healthcare in exchange for it. Have no fear, the Government has vowed to fix it. In 2017, the then Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, insisted that "by the end of this year, no child will have to wait longer than four months for a scoliosis procedure". That was five years ago. While Ivy has now received her treatment, those 309 children are still walking this Government's boulevard of broken policies. Perhaps the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, might come before us and add another brick to that road?
I would like to use my time to pay tribute to the GAA family in County Monaghan. As many Members will know, Monaghan is a small county with a population of 60,000-odd, and there are only something like 33 GAA clubs in the county. However, that does not stop them achieving great things on the field. Last Sunday, they qualified for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final, where they will meet Dublin. I pay tribute to their manager, Vinny Corey, and the entire panel involved in that.
This Sunday, Monaghan play in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final against Derry in the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh. Again, for a small county, the clubs, and the volunteers within those clubs, deserve huge credit. For a small county with a small number of clubs, they are competing with the very best. That does not come by accident. It comes with hard work and endeavour. I pay tribute to every single person who volunteers for their local GAA club, and I wish Vinny Corey and the Monaghan senior team every success against Dublin on Saturday week, 15 July in Croke Park. A word of caution to my Dublin colleagues: the Farney army is on the march and it is heading for the capital on Saturday week. Again, Dermot Malone and the Monaghan minor team play in their All-Ireland final this Sunday evening, and I wish them every success as well.
I agree with Senator Gallagher's comments and look forward to seeing Monaghan in the final. Next up we have Senator Flynn, and I welcome her daughter, Billie White, to the Gallery, who has been with us previously. She has an outstanding attendance record. Every time she comes to Leinster House she joins us in Seanad Éireann.
I am getting used to leaving her in the Gallery so that she will not be disturbing the House. I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach.
Yesterday, I got word that a young woman who was living in Labre Park for a while before she moved - she was actually a good friend for the length that she was in Labre Park - passed away by suicide. Thinking of the last number of months, the level of suicides within the Traveller community has gone absolutely through the roof. It was visible for many years, but now it is even more visible, and to see a young woman in her early 30s losing her life through suicide impacts a whole community.
I know we could have a Commencement matter for four minutes, which would be important to see where we are with Traveller mental health. The Government put in its programme for Government that it would work with the Traveller community. What the Government did, unfortunately, was to throw money at it but have no implementation, with very little money going to Traveller mental health.
Drug and alcohol use within the Traveller community has gone through the roof. We really need wraparound mental health supports for the Traveller community. It is Traveller Pride Week and if this House could do one thing to celebrate Traveller Pride Week, it would be to have debate on Traveller mental health. Every single one of us in this House has a responsibility to implement health services for all of our communities, including the Traveller community. I refer to Sharing the Vision, but we are not sharing the vision of the Traveller community when it comes to suicide within our community.
I am calling for that debate within the next two weeks, if at all possible, so that Senators from Louth, Kildare, Tullamore or wherever have an opportunity to see what is happening in their areas, to have a conversation with the Minister and to see what we can do to try to save people's lives in the community. It has gone too far.
I will comment on today's Order of Business. No. 1 is a motion on the Seanad select committee. I circulated to every Member of this House press coverage from the wonderful RTÉ and its news service, which is an amazing service, and commentary attributed to the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, regarding teething problems - I do not want a list of any teething problems - and talking about statutory instruments which transpose EU legislation into Irish law rather than the final version. This is somewhat at odds with the terms of reference we accepted in this House. I note from the Seanad debates that on Wednesday, 7 December 2022, our then Leader, Senator Regina Doherty, proposed the terms of reference and the motion. It stated "the Committee shall have the power to receive a list of all Directives requiring transposition under section 3 of the European Communities Act 1972", and it goes on to set out ten items. I suggest we redistribute this to the Seanad because we need to be reminded of it.
Today's motion relates to travel and I have no difficulty with supporting people in doing their work. However, I want to be sure of what we are signing up to because I am not sending people, or incurring public expense sending people, to some sort of charade or Mickey Mouse committee. Either the committee will adhere to its terms of reference or it will not. We need clarity on that. I wish the committee well at its first meeting today but let us be clear about what we have signed up to. Let us be clear about what we approve.
On Senator Mullen's issue on the guillotining of legislation, the Leader has it within her power to accept his amendment. I do not like the idea of guillotining legislation. We have plenty of time. This House has another two weeks to sit and we can fit additional time in. Let us not go down the road of guillotining legislation as it is a bad road.
I would like to mention Andrew and Max, the students of St. Michael's College who died tragically on Ios. I know the beautiful island of Ios because I lived there. Of all the islands, it is a most amazing place. Our thoughts have to be with their families. What a tragedy it is that they went there with their friends, with youth on their side and with ambition and determination to have a bit of fun, to find they are now coming back from the beautiful island of Ios. It was a special time for them. Our thoughts and our prayers are with their families and their extended school family, which is St. Michael's College.
I concur with Senator Gallagher's comments. I am heavily involved with the GAA in my county, although the population is slightly smaller than County Monaghan. I know the work that goes into every single club, from underage clubs upwards, to get to the position of being in an all-Ireland minor final and an all-Ireland senior semi-final. We wish them and all of those involved in the GAA in County Monaghan well.
I welcome the Government's announcement today of the extension of free GP care to six- and seven-year olds.
A commitment was given several years ago to ultimately extend it up to those of 12 years of age. Today's announcement is the Government sticking to its commitment to give free GP care benefits to every family in the country. It has my support in that regard.
I support Senator Black in her call for a debate on Palestine. She spelled it out clearly and I fully agree the House should have that debate.
A number of Government services closed during Covid. The Department of Social Protection suboffice in Granard, north Longford, which also provides services into counties Cavan and Westmeath, still has not fully reopened. I ask the Leader to contact the Minister for Social Protection to highlight the need for that office to get back providing a full service. It services not just the people in the north end of County Longford but also those in south Cavan and north Westmeath.
As we are coming to the end of our summer term, I will look back on the first item I raised on the Order of Business last September, namely, that of housing. At the time, I referred to the awful homelessness figures that month, when 10,568 people, including 3,137 children, were homeless. Nine months later, there are now 12,441 people, including 3,699 children, homeless. That is an increase of 2,000 people. More than 500 more children are now homeless. These facts do not lie. The Government is failing miserably on housing. It is shameful. What is worse is that there is no prospect of it improving. Fr. Peter McVerry, a person who I hope commands respect across this Chamber, stated that, looking to the future, there is no evidence those figures will come down. He further stated that more working people are now living in hostels. The vast majority of those who make up the new homeless and account for the increase in homelessness figures every month are people working for a living who are being put out of their houses under no-fault evictions. Of course, that is a direct result of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael lifting the no-fault eviction ban. It was a shameful decision. I ask that the first debate we have when we come back in September be on housing. This situation cannot continue. We cannot continue to see the Government fail on housing, month after month. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage says it is very disappointing, as if he has nothing to do with it and it is some kind of natural disaster. Sinn Féin has repeatedly pointed out what needs to be done, starting with reapplying the ban on evictions. That must happen, along with a host of other measures my colleague, Deputy Ó Broin, has spelled out. This record of shame will stand for years to come. A Fianna Fáil supporter who is a friend of mine in my village told me he cannot believe he would ever see the day when Fianna Fáil would facilitate the eviction of people from their homes. A number of evictions will take place in Castleconnell in the coming months.
Finally, as it is 4 July, I again call for the freedom of Julian Assange. The US should drop the charges and give that man his freedom.
I join others in supporting the call for a debate on the situation in Palestine. I also support the call by Senator Flynn for a debate in the context of her remarks on Travellers and Traveller Pride Week. I support the calls for those debates.
Every year, there are issues with secondary school places. The issues generally sort themselves out in time but I have come across several cases in Galway that are taking much longer than normal to sort out. It is upsetting for children who still do not have an allocated secondary school place to hear their friends talking about the school they will attend next August or September and making plans in that regard. It is upsetting and frustrating for the parents, who have tried everything and are engaging with Tusla and the Department to ensure there is a place.
I have raised this matter before in the House. I have raised it with the Minister, Deputy Foley. It is just so exasperating that the system does not allow for additional places to be announced within schools in order that children can have certainty. It is now July. We are talking about the end of next month and these children have no school places. It is difficult to find out the numbers. I am dealing with a small number of parents whose children do not have school places. It is so upsetting for those children.
We met yesterday with the campaign for a pension increase. I was happy to be able to say that there will be an increase in the pension in the forthcoming budget. I certainly could not commit to what they were seeking. A number of points were made. Pensioners who are living alone have higher costs. The point was made that they cannot put on the lights or other electrical equipment. The costs are there for those households. I certainly hope that as well as pension increases, there will be a substantial increase in the living alone allowance in the forthcoming budget.
A number of weeks ago, I raised the issue of train delays, particularly on the Enterprise service between Dundalk and Belfast where there were 21 individual delays over a 13-day period. I did some research about what happens on the Continent and discovered that the Danish system is really effective in the context of train delays, travel guarantees and the money given back to customers. In Denmark, if a train is delayed by 30 minutes, passengers get a 25% discount on the value of their tickets. If it is 60 minutes late, the discount is 50% and if it is 90 minutes late, the discount is 75%. If the train is 120 minutes late, passengers get the full value of their tickets back. In Ireland, if the delay is one hour passengers get a certain amount in travel vouchers. If the delay is between one and two hours, they get 50% in travel vouchers. If the train is two to three hours late, they get 100% in travel vouchers. The difference is vast. I accept that Scandinavian and continental European countries have had more of a train culture than there has been in Ireland, but we are trying to get more people to move in that direction and out of their cars.
One of the barriers to getting the train that I see every day in Dundalk, where I come from, is that people are not guaranteed to get into work on time. They may be getting trains an hour or 90 minutes earlier in order to get to work on time. If we put a bit of accountability on Irish Rail such that there would be financial penalties for the company and financial reward for consumers if trains are delayed, it would go a long way towards encouraging more people to take the train. They would know that if there were exceptional delays, there would at least be value for money given back in the context of their tickets. If I buy a €28 return ticket from Dundalk to Dublin but am standing the whole way, that does not make sense either. I will bring this matter up in the House again in the autumn in order to see if we can move it forward.
I welcome the €1.4 million that was announced for St. John's hospital in Limerick last Friday, when the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, visited the hospital. It means the medical assessment unit at St. John's hospital will now operate seven days a week. This is really welcome. With that comes ten extra staff in the medical assessment unit, including a consultant, two doctors, nursing staff, a porter and an administrator. It will create more than 2,000 extra medical assessment unit places per annum in the mid-west and will help to relieve the pressure at University Hospital Limerick. We had a very interesting visit with the Minister. We met staff at the hospital, the CEO and the board. There is certainly a lot more potential there at St. John's hospital. The CEO and her team spelled out the issues they would like the Minister to address. I am always giving out but this is very welcome news.
I want to be associated with the expressions of sympathy for the two boys who died on Ios. I am also thinking of Greig Oliver of Munster Rugby and Garryowen FC, my club, who was killed in a paragliding accident. His son Jack was due to play with the Ireland under-20s today.
I congratulate the under-20s, who won their match today in South Africa under difficult circumstances because the death in the paragliding incident yesterday was not easy for the team. Our thoughts are with the Oliver family today and all associated with them.
At the outset, Senator O'Loughlin spoke about the loss of life we have experienced in the country. There have been sad situations including the woman who took ill while flying; the young mother; Greig Oliver, the Munster Rugby coach who was with his son, Jack, in South Africa and had a tragic accident there; and the two young men who just graduated from secondary school, Andrew O'Donnell and Max Wall. I concur with the Senators' remarks. Many Senators expressed their sympathies with the families, communities and the school community of the two young men. As a mark of respect for the loss of life, we will stand for a minute's silence when I have concluded the Order of Business.
Senator O'Loughlin also spoke about the win for the Army Ranger Wing, the work of Gerard Guinan and Mark Keane of PDFORRA in securing that 27% increase in special allowances that will be backdated. I concur with the Senator’s remarks that it should be paid without any further delay. The work of the association has been very good in this regard. I also welcome the dementia day care centre in Kildangan. I commend Alzheimer Society of Ireland, ASI, on the work it does. I know the Senator works a good deal with ASI. It does fantastic work throughout the country.
Senator Joe O’Reilly spoke about housing and how there used to be the option to have a one-off rural house built where an individual had a site, maybe on a family farm or family land, and that should be brought back. He also acknowledged the success of Croí Cónaithe. However, there were some teething problems with the clawback and the banks. My understanding is that has been worked out. The applications to Croí Cónaithe are increasing all the time. It has been deemed a successful scheme in getting vacant properties back into use, which is an issue we have all raised for many years.
Senator Mullen proposed an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 7 would adjourn at 5.15 p.m. as opposed to the question being put. That was seconded by Senator Keogan. I am sorry to say that I am not in a position to accept the amendment today. We spoke about this before we came into the Chamber. It is the request of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, that the Bill be finalised and finished today. That request has been acceded to by the House. No doubt there will be many votes today, on the Order of Business and later on the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022. I acknowledge the significant work by a number of Senators, in particular Senator McDowell. We had about 21 hours of debate on that Bill this term. That is a significant amount of debate. Many issues have been aired in the debate. The legislation is not agreed. Issues have been flagged. Nonetheless, it is the Government's decision to bring the Bill to a conclusion later today.
Senator Mullen also spoke about the ICCL. I, too, was in receipt of similar correspondence, which I found somewhat unusual given that, previously, amendments had been flagged by the same organisation and it appears not to want to progress with those amendments while the Bill is in the Seanad. That is a matter for the organisation. I make the point that while any organisation or division that wants to contact us is absolutely entitled to do so, we have a job to do as legislators, and we will probe the legislation appropriately and make our views known on the floor of the House, as is our right and our role as legislators and as Senators. We will do our job in regard to proposing or debating amendments and doing what we do best in the Seanad, which is improving legislation before it ultimately becomes law in this country. That is our job and our role. We are all happy to take correspondence from different groups and individuals but we have a job to do and we will do that job to the best of our ability. We will do so on that Bill and on every other Bill that comes before the House.
Senator Ó Donnghaile spoke about the A5 road and asked for a recommitment that the Government would put forward 50% of the funding to improve that road. I would certainly love to see the road improved. It connects the north west of our country right through Northern Ireland. It is an important piece of infrastructure. The Senator also requested statements on Palestine, as have Senators Black and Kyne and other Senators.
This is in light of recent events in Palestine and in what used to be a refugee camp, Jenin, if I am pronouncing that correctly, and with the ongoing advancement of Israeli forces. I put a request into the Department of Foreign Affairs to try to get statements on the matter next week but I might suggest to Members who may be interested in getting a debate that, with certainty, if a motion was tabled, we will get a debate more quickly. If Members wish to follow that route, it is an option and a suggestion for them to put forward a motion on the matter.
Senator Sherlock also spoke about Palestine and made the point that serious aspersions were being made towards the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL. To be fair to comments which were made in the House, when correspondence is received, we are entitled as Members of the House to respond to that and I am sure that the ICCL would expect no less.
Senator Sherlock also spoke about the loss of preschool businesses in the Stonybatter area and the need to address that. She also spoke about a difficulty for artists in accessing particular awards and the limit on one per year. I might suggest that the Senator might raise a Commencement matter on that particular issue.
Senator Black spoke very passionately about the issues in Palestine and I believe I have dealt with that matter. I know that she has raised that matter consistently in the House on a regular basis.
Senator Keogan asked for a debate with the Minister for Health on waiting lists and spoke about the girl known as "Ivy" and the wait for scoliosis surgery. There have been particular difficulties in that space. That is not due to a lack of funding or the allocating of positions for specialist consultants but that we are competing on an international market and are finding it difficult to hire the people needed to do that type of surgery. That is leading to those delays but, certainly, promises were made which were not met and that is regrettable. I am glad that Ivy received her surgery at last and is doing well, but it is certainly not an acceptable situation that any child would be waiting on that surgery, let alone the numbers that are there. We will request that debate with the Minister for Health at the earliest opportunity but it is likely that it will be after the summer recess at this point because we only have this and next week remaining in this session.
Senator Gallagher congratulated Monaghan GAA on its fantastic win at the weekend and wished the team well as they take on Dublin in two weeks’ time in the All-Ireland semi-final. It is fair to say, and apologies to any Dublin Senators, that the rest of the country will probably be supporting Monaghan on that particular day. The smaller county and team, in club numbers, has done fantastically to get there. As a Mayo supporter, it just was not our day at the weekend and we have had to bow out. As we say, there is always next year and we will start focusing on next year again.
Senator Flynn spoke very passionately about the loss of her friend, a young woman, to suicide very recently and of the high levels of suicide within the Traveller community. She also spoke about the need to focus on Traveller mental health. I have no doubt that the Senator will be focusing on that topic at the Oireachtas joint committee which she chairs, which I believe is a fantastic initiative on behalf of the Oireachtas. It is also great to see her leading up that committee. I would certainly have no difficulty in scheduling a debate on this matter also at the appropriate time. I can liaise with Senator Flynn as to when the best time to do that is.
Senator Boyhan spoke about the Seanad Select Committee on Scrutiny of Draft EU-related Statutory Instruments which is having its first public meeting today and the reporting on RTÉ. I agree with the Senator’s remarks that the terms of reference were clearly laid out in December 2022. These are to scrutinise EU directives that the committee wants to scrutinise and not what the Department allows it to scrutinise. I have no doubt that the committee members will ensure that the intent of what the committee was set up to do will be fully achieved and that it will do its work. It will have the support of this House in doing that work and I have no doubt that the Minister and the Department will facilitate and work with committee members, as they are obliged to do.
Senator Carrigy raised a number of issues on the GAA and his own involvement with the GAA; he also spoke about Palestine.
Senator Gavan raised the issue of housing and homelessness. It is important to note for the Senator that no one is going to suggest that it is okay that there are children in homelessness. Of course, it is not. People are moving out of homelessness, however, every day and week. There are also people coming into homelessness and the numbers have gone in the wrong direction. Quite a large number are also exiting homelessness. We have had a great number of new arrivals into the country which is putting pressure on. We are having a difficulty in increasing housing supply the way we would like to, even though the numbers are going in the right direction. There are many challenges to that issue also but it is certainly a top priority for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to address those numbers and to get people out of homelessness into permanent homes as quickly as possible. Certainly, no one wants to see the numbers who are there and it is something we as a country must address.
Senator Kyne spoke about support for debates on Palestine and Traveller Pride Week as well. I take on board what he said about the challenges with secondary school places. It might be worth submitting a Commencement matter to the Minister on the topic. I also take on board his comments about the need for a pension increase. It is well-publicised at this stage that there will be an increase, but what it will be we do not yet know. That is a matter for the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. It is an important point that a person, especially one living alone, is bearing all the costs of the household because it is just him or her. I certainly support the calls for an increase in the living alone allowance because it targets those who need the support most. That is a fair way to allocate what are limited resources when it comes to the budget. The budget process is well under way and there are many demands on what might look like huge resources, but which are ultimately limited and must be spent in the best way possible. That is to the fore of the minds of both Ministers I mentioned. They must do that job as best they can.
Senator McGahon spoke about the Enterprise train from Dublin to Belfast and the delays. The information the Senator found out about the comparison is quite impressive. With our public transport, there seems to be a certain acceptance it is okay to be late. Whether it is a bus or a train, it does not seem to be a problem for us. It has an impact on passengers. They are paying for a service and that service should be delivered. If it is not, there should be some sort of reimbursement on that. A Commencement matter to the Minister might consider engaging with Irish Rail on how it could compensate customers better where there is a significant delay.
Last of all, Senator Maria Byrne welcomed the €1.4 million for St. John's Hospital, Limerick and the fact the medical assessment unit will now operate seven days a week. We need to have a seven-day system across the board. That has been a particular pinch point. The service in our hospitals on a Sunday does not operate the same as it does on a Monday and that is a fact. It has been well-documented of late that considerable work is happening in the Department of Health under the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, to try to get a seven-day week across the board. Numbers on trolleys are usually at their highest on Monday and Tuesday because of the backlog after a weekend and that is something we need to address. I sincerely hope that goes some way towards alleviating the pressures in the hospital in Limerick, which has had a very difficult time of late, especially the staff and the patients there. It is good to get some good news on that and see significant funding coming in as well as extra personnel to staff the unit at the weekends. It is welcome news for the region and the city as well.
I propose a minute's silence for the passing of the four individuals named at the outset of the Order of Business.
I ask Members to be upstanding.
Members rose.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha.
Senator Mullen proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That the proceedings on the resumed Report Stage and the Final Stage of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022 be adjourned at 5.15 p.m., if not previously concluded". Is the amendment being pressed?
Yes.
I welcome the Collins family from Drinagh, west Cork, who are in the Visitors Gallery. They are friends of Senator Denis O’Donovan. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann.
They look like Ireland's fittest family.
Amendment put.
Seanad divided by electronic means.
I request a walk-through vote.
That is no bother. I need to get my steps up.
Under Standing Order 83(3)(b) I propose that the vote be taken by other than electronic means.
Amendment again put:
The Seanad divided: Tá, 12; Níl, 25.
Tá
- Black, Frances.
- Boyhan, Victor.
- Boylan, Lynn.
- Gavan, Paul.
- Hoey, Annie.
- Keogan, Sharon.
- McDowell, Michael.
- Mullen, Rónán.
- Ó Donnghaile, Niall.
- Ruane, Lynn.
- Sherlock, Marie.
- Wall, Mark.
Níl
- Ahearn, Garret.
- Ardagh, Catherine.
- Blaney, Niall.
- Byrne, Malcolm.
- Byrne, Maria.
- Carrigy, Micheál.
- Casey, Pat.
- Chambers, Lisa.
- Conway, Martin.
- Cummins, John.
- Currie, Emer.
- Daly, Paul.
- Davitt, Aidan.
- Gallagher, Robbie.
- Hackett, Pippa.
- Horkan, Gerry.
- Kyne, Seán.
- Lombard, Tim.
- McGreehan, Erin.
- Murphy, Eugene.
- O'Donovan, Denis.
- O'Loughlin, Fiona.
- O'Reilly, Joe.
- O'Sullivan, Ned.
- Seery Kearney, Mary.
Tellers: Tá, Senators Rónán Mullen and Michael McDowell; Níl, Senators Robbie Gallagher and Joe O'Reilly.
Pursuant to Standing Order 57A, Senator Rebecca Moynihan has notified the Cathaoirleach that she is on maternity leave from 6th February to 18th August, 2023, and the Whip of the Fine Gael Group has notified the Cathaoirleach that the Fine Gael Group has entered into a voting pairing arrangement with Senator Moynihan for the duration of her maternity leave.Pursuant to Standing Order 57A, Senator Alice-Mary Higgins has notified the Cathaoirleach that she is on maternity leave from 19th June to 19th December, 2023, and accordingly has not voted in this division. Senator Ollie Crowe has notified the Cathaoirleach that he has entered into a voting pairing arrangement with Senator Higgins from 19th June to 19th August, 2023; and accordingly has not voted in this division.
Amendment declared lost.
I welcome to the Gallery the Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council, Councillor Ger Darcy. He was elected last Friday to the position of Cathaoirleach of the council. He is most welcome to Seanad Éireann. I thank him for being here today.
Question put: "That the Order of Business be agreed to."
The Seanad divided: Tá, 26; Níl, 11.
Tá
- Ahearn, Garret.
- Ardagh, Catherine.
- Blaney, Niall.
- Byrne, Malcolm.
- Byrne, Maria.
- Carrigy, Micheál.
- Casey, Pat.
- Chambers, Lisa.
- Clifford-Lee, Lorraine.
- Conway, Martin.
- Cummins, John.
- Currie, Emer.
- Daly, Paul.
- Davitt, Aidan.
- Gallagher, Robbie.
- Hackett, Pippa.
- Horkan, Gerry.
- Kyne, Seán.
- Lombard, Tim.
- McGreehan, Erin.
- Murphy, Eugene.
- O'Donovan, Denis.
- O'Loughlin, Fiona.
- O'Reilly, Joe.
- O'Sullivan, Ned.
- Seery Kearney, Mary.
Níl
- Black, Frances.
- Boyhan, Victor.
- Boylan, Lynn.
- Gavan, Paul.
- Hoey, Annie.
- Keogan, Sharon.
- McDowell, Michael.
- Mullen, Rónán.
- Ó Donnghaile, Niall.
- Ruane, Lynn.
- Wall, Mark.
Tellers: Tá, Senators Robbie Gallagher and Joe O'Reilly; Níl, Senators Rónán Mullen and Michael McDowell.
Pursuant to Standing Order 57A, Senator Rebecca Moynihan has notified the Cathaoirleach that she is on maternity leave from 6th February to 18th August, 2023, and the Whip of the Fine Gael Group has notified the Cathaoirleach that the Fine Gael Group has entered into a voting pairing arrangement with Senator Moynihan for the duration of her maternity leave.Pursuant to Standing Order 57A, Senator Alice-Mary Higgins has notified the Cathaoirleach that she is on maternity leave from 19th June to 19th December, 2023, and accordingly has not voted in this division. Senator Ollie Crowe has notified the Cathaoirleach that he has entered into a voting pairing arrangement with Senator Higgins from 19th June to 19th August, 2023; and accordingly has not voted in this division.
Question declared carried.