The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re appointment of member to the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, the Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023 – Second Stage, to be taken at 3.15 p.m. and to conclude at 5 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated for the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes each, time may be shared, all other Senators not to exceed four minutes each, and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 3, the Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023 – Second Stage, to be taken at 5 p.m. and to conclude at 6.30 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated for the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes each, time may be shared, all other Senators not to exceed four minutes each, and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 4, Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023 – Committee Stage (Resumed), to be taken at 6.30 p.m. and to adjourn at 8.30 p.m., if not previously concluded.
An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
I welcome the comments of the Tánaiste and a number of Ministers since yesterday evening and their forthright assessment of the current activities of the Israeli Government and the Israeli Defense Forces in the continued attack on the Gaza strip, particularly the ground offensive now under way in the Rafah region. The clear comments from the Tánaiste on behalf of the Government that, if this action continues at the intensity of the bombardment that has started and that is the stated intention of Prime Minister Netanyahu, it will amount to war crimes. This morning, I met the Palestinian ambassador to Ireland. She set out in vivid detail the appalling conditions that the Palestinian people are suffering. The scale of their deprivation is palpable, as is their hunger, the lack of shelter and the continued bombardment. Yesterday, Israel celebrated its efforts to free two hostages. We all condemn the taking of civilian hostages, but at what price were those two hostages liberated? Seventy Palestinian people were killed. There is a biblical term about how an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is appropriate, but it is not. The scale of one side versus the other is outrageous in this sense. There is no degree of proportionately. Prime Minister Netanyahu, on behalf of his Government, continues to state their ambition to see the destruction, dismantlement and obliteration of Hamas, but it is now clear that the only way that can happen is through the destruction and obliteration of the Palestinian people. This needs to be understood by all. Hamas cannot be taken out in isolation without taking out the entire Palestinian people. To do that is to victimise an entire race of people.
That does constitute war crimes. That does constitute genocide. The sad thing about it is people are standing back idly, to some extent, those who can really make a difference. I would hope that every Member of this House and anyone within diplomatic circles who travels to the United States over the coming weeks, in particular to celebrate the festivities of St. Patrick, makes a really co-ordinated effort at every possible opportunity to highlight that assessment by and on behalf of the Irish people. We do not have the military capability but we have the ability to speak out, condemn what is happening and try to seek support from others to come to that conclusion.
I ask the Leader to contact the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan. The Department has acquired quite a number of houses throughout the country for road construction and so forth. We have a number of them in our own county. These houses are lying idle and we have a housing shortage. There is a desperate need for housing on many fronts. There is also a need for housing for people who are caught up in the mica scandal. They need houses on a short-term basis, maybe for six to 12 months. These houses could be used for that type of thing. I ask the Leader to contact the Minister on this issue. The Department has quite a number of houses and they should be put back into stock. Some of them are very habitable and very good houses. It would not take a fortune to put them back into use. The Department should make a decision whether to dispose of them immediately or to do a rental situation itself whereby it could rent them out to people who are in dire need of housing at this time. It is crazy to think that a Government Department has houses it is not using when there is a huge shortage of housing.
I read in yesterday's newspaper that sheds for housing bicycles are a big issue in cities like Dublin. The Department should resolve that issue straight away. What sort of an issue is it that a garden shed can be used, whether it is in the back or the front? They should be able to make up their minds on the size of the shed immediately. There are families now with several bicycles in the house, for kids and for adults. People are cycling now and it is a growing industry. People need to put their bicycles in a secure locked up place every day when they are finished with them. This issue with the Department of the environment should be dealt with straight away. It is not a big issue for them to make a decision on it but it is taking quite a long time. I ask the Leader to contact the Minister to move this along and bring it to a conclusion. We saw yesterday how a woman got rid of her bicycles because she could not house them. It is a bit of a farce when you see that happening and the Department should move on it immediately.
I want to echo the concerns about what is happening in Rafah. We have approximately 1.8 million Palestinians trapped in Rafah. It is their final place of refuge along a line between Kerem Shalom in Israel through Rafah out to the Mediterranean. Based on the reprehensible calculus used by Benjamin Netanyahu, it is likely, if this assault continues, that one in ten Palestinians will either have been killed or maimed during this operation. That is the literal and metaphorical decimation of a population. It is biblical in its savagery. It is bestial. The killing of children at this point is not unforeseen collateral damage, it is a deliberate and systematic tactic and strategy that is being used by the Israeli Defense Forces and by the Netanyahu-led Government. These are war crimes and I compliment the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste for their very firm line on this.
I am sorry, a Chathaoirligh, but I also want to bring up again the issue of children on surgical waiting lists on the watch of Children's Health Ireland, CHI. In the last two weeks I have been made aware by concerned parents that it is not just children awaiting complex spinal surgery who are left behind, but also children who require urological surgery. These are the same disabled children and we are in breach of our EU obligations to provide urological services to children and adolescents. That means children, young teenagers and adolescents at a very sensitive point in their development into young adults are having their urinary continence compromised, their faecal continence compromised and their sexual development, that is, the development of their sexual organs compromised by a lack of surgical intervention on their developmental pathway. This is absolutely scandalous. I do not have the words for it. Not only are they being crippled - permanently paralysed, with their limbs allowed to become deformed - but they also have to contend with this. I have no confidence in the board or the executive management team of Children's Health Ireland and on its watch we will see further children become unnecessarily disabled. Think about that aspect of a child's development and how it is being unnecessarily curtailed in this way. We will also see avoidable deaths on the watch of CHI. I want a debate on this matter. I will be submitting another Commencement matter and I hope that on this occasion the Minister or a Minister of State might attend or at least strive to attend.
Throughout 1995, thousands of Bosnian Muslims came from all over Bosnia to a small town called Srebrenica, where they were told they would be safe in a UN enclave in a war zone. In July 1995 the Serbian army overcame both the UN troops and the town and massacred 8,000 men. Despite increasing pressure on Israel from the international community to stop the ethnic cleansing in occupied Palestine, Israel has escalated the slaughter of innocent people over the weekend in Rafah. The bombardment of Rafah is eerily like the massacre that occurred in Srebrenica during the Bosnian War and we cannot allow that to become another stain on our humanity. Rafah was the only safe place left for Palestinians because Israel pushed them south, trapped them there and is now slaughtering them. It is a war crime to intentionally target an extremely densely populated area of civilians, including children who are starving, homeless and defenceless. There is no justification for this attack on Palestine and there never has been. Israel's goal is not one of self-defence and is not to eradicate Hamas; rather it is one of aggression. It is not to free the hostages. Israel's total aim is the annihilation and the eradication of millions of Palestinians who are in the Gaza Strip. The international community, like in 1995 with Srebrenica, is looking on and failing the people who are asking clearly for our help when Israel can bomb and execute a ground operation in Rafah as we have seen over the weekend.
Ireland has been a strong voice in favour of Palestine at EU and UN level, but we need to up the ante when it comes to that. We need to ensure there are peacekeepers in there on the ground who are stopping the bombardment we have seen. We must ensure the facilitation of aid and if necessary airdrop provisions to people. We need to use our relationship with the US - we can see it is beginning to change - to ask it to end its arms trading with Israel and stop providing financial assistance for what is a war machine. All eyes are now on Rafah and Palestinians are not target practice. Palestinians deserve justice and safety and the EU, UN, US and the international community need to step up now and take action to stop the mass slaughter of innocent civilians.
On Friday night I was in Tallaght Stadium, where there was a record attendance. I commend South Dublin County Council on the new stand.
It is by a huge margin the most developed stadium in the League of Ireland. Yesterday was also an important day for Bohemians and I welcome the news that Dublin City Council has approved planning for Dalymount Park. We need to see funding secured for that build. Will the Minister for sport release the funding for Dalymount Park? We also need to see, in line with the Dublin city development plan, confirmation of Shelbourne's purchase of Tolka Park and support for Richmond Park redevelopment. With the exception of Tallaght Stadium, the League of Ireland infrastructure is not safe, modern, and is not appropriate for football or community use. There has been 20 years of underinvestment in soccer infrastructure at grassroots level and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael need to own up to the fact that Government policies make it impossible for so many soccer clubs to get capital funding for their infrastructure. Over half of soccer clubs rent their grounds. Half of those leases are for less than one year so that means that 25% of soccer clubs are excluded from applying for Government capital funds. The rules are set up against soccer and Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael need to take their portion of responsibility, right the wrong and start investing in Irish soccer. That starts with Dalymount Park.
I welcome the decision of the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, to sign off on the regulations that will finally allow local authorities to use CCTV, drones and other technology to catch illegal dumpers and those who are engaged in fly-tipping. Members will be aware this has been a long-running campaign of mine and I am grateful to the Minister of State who certainly took it on board. When we enacted the legislation late in 2022, I thought we would be in a position to move forward but the delays rested with the local government management association. However, as soon as the code went back to the Department, the Minister of State signed off on the regulation. This now means to that every local authority has a code whereby it can safely deploy these technologies to catch the environmental criminals. It is critical that this code is adopted by local authorities and that the resources are provided so that covert CCTV, drones and other technologies can be used to catch these people who, in both urban and rural areas, have been responsible for a lot of environmental damage because of their dumping and fly-tipping. I hope the message can be sent out very clearly by local authorities and that there will be an active campaign to try to prevent this odious practice. I know the TidyTowns groups and development associations have been looking for this to happen for many years. I hope that local councillors who feel quite strongly about this will raise it in their local council chambers and that the chief executives of the councils, who are involved through the LGMA in designing the codes, will ensure this is treated as a priority.
I raise the plight of small businesses, especially SMEs. In the latter half of 2023, 280 small coffee shops and restaurants closed and this is most frightening. We are now in February of 2024 and there are still some businesses closing. It is down to the increased costs that are being put on these small business owners, the VAT increase from 9% to 13.5% for the gastropubs and restaurants, and the cost of their gas bills, rents and rates. There was a rates amnesty which is now ended. I spoke to a small business owner the other day who has two tables and chairs outside the premises and who got a bill for €2,500 from the local authority because the amnesty was said to be gone. There are two tables and four chairs at each table. The piece of land outside the door looks like it is part of the person's premises rather than the public street.
Small businesses just cannot cope with any more charges. The 9% rate needs to be reconsidered. We also should not have introduced the auto-enrolment, the increased sick pay, and the increased minimum wage.
I am not against any of these things and I do not think businesses are against them but they should have been brought in on a phased basis, and not all happening in the month of January, which is the leanest month for all small businesses. Something really needs to happen; otherwise, with 280 businesses closing in the latter half of 2023, I hate to think of how many businesses will close between now and June 2024.
I want to raise an issue that has been brought to my attention by the Farmers' Alliance on behalf of the deaf community. The deaf community is at risk of losing the sign language interpreting service and the social inclusion scheme of the deaf community. This loss will have significant and far-reaching effects on that community. First and foremost, deaf individuals will be left without vital access to communication supports for personal and essential events. This includes family gatherings, medical appointments, legal consultations and education courses. The loss of these services will directly impact the ability of the deaf community to fully participate in society and access essential services. Furthermore, the decision to suspend funding for these services from 20 February this year, without consulting the deaf community, demonstrates a lack of respect and consideration for their human rights.
This decision also contradicts Ireland's approval of the UNCRPD and the Irish Sign Language Act 2017, which aims to promote and protect the rights of deaf individuals. The lack of engagement and consultation with the Irish Deaf Society by the Citizens Information Board is completely unacceptable. It is crucial that decisions affecting the deaf community are made in consultation with those directly impacted. The negative impact of losing these services will not only be felt by the deaf community but will also reflect badly on the Citizens Information Board and the Department with responsibility for overseeing these decisions. The lack of meaningful engagement with the Irish Deaf Society only further emphasises the disregard for the rights and needs of the deaf community.
I understand there is a meeting this afternoon with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys on this matter. Ultimately, the implications of losing the sign language interpreting service and the social inclusion scheme for the deaf community are severe and speak to a larger issue of the lack of respect and consideration for the rights and needs of deaf individuals. It is crucial that this decision is reconsidered by the Minister for Social Protection and that meaningful engagement and consultation with the deaf community is prioritised in future decisions. I cannot believe that I am raising this issue on the floor of the Seanad, especially when it was our Leas-Chathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly, who introduced this. Really, it is a shameful day for the Government if this is not reinstated.
To help the Senator, she might put down a Commencement matter that I will give consideration to.
The meeting is today, I believe. I thank the Cathaoirleach.
Today, I want to ask for a debate with the Minister for Education with regard to solar energy, in particular for schools. That is being rolled out through a really good programme that the Government has initiated, which is the solar programme for schools. It is really exciting. The first trial started in November. It is opened up to 11 counties. That is going to benefit 1,600 schools. Equally, it takes roughly 6 KW per school, which is the equivalent to 16 solar panels, and which will save each school between €1,200 to €1,600 on average per year in energy bills. That is excellent, and a really good Government scheme.
The reason I would like a debate on it is that at the minute there are ten designated counties. There are due to be another eight in quarter 2 of this year and the remainder will be designated by the end of 2024. I would like a debate about that to make sure we keep those timelines on track. It is a very good scheme and we have to make sure that every school and county benefits from it. During the debate, I would like a good deal of clarity around which schools are eligible for it, and which are not. Some schools will be eligible for it based on their infrastructure, or what their roofing or electrical systems are like. It is a really good scheme and we have to make sure that as many schools as possible right across this country are open for it. I raise this today because, unfortunately, my home county of County Louth was not among the original ten. I would really like to see it among the next eight counties in quarter 2 because a huge number of schools in my home county of Louth are hoping to get on this programme, to save a huge amount in energy, and to actually garner excess energy that they can then sell back into the grid and make some money on the side for their school. I would appreciate a debate on that in the future.
I want to raise two issues today. The first is about school places. I know there is a meeting tonight regarding the lack of school places in Properous in mid-Kildare. This is an ongoing issue that I have raised. I ask that a debate be organised with the Minister for Education. The specific issue I want to raise on school places today relates to Scoil Mhuire in Ballymore Eustace, in my own area of south Kildare. There is an issue with primary school places. The school can only take in 26 students each year. Unfortunately, they are oversubscribed for this year. Under the admissions policy, they have to go on age. This policy means that there are families who already have two children attending the school but their third child has been refused because they are not up to the age or there are older children in line to get the place. The school is looking for a change in the rule that it needs to wait a year for an additional teacher. The school has the classroom and wants the Minister for Education to consider changing this rule. I ask the Leader to write to the Minister in this regard. To me it seems perfectly feasible, given that the space is available in the school, that the pupils of Scoil Mhuire in Ballymore Eustace in south Kildare could actually go to school in the area of their choice, if the rule was changed.
The other issue I want to raise today has been raised by Senator Byrne. I acknowledge that the Senator had a Bill on this, as I had myself. This is the use of CCTV cameras by local authorities. I welcome the fact that the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, has confirmed that local authorities can now use CCTV in the enforcement process against illegal dumping. I have spoken at length about this in the House, as other Senators have as well. From the figures we have, we know that local authorities are spending close to €100 million per year on cleaning up illegal dumping throughout the State. I am asking for a debate with the Minister on properly resourcing local authorities to allow them to purchase CCTV cameras and to have the resources and the personnel to, once and for all, go after the people doing this illegal dumping. We are coming into spring cleaning month. We want to see our countryside, rural areas and towns on show as best they can be.
I previously asked for a debate on disabled persons grants. A review was carried out and my understanding is that it was completed before Christmas. This looked at the local authority grants that are allocated to disabled people to allow them to adapt their homes. So far, we have not seen the detail of the report. I would like to adjust that ask into a wider debate. I know the Leader likes to make it wider than one specific issue with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. I would like a debate on the various schemes available in the context of Housing for All. Perhaps we can widen it into that debate. Specifically, I would like to discuss the Part V affordable purchase element. This was introduced as part of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 to provide for 10% affordable housing in private developments. Before that legislation was introduced there was only a provision for 10% social housing. We now have provision for 10% social housing and 10% affordable housing within private developments. The difficulty that has been expressed to me is that councils are actually going for 20% social housing, rather than the 10% for each, because they do not have access to the affordable housing fund for the 10% affordable housing. This is an issue which can be addressed. I would like to raise it in the wider context of a debate with the Minister in relation to Housing for All schemes, specifically in the context of the disabled persons grants. I would appreciate if this could be arranged.
I want to call for a debate with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, about yesterday's report on the huge disparity across the country in local authorities in the collection of fines under the control of dogs regulations. Dublin County Council is doing a great job, with 105 spot fines being issued. Fingal County Council issued 90 but South Dublin County Council only issued 18 and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council issued a single fine. Some counties, such as Clare, Longford, Westmeath and Cavan, have issued no fines at all. This is all at a time when we are seeing an increase in dog attacks. In the last two years there have been 1,500 dog attacks.
Some 430 of those were on people, 240 on livestock and 180 on other animals. I would like a debate with the Minister. Even before we saw the horrific attacks on the young boy in Waterford, I had repeatedly called on the Department of the Minister, Heather Humphreys, to do more than just say it is responsible for the enactment of the legislation. It is the Department with responsibility for ensuring that local authorities are actually enforcing that legislation. While it is welcome that we have seen an increase in the fines from €100 to €300 and will see an increase in the number of dog wardens, when we see such disparity in the numbers between local authorities, clearly it is not about resources or the number of dog wardens. It is about certain local authorities deeming dog welfare and the control of dogs as insignificant or not a priority for them.
That is where the Minister's role comes in. She has oversight of this so she should ensure there is consistency across the board at all local authorities not just as regards giving out the fines but also ensuring that the prosecutions follow through. I would like a debate with the Minister, Heather Humphreys. One of the things the agriculture committee has called for is that all dog welfare would move to one single Department, one single portfolio. That is an important recommendation.
About two or three months ago, Transport for Ireland, TFI, introduced three Local Link bus routes in Clonmel, and this has been a huge success. Thousands of people in Clonmel have been using them, particularly over the Christmas period. The bus has got the nickname of the cruise as it brings people around from pubs to restaurants. It has been a real success in giving people options to come into the town centre to spend money, whether it be in a pub or in a restaurant, to go shopping or for pensioners to collect their pension - simple, day-to-day things that people do. It has been hugely successful.
However, all the routes come from the Cashel Road and down from the Fethard Road, and in between both those roads we have the Technological University of the Shannon, TUS, formerly LIT, and there is no bus stop there. It would make sense that Transport for Ireland would review the routes it has and include a bus stop at the college - for obvious reasons. We have many students there and it would give them an opportunity to come into the town centre. On that side we also have a sports hub which was built with Government funding of over €3 million. It has a high-class athletics track, a playground and walking facilities for all age groups and is a wonderful facility for the town, but it could be utilised more by having good transport facilities within the town.
I ask, therefore, that Transport for Ireland look at the routes that are available there and move one of the bus routes in order that it passes the college and the sports hub and gives people options to use it. We have spent an awful lot of money to do up this fantastic facility that is there not only for elite athletes but also for local people to be able to use. We should be able to get people there through public transport. It would also link the college to the train station, which is really important for the town of Clonmel. The service has been a huge success in recent months and will continue to be a success, but we should move and add a new route to include the students in the college and people who want to use the sports hub as well.
I note the Leader's proposal on the Order of Business for the mayor of Limerick Bill this evening and I have no difficulty with it.
The issue I want to bring up is that of the local elections. I received correspondence in the post from the Department on Friday confirming that the Minister was not in a position to confirm the date of the local elections. The range could be possibly 7, 8 or 9 June. That has not been decided. I ask the Leader to use her good offices to engage with the Minister to ascertain the date. The Association of Irish Local Government, AILG, will meet in Arklow on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Many of its members are anxious, as the Leader will appreciate are many in her party and in other parties across this House, or, for that matter, people who are not a member of any party or possibly will be a member of a new party. That is how the political landscape is so rapidly changing. We owe it to the people who are considering contesting these local elections sometime during the summer at least to have a date. I do not think it is too much to ask of the Minister.
I am giving a commitment to the House, as I will be giving a commitment to my colleagues when I meet them on Wednesday or Thursday in Arklow, to pursue the issue on a daily basis until the Minister comes into this House or informs the people of the date of the election in some way. I hope the Leader will be agreeable to pursuing the matter with the Minister. It is only right and fair. People are printing literature. They have limited resources and money, and want to know the date of the election so they can pencil it into their diaries. It is a simple request. I know we are all committed to local government and want to give people an equal start. The ask, therefore, is simple: the Minister to confirm his intention and the day on which he will seek, as is his prerogative, to hold local government elections.
I got a call earlier to remind me today is World Radio Day. I am not sure if it is today or it was yesterday but I am going to say it is today. I spent 20 years producing and presenting music programmes, documentaries and everything else, and I want us all to note again the importance of radio in our everyday lives. National, regional and local radio tell real stories and stories about communities. Radio assists and helps people. The Leader and I are well used to Midwest Radio. I heard my colleague Senator Maria Byrne on Shannonside FM, my local station. There are also Ocean FM and Midlands 103. There is also local radio in Cork, as the Cathaoirleach knows. In a period of our lives when social media, despite its good points, can do such terrible damage, we should be championing the cause of our radio stations more and more.
I was travelling around on Saturday and listened to the first-class production and presentation of the funeral of John Bruton by RTÉ. My mother told me that the television coverage was absolutely fantastic. That is true, real media that provide a voice for everybody. Some 98% of the time, those media are putting out stories that need to be put out and are helping communities and I acknowledge that. Perhaps at some time the Minister will come in and we can look again at the future of radio and our media. People have different ways of associating with media, but there is a lot to be got from listening to the radio. All of us, particularly Members of Parliament, should support it.
I raise an issue I have been made aware of with respect to mental health services in my home county of Longford. I have been told that the HSE plans to close a five-bed unit at Hillcrest House in Longford, reducing the number of beds available from 15 to ten. No correspondence has been sent to any of the Oireachtas Members. We are hearing about this without warning. I do not think it is acceptable that people are going to have to travel to outside counties to avail of support. That is unacceptable. I ask for correspondence to be sent to the Minister for Health outlining my objections and those of the people of Longford who support people in the mental health services area.
Friday was a great day. I was in the Gibson Hotel when the Minister, Deputy Harris, announced that ten universities will be rolling out third level courses for children with intellectual disabilities and those on the autism spectrum. This follows on an engagement the Joint Committee on Autism had with Trinity College Dublin, which set up a course. The first college to take the lead in this regard was Dundalk Institute of Technology, which started offering a course in 2010. That course is still available. Ten universities are now providing opportunities for teenagers and their families, which is heartening. I started advocating as a parent because I want to ensure that supports will be available in the future for my son and others and that they will be given opportunities. I will be engaging with the Minister, Deputy Harris, to ensure that all universities get involved. A number of them, including the Technological University of the Shannon, TUS, in Athlone, which is in my area of the midlands, did not come through the original screening. I have been talking to and working with the university to get the support and finance required in order that these fantastic courses are available in every part of the country. I compliment the Minister, Deputy Harris, and everybody else involved for making sure that this happens.
Following on from Senator Murphy’s contribution regarding the importance of radio, I wish to add to it the importance of regional journalism and print journalism. I received an email from a 17-year-old young lady from County Clare, Isabella Danaher, who has had articles published in local newspapers at home and who aspires to be a journalist. She has also won awards in the whole area. Her big concern is for the future of print journalism and broadcast media in light of the proliferation of online free news sites and also the amount of litigation being taken against journalists. It is quite a serious situation. We have a press ombudsman and that is a channel that more should be using to resolve their issues. I would like, if possible, to have a debate with the Minister here some evening and discuss the future of print and broadcast journalism in this country as well as the legislation that is proposed and how it can be improved. As Senator Murphy quite rightly said, radio is very important. We saw the importance of public service broadcasting last week with the State funeral of the late Taoiseach. We hear it in our constituencies every day, everything from death notices to community notices to highlighting local issues. We see the importance of our regional newspapers and the significant role they have played in the past. There is no point in saying otherwise – they are under threat. We have to support print and broadcast. While the media committee does a good job, it is an area that requires further scrutiny.
I thank all Members who contributed to the Order of Business today.
The first Member to speak was Senator Dooley, who spoke on the ongoing situation in Gaza and the proposed attack and ground offensive by Israel at the Rafah crossing. Senators Tom Clonan and Rebecca Moynihan also raised the same issue. I think we all agree that what is happening is absolutely abhorrent. I also welcome the Tánaiste’s remarks, as did Senator Dooley, which were significant. He clearly stated that if what is proposed is carried out by the IDF and the Israeli Government at the Rafah crossing, it would constitute a war crime.
It is disappointing to see some Members of the Oireachtas publicly take that, try to sow division domestically, try to turn that into a negative, and suggest that the Government here is not doing enough as opposed to acknowledging it for what it is. Our Minister for Foreign Affairs articulating that point is what is significant. That is diplomacy. That is what the Government can do to be effective and that should be acknowledged. To suggest otherwise either shows a lack of awareness as to how diplomacy works and how we should operate on the international stage or simply is taking the issue and trying to use it domestically for political purposes to feather one’s own nest, which I think is quite disgraceful. There should be no division on this issue in this country. We are all on the same page and most Members of both Houses have been constructive in that regard.
I think it is clear to all of us that somebody at the head of Government, Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, is operating simply to preserve and prolong his own existence. There is now somebody driving the car who is not fit to be driving the car. I think we are looking at the US in particular to show leadership. I agree with Senator Moynihan’s comments that they are moving in that direction, albeit very slowly. As we see Joe Biden publicly saying he hopes to get a six-week ceasefire and to build upon that, one can imagine what is being said behind the scenes that is not in the public.
There is a limit to what we as a State can do. I think we have been effective in using our mandate and advocating at an EU level. We have often been an outlier or certainly in the minority in advocating for the Palestinian people on this. I watched with interest Dana Erlich on the news yesterday. Israel lost the room a long time ago. The interview was good in that it pointed out the clear holes in what she was saying. Ultimately, there are very few people in the room who can influence what Israel will do and that lands with the US. Hopefully, we will see a ceasefire there soon and, of course, the release of the hostages. It is important to always make that point as well.
Senator Burke spoke about the need to increase the housing supply.
He made a very interesting point about the number of houses that have been subject to compulsory purchase order by the roads authority, which are good, turnkey houses that are not being used and that could be used on a short term basis by families dealing with mica and pyrite. He also spoke about the need to provide shelter for bikes in Dublin city centre and other places. He felt it was an easy issue to resolve and that the Minister for Transport should be able to solve it quite easily.
Senator Clonan also spoke about the issue in Rafah. He raised a second issue of children awaiting surgical procedures and urology appointments. If the Senator has particular details of families he would like to raise with me, I ask him to send them to my office and I will pass them on to the Minister for Health.
Senator Moynihan spoke about the situation in Rafah.
Senator Warfield spoke about sports funding, Tallaght Stadium, which was full last week, and the need to fund Dalymount Park. I would obviously reject his assertion that Fianna Fáil has not supported sports infrastructure. We are actually accused of the opposite, of putting too much money into sports to the detriment of other sectors. There has been record sports capital investment under this Government. It has been a bumper few year in investment in sports infrastructure for all sports, not just soccer and Gaelic football but also tennis, golf and everything in between. The suggestion that sport has not been funded is unfounded. On soccer, even in my own county of Mayo there has been funding for soccer clubs. The Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Deputy Byrne, has made a huge push where he has told sports clubs that he will fund those where there is equal access for men and women. That is huge change in policy in the Department. The onus is on clubs, if they are going to get sports funding, to show they provide equal access to men and women at their facilities. That will not stop them getting access to funding but they will just need to show they can do that and they intend to do that. It is a really positive development under the Minister of State that should be acknowledged
Senators Malcolm Byrne and Mark Wall both welcomed the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth’s announcement that local authorities can now use drones, CCTV and other technologies to try and tackle the scourge of dumping. Senator Byrne had a Bill on this, as did Senator Wall. From working with Senator Byrne at a party level, I know it has been one of his issues for a long time. I am sure both Senators are delighted to see the Government moving on this.. It is a difficult issue to deal with at a local level because unless you catch someone in the act, it can be very difficult to bring a prosecution, so evidence is what is needed. The use of technology to assist local authorities is very welcome because dumping is a scourge on many communities. It is a small few involved but it is impacting many. It is an issue that needs to be dealt with.
Senator Maria Byrne spoke of the costs associated with businesses and the closure of some small businesses, particularly food and coffee shops. I think that has been happening throughout the country. I take the Senator’s point. There has been an acknowledgement by the Government that in bringing in statutory sick leave and an increase to the national minimum wage, there has been a lot of change for business in a relatively short period, with many of the changes coming in at the start of this year, so it has put a huge pressure on business. In response to that the Government set up the increased cost of business grant and put €257 million behind it. That is open to businesses now and I believe it will cover 95% of all businesses and about 143,000 business can access that grant. That is directly set up to deal with those increased costs of business associated with the Government policy changes that are coming in this year. I still take the point on board, however, that it is a tough time for business, especially the month of January. I know the Minister is very aware of that. On tax warehousing, the Minister for Finance is dealing with that. He has acknowledged that was a challenge which was putting pressure on businesses. There is a genuine effort on the Government’s part to try and help businesses through this period. The Senator is right that the changes coming in, such as sick leave, changes we want to make, such as in domestic violence leave, and changes to the minimum wage are things businesses want to do but it is just that the transition to making those changes can be a challenge.
Senator Keogan raised an issue which was brought to her by the Farmers’ Alliance about sign language interpreting services and the social inclusion scheme. I was not aware of the issue until today. It might be worth doing what the Cathaoirleach suggested and putting down a Commencement matter because the questions are quite specific. We might be able to get further details on that. I take the point that we have made great strides, particularly on sign language, on foot of the work done by Senator Mark Daly, in bringing forward more supports in that area. I am sure the Minister would be keen to make sure those supports are maintained.
Senator McGahon requested a debate with the Minister for Education on the solar energy programme for schools. The Senator hopes that his area in Louth will be on the next list of areas to be included. I will request that debate for the Senator.
Senator Wall referred to school places. There are particular challenges in some parts of the country. There is significant demand in Kildare but there are not enough places to meet this. I can only imagine how stressful it is for a family if there are two children in a school and it is not possible to get a place for the third child when it is needed. At the top of the Minister for Education's agenda in trying to address the pinch points and shortages that exist. Kildare has seen a significant increase in population in a relatively short period. That is where the pressure is coming from. This is certainly a matter that the Minister is focused on addressing. Hopefully, we will see a resolution for the schools involved. There has been major investment in schools in Kildare, but there is still considerable demand. This matter is top of the Minister's agenda.
Senator Cummins requested a debate on housing and the various schemes under Housing for All. He mentioned adaptation grants and the Part V affordable purchase scheme. I will request that debate or maybe a more general debate on housing, particularly as there is much to consider.
Senator Boylan spoke about the control of dogs, fines and disparity across the board. There is a bigger issue in terms of dogs. For starters, there are not enough dog wardens. There are significant dog welfare issues, and the dog shelters are at capacity and need extra support and funding. An overall awareness campaign might be needed. People are taking on pets when they have not maybe properly thought through the responsibility and what is required. This is putting pressure on dog kennels around the country. I cannot answer as to why some local authorities seem to be doing much more. I can only assume that it is resources for local authorities in the context of the number of wardens they have in place. The Minister has acknowledged that the Government wants to deal with this issue, especially in the context of preventing attacks by dogs and making things more safe for people. However, there must also be a level of personal responsibility on the part of those who take on dogs as pets and who allow attacks to happen. This is a challenging issue, but one that the Government is keen to address in terms of resources and, of course, enforcement of the existing legislation.
Senator Ahearn asked for a bus stop outside the TUS campus in Tipperary. I suggest that the Senator put down a Commencement matter in this regard. The Senator also said that the "cruise bus", as he referred to it, is doing well in terms of bringing people in and out of Clonmel. That is great to see. On a more serious note, Local Link has been a fantastic addition to rural communities in terms of transport for people. For those who, for whatever reason, want to get in and out of their local town, it has been most successful. I welcome the expansion of the Local Link service into rural areas. In my county of Mayo, it has been most successful. Many people in Mayo use the service. The more people become aware of it when a route is established and gets up and running over a period, the more use it gets.
Senator Boyhan asked me to confirm the date of the local elections. I cannot do that, but I agree that a date is needed. The referendums will be held in March. Then we will have the local and European elections in June. The Minister will announce a date when the Department is ready to move in that regard, but we have a ballpark indication of three dates. We know we are working towards June. Councillors are preparing in advance of those dates. They know roughly when the elections will be held. The absence of an exact date will not will have a significant impact in terms of local authority members preparing for the campaign. Of course, we wish all councillors the very best in the upcoming elections.
Senator Murphy spoke about today being World Radio Day. I agree with him and Senator Conway. It is most important to support local radio and regional press. I think of MidWest Radio and Shannonside FM. There are lots of other stations we could mention. They offer a lifeline to many people, particularly the elderly, and keep them connected with what is going on. The death notices, local sports events and local authority meetings are most important. You do not know what you have until it is gone. It is to the credit of many of those stations that they operate on a shoestring but provide an excellent service and value for money. They are well supported, but it is important that public representatives ensure that this support is maintained.
Senator Carrigy welcomed the announcement from the Minister, Deputy Harris, of third level courses for children with intellectual disabilities across ten universities. This is a welcome development. It is part of a policy of inclusion and opportunity for all children to allow them to reach their full potential. That is really welcome.
Senator Conway spoke about local journalism. The Senator spoke about Isabella in County Clare who wants to be a journalist and her concerns that there may not be opportunities for somebody like her when she gets to the stage of having a full-time job. Media is changing, but this Government has shown a commitment to preserving local and regional newspapers and radio and has provided investment in that regard.
I welcome Peter Duffy and Charlotte Grenson to the Public Gallery. Charlotte is from France and Peter is from Cork. Peter is the brother of Denise Duffy, a very good friend of ours in the parliamentary community who works with the Minister of State, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton. The good news for all of us is that Peter is a very proud Cork person and Charlotte is from France. Via Vancouver, they are moving back to Cork. A Corkman coming home is always good news. Peter and Charlotte are very welcome to Leinster House.
As a former sports reporter on RTÉ local radio Cork, I welcome the comments of both Senators Murphy, Conway and the Leader regarding World Radio Day. It is important that we celebrate radio. During and, in particular, since the pandemic, we have seen the importance of radio in providing all of us with accurate information. We thank all involved in the radio community.
I thank all of the Members of the House for their wonderful words of sympathy to the Bruton family last week on the passing of John Bruton. I was away last week and could not be here. John Bruton was a friend of mine. I had the pleasure of working with him on many campaigns. He was a decent, honourable man. To his wife Finola, his daughters and son, I offer our deepest sympathies.