Senator Jim Walsh referred to the level of waste in the public service. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, is doing an excellent job in addressing that issue.

Senator Michael D'Arcy called for a review of DEIS status for schools. I will bring that matter to the attention of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, who will come to the House soon for a debate on a number of items.

Senator Colm Burke raised the issue of the filling of consultant vacancies and the problems in that regard. As he stated, the matter is being discussed by the Joint Committee on Health and Children, as is the position of junior doctors. I hope the committee will issue a report which we can debate in the House.

Senator David Cullinane referred to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. We will certainly take into consideration what Members have to say, but they were informed about the committee sittings. The other matter he raised was raised by Senator Ivana Bacik at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and while a decision has not been made, the committee will be favourably disposed towards inviting somebody to come to the House to speak on the anniversary of the Lockout. A decision has not been made, but an invitation has not been sent.

Senator Martin Conway called for more electronic signage to assist tourists in the capital city, in particular. I will bring the matter to the attention of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar.

Senator Ned O'Sullivan said the Taoiseach was out of touch with the people, but the future of the Seanad will be decided by the people in a referendum.

As I mentioned last week, the Minister for Finance has indicated that he will come to the House in July to discuss a number items. I cannot get him to come here any sooner; that is when he says he is available.

The inappropriate billing of patients by the health service can be addressed with the Minister for Health. There is no one better qualified than Senator John Crown to speak about genetic testing for women with breast cancer and a Minister would be unwise not to consider the statement made by him. Senators Cáit Keane and Susan O'Keeffe called for a debate on stem cell research. I will try to find out which Minister deals with that issue and arrange a debate on it.

Senators Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, Michael Comiskey, Susan O'Keeffe and several others referred to the fodder crisis. I will bring the matters raised to the immediate attention of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, who kindly came to the House last week to explain what was taking place in that regard. I am sure he will be well aware of the matter raised when I bring them to his attention and I am sure he is working hard on them.

A number of Senators asked when a Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine would be appointed. Seemingly, Senator Jim Walsh knows all about it, but it is a matter for the Taoiseach to decide and I have no say in the matter.

Senator Denis Landy referred to CSO figures and the positive signs emanating from them. I note also his comments that the Minister should encourage local authorities and other public bodies to participate in the JobBridge scheme which is of great benefit.

I agree fully with Senator Paschal Mooney on the media coverage given to Bills taken in this House. Last week there was massive coverage of a Bill dealt with in the other House which had been dealt with here several months ago and on which we had had an excellent debate. I certainly agree with what the Senator said in that regard.

Senator Coghlan also noted the anniversary of the torture of the leaders of the Baha'i movement in Iran, a matter he has raised on a number of occasions. Senators Mullins, Comiskey and Wilson spoke about the Beara to Breffni walk and the recently published report on health and welfare and well-being. I will endeavour to have that report debated in the House soon.

Senator Leyden asked about "Oireachtas Report" which does not cover the Seanad sittings if the Dáil is not sitting. I refer to a letter in response from RTE dated July 2011, which I read to the House. I can read out the letter again. If the Senator had been listening to the reply from RTE in 2011, there would be no need to respond to it in 2013.

Senator MacSharry asked for a debate with the Minister for Health. I have sought a date for such a debate with the Minister but I have not received a date as yet.

The Seanad has always been a champion of the lesser heard voice. The protection of democracy, democratic institutions and the promotion of the well-being of citizens both here and abroad is a concern raised almost daily. We are also fortunate that in our discussions with Ministers, there is great latitude to focus attention on matters that would otherwise not get a hearing. Personally, I believe in the promotion and the protection of the institutions of the State which were under threat from subversives and withstood many challenges over the years. Our Constitution belongs to the people. The institutions of the State, including Seanad Éireann, are part and parcel of that Constitution.

It is for the people of Ireland, in the first instance, to decide whether Seanad Éireann continues or not. Should the people reject abolition, it would be unwise of any Government to proceed with another Seanad election without reforming how this House is elected and the nature of the business with which we deal. This Bill and Senator Crown's Bill have provided a basis for reform and I have no doubt that the proposals contained in both can be used as the basis for that reform should it be needed.

The vast majority of the content of previous reports on Seanad reform dealt with how the Seanad should be elected. There is no doubt in my mind that the entire electorate should have a say in the election of Seanad Éireann. This Bill has some suggestions on how that can be accomplished - Senator Crown's Bill had different proposals - but should the people decide to retain the Seanad, then the people must certainly also have a say in the election of the next Seanad.

In the referendum people will be asked to vote for abolition, or against it. The Bill before us provides a suite of proposals which can be considered by the electorate before they cast their vote in a referendum. It confers a range of additional powers, including the examination of public appointments as well as the holding of inquiries. It suggests that Seanad Éireann should have a greater role in the scrutiny of draft legislation emanating from the institutions of the European Union. I would certainly support such a move and the House will be aware that I advocated such a role but secretarial resources were denied to us at that time. I have asked a sub-committee of the House to come together to draw up proposals for us to deal with the relevant items from the European Parliament's annual work programme, which can be staffed from within our own individual resources. I certainly fully agree that Seanad Éireann should have an enhanced role in considering draft legislation directly from EU institutions.

When speaking of resources, I note this Bill suggests setting up a number of Seanad committees. We should be very careful about creating anything that would involve greater cost to the taxpayer. I have my doubts too about the process of registering to vote at Seanad elections, opting for panels etc. I believe this will involve greater costs also. It seems a little cumbersome but the principle of the public electing the majority of Senators is one that I fully support.

I view this Bill and Senator Crown's Bill as discussion documents that will engage and inform the public, and show them that proposals are in place that can be tweaked, deleted or otherwise, but at the end of the day the Seanad will be reformed, especially in the manner it is elected and nature of the business with which we deal.

Checks and balances and the opportunity to have a second opinion have always been valued by the Irish electorate. I believe that Seanad Éireann, when scrutinising legislation, provides exactly what people are looking for in the careful and considered way we deal with legislation. Many Ministers, current and past, are on record stating that they believe that legislation is greatly improved following the Seanad Stages and that is due to the quality of debate that takes place in this House.

That, in accordance with Standing Order 57(2) and the decision of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, Seanad Éireann agrees that Jim Higgins M.E.P. shall attend and be heard in Seanad Éireann on Thursday 16th May, 2013 and that the following arrangements shall apply. The proceedings, which shall not exceed two hours, shall consist of a contribution which shall not exceed twenty minutes by Jim Higgins M.E.P. a contribution not exceeding five minutes by the Spokesperson of each Group and a contribution not exceeding two minutes from a Sinn Féin Senator at the conclusion of which Jim Higgins M.E.P. will reply to questions (which shall not exceed one minute in each case) from members in accordance with the Schedule below.

Schedule
Fine Gael Senators: 2 questions
Fianna Fáil Senators: 2 questions
Labour Senators: 2 questions
Taoiseach Nominees: 2 questions
University Senators: 2 questions
Sinn Féin Senators: 1 question."

Senator Ó Clochartaigh called for a debate on the Green Paper on climate and energy policies. The heads of the Climate Change Bill are being debated by the relevant Oireachtas joint committee at present.

Yesterday I read out a statement on legislation and at no stage did I say that the Office of the Attorney General was under-resourced. I did not say that. I said that the extensive amount of legislation has naturally had a knock-on effect on the work of the draftspeople in that office. As Senator Ó Clochartaigh will be aware, the previous Government introduced an embargo on recruitment to the public service in 2008. I have no doubt that the parliamentary draftspeople are working at full capacity. They do an excellent job in preparing legislation to be brought before the House. We all would agree that rushed legislation is bad legislation. I shall continue to schedule Bills when they are ready and shall allocate as much time as is necessary to debate them in the House.

Senator Kelly mentioned the cost of diesel and fuels. The issue has been raised by several Senator. I shall try to arrange a debate on the matter, plus one on the attachment of earnings which I addressed previously.

Senator Barrett called for a debate on the McCarthy report on health insurance that was issued yesterday. There are quite a number of reports that require examination by the House. The Senator called on the Minister for Health to redouble his efforts to introduce universal health insurance. I also noted his comments on the undermining of Parliament and the need for reform in that regard.

Senator Conway stated that over 40,000 people participated in the Darkness into Light walk organised to raise funds for Pieta House. I will organise a further debate on mental health soon. As he knows, we have already had quite a number of debates on the issues of mental health and suicide and the conversation shall continue in the House.

Senator Ó Domhnaill welcomed Minister Coveney's work on fish discards. The Senator asked a question on hospital groupings in the Higgins report. I suggest that he examines the sharing of resources and cross-Border linkages envisaged in the report. We will debate the report at a later stage.

Senator O'Sullivan, as Senator Brennan did yesterday and Senator Paul Coghlan did today, welcomed the work done by the Labour Relations Commission and commended all of the parties involved in trying to reach an agreement on Croke Park II.

The Senator also requested a briefing on Traveller accommodation and I shall endeavour to arrange same. He also mentioned the review of the local authority boundaries. I think I stated some months ago that it would be published at the end of the May. I have been told that it will be published on 30 May so the information that I relayed to the Senator was not too far out.

Senator Noone called for a wider debate on sentencing and she also drew our attention to the tax on smartphones and tablets in France that is used to fund arts projects. The Minister for Finance always welcomes information on new taxes that he can introduce to help projects.

Senator Mooney mentioned the drop in farm incomes and the difficulties faced by the farming community. I agree with him that we should be updated on the crisis. As he stated, the Minister has come into the House on numerous occasions and I have no doubt the Minister will continue to do so.

Senators Walsh and Paul Coghlan mentioned the late Donal Walsh. We paid tribute to him during yesterday's Order of Business.

Senator Walsh called for a debate on youth unemployment. We have had a number of debates on the matter. We arranged for the European expert Professor Christopher Pissarides to attend a debate here on the matter. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, and his Minister of State, Deputy Perry, have also attend here on an ongoing basis. I agree with the Senator that youth unemployment is a very serious problem and the Ministers will continue to attend here to update us on the issue.

Senator D'Arcy mentioned that the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement will be attended by the Warrenpoint and Dundalk chambers of commerce tomorrow to outline the benefits of the Narrow Water bridge. Senators D'Arcy, Brennan and Moran have raised the issue on numerous occasions. I hope that a solution will be reached and that the building of the bridge will commence.

Finally, Senator Paul Coghlan saluted the ongoing work being done by the Labour Relations Commission to resolve the many problems related to industrial disputes.

Senator Bacik welcomed the expansion of the dublinbikes scheme, which Senator Noone welcomed yesterday and which is of tremendous benefit to everybody. Senators Quinn, Kelly, Conway and Noone spoke about people being jailed for not paying their television licence fees. A Fines Bill was before the House in 2010 but it only dealt with community service orders and money being taken in instalments from people. I understand the heads of an amendment Bill, which will provide that fines can be deducted from people's earnings from whatever source, were approved by the Government in 2012 and that the Bill will be published before the summer recess. We will see some movement in that regard. I share the Senators' concerns about people being jailed for not paying their television licence fees while others who caused many of the problems in which we find ourselves are still free and living lavish lifestyles.

I note Senator Quinn's point on low energy street lamps and the situation in Scotland. It is an issue Senator Brennan raised more than a year ago. There is a need for a debate on that issue because significant savings can be derived for local authorities. We should examine the savings and benefits by reducing carbon emissions also. We can arrange a debate on that.

Senator Comiskey, Senator Ó Domhnaill and others welcomed the work of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, in regard to the negotiations on discards which took place last evening. It is an issue which has been debated in this House on several occasions and I am sure we all welcome the wonderful work the Minister has done in this regard which will be of benefit to our fishermen.

Senator Cullinan welcomed Professor Higgins's report. I am glad he welcomed the fact services in his local hospital, Waterford Regional Hospital, will be retained and enhanced. However, that is a matter for another day when we debate the report. Senator Harte referred to VAT charges for insolvency services in the UK and queried whether we should have a similar situation here. He also sought clarification on issues in regard to the local property tax which I will try to get for him.

Senator MacSharry referred to the hospital groupings. On the Order of Business yesterday, he asked that I contact the Standards in Public Office Commission in regard to a complaint he made. The following is the reply I received from the Standards in Public Office Commission:

The Standards Commission has a number of functions, one of which is to supervise the Electoral Act 1997, as amended. In this regard, it wrote to various Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas in early March, whom it was alleged were in receipt of donations for political purposes and had travelled to the US upon receipt of those donations. The letter reminded those Members of their obligations in relation to the maximum donation permitted under the Electoral Act 1997, as amended. Reminders issued on 24 April 2013. The names of those Members were mentioned in various media articles in the last few weeks. The Standards Commission also wrote to the Committees on Members' Interests of Dáil and Seanad Éireann on 12 March 2013 to ensure awareness of the new disclosure thresholds and donation limits that came into effect on 01 January 2013.

On Monday 13 May 2013, a member of staff of the Secretariat of the Standards in Public Office Commission, Ms Jacqueline Moore, spoke to Mr Juno McEnroe of the Irish Examiner and in response to various questions in relation to this matter about to whom the Standards Commission had written and from whom replies had been received, information was provided indicating from whom no replies had been received and a general indication as to the responses from those from whom replies had been received. The Standards Commission receives many calls from the media and is always happy to provide answers, albeit on the proviso that the information is not confidential, and does not come within the prohibition on release of information provisions in section 35 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995.

The Standards Commission rejects the allegation made by the Senator.

Senator Clune expressed concerns about Pfizer and the fact 130 jobs are under threat there. We all hope the job losses will be minimised and that replacement jobs will be found for those who will lose their jobs.

In response to Senator Norris, there are two Bills on the Order Paper today. We will debate and examine legislation thoroughly as we get it. In regard to a debate on human rights violations, I will ask the relevant Minister to come to the House as it is quite some time since we had a debate on human rights issues.

Senator Landy referred to voluntary housing groups. There was a requirement that these groups would register voluntarily but given that so few have responded, there may be a need to put this on a statutory basis. It is an issue we can raise with the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, who will be in the House shortly.

Senator Leyden referred to the hospital groupings, which we will debate. Services in Roscommon hospital have been enhanced over the past 12 months. There are safer services and more procedures-----