Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This being the decade of commemorations I believe it would be appropriate to set time aside this week for statements on the 1,000th anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf which is a significant milestone in the history of our country. This history did not begin at the beginning of the 20th century. I note that on Thursday the House will debate the situation in the Ukraine and in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Some time should be set aside to talk about the commemoration of the Battle of Clontarf. Events are planned in Glasnevin, Clontarf and Swords, all across Dublin and in Dromoland. It would be appropriate for the Seanad to set some time aside and I ask the Leader to consider my suggestion.

I wish to roundly condemn the brutal murder of a 40 year old man at 8.45 a.m. this morning in Ballymun, outside a national school. I wish to convey my condolences to his family on this brazen attack. Only two weeks ago in the Clongriffin area a man was shot outside a crèche and he has since died. The perpetrators deserve everything they get. My party, Fianna Fáil, has previously called for a dedicated Garda unit to tackle gun crime in Dublin city and county. It would be appropriate to have a debate after the Easter recess. I have called regularly for debates on policing but I call for a debate on the specific area of gun crime. The number of murders has escalated over recent months. The annual GRA and AGSI conferences have heard calls from gardaí on the possible correlation between the shortage of gardaí in the traffic corps and the increase in the number of road deaths in certain areas. It should be ensured that the Garda Síochána is provided with every resource necessary to tackle these people - I use that word very loosely - who carry out these crimes in the middle of the day or early in the morning. They shoot down their victims in cold blood and it is happening only four or five miles from here. It is deplorable and I ask the Leader to consider having a debate.

I welcome the fact that the Taoiseach has confirmed yesterday that prior to the local and European elections on 23 May he will publish the actual charges for water. I welcome his commitment to do so. I hope he or the Minister will announce the specific charges and the structure because people want certainty in that matter. I am sure all of us have been receiving complaints about the uncertainty of the future charge.

People feel aggrieved they have to pay it from the last quarter of this year regardless of the quality of the drinking water and the service they receive. It is important that people know exactly what they will pay and I welcome the commitment from the Government, and specifically the Taoiseach, to announce it before the local and European elections. When he does that, we must set aside time in the House to discuss it. When we come back, we need a debate on the compulsory health tax proposed by the Minister, Deputy James Reilly, in the guise of universal health insurance. The Minister seems unsure about the proposal and its cost and Senators may be able to help him along those lines by teasing out where we believe there are deficiencies in the service, particularly when we look at the much-vaunted Dutch model, with costs increasing every year. We need that debate after the Easter break.