Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I welcome this opportunity to speak on the important and pertinent Labour Party Private Members' motion. We have just finished a day-long debate on the aftermath of the Lisbon reform treaty in the course of which the Leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, described the situation as the biggest crisis in Europe and Ireland since the Second World War. It is, therefore, unthinkable that the Government proposes to adjourn the Dáil in two to three weeks' time for the summer recess and not return until the end of September, a three-month holiday in the middle of a major crisis. One is reminded of Roman Emperor Nero fiddling merrily while Rome burned. However, in Nero's latter-day Italy and Rome, the Italian Parliament sits for 159 days of the year while we are sitting for only 92 days. Our neighbours in the United Kingdom did business in the House of Commons on 133 days in the last year for which figures are available. In Ireland, we cannot manage 100 days, even in a crisis year.

It is not too late for the Government to reconsider, to agree that Dáil business continue throughout the month of July and to resume at the beginning of September. Such a decision would allow valuable work to be done and would help restore the people's trust in their public representatives, which has been severely tested by recent events in the Mahon tribunal and by the poor Government leadership of the Lisbon treaty campaign.

Look at the multiplicity of issues that require to be addressed urgently. Last month saw the greatest increase in the live register in 40 years, with unemployment figures now in excess of 200,000, and serious problems are being created for hauliers, fishermen, coach companies, public transport, taxis and commuters in the sharp rise in the cost of petrol and diesel, with the further damaging impact on senior citizens and low income families of heating costs in the coming months of autumn and winter. Already disaffected groups are converging on Brussels for tomorrow's summit which should leave the Taoiseach in no doubt about their concerns when he arrives there tonight or tomorrow morning.

The rapid increase in inflation with the ever-increasing cost of groceries and basic food items for hard-pressed families in the supermarkets of Ireland is one of the other matters that needs urgently to be addressed. Another is the continuing crisis in our hospitals with ongoing cutbacks across the entire health service, particularly in our community health services. All Departments have been told to prepare for financial adjustments, a euphemism for savage cutbacks.

Three weeks ago the HSE announced the loss of 100 staff in Crumlin children's hospital. Temple Street children's hospital remains located in antiquated prefab buildings that are totally unsuitable for the treatment of children, yet no steps have been taken towards the construction of the national children's hospital on the Mater hospital site that has been designated for it. The accident and emergency crisis has remained unaddressed for over a decade with vulnerable sick and elderly people treated in a Third World environment. They are fearful and left sitting on chairs or lying on trolleys for extended periods of time waiting for a bed.

Some 40,000 primary school children are being taught in prefabs that are too cold in winter, too hot in summer and unhealthy at all times. Such prefabs are everywhere in my constituency of Dublin Central — ironically, the constituency of the former Taoiseach who has been a senior Minister or Taoiseach for the past quarter of a century. Gaelscoil Bharra, a bunscoil lán-Gaelach in Cabra, was established 13 years ago in prefabs. It is still in prefabs and generations of children in the area have been educated in the most appalling conditions. Toilets are backed up, buildings are falling apart and when it rains there are pools of water everywhere. This is certainly not cherishing the children of the nation equally.

The construction industry is on the verge of collapse and the Government has nothing to say. Four public private partnerships between the local authority and Mr. Bernard McNamara, a developer, have collapsed in my constituency, dashing the hopes of hundreds of tenants of Dublin City Council who were expecting new houses and new facilities for themselves and their children. The areas of Infirmary Road, O'Devaney Gardens, Sean MacDermott Street and Dominick Street are left bereft of the new developments. That is a crisis.

These are some of the multiplicity of issues that give rise to the crisis facing the country. These are the reasons we should demonstrate to the Irish people that we have their interests and concerns at heart and are earnestly dealing with them. We should do so by accepting the provisions of the Labour Party Private Members' motion and by working throughout the months of July and September to address these important critical issues to the life and well-being of the citizens of this country.

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