I wish the Minister the best in these difficult times. He has done extremely well over the past several weeks and I thank him for that. I thank the public and civil servants who are going to work every day and working so well and diligently. They are not thanked often enough. The professional Civil Service we have underpins our democracy. Whatever Government is elected, one can depend on our public servants to do their job.
I also want to acknowledge the front-line services from doctors, nurses, cleaners to the person working in the supermarket stacking shelves. We will come out of this stronger. When we do, however, we have to look at who are the true risk-takers. The true risk-takers over the past several weeks and in the coming months are those who provide those important services. They support the health services. They provide the masks.They are going to make sure there is food in the supermarket. Be they farmers, staff working in the warehouse who load the truck that goes to the supermarket or the staff at the till in the supermarket, who are mainly female, they are making sure we can get the necessities of life. I hope that, at the end of this, we will realise they are the real risk-takers. Over recent weeks, they have risked their health. In the coming weeks, we will expect them to do the same again. Every morning, they will leave their families to do their jobs. To them, I say thank you.
This is my last contribution in the House because I am not going forward for re-election. I wish the incoming Seanad the very best of luck. It will be very difficult and mistakes will be made. All parties and individuals have to realise this, regardless of what Government is formed. The Government is acting at such speed that there will be mistakes, but they will not be made on purpose. Mistakes will be made because the Government will want to do the best it can as quickly as it can. A personalised attack should not happen. We have to seek to have a Government that acts in the best interest of the citizens. I accept that and accept that there will be mistakes made but the Government will not be setting out to make them. It will be trying to deliver a really good service to citizens. In that regard, I applaud whatever Government comes in. Over the next weeks and months, I will do my share voluntarily in whatever way possible. I wish the incoming Government the best of luck. I wish everybody who has gone forward for election to the Seanad the best of luck. Above all, I wish my neighbours, fellow Dubliners and fellow countrymen the best of luck over the coming months. We will get through this.
]]>Several organisations are already on the pitch providing important medical services for our communities. I refer to these as the section 39 organisations, including Rehab, Enable Ireland and St. Joseph's Foundation, all of which provide important functions. They are funded from charity shops.Those shops are now closed and that funding source is gone. The Tánaiste cannot possibly deal with everything that is coming at him quickly here, and I do not expect a response to this now, but I would be very grateful if he considered how section 39 organisations are funded during this period.
]]>The Tánaiste is quite right that we have not seen the peak. Unfortunately, we have already seen many people with serious illnesses pass away. I offer my sympathy to the families who have lost loved ones in very tragic circumstances.
At the end of the Order of Business, we applauded the front-line workers, whom I call the real risk-takers, namely, the staff working in the hospitals, stacking the supermarket shelves, manning the tills and driving the lorries to make sure there is a food supply for the vast majority of us. Those are the true risk-takers. While we have not reached the peak and circumstances will become more difficult, we have to have hope and look to and plan for the future. The Tánaiste referred in his speech to planning for the recovery after the crisis. After the crisis is over, we will really need to do more than stand outside the hall door and applaud the risk-takers, the people who have put their lives on the line, the very people who have suffered the worst over recent years, including nurses, supermarket workers, supermarket suppliers, those who work from day to day and the bin men and bin women who collect domestic refuge. They have not been able to afford to buy their own homes or the super rents we have seen in recent months. We have to plan to reward the real risk-takers to ensure that, when this is over, they will have the right to a home of their own, a place where they can rear their families. We must reward them.
In many ways, when we talk about risk-takers, we talk about businesspeople and tax incentives to bring businesses to Ireland but we now know who the real risk-takers are. It is the nurses, who are probably looking after somebody we love, who cannot afford to buy homes of their own. When we get through this, I would like us to apply ourselves in the same manner to ensure that everybody, including every citizen, will have a right and entitlement to a home of their own.
I acknowledge the work the Government has been doing. I acknowledge the Tánaiste's statement that if there are mistakes, they will be fixed. It is a matter of speed over perfection. I acknowledge everything has that has been done to produce legislation that is as perfect as it can be but since we need it passed speedily, there will be risks. I wish the Government and the country every success because we need to get this right to reduce the number of loved ones who will be lost in the coming weeks.
I am not standing for re-election to the Seanad. I extend to my colleagues who will be re-elected my very good wishes. I am aware of their hard work and of their diligence in considering legislation. In this manner, in this time, speed trumps perfection. We must move quickly to put in the supports our society badly needs. I will not delay the legislation and will be supporting it as it passes through the House. I hope the peak will not be as bad as we fear and that we can start planning for a good future for all our citizens.
]]>On a serious note, I strongly welcome the passing of the Microbeads (Prohibition) Bill 2019 last night. It is a template for co-operation across parties from the former Senator, Grace O'Sullivan, MEP, Deputy Sherlock and the Minister given the urgency it required. However, we must still keep our eye on the ball with regard to climate change and biodiversity. Under the climate change legislation there is an onus on each Minister to report to the Seanad annually on the progress each Department is making. When will that be scheduled in the new year? Will the Leader try to ensure it does not happen in the same way as it did last year, whereby the Ministers queued at the back of the Chamber, came in, spoke for five minutes and then left? We should put some thought into how we will interact on such an important matter. I would welcome an opportunity to discuss with the Leader, at his earliest convenience, how to manage that in the new year.
]]>As with all legislation, we do our absolute best to ensure it is the best it can be. However, sometimes legislation goes further than envisaged. It is a matter of leadership. It is a matter of a message going out to the public to the effect that this is a serious matter and the Government is prepared to show leadership by bringing through the microbeads legislation.
A new Government may, and probably will, review the measures outlined in this legislation as science changes, and so it should. It is important that we are united in our stance in getting this legislation through tonight. It should be enacted by the end of the year. Then, any new Government that comes in the following years can review, improve and strengthen it. Environmental legislation in Ireland needs to be reviewed and strengthened.
I take issue with Senator Lombard's contribution and his comments on leadership. We need not always wait for the public to catch up. The science has been telling us for a long time that microbeads are a problem and have been getting into the food chain and causing damage. That is why the former Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, brought the legislation to the House. That is why the former Senator, Grace O'Sullivan, brought Private Members' legislation to the House. That was when leadership should have been shown within this House. A majority of people should have voted for it. We would have seen the legislation introduced at an earlier stage. That is no criticism of the Minister because he has worked in co-operation with Grace O'Sullivan and the former Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, on this issue. More and more, we need politicians to show leadership rather than wait for the public to catch up. Since entering the House it has been more and more problematic. We fought tooth and nail on the Heritage Bill. We laid out clearly the damage to the microclimate and our biodiversity. Unfortunately, we were not listened to at that stage. Thankfully, that legislation was never enacted. Those responsible took our views on board. However, it was terrible that we had to go through days, weeks and months arguing the point only to be told that the plan for the Twenty-six Counties was only a pilot.
I congratulate the Minister. I have no wish to speak too long on this Bill. I will not be supporting any of the amendments because I believe there is a sense of urgency to pass this legislation tonight. It should be enacted this year to send the message to the public that politicians now take climate change seriously. We understand the effects and impact it has on people's health with microplastics getting into the food chain. We understand the long-term damage that they are doing to our eco-system. I congratulate the Minister on getting the legislation this far. Certainly, I will be doing nothing this evening to delay the Bill from being enacted in the House or to prevent the legislation being signed by the President, hopefully, this year so we can see enforcement taking place.
I congratulate the Minster, the former Senator, Grace O'Sullivan, the former Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, and the Department officials on working closely together to get this legislation to this stage tonight.
]]>Too often, we undervalue the contribution that young people make to political life and democracy. Cormac was certainly a fantastic member of Labour Youth and the Labour Party. He packed so much into such a short life. He will be truly missed by the Labour Party. Even at this early stage, he had been marked out by many people in the party as a future leader of it, and possibly the first Labour Party Taoiseach. He was of that quality. I do not say that lightly. One need only have met this young man to see his leadership qualities. He could mix with people of all ages and groups. That has been reflected in recent days in what members of all political parties, in particular young members, have had to say about him. He had great respect across all parties. On Sunday night, when there was a short remembrance ceremony in his primary school, members of political parties and none came together in an outpouring of grief in solidarity with his parents. His parents really appreciated those expressions of sympathy, especially from what he would have called his competitors in the political sphere. He certainly enjoyed his politics. He made a mark in Irish society and would have made a far greater one, had he been blessed with a few more years.
I thank the Senator and all political parties for their expression of sympathy to the family and party. He will be sorely missed.
]]>