Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

I support the request from other Senators for a debate here on the Lisbon treaty. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs, of which some Senators are members, is in the final stages of producing a report on the views of the different social partners on the treaty. That report is due to be published next week. I suggest to the Leader that one of the ways in which we might have an informed and quality debate on the Lisbon treaty is by consideration of the report and by inviting some of the people who have contributed to the development of it to the House. Undoubtedly, the views of organisations like the IFA and ISME will play a considerable role in influencing how the people of Ireland vote on the treaty. We have a report that captures some of the issues they believe are important. It behoves this Chamber to debate this report and give our input into it.

Another matter that will be very important to the future of our country and which we continually touch upon is the question of how we develop and stimulate economic growth. Frequently, when we discuss this issue, we talk about the mantra of research and development and innovation. Yesterday, we saw the publication by the Minister for Education and Science of the strategic innovation fund to stimulate that kind of work in our third-level institutions. It was remarkable that the publication of the detail of the plan came after the publication of a letter from all of the universities to the Minister expressing their frustration with the way the report and plan were progressing. I call on the Leader to organise a debate on how we are carrying out this research in Ireland to ensure that money is well spent and that it does not replicate private money already spent in these areas.

I repeat a request I made last week for a debate in this House on how we deal with homelessness in this city and people with chronic alcohol and drug issues. There is no more distressing sight than walking across our city and seeing people who are inebriated or have drug problems who have prams with young children in them. What hope do those children have and how can our society help and intervene, given that, unfortunately, their parents might not be able to do this? Last week, I raised the issue of a centre that was designed to deal with these issues but which will be vacant this summer because the HSE cannot provide the funding to deal with it. We are letting ourselves and the city down by not dealing with that.