Dan Boyle (Green Party)

Senator Bacik spoke about the Climate Protection Bill and the need for further debate. I am unsure whether she speaks directly about the Bill and its progression in its current form. I included in correspondence some of the concerns I have about waiting for the report of the Oireachtas Committee on Climate Change and decisions on the follow-up to Kyoto, which is expected from a major meeting in Copenhagen in 2009. It is still the Government's preferred course to wait for international decisions to be made before we progress with legislation. The Government still feels it is important this legislation remains on the Order Paper so it can help inform whatever legislation follows.

Senator Coffey brought up the issue of driver licensing, outlining particular concerns. I will seek to make information available to him as to why driver test centres would communicate cancellations to people in that way and whether it affects statistics in the way described by the Senator.

Senator McFadden talked about head shops which exist in several urban centres across the country. My understanding is the materials sold there are subject to control by the Irish Medicines Board. Whereas they may be unconventional and have the type of effects described, questions must be asked in the first instance about the particular substances sold. If paraphernalia is being sold in these shops which can be used for other drug uses, I would consider it a more serious charge. If information can be supplied on that, the Minister should respond to queries of that nature and we will seek to have a debate on that.

The question of affordable housing may be more immediately answered in today's debate and I am sure the Minister of State with responsibility for housing can speak on Government policy in this area.

Senator Doherty asked about the undocumented Irish and more or less answered his own question in the sense that it is an issue in the American presidential campaign. His concerns will be forwarded to the Taoiseach and Minister for Foreign Affairs to see if the two candidates will be involved in an initiative in that regard.

The Senator also spoke about the gateway innovation fund and I am conscious that I said decisions were imminent. I was informed that the consultants making recommendations to the Government had made their report. The interim time which is about two months since has been about debate in the Government about how and when finalised decisions will be made and the public announcement will follow. I understand such an announcement is imminent and I am not led to believe the issues at hand are affected by today's announcement. However, as I do not know the contents of the announcement, we must wait and see.

Senators Doherty and Keaveney referred to the announcement of ward closures. We need to discover to what extent these closures are additional to the usual ward closures in August or whether they are linked to a policy under which resources are allocated on a performance related basis. I will seek information on the matter from the Minister for Health and Children. I share the Senators' concern about Letterkenny General Hospital, which does excellent work. My father passed away in that hospital.

Senator Buttimer, when he got around to putting a question, asked about social work cover in the Cork area. As someone who has worked in the community and youth work area, I share the Senator's concern. The current approach to social work has resulted in poor service delivery across the country for several years. The problem is only partially related to resources and may be attributed to a culture within social services and the manner in which they are delivered. I would be pleased to facilitate a debate on social services in Cork or at national level.