Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael)

I support calls made by previous speakers, including Senator Fitzgerald, for a debate on competitiveness, one of the greatest challenges facing the economy. Many of the current job losses are occurring in high-end industries rather than low-end manufacturing. Honeywell, a company in County Waterford, is facing serious challenges which it has indicated are caused by competition on international markets.

I raise a second issue on behalf of a section of a society who are often not heard, namely, children with special needs who urgently require speech and language therapy services. It is widely acknowledged that early intervention is essential for successful outcomes in the development of such children. Heretofore, we heard that we did not have a sufficient number of qualified professionals in this field to deal with waiting lists. According to the information available to me, those obtaining professional qualifications in this area are finding it impossible to secure employment and must leave the country. This is scandalous and disgraceful. I appeal to the Leader, a reasonable man who cares about vulnerable people, to ask the relevant Minister to come before the House to debate this important matter which requires time and attention.

The terms "climate change" and "energy security" have become buzzwords. It is vital that we give them serious attention as they present major challenges for the economy and the Government across many sectors. We do not realise the impact climate change and energy security will have across the board. The Government is about to roll out a national energy efficiency plan and challenging targets will be set for all bodies and sectors, specifically the public sector, in achieving energy efficiency in their daily operations. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister to appear before the House to outline the Government's plans in this regard.

Schools are a perfect example of a sector in which public institutions will have to improve energy efficiency. The outcome in this sector will be interesting because, as Senators are aware, many schools are housed in substandard buildings, including prefabricated buildings. Prefabs lose heat easily and are among the most inefficient structures one can find, yet we have the audacity to set targets without resourcing schools. I appeal to the Leader to arrange a debate on this key issue.