Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

We all watched the funeral in Limerick yesterday with sadness and great sympathy and the whole country was appalled at the event that led to it. I am very disappointed we do not have the opportunity in this House today to discuss gangland crime. The Dáil is having a debate on it today. I do not understand why not one of 20 Ministers of State is available to come to this House. Many Senators said they would like an opportunity to speak on this topic and many good suggestions were made on the Order of Business some days ago.

I am really disappointed about the lack of debate. Will the Deputy Leader explain the resistance to having current debates in this House? Could we please ensure we have them given that Senators on all sides of the House are seeking them? It is very important for the Seanad and country that we discuss topical issues. I appeal to the Deputy Leader to take up this issue and ensure it is acted upon in the coming weeks.

I want to focus on some of the decisions made by the Government in recent weeks. It is becoming very clear to me that neither the Taoiseach nor his Government has the temperament to deal with the difficult times and make the difficult decisions that are required. I say this for a number of reasons. The Government is in denial and not facing up to the truth about a number of issues. This is evident from recent decisions on medical cards and cuts in education. It was evident yesterday in the debate on cervical cancer vaccines.

The Government accused Deputy Kenny of being hysterical and of scaremongering in his response in the debate on cervical cancer vaccines. He asked his questions on the withdrawal of the vaccine thoughtfully and calmly and he received an hysterical response from the Taoiseach, whom I believe was in denial. Many Senators will have heard the Nobel prize-winning scientist on "Morning Ireland" this morning confirming Fine Gael's view that the vaccine is life saving and effective. The scientist confirmed the view that one should not wait for screening and instead administer the vaccine, thereby saving lives. What Fine Gael was saying about the efficacy of the vaccine was accurate. It was not hysterical or scaremongering. I want to amend the Order of Business today to have a debate on the withdrawal of the cervical vaccine.