Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the programme for Government. I compliment Senator O'Toole on initiating the motion by which we are convened today to debate it. We are debating it in the context of a new political atmosphere and in the presence of a new Minister, Deputy Shatter, whom I welcome to the House.

While the election of 25 February was a matter of personal disappointment for me, it was a resounding defeat for the outgoing Fianna Fáil-Green Party coalition Government. It has marked a noteworthy change in personnel and policies in the new Government, the government for national recovery. It is good to hear speakers on both sides of the House wishing the Government well in implementing the programme for national recovery and in bringing this country out of the current economic crisis.

It is odd to be debating the issue in the Seanad because we are in an interim state, given that the former Government parties still command a majority, and a significantly increased one at that since so many Fine Gael and Labour colleagues were elected to the Dáil. This is the first opportunity we have had to congratulate those who were elected. It is an odd time in the Seanad Chamber.

I wish to move to the content of the programme for Government and to examine the most important principles contained within it. Time does not permit any of us to go through the programme in detail but it is worth highlighting, as others have done, some of the key aspects. For all of us the most important aspect is the focus on the economy. The first section in the programme is on the plans for economic renewal and economic recovery. It contains much that is to be greatly welcomed. In particular, perhaps the item that is most newsworthy is the renegotiation of the IMF-EU programme of support and the commitment outlined in the programme to seek a reduced interest rate, which as we know has been in the news daily since the Government was formed.

It is also welcome to see that the Government is deferring further recapitalisation of the banks until the solvency stress tests are complete. What we hear is that the news on the banks will be critical in terms of how we build recovery from there. It is prudent that we have deferred recapitalisation until we know more about the actual state of the banks.

On the other more positive aspects of the programme that will help build us towards recovery, some of the notable aspects are the establishment of the strategic investment bank, which was a core part of Labour's economic policy going into the election and which will bring about a great deal of improvement in credit flow for small businesses by allowing small businesses access to credit from a new source. The jobs fund and jobs programme were key to the programmes of both Government parties. The commitment to establishing and resourcing a jobs fund within the first 100 days is vital to the success of the programme. One of the most important aspects of that, which arose time and again for all of us on doorsteps, was the need to offer work placement and internship programmes for young graduates and young apprentices who are currently facing the awful prospect of forced emigration owing to there being very few job prospects here. It is very welcome to see 60,000 places being provided on a work programme.

From the perspective of Trinity College and the higher education sector, it is good to see the focus on international education. Under the heading "Economy", page 13 of the programme focuses on the need to ensure a higher number of international students. All of us in the third level sector are aware of the need to encourage and develop the status of Irish educational institutions abroad. Particular emphasis is placed on targeting students from India, China and the Middle East. The Minister will be aware that Trinity College certainly led the way with visits to India and China, which visits led to the active fostering of links. The law school in Trinity College, where I work, has links to Chinese institutions in particular. These links have been very worthwhile in terms of academic development and fostering interaction between the two countries, in addition to interaction between the two institutions. We are very conscious of that.

Let me examine some of the other commitments in the programme for Government. I take pleasure in seeing some of the items in respect of which I have been involved during my time as a Senator. Included is the commitment to introduce legislation to prohibit female genital mutilation, as referred to in page 47 of the programme. As the Minister may be aware, I introduced a Private Members' Bill in this House with that aim. It was accepted by the then Minister for Health and Children, Ms Mary Harney. I believe her last act before leaving her Ministry was to publish her own Bill on foot of mine. Its intention was to prohibit female genital mutilation. Given that my Bill has been drafted and was subject to extensive checking by various Departments, including the Department of Justice and Law Reform and the Department of Health and Children, and the Office of the Attorney General, I ask the Minister, Deputy Shatter, to commit to introducing it early this term. It is uncontroversial and received cross-party support in this House when I introduced it some months ago.

I am glad to see a commitment to increasing the number of women in politics. I am very grateful that the Minister mentioned this in his opening speech as a priority of the Government. I have worked on this and many others in this House have debated it. The Minister will be aware of the report I authored for the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Women's Rights on women's participation in politics. The report received unanimous cross-party support and one of its recommendations was that legislation be introduced requiring that no more than two thirds of the candidates selected by a political party be of any one gender, essentially providing for a minimum proportion of female candidates.

It was a matter of disappointment to us all that so few women candidates stood in the recent general election – the proportion was only 15% — and that there was no increase in the number of women elected as a result. Clearly, we need to be proactive in this regard. I am delighted the programme for Government recognises this need. It requires that public funding for political parties be tied to the level of participation by women as candidates for their parties. I ask the Minister to consider how this can be achieved through legislation. It must require legislation. The outgoing Minister of State, Deputy Mary White, had convened meetings with the general secretaries of all the political parties and the equality spokespersons to examine whether this could be achieved voluntarily, and whether each political party might buy into the process given they all recognised the need for more women in politics. However, unless there is cross-party consensus – it did not seem to be emerging in the meetings – legislation appears to be the best way to ensure parties increase the number of female candidates they put before the electorate. While it is up to the electorate to make a decision, we know from outcomes elsewhere that where more women are put forward as candidates, more women are ultimately elected to public office. I am glad to see women's participation is a priority.

I am glad to see there are many progressive commitments in the programme for Government on criminal justice. I welcome the first Bill published by the Minister, Deputy Shatter, the Criminal Justice (Community Service)(Amendment Bill) 2011. It goes a good way towards meeting the aims stated in the programme for Government under the heading, "Sentencing and Penal Reform". The Minister will be aware that the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, and I had prepared a Labour Party paper on penal reform, some of the commitments of which are contained in the programme for Government and I am delighted to see this. I wish to highlight page 49 of the version of the programme I have, which contains an unqualified commitment to ending the practice of sending children to St. Patrick's Institution. I know the Minister agrees with this. Ireland has been criticised for many years by international human rights bodies for the barbaric practice of still sending children to this institution, which is long past its sell by date and is not fit for purpose. It should be closed immediately and we should end this practice. I am delighted to see the commitment put in our internal party policy by the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, and it is also in the programme for Government.

I am also glad to see that mandatory sentencing laws will be reviewed because there is limited evidence as to their effectiveness. We should look at alternative means of developing a drugs policy. I welcome the commitment to switch from prison sentences and towards less costly non-custodial options for non-violent and less serious offenders. This is a very worthwhile aim in our penal system and sentencing regime. I very much hope it will be implemented.

I am very disappointed with some aspects of the programme. I am disappointed there is not a more serious commitment to implementing the judgment in the ABC case on abortion. It is a bit of a fudge in the sense that it is to be sent to an expert group. However, I am glad to see that legislation will be introduced on regulating stem cell research and on assisted human reproduction. These are issues on which previous Governments have kicked to touch for too long. However, previous Governments have also kicked to touch on the abortion issue for far too long and we now have a European Court of Human Rights judgment which we need to implement. I do not think it would require any more expert groups.

I wish the Minister the best in his role and in implementing the programme for Government. It is an ambitious programme in a very constrained and difficult economic time yet it contains much that is positive, and the aim that the new Government will be guided by the needs of the many rather than the greed of the few as stated in the statement of purpose at the beginning is an excellent guiding principle. I very much hope it will continue to guide the policies of the new Government throughout its full term in office.