Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I wish to raise two issues. I compliment the Minister for Health on extending the remit of pharmacists to give the flu vaccine from next autumn onwards. This is smart innovative thinking, which is very much needed. The pharmacists have been looking for an expanded role. Could the role of the pharmacist be extended to administering the BCG vaccine? We have had crisis in counties such as Cork and Galway, where we have large numbers of at-risk non-national children, with one parent not vaccinated.

In respect of child protection, I welcome Deputy Frances Fitzgerald's comments that we can no longer rely on voluntary reporting of child abuse. I have long been a proponent of mandatory reporting and I have spoken about it in this House. When I taught abroad, I had to mandatorily report any suspicion of child abuse. I welcome the remarks of Senator Jillian van Turnhout on the need for a debate to flesh out the issues. How will we deal with the pressure on the services that will result from mandatory reporting, given the way the health services are stretched already?

Great steps have been taken to promote Ireland abroad. We have hosted the visit of Her Royal Majesty, the Queen and President Obama. Now we have the fillip from the Irish golfers who have won majors. What initiatives are being taken to promote Ireland to the domestic market? This week the Galway Arts Festival is on and next week we will have the largest racing festival in Europe, the Galway Races, with eight days of racing. We have an incredible experience to offer. Will an invitation be extended to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar to come to the Seanad to look at the initiative to attract the domestic visitor? I do not expect him to change the weather. The word is out among Irish people that it is expensive to holiday at home. We need to see more synergy between the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to look at the range of holidays and the value for money that can be found. That is the way to grow our economy and distribute wealth across the country.