Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I concur with the concerns expressed by Senator Rónán Mullen. I am also concerned that the Sinn Féin Party decided to make a petition of concern. I spoke to its leader and other MLA members of Sinn Féin to avert it happening. The petition is a misuse of a good provision that was included in the agreements. The petition of concern was included in order that no community could find itself totally out-voted by another. This is not such an issue because it transcends politics and parties. I regret that it has happened but accept that it is democracy. I also accept that the party is entitled to adopt whatever position it wishes. I urge people here who may not be as familiar with some of the activities of the Marie Stopes Clinics to talk to people, even those on the pro-choice side, who are critical of Marie Stopes and have serious misgivings about some of its modus operandi.

I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to come to the House. I appreciate, and I have always acknowledged here, that we are going through a difficult fiscal and economic situation and that the Government must make unpopular decisions. When Fianna Fáil was in power it made unpopular decisions by cutting public service pay and social welfare to spread the burden across all of society.

I am highly critical of what is happening now. I want the Minister to come here to discuss the housing grants for the disabled and the elderly. My county council has been almost cut in half and I am sure that the same has occurred in other areas. Many constituents have made representations to me for housing grants. Some of the people are elderly and live in homes that need repairs which they cannot afford and the same applies to the disabled. In one instance, a father and son cannot access a stairway to their bedrooms and only use their livingroom. Such people will be deprived of essential grants.