Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It does not matter whether it was last year or this year.

Senator Ivana Bacik referred to job creation. I am sure we all welcome the 100 new jobs announced in Waterford today and the investment of €9 million in research and development in the company FeedHenry, a spinout company from Waterford Institute of Technology. These are the types of jobs the Government is trying to create and the investment is the kind we are trying to attract to the country. I will invite the Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Sean Sherlock, to come to the House to debate ICT jobs. This would be beneficial, considering that the Government is helping to create in excess of 1,000 jobs every month. This number will, I hope, increase significantly.

Senator Fiach Mac Conghail referred to the Tony Awards nominations for Colm Toibín and Dr. Mel Mercier which are to be welcomed. It is wonderful to have Irish people on the world theatrical stage and have them nominated for such prestigious awards.

Senator Fiach Mac Conghail also referred to the sale of forest harvesting rights. The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, has made the point that we will probably not be proceeding in this regard. I do not know as yet whether this is certain. I note the Senator's concerns about the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant and his call for the publication of the RPII report. I am sure this issue will be raised at a meeting of the joint committee.

Senator Sean D. Barrett referred to the significance of his Bill, the Financial Stability and Reform Bill which was very well debated in this House. I note his point. He referred to disused railway lines and their conversion into cycleways. The ones that have been developed, especially the one in the Westport area, have proved to be very successful. I agree that disused railway lines should be developed.

Senator Deirdre Clune called for a debate on the need for a dementia strategy. I understand the strategy will be announced very soon.

We will invite the relevant Minister to the House to discuss the strategy when it is published.

I do not intend to reply to Senator Paschal Mooney's contribution. We talk about respect for this House, but on several occasions I have referred to Members coming to the Chamber to raise issues on the Order of Business and then drifting out of the House. They are the ones calling for Ministers to come to the House for debates. In some cases, there is a practically empty Chamber for these debates. The Senators making points should look into their own hearts and see how they are behaving in the House and what respect they give to it.

Senator Aideen Hayden raised the issue of rents increasing by 2.7% nationally.