Michael Mullins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join with colleagues in extending our sympathy to the family of the late Christine Buckley. Her bravery in bringing institutional abuse to the fore must be admired by every Member of the House. She succeeded in helping so many deal with it over the past number of years.

I support the call for a debate on the fluoridation of water. As I travelled to the Seanad this morning, I heard two so-called experts on radio. I was deeply concerned that as a result of the utterings of one of them, many people would be quite worried about the health of their children. The sooner we get some experts to come to this House to put the record straight on the dangers or otherwise of the fluoridation of water the better.

We had a debate on the situation in Syria and the Central Africa Republic recently but given that we may have some time available to us in the coming weeks, the Tánaiste, Deputy Gilmore, or the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, should come to the House. The reports emanating from Syria in recent days are that the Syrian armed forces are using the starvation of civilians as a weapon of war and that people are being starved into submission. In recent days, the director of the World Food Programme said the agency would need €309 million between now and May and that food aid operations were cut by 20% in March due to budget shortages. An even greater humanitarian crisis is emerging in Syria.

The United Nations is starting a formal inquiry into human rights abuses in the Central African Republic. There are reports of genocide, serious atrocities and human rights abuse there. It would be appropriate for us to keep this issue very much on the agenda of Seanad Éireann and for the Tánaiste, Deputy Gilmore, or Minister of State, Deputy Costello, to come to the House as a matter of urgency.