Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Senator Cáit Keane in that regard. We will seek a debate on the matter. Senator Pat O'Neill asked for a debate on improving the education of school children in water safety, a matter on which we all agree with him.

Senator Sean D. Barrett asked for a debate on the role of the Comptroller and Auditor. I will seek such a debate. He also referred to the successful talks in London this week between the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, and Sinn Féin and the need to ensure a furthering of the peace process. We all join him in wishing for a peaceful marching season as we enter that period of the year. He also requested that the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister be invited to come to the House. We agreed to this at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and an invitation was sent. I understand the committee will meet again next week when I will raise the issue. I believe there was a difficulty in aligning the dates, but the matter is in hand.

Senator Sean D. Barrett also paid tribute to the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I am glad that so many colleagues have done so. The Minister has had an immensely significant career of public service of nearly 40 years. Colleagues have paid tribute to him for the role he played as Minister for Finance in the 1990s. It was extremely successful and he left behind a budget surplus in building the core of proper and sustainable prosperity. Also, there is his major reforming work as Minister for Education and Skills. Senator Mary Moran referred to his introduction of the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill in the House on Tuesday evening. One of his key attributes that we all appreciated as Senators and on which many colleagues have commented was introducing Bills in the Seanad on a regular basis on which we had very good debates. The debate on the Bill mentioned was a very good one. With his reforms on patronage and pluralism in the primary sector, SUSI and the student grants scheme, the initiatives on literacy and numeracy and mathematics, the teaching of junior cycle students and the restructuring of the VEC system, introduction of SOLAS and the education and training boards, he has had a transformative impact on the education sector in a short three year period, for which I pay him my own tribute. As a former teacher, Senator Mary Moran also paid tribute to him and said how much she appreciated his reforms. She called for a resolution of the issue of the closure of All Hallows College to ensure, in particular, the students were not left high and dry. I ask the Senator to table that matter for discussion on the Adjournment. Talks are ongoing on it. Like her, I commend the resolution of the issue of the closure of English language colleges for foreign language students who were accommodated by the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister for Education and Skills in agreeing to a resolution method. I hope we will see something similar happen in this case.

Senator Terry Leyden asked for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to come to the House to discuss SI No. 226 of 2014, which allows local authorities to collect rates on vacant buildings. It would be a good idea if the Senator tabled the matter for discussion on the Adjournment. I had some success in the last session of the House with a former Minister for the Environment who amended a statutory instrument on dredging at Passage East, County Waterford, where a huge amount of damage was being done to the harbour. Perhaps we are not using the Adjournment matters facility enough in dealing with statutory instruments. They offer a real possibility in terms of change and I ask the Senator to consider using it. I appreciate his predictive powers and crystal ball gazing in predicting the future of the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, but I will pass over it.

Senator Catherine Noone welcomed the announcement that Diageo would not be running an Arthur's Day event again. We all welcome this, given the concerns about binge drinking during that one day event in previous years. As the Senator said, there is a doubt about the new initiative. It would be much better to see an event supporting Irish music and artists being spread over one month. The Senator also supported Senator Cáit Keane in calling for a debate on water safety.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh called for a debate on the moiton dealing with Eurodac. We had a full debate on the issue at the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence yesterday. I participated in the debate which continued for nearly an hour. However, I have spoken to the Minister for Justice and Equality about it and she has agreed to debate the issue again in the House today. As colleagues will be aware, she will be in the House immediately after the Order of Business to take Committee Stage of the Irish Human Rights Equality Commission Bill and has very kindly has agreed to debate the motion dealing with Eurodac at the conclusion of Committee Stage. We should be able to deal with the Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Bill 2013 at 1.30 p.m. I do not think there are many amendments to the Irish Human Rights Equality Commission Bill and colleagues should check the monitors to see when the debate on the motion dealing with Eurodac will commence.

It will be taken immediately on conclusion of Committee Stage of the Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014. I propose that amendment to the Order of Business on foot of a request from Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh. There is no doubt the Eurodac directive is important. We did raise concerns with the Minister, which we can debate today.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh called also for a debate on lone parent allowance changes, lone parent families and child care. I will certainly ask for that debate. We had a full debate with the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, during which she put the case very strongly that we need to move away from the current model, which has had very poor outcomes in terms of poverty for lone parents, who still remain in poverty despites decades of lone parent allowance. The Minister's moves to ensure-----