Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I join others in welcoming the new Senator, Gerard Craughwell, to the House. He will bring a particular expertise in education and I look forward to his participation in debates on education legislation and statements on education.

As others will agree and many Ministers have remarked, a strength of this House lies in debating legislation, particularly on Committee Stage, where the expertise of individual Senators feeds into improving legislation on an ongoing basis. I very much look forward to working with the new Senator, along with my colleagues, and I speak on behalf of the Labour Party group in the Seanad.
Like others, we look forward to the budget today. It is the first, after seven budgets, in which we will see no cut in public services. We hope to see a raising of the threshold for the universal social charge and widening of tax bands.
I am very pleased to see reports that there will be extra spending in the justice area, which is my own area. We know already that Garda recruitment has started again, which is very welcome. Many of us have welcomed the initiative already but I welcome the reports that there may well be increased resources available to modernise the Garda fleet. It is very important that there is investment in Garda vehicles.
I welcome the establishment yesterday by the Minister of State, DeputyÓ Ríordáin, of the working group on direct provision. This House has played a central role in seeking improvements in the direct provision system and sought to ensure that the rights of those in the system are respected. I am glad to see that the working group will be made up of a good range of people who will bring a range of different expertise, such as people from the NGO sector and so on. I am also glad that it will be chaired by former judge, Mr. Bryan McMahon. We very much look forward to the report of the working group which has been charged with making practical recommendations to the Minister on how the system may be improved, not just that the delays in the system will be tackled but also that the rights and the dignity of those currently in the system will be respected. Go raibh maith agat.