Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I commend and welcome the report published yesterday on farm safety which was compiled by the Seanad Public Consultation Committee. I commend in particular Senator Martin Conway and Senator Denis O'Donovan and the other Members who were involved in it. There is a farm-related death practically every week. Last Sunday a two-year old child died in Cork in an accident with a horse box. I read the report yesterday evening. Simple solutions and safety precautions can help to avoid many accidents. I ask the Leader to put on the schedule a debate following the publication of the report.

I also support Senator Heffernan on the issue he raised relating to Limerick. Other Members referred to the use of the word "gasification". It brought all sorts of terrible connotations to my mind when I heard it being used. I never heard it used in an environmental context previously. The proposal for Limerick must be investigated. I spoke this morning in the Commencement debate about the first anniversary of the Putting People First document becoming legislation and then being used at local government level. This is a case in point of policy not working. What has happened is that officials are informing councils in certain municipal areas of issues and measures are being rubber-stamped by councillors without a full debate in the council. This is wrong and we must put a stop to it. We must open up the issue and have a proper debate. We must question the EPA on what it is doing. Currently, we are questioning the EPA on many issues in this House, including the issue Senator Whelan raised concerning Portlaoise.One of these days, it will have to appear before us to provide answers. When its representatives appeared before the Joint Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht, they spluttered rather than answered members' questions.

I welcome the publication this week by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, of legislation to deal with the validity periods for gift vouchers. Many people find they cannot use these vouchers because they are out of date. I have been calling for action on this issue. The legislation is, therefore, welcome as it will help people who find a gift voucher in a drawer six or eight months after receiving it only to discover it cannot be used because it is out of date.