Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

If any of us were asked how much money be saved by the closure of the Garda stations, very few would have guessed that the figure would be as low as €500,000. It is an indictment of Government policy. We have heard in recent days about the plans to revitalise rural Ireland and investment to refurbish our towns and so on. It is important that significant detail is provided and that there is significant investment. In March, a journalist, Richard Curran, hosted an excellent documentary on the battle for rural Ireland. It showed the stark reality of the challenges our small towns and villages are facing.

I am glad we are going to have a debate on the migrant crisis on Thursday. I am not sure the Government is firing on all cylinders on this issue. It is right and proper that the Minister for Justice and Equality take that debate, but there are related issues that need to be dealt with by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, such as whether safe havens will be established in the Middle East for persecuted minorities - not just Christian minorities, but other minorities.The challenges faced by particular groups must be looked at now as well. It cannot be separated from the question of or absorption into the country of very hard pressed people who are fleeing war. They need to be helped and supported. At the same time we must look at what is going to be done to assist persecuted minorities and what our policy is, for example, on Syria and on regime change or otherwise in Syria. I would like to be hearing much more from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Ireland's policy on these matters.

I would also like to hear about the recent attendance by the Minister for Justice and Equality at a conference in Paris on the persecuted groups and the challenges facing particular ethnic communities. As far as I am aware there was no media coverage of her participation at the conference. We do not know what she said and we do not know what the Irish Government's policy is. I would like to hear about that matter on Thursday but we need to hear from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as well.

I note Senator Bacik's attempt to interpret there being some kind of a momentum to secure further legalised abortion in Ireland. This is largely a media swell rather than a groundswell as the rather modest turnout at last weekend's protest showed. It is time that she told us what she and fellow abortion supporters think about the absolutely grisly realities being pursued.