Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I second the amendment proposed to the Order of Business by my colleague, Senator Marc MacSharry. It is absolutely appropriate that the Minister of State, Deputy Simon Harris, come into the House as a matter of urgency to explain what measures have been taken. Government Members may not be aware that the amount of capital funding for flood defences this year is being cut from the amount allocated last year. There was a reduction in the funding allocated prior to the storms and Members need to know what is happening. I assure the Leader that there has been a cut in the budget and the figures are available.

I wish to deal with a couple of items. First, on 29 November I referred to three cystic fibrosis drugs that had been approved by the European Medicines Agency, EMA, on 20 November. As I wrote to the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, on 1 November, in advance of approval by the EMA, I was on top of this issue before the recent issues arose in the funding of these drugs. The Minister issued a statement yesterday that he was considering funding these drugs, which I welcome, but all Members should remember the nature of cystic fibrosis. It can be a highly debilitating and life shortening illness. These three drugs offer enhanced quality of life and extended life expectancy and if the figure is €92 million, it would be €92 million well spent. There should be no further delay on the part of the Department of Health in approving them to make sure they will be available to the thousands of cystic fibrosis patients and sufferers in Ireland, many of whom are children. I, again, ask the Leader to use his good offices. I have written to the Minister, but I have not had a response since 6 November. However, I intend to follow up on the matter.

In the light of Senator Ivana Bacik's remarks, while some people in Ireland believe religion might be an offence, may I remind Members that it is an entitlement of educators to protect their religious ethos? On foot of the proposed deletion of Rule 68, I ask Senator Ivana Bacik and others how Church of Ireland schools will protect their religious ethos in what is a minority religion? How will the single Jewish school in the State be able to protect its religious ethos? I remind colleagues opposite that in the most recent census 82% of Irish people declared themselves as Catholic, while a further 8% declared themselves as Protestant. There are people with religious beliefs which also must be respected. While I am all for equality in this regard, I do not desire to have a situation such as obtains in the United States of America or Britain where those who want their children to be educated within a certain religious ethos must choose private schools. I do not want that to happen. Has the Government agreed to the deletion of Rule 68? Senator Ivana Bacik, as leader of the Labour Party in this House, has welcomed the proposed deletion of the rule, but that is a serious step forward. I agree with Archbishop Diarmuid Martin in that under no circumstances do I believe children should be baptised or included in any faith community simply to obtain a school place. That absolutely should not be done. However, what about the millions of people who hold fast and firm and respect their religious ethos? The Labour Party, in particular, appears to think anyone who holds a religious belief is inferior to its members and their views.