Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Leader will deal with the issue Senator MacSharry has raised regarding the health service. However, I heard the same interview as the Senator and took a completely different impression from it. In fact, it was gratifying to hear in particular about the fall in the number of people in need of medical cards because they have been able to return to work. This was the most gratifying of all.It enables us to invest more money in the other areas of the health system. If I remember correctly what the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, said, the headline figures in almost every area are heading in the right direction. However, I am sure the Leader will have more to say on that.

I welcome the announcement by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, that he will be allocating an additional €8 million to local authorities to facilitate and support the meeting of the cost of the clean-up in communities in the aftermath of Storm Desmond. I am sure we all agree this is good news.

The environment committee's report is expected to be published today. It will cover, in particular, the issue of insurance that I raised yesterday in this House and the plight of people who find themselves unable to obtain insurance for properties that were previously flooded. I was somewhat disappointed by comments attributed to the Taoiseach to the effect that he did not believe it would be in the interest of the State to step in with regard to insurance for people who have been flooded. However, if we are to go by what is happening in a number of other European jurisdictions, we must realise there needs to be a backstop for people who find themselves in these circumstances. We must not rely on private companies to provide appropriate insurance for people in these circumstances.

I welcome the announcement that the number of unfinished housing estates has dropped by 75%. This is excellent news. Along with the flooding issue, it gives rise to the need for a serious debate on planning. The Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, has announced that agreement was reached at Cabinet level on Tuesday on the publication of a major package of legislative and policy reforms to the planning system, including the publication of a planning and development Bill that will set up an independent office of the planning regulator. That is most important and has been called for over a very long period by a number of organisations, not least the Irish Planning Institute.

I welcomed the statement by the Government that it aims to boost diversity in third level education. It is particularly unfortunate that significant groups of people are still excluded from third level education in this country in spite of the fact that the participation levels in third level education have increased very significantly over the past decade. However, as the report states, nearly all young people from Dublin 6 go to college but just 16% of people from Dublin 17 or Dublin 10 do so. This is an outrageous statistic that needs to be addressed. The lack of student accommodation is a very significant factor, particularly for people from rural areas, in gaining access to third level education. I am sure the Leader, being from Waterford, is aware of this.

I do not know whether I have any time left but the Cathaoirleach was very generous to Senator Marc MacSharry. On a lighter note, I welcome the commission of a commemorative stamp in honour of the Irish war poet Francis Ledwidge, who unfortunately, after having survived the battle of Gallipoli, died in Passchendaele during the First World War. It is totally appropriate that there will be a commemorative stamp on the centenary of his death in 2017. I welcome the fact that he has been put back on the leaving certificate syllabus. He was on it in my day.