Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom i dtosach báire moladh a thabhairt do na Seanadóirí atá i láthair a bhfuil cúpla focal acu na focail sin a úsáid. Tuigim go bhfuil roinnt Gaeilge ag an gcuid is mó den dream atá anseo agus tá sé fíorthábhachtach go mbeadh muid ag tabhairt ceannródaíocht ó thaobh na Gaeilge de i dTithe an Oireachtais. Chomh maith leis sin, ba mhaith liom iarraidh ar an gCeannaire go mbeadh díospóireacht againn leis an Aire Stáit Gaeltachta maidir le cúrsaí Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta agus na pleananna atá aige ins an tréimhse Rialtais seo. I am just encouraging any Senators who do have a cúpla focal to try to use them. It is important that we show ceannródaíocht and that we use it in the Seanad. The amount of Irish that has been used in recent years has been very positive.

Could the Leader also clarify the time slots allotted to different speakers for Private Members' business? It is not clear how much time will be allotted in respect of the various slots.

We are often accused in the Seanad of speaking rubbish. I think we need a Minister to come in here and talk rubbish to us because there is a huge issue around the final act of the Labour Party and Deputy Alan Kelly in government to allow private companies to increase refuse collection charges. There is a plethora of companies dealing with these services and there is no regulation in respect of what is happening at present.There is a situation in Connemara where companies are trying to charge people a €224 standing charge without ever picking up a bin or a bag. I am told that the same company is running the exact same service in Leitrim but it is only charging a standing charge of €80. Fair play to Leitrim. I am not sure how it pulled that one off, but certainly we in Connemara and in Galway will not take it sitting down. It illustrates how this bin tax which is being imposed on people is totally unacceptable. It comes from the privatisation of the refuse collection system which was ill-thought out and which, in our opinion, should not have been put forward. It needs to be reviewed. We need the Minister for rubbish - I am not certain whether it is the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government who is dealing with the matter or if it is has been passed over to the new Minister - to discuss this immediately. The measure is to start in July and it is ill-thought out. There are families who cannot afford to pay their water charges, the property tax and so forth, and they see this as another tax being piled upon them with very little choice and very little consultation. There are questions around where the money is going, where the data are being collected and how they are being used. I urge the Leader to have that debate next week, if possible. It is a very pressing issue.