Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join Senator Gallagher in commending Ireland's oldest councillor, Ian McGarvey. Mr. McGarvey played football in Glasgow and for Sligo Rovers football club. He is a renowned soccer player and if he was playing today he could assist the Irish team at centre-half. He is 86 years young and we extend good wishes to him.

I extend good wishes also to Ireland's Olympic athletes who will be flying out to Rio next week. The manager and team fly out next Wednesday. Patsy McGonagal, a Donegal man, is the Irish Olympic team manager. We wish the squad, many of whom are in training abroad, well as they take to Rio to represent Ireland and hope they achieve some success.

Senator Reilly referred to the health strategy committee. It is imperative that Members of the Seanad be included on the committee. It is a ten-year strategy to drive a plan and provide a footprint for the future of our health service. There is a drastic need to drive efficiencies from an economic perspective. The budget will take an additional €6.5 billion in public spending between now and 2021. It is where most of the public spending will be going because of our ageing population and it would be very wrong for the Government and Dáil only to be represented on the committee. Reflection over the summer should allow a number of Senators to serve on the committee on a cross-party basis.

Senator Mullen raised the issue of bias in the media, in particular on social issues or issues of social policy. There is a need to provide balance, scrutiny and objectivity on all debates and, in particular, fairness on social policy issues like the eighth amendment where we saw recently that about 20 times the coverage was given in a one week period to the pro-repeal side. Fairness is not being provided to the other side. There are questions to be answered about the public service broadcaster which is receiving assistance from the State. To reflect on that, we should have a debate in the House at an early date when sitting resumes in the autumn on the issue of fairness in the media, in particular on social policy issues which are sensitive and in respect of which commentary should be balanced, especially from the national broadcaster.