Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the 17 Senators who contributed to the Order of Business this morning. I join with Senator Mark Daly in wishing our colleague and friend, Senator Ardagh, and her future husband every success, joy and happiness tomorrow. I hope the Child of Prague is out because the rain this morning certainly would not help. Senator Ardagh did order me on Tuesday not to mention it but Senator Daly broke protocol so on behalf of the House, I feel that we should congratulate her.

The Bill on the recognition of Irish Sign Language for the deaf community will be in the House next week. I join with Senators Ó Donnghaile and Daly in congratulating the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality on the publication of the report today. I hope we will have support from the House next week. It is important to have that debate.

It is beyond my gift to bring the Corporate Manslaughter Bill in but we have asked the Department of Justice and Equality about it. Senator Daly raised the issue of child care. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs will be in the House next week to discuss the issue.

With regard to the first-time buyer's grant, I do not want to provoke a fight this morning but we have come through the worst recession in the history of the State. The supply of housing is at rock bottom. We had a very good debate in the House yesterday. We must build, supply and ensure that first-time buyers can access credit and get on the property ladder, which they cannot do at the moment. The Government is committed to facilitating the building of houses and providing first-time buyers with this grant. Academics disagree as academics will do but the important point is that we have an incentivised market. We need people to be able to come in and buy second-hand houses, which is why the home renovation scheme is there, but it is important that people are able to access credit.

In response to Senator McFadden, I have met with the Government Chief Whip regarding the initiation of legislation. The Government legislative programme commits to 25 Bills being published this session. It is important that Bills are initiated in this House because that way, the legislative backlog will not happen. Part of the difficulty, which some of the commentariat do not understand and do not write about, is that we have pre-legislative scrutiny on lots of legislation. That was a very positive departure in the last Dáil and Seanad but it means that the process slows down. It makes for a better parliamentary system. As somebody who chaired the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children in the last Oireachtas, I think pre-legislative scrutiny is very important. The Senator is right and all of us agree that there needs to be more legislation initiated in this House. We have asked for that.

Senator Freeman raised the very important issue of mental health. The important point here is that there is an increase in the Government's commitment to mental health. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy McEntee, has been very successful in promoting mental health. An extra €35 million will be allocated to mental health services this year in addition to the €35 million provided last year, which is the base funding for mental health. We have the commitment to the Central Mental Hospital in terms of the capital plan and the construction of a new forensic mental health service in Portrane.

The important point, which we need to put into perspective regarding the delivery of the money, is how the HSE allocates that money in its service plan. Therein lies the difficulty in the area of health. Government has allocated €14 billion to the Department of Health, which is the highest ever spend. It is in excess of what it was when Deputy Micheál Martin ran out of it and when Mary Harney was stuck there because none of you would take it. It is now €14 billion. Senator Daly referenced the increase in numbers and wants to see more services provided, something with which we all agree, but that costs money. How is that money allocated? The big question we should be asking of the HSE beyond this Chamber is how it apportions and allocates that money. The Government gives that money, the Department of Health allocates it and the HSE spends it in some cases. I think that is a matter for the service plan.

Senator Gavan again raised the issue of Shannon Airport. I can tell him quite clearly that I am not afraid of anything because I am very clear about it. Our neutrality has not been compromised or been altered.