Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Conway-Walsh raised the issue of media ownership. We are lucky to have very independent media. I would be happy to have a discussion in due course regarding media ownership and so on.

Senator Nash raised the issue of the industrial relations strategy. While it is important to acknowledge that there is a very strong mechanism in the State to deal with industrial relations, as the Senator, a former Minister of State, knows, I do not accept his narrative that this Government has no interest, relationship or strength in respect of industrial relations. In fact the opposite is the case.

It is important that the discussions taking place now between the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland, ASTI, and the Department of Education and Skills and with the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, AGSI, and the Garda Representative Association, GRA, continue and that they end in a resolution that is not just favourable but can be worked upon in the future.

Everything the Government is doing concerns equality. As a former Minister of State, the Senator knows quite well that the Government he was part of made decisions that would never have been made in any normal situation. Now that the Government and the country are beginning to turn the economy around towards the future, new pay entrants will receive better pay. There is a commitment to pay restoration. It is important that we honour the Lansdowne Road agreement and give the new public service pay commission time to be established but equally that there is dialogue and ongoing discussion of the matters at hand. I will not continue a dialogue in this Chamber today which is best conducted by those in discussions at the moment. It behoves everybody to become involved, to speak and to reach a resolution of the matter. Senator O'Reilly referred to Brexit, about which we have had an ongoing series of debates in the House. It is important that we seek to benefit from the departure of the UK from the Union.

Senator Mark Daly referred to the sitting times of the House. In the coming weeks, a number of Bills will come before us for consideration. I made the point last week that new politics, whatever the particular arrangements might be, has involved a focus on pre-legislative scrutiny. Senators who were Ministers and Chairmen of committees in the previous Dáil know the system has changed. Legislation is slowing down in its formulation and in coming before both Houses of the Oireachtas. As I said, however, a series of legislative items are due to come before us in the coming weeks. As Leader of the House, the decision I make as to whether we should sit next week will not be based on populism, unlike the actions of those Members of the Dáil today who undermined the Business Committee which they were party to setting up. As Senator Norris rightly said, we are the people's House and it is proper that we have debates and statements. Parliament, as the Senator observed, is about discussion and debate. I appeal to all Members not to undermine this House or give the media further notice to write whatever they want. Senator Norris noted that they will pick and choose what they want to report, as is their prerogative. If we have legislation to debate or statements to discuss, we will be here to do it. The legislative programme is not blank and it behoves us all to ensure we see legislation enacted and issues debated. I have asked the Government Chief Whip to initiate legislation in the Seanad. In the weeks ahead we will see a series of Seanad Bills coming to the House.

Senator Black referred to the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015, Committee Stage of which will be taken tomorrow. One of the positive initiatives taken by the previous Government was the establishment of a register of lobbying which requires lobbyists to record who they have met and spoken to.

Senator Feighan raised the issue of the relocation of the Seanad. We discussed that last week and I do not propose to go into it again. There is a process under way, as the Senator knows. It is important to put the matter in context. It is not just about the 60 Members of the House but also the Seanad staff, the staff who record and transmit proceedings and other staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas. It is not a question of 60 people decanting to Letterkenny, Roscommon, Cork or anywhere else. It is a much wider issue than that.

Senator Norris spoke about media reporting of the proceedings of the House. Following a contribution by the Senator on the Order of Business some weeks ago, I raised the matter with the relevant person in RTE. It is up to us to give the copy to RTE, in the case of "Oireachtas Report", and to the print media.

Regarding the issue raised by Senator Butler, I will be happy to ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, to come to the House to discuss it.

Senators Humphreys, Colm Burke and Lombard raised the important issue of the redevelopment of the National Maternity Hospital. It is illogical that we do not have a decision lodged in that regard through the planning process. The Government is committed to the relocation of the hospital. The national maternity strategy drawn up by the previous Government was the first such strategy published. It is vital that we have a coherent strategy around the relocation. The time for talking is over and it is time now for action. As Senator Burke noted, the birth rate is rising and there are deficits in terms of the number of consultants in the maternity service. The national maternity strategy must be implemented and, more urgently, a construction date must be set and commenced for the National Maternity Hospital. I will be happy to ask the Minister for Health to come to the House to discuss that. This is about the lives of women and newborn babies, including those infants who require urgent care.

Senator Leyden raised issues relating to the sale of alcohol, which we will discuss tomorrow. I remind the Senator that it was the leader of his party who, as Minister, introduced the groceries order and thereby changed the way in which alcohol could be priced and sold in supermarkets.

Senator Noone spoke about alcohol and obesity. I will be happy to bring the Minister for Health to the House to discuss that issue.

Senator Ó Donnghaile referred to the Northern Ireland Youth Forum. If he gives me the details, I will bring them to the attention of the Department of the Taoiseach. It is important that we hear all perspectives around Brexit, particularly the North-South aspect. Young people have a role to play in that regard.The Senator also raised the issue of the new stadium in Casement Park, as did Senator Feighan. I wish the Ulster council well in that regard.

In response to Senator Bacik, and I should have welcomed Dr. Kumar, the Minister for Justice and Equality is willing to come to the House to discuss the issue of unaccompanied minors.

Senator Ned O'Sullivan raised a number of important issues, the first being road safety and the number of fatalities. The Senator is right. One death is lamentable. I join him in requesting the Minister to come to the House.

Senator Mac Lochlainn raised the issue of transport. The Senator will be glad to hear that the Minister, Deputy Ross, will come to the House on 16 November for a debate on transport. However, it is important that all Members of this House would play their part, with the Garda and the Road Safety Authority, in trying to reduce the number of fatalities as a result of car crashes on our motorways and roads. As we approach the bank holiday weekend, I appeal, as Leader of the House, to all those who will be driving over the weekend not to engage in drink driving because, as we saw this week, it is tragic when we see the way an accident can result in young people in particular losing their lives. It is important that we highlight that matter.

I commend Senator Ned O'Sullivan and the people of Kerry. Kerry is called beauty's home for a reason. It is a beautiful county. The Senator may have false modesty around it but Kerry has a brilliant tourism product, as we have in west Cork, to sell to the people. I commend the Senator on the Lonely Planetguide introduction. Kerry is following Cork city in being included in the Lonely Planetguide. The most important point he made about tourism is that there is a group of people in Kerry who are dedicated to working hard, promoting the county and creating jobs. They are to be commended on that. Other counties could learn from them in that regard.

I join Senator Ó Clochartaigh in congratulating Mr. Nick Henderson on being appointed to the Irish Refugee Council. The Minister is committed to coming to the House to discuss the particular matter he raised about refugees. We cannot but be moved by the images on our television to do with the camp in Calais and other parts of the world, in particular Aleppo in Syria. I commend our Navy again which this week saved the lives of many people in the Mediterranean.

Senator Murnane-O'Connor raised the issue of Ministers coming to the House. I fully concur with the Senator. As a Member of the House she deserves to be given answers. She should have been here when her party was in government because it was a lot different from what it is now, but she is right. As a Member of the House she should get a progress report on what is happening in respect of the issues she raises. If the Senator wishes to liaise with me later, I would be happy to take up those issues. I cannot answer for the Ministers, but as a public representative, it is frustrating that Ministers do not reply. That has been going on since the State was founded but the point the Senator makes is a valid one.

Senator Landy raised the issue of Our Lady's Hospital in Cashel. I join the Senator in congratulating the Minister, Deputy Harris, who visited the hospital yesterday.

Senator Landy and Senator O'Donnell raised the issue of Irish Rail. The Minister, Deputy Ross, will be in the House on 16 November to discuss that issue.

Senator Horkan raised an issue regarding education. The Senator is right. There are two parts to this issue, and as a former teacher I believe it is one that must be resolved. The ASTI members will benefit from being involved in the Lansdowne Road agreement. I appeal to the members of the ASTI to consider the benefits of voting for the Lansdowne Road agreement from which they will see pay restoration, but it is a contentious issue and I hope it will be resolved.

Senator Davitt raised the issue of the sports capital programme. As far as I know, under the previous round, and there were three in the previous Government's term of office, sports capital programme commitments are to be honoured. If the Senator has an issue regarding Cusack Park in Westmeath, I would be happy to have that matter resolved for him, but as far as I am aware, once the organisation meets the criteria and the money is allocated, it can draw down the funding on a tiered basis.

Senator O'Donnell made a point about Wi-Fi and mobile telephone coverage. Many Senators have raised the issue of mobile telephone coverage, not just on trains but in general. It is an issue to which we should return.

Senator Paddy Burke raised the issue of the Citizens' Assembly. My understanding is that the Citizens' Assembly will report back to the Houses of the Oireachtas which will then go before a committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas. I take the Senator's point that there is no Member of this House sitting on the Business Committee but my office is represented on the legislative committee which discusses legislation.It is important that Members of both Houses are on the committee dealing with the report of the Citizens' Assembly and that it is reported back here.

Likewise, I hope that Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin could provide an update to the Whips about whether they are opposing membership of the Committee on the Future of Healthcare by Members of this House. I certainly hope they have spoken about this issue to their respective party leaderships and that Members of this House will be on that committee because there are people from both parties, this side of the House and the Labour Party, as well as Independents, who have a huge amount of expertise in the area of health. That the leaders of Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin would prevent Members of this House from being on that committee would send the wrong signal. It would be a regressive move.