Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the ten Senators who raised matters this morning. I join Senators Ardagh and Ó Clochartaigh in appealing from the Chamber to the people who are involved in the dispute around the ferry service to cop on and get together to provide this essential link for the people of the island. I have been speaking to the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, today and yesterday and he has been in touch with the Minister for Defence and the Secretary General of that Department regarding the matter. The Minister of State is very much involved and has offered his services to mediate and facilitate the resolution of the matter. Like Senators Ardagh and Ó Clochartaigh, the Minister of State is deeply concerned regarding the stoppage of the ferry service. It is fair to say that it is not a departmental issue but one where Galway County Council and the ferry operator should sit down with a third party to thrash this out and arrive at a conclusion.

It is unacceptable that people are being deprived of a service. As Senator Ó Clochartaigh said, it is their bridge and their link and it is important that the service resumes and continues. The Minister of State and the Department are working on the matter and the Minister of State has had a series of meetings and conversations with the local authority CEO and the people involved. I hope the discussions can resume and that there can be a resolution because it is important that there is. I would be happy to have the Minister of State come to the House to discuss the matter next week if there is no resolution in the interim.

Senator Ardagh referred to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, and board appointments. It is important to understand that there is a need to fill vacancies on boards. In some cases, it may be that the Minister is correct that there are too many people on boards and that the size of those boards should be reduced, but we need to have people on boards in general. In particular, we have a vacancy on the Dublin Airport Authority for a Cork representative and it is important that the position be filled. It is fair that the Minister is filling vacancies and going about his work.

Senator Ó Clochartaigh raised an issue about the abstention button, which is a matter for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. I hope it is part of the new suite of arrangements in the temporary Chamber and that when we move back in here, we can accommodate, like the Dáil Chamber, an abstention button. If it is in the Dáil, there is no reason it cannot be here. Senator Ray Butler raised the very important issue of the classification of social protection stamps. That is a conversation we need to have and an information campaign is required, to which I expect the Minister for Social Protection will be open. The Senator has been very proactive on the issue of PRSI and pension entitlements for the self-employed.

Senator Catherine Noone spoke about a pub in Cork which was introducing a loyalty card scheme. I am not familiar with it, but the Senator is correct to highlight the fact that we must collectively work to reduce the harmful effects of an over-emphasis on drink in our culture. That is an issue we will revisit. I hope we will have the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill back before the House after Christmas to have it passed.

Senator Frank Feighan paid tribute to the Irish Hospice Foundation. I join him in praising its work. The amount of work it does is to be commended, in particular, its Think Ahead campaign, one to which we should all pay attention. We should get involved with it in our work as politicians and in our communities as volunteers, neighbours, friends and family members because it is a conversation we all need to have. One thing of which we can all be guaranteed is that we will all pass from this life at some stage. The Irish Hospice Foundation is doing Trojan work and its Think Ahead campaign is one we should all support and embrace. We must have that conversation in order that people will be ready for death and that there will be preparedness in terms of finalisation of their affairs. It is a morbid topic, one about which we do not want to talk, but the Irish Hospice Foundation deserves our support.

Senators Gerald Nash and Paddy Burke raised the issue of water charges. I say to Senator Gerald Nash that, thankfully, the Fine Gael Party's position on the issue has been very consistent. It is that people must pay for water. That was our clear position in our submission to the commission and in government with the Labour Party. There is a process in place. I again commend Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh for taking up the position of cathaoirleach of the committee and wish him well. He will be busy in the time ahead. As someone who chaired a contentious committee, I can tell him that he will have a lot more grey hairs and that perhaps he might lose some of his hair. The grey hairs will be even greyer.