Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----to be discussed because there are child care provisions with a serious question mark and I would be happy to work with the Senator on this. I have already met with the Minister in that regard. The Minister is aware of the issue and I would be happy to have her come to the House on the matter.

Senator Kelleher welcomed the national strategy and asked to be given the chance - if the Senators would have listened to her - and to be fair to the Senator she has expertise in this matter. The Minister will be in the House again before Christmas, as Senator Ó Clochartaigh knows quite well.

Senator Bacik proposed a debate on fossil fuel divestment, as did Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, and I congratulate the Trinity Senators on being the first to this issue. It is part of a whole conversation the State needs to have around that.

With regard to Aleppo, I believe all Senators agree the need to see international action sooner rather than later because the situation has gone beyond the acceptable words. The pictures and images, as Senator Craughwell spoke of, are real life.

I join with Senator Maria Byrne in welcoming the announcement about the Shannon Estuary. I thank her for being an advocate for this in the area and especially around Limerick and the Wild Atlantic Way. I welcome the museum. Senator Gallagher raised a very topical issue about the lack of substitute teachers. I would be happy for the Minister to come to the House regarding that issue.

Senators Craughwell, Feighan and Paul Coghlan raised the issue of Brexit. The House of Lords report is a very fine tome. Members should read it and reflect upon it over the holidays. There is much very interesting commentary and observational analysis contained within, not least the fact that: "The implications of Brexit for Ireland are therefore more profound than they are for any other Member State," which is correct. Another line from the report that struck me was: "The implications of the 23 June referendum result for UK-Irish relations are often overlooked, at least on this side of the Irish Sea," meaning the UK side of the sea. This is not an unfair comment.