Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----and which will give the members of the deaf community support, resources and whatever else the Bill intends to achieve. I met members of the deaf community in Cork with Senator Lombard on Monday, as I have done regularly. I hope we can work out a legislative process whereby the Bill can be enacted, perhaps not by 29 March but certainly soon after. It is important to put that on record. I will not oppose the Senator's Bill being brought back before the House and I will certainly not obstruct it. It is essential we do not play politics with this and we work together, as we have done, to ensure that the Bill is passed. I asked the Department to liaise with the Senator and I know it has done that. I acknowledge Senator Mark Daly's frustration but it is important to set the record straight.

I am a bit surprised Senator Freeman has not had questions on mental health issues answered by the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee. The Minister of State has been in the House and she is available. There is a process under the Commencement to put matters to the Minister of State and Senator McFadden did so around 1 February with a mental health issue. I am not familiar with the issue she raised regarding the mental health unit in Kerry but in the HSE service plan and expenditure for the Department of Health, there has been provision for €115 million, with over 1,100 new posts for mental health since 2012. There is €851 million for key programmes in this calendar year alone. The HSE service plan is committed to much capital investment, along with service investment in terms of improving facilities and services for young people. I would be happy for Senator Freeman to gives me the specifics that have not been addressed by the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee. I am surprised as she was here on 1 February for Senator McFadden's Commencement debate. She is quite open to discussing the matter. I would be happy for the Minister of State to return on that.

Senator Conway-Walsh raised the JobPath issue. I share some of her concerns about JobPath, as I stated before in the House. Senator O'Donnell has also raised the matter in the House. A review is being undertaken and it would be premature to have a debate now on the issue. I would be happy to have the debate when the review is concluded and published. The Senator also raised the issue of hip replacements and the health system. When I was canvassing in Ballycastle last Saturday in the North, I closed my eyes and thought I was listening to people giving out about the health system but it was people under the Sinn Féin Government in the North who were complaining. It is ironic that Senator Conway-Walsh raised the matter of hip replacements. I met a lady who had to spend £10,000 of her own money as she waited two years for a knee replacement but could not get it. That is under the watch of Sinn Féin in the North. Let us have a proper debate about health North and South in that regard.

I join Senators Kelleher, Mac Lochlainn and Norris in their comments on Travellers. I apologise if I missed anybody else who spoke on the issue. Senator Mac Lochlainn has played a tremendous advocacy and ambassadorial role, which is an example of how collective positioning by political parties and non-political parties or Independents can bring such an important and historic day as today. I heard Senator Mac Lochlainn speaking this morning and I thank him. I praise the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, who was very strong in his view on how to get to this point when he served as Chairman of the justice committee in the previous Oireachtas. It is a good day and one we should celebrate. There will no doubt be detractors but today is a day on which we should rejoice and recognise the importance of the ethnicity of the Traveller community. As a former Chairman of the Cork City Council Traveller accommodation committee, I know of these men and women who have fought for rights, entitlements and respect. It is a day for them and their families.

Senators Humphreys, Wilson, Craughwell, Feighan and Ó Clochartaigh joined yesterday's tributes to the late former Deputy, Peter Mathews. It was put in context when Senator Craughwell mentioned that the mother of his wife, Susan, has died as well. It is an awful tragedy. At a time when some commentators were telling us all what to do, Peter Mathews rolled up his sleeves, stood for election, came here and played his role. It is a testimony to the man that, unlike some people, he was not prepared to be the hurler on the ditch. He came here and gave of his time and effort to try to make our country a better place. It is one of his legacies. I thank Members for their contributions in respect of and tributes to the former Deputy, the late Peter Mathews.

Senators Humphreys and Daly referred to the group meetings we have every week. In a non-political way, we try to put forward legislation or a roadmap of the agenda for the week ahead. We will do that again today.

Senator Coffey raised the issue of water and I give a commitment that we will have a debate on the publication of the committee report in the House.

I commend Senator Ó Céidigh on his stewardship of the committee thus far. It is important for people to take off the politically populist jersey now and be responsible. We should be conscious of from where we have come and where we need to be. We cannot afford to return to the bad old days of spending everything we have while expecting the State to provide everything. If we were to take the Vincent Browne model of taxing just the rich, we would have no money in our coffers to do anything or to meet the needs highlighted by many people in this House every day.

Senator Boyhan referenced a song performed by Frank Sinatra. I hope Deputy Micheál Martin does not take a Frank Sinatra-style "I-did-it-my-way" approach to the water issue. I hope the Deputy behaves in a politically responsible way, as the Minister, Deputy Coveney, is trying to do.

I am happy to accept Senator Swanick's amendment to the Order of Business and I commend him again on the work he is doing in the area of health.

Senators Byrne, Mac Lochlainn, Wilson, McDowell and Gavan raised the issue of Bus Éireann and public transport. The Minister, Deputy Ross, is still before the committee or was before it this morning. From his remarks to the committee, it is evident that he is very clear in his approach. He is willing to commit to the Government not attacking the public bus service in Ireland, as some people are alleging. He is looking to expand the public bus service in rural Ireland by means of increasing the amount of public service obligation, PSO, funding to Bus Éireann and providing a 24% increase in funding to rural transport programmes. In addition, there have been increases in the PSO services and it is important, despite what Senator Gavan has argued, to remember that this is primarily an industrial relations matter. There is a need-----