Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We will have the debate on the completion of the committee report and the Senator will have an opportunity to contribute. I am sure there will be lots of water poured over and under the bridge by then.

Senator Byrne raised the issue of CAO nursing applications and she is correct that the number of people applying to study nursing is an issue. I hope the Minister for Health in his talks with the INMO will incentivise this and I also hope we can have a debate at the earliest convenience.

I join Senator Ó Domhnaill in congratulating Sinn Féin on its magnificent vote last week in the North. I also congratulate the SDLP. I congratulate the nationalist parties, in particular, because it was a great day for nationalism. Those of us who are Irish republicans were very much delighted with last week's result. I commend the Alliance Party as well on its success. It proves that when people are given a reason to vote, they will go out and do so. The mandate given brings with it responsibility. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade is in the North and, as Senator Ó Domhnaill said, the Government is very much focused on the domestic situation as well. The Minister is meeting Secretary of State Brokenshire today while the Taoiseach has spoken to Prime Minister May. All sides in the North have a duty to come together to reach a power-sharing agreement to avoid direct rule. None of us want direct rule or another election in the short term. I congratulate all who took part in the election. I canvassed for a friend in Ballycastle during the election campaign. I was pleased by the turnout because people were energised on the doors.

I congratulate Senator Feighan on the role he has played in regard to the Good Friday Agreement and the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly.

I join Senator Gavan in welcoming the progress in the Hastings dispute. It is important that people talk and it is equally important that workers get their due. A recommendation has been made in this dispute and it is important for that to happen. I am pleased the Senator is supporting Jack O'Connor. He is a fine advocate for the workers of Ireland and I am glad the Senator is supporting him.

Senator Mulherin raised the issue of food waste. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment is before the EPA forum today. He is seeking to set up an action group to launch a national charter on food waste. Ireland signed up in 2015 to the UN sustainable development charter. Senator Mulherin is correct that it is important to have a debate on this and I would be happy to facilitate that. As she said, it dovetails with food poverty. A total of 450,000 tonnes of food is wasted before it goes anywhere.

I will not accept the amendment to the Order of Business.