Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Our prison system must not be a revolving door system. It must ensure rehabilitation takes place and that proper infrastructure is in place in terms of facilities, such as Senator Ardagh stated. Such facilities are needed in Mountjoy Prison. The Government has a capital plan for the Prison Service. As happened in other parts of this city that have been remodelled and rebuilt, I am sure the same will be done with respect to Mountjoy.

I join Senators Ardagh and Bacik in their condemnation of the atrocities in Syria. It beggars belief to see that type of barbaric behaviour and the killing of innocent life. Equally, the attacks in St. Petersburg yesterday illustrate the importance of the world standing united against terrorism of whatever hue it stands for.

Senator Craughwell raised the very important issue of the neutrality of our country and also with respect to our Defence Forces. I share his viewpoint. We are a neutral country and we should always remain that way. We should never surrender our space, be it our airspace or our waters, in any shape or form.

My information is that the Senator is incorrect in that this is not a matter for the Department of Defence, rather it is a matter for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It is a matter of international and Irish security. As the Senator knows quite well, the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, as the occupant of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Iveagh House has to balance public safety, the security of the nation and international security.

I have communicated by text and e-mail with the Department since the Senator raised this matter. The Minister is en routeto the North today to engage in the talks on the Assembly, hopefully, being re-established as a power-sharing Executive. I would be happy to arrange for the Minister to speak to the Senator or for the Minister's officials to meet him to discuss this matter. I know the Senator would not want to compromise international security. I would be happy to arrange for him to have a meeting with the Minister or his officials rather than dividing the House on his proposed amendment on this very important issue.

I wholeheartedly agree with the Senator that we are a neutral nation and we should not in any way abdicate from that or be seen to change our policy. To be fair to the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, he has not done that in anything he has said or done as Minister in the Department, and I do not believe he has done so in this case. I would be happy to arrange for the Senator to go to the Department and talk to the officials or to the Minister on his return, if the Senator would be happy to do that.

Senator Ó Donnghaile raised the importance of Brexit. Anybody who reads the document in terms of the language emanating from the British letter or from the EU's response recognises the importance of the integrity of the island of Ireland. I agree fully with the Senator that the UK has only one motto: "Mind thyself." We as a nation, as the Senator knows, have a different approach. The Taoiseach deserves great praise for the role he has played up to now in ensuring that Ireland has primacy in the negotiations post 29 April. When we note the work being done by Michel Barnier and Donald Tusk in tandem with the Taoiseach and other European leaders, I hope we will see Ireland being to the forefront of the negotiations.

The Senator knows quite well from being involved in the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly that we have to stand strong and united as a country in the pursuit of our goals, and our interests in government have been quite clear. As the Taoiseach said, we will position ourselves prior to April 29 and then either just immediately before or after that we will have our position paper published.

On the Senator's point calling for the Taoiseach or the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, to come to the House, the Seanad select special committee on Brexit will meet later this week. It is important to let it do its work. It gives this House of the Oireachtas primacy in that respect. The setting up of that Brexit committee was agreed by an all-party motion. I will talk to Senator Richmond and we might discuss with the Committee on Procedure and Privileges how we can marry the Senator's proposal. It is fair that the Taoiseach would come to this House to discuss this matter. He deserves great praise for the work he has done up to now on that issue.

In response to a point raised by Senator Bacik, the Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill 2016 was on the agenda circulated last Thursday, but the House is only sitting two days this week.There is no attempt by the Leader to con anybody, it is a scheduling issue.

Senators Conway and Bacik raised the issue of the Garda review. I would be happy to have the Minister for Justice and Equality come to the House to discuss that. It is important, in the context of the review, that the Garda Síochána is realigned and restructured and that we get a modern force fit to deliver policing to citizens. Gardaí are the guardians of the peace. Sometimes I despair when I hear people personalise the debate around the Garda Commissioner. If she were to go in the morning, the issues would relating to management and structure would remain. I have every confidence in her to deliver a modern, streamlined management structure within the Garda Síochána. I hope we will consider that issue rather than the Commissioner as a person.

Senators Lombard and Paddy Burke raised the issue of broadband and the announcement by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, today. This is another good news story. We will have an additional 300,000 homes with extra high-speed broadband. The speed of broadband is important. As Senator Lombard rightly said, it is an absolute requirement for rural areas in terms of industry, commerce and day-to day-living. An additional 300,000 rural premises with access to broadband means 500 houses a day will be connected to high-speed broadband following the investment of more than €2.5 billion in upgrading networks and services. We hear commentary to the effect that the Government is forgetting about rural Ireland. I again remind Members that €2.5 billion is being spent to develop and upgrade broadband. That is an indication the Government is serious about rural areas, connectivity and giving people in rural areas the same opportunities as those of us in Dublin and Cork.

Senator Gallagher raised a very important issue, namely, the national cancer strategy. We all recognise the work done by Professor Tom Keane. I will not mention the fact that the Minister who introduced the strategy was the former Tánaiste, Mary Harney. No Fianna Fáil Minister would take any responsibility for health for in excess of a decade. To be fair to Ms Harney, she drove the national cancer strategy forward. We need to take a similar approach again because as Senator Gallagher rightly said, it is frightening to see the increased statistics on cancer, and that affects every family. I hope a new national strategy will be put in place.

Senator Norris referred to the Brexit committee. I do not agree with his comment about the role of the committee in this Chamber. It enhances our work as a group. As the second Chamber it gives us an opportunity to debate the issue. Those who saw the first meeting recognised the importance of it and the quality of the contributions from Members and those who made presentations to it. There is much work to be done. As the Leas-Chathaoirleach rightly said, we, as a body, have given the committee our imprimatur.

Senator Mulherin asked for the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Heather Humphreys, to come to the House to discuss the Leader programme. I would be happy for her to do that.

Senator Devine raised the very important and vexed question of the very vulnerable children with mental health and special needs issues who must go abroad for treatment and care. She referred to the "Dispatches" television programme, which I have not seen. I would be happy for the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, to come to the House but the Senator could also raise the matter in the Commencement debate.

Equally, Senator Hopkins referred to the very contentious issue of mental health services in Roscommon, a matter she has raised previously in the House. She deserves answers in that regard.

Senators Ó Ríordáin, Murnane O'Connor and Paddy Burke raised the treatment of the international women's soccer team by the FAI. All of us who heard or read some of the commentary from the press conference today cannot but be alarmed, disappointed and appalled at the treatment of those fine women who are athletes of the highest calibre. Those women are at the peak of their game and they are top class, high quality, performing athletes. I fully agree with what was said. We are giving money to the FAI and in that context there should be checks and balances in terms of the provision of facilities and the treatment of the women. If it were a club team we would be disappointed with the way they were treated. We cannot allow that to happen to the international women's team. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, has issued an ultimatum on the appointment of women to boards of sporting bodies. It is important that we get value for money for taxpayers' money.In this case, our international women's soccer team who I repeat are high performance athletes must be treated as A1. In that respect, they should not be treated differently.

Senator Jennifer Murnane O'Connor referred to people with disabilities. I remind her before she responds that the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, is committed to reform of the disability sector. Where I agree completely with the Senator is that the sector has been the Cinderella of the health service for the past decade and a half. Even before the recession, there were long waiting times for assessments and capital investment. The Senator will be pleased to learn that I have more good news for her to take back to Carlow. In 2014 and 2015 there was additional funding of €8 million to fund 200 posts to support implementation of a new disability model. Equally, in 2016 there was a further €4 million for 75 therapy posts which the HSE advertised. It is interviewing to fill them. There is a recognition that the needs of children and young people with disabilities must be met not just in an efficient, effective and equitable manner but also in a way that will ensure the delivery of services in the most convenient way for their families-----