Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the 12 Senators who contributed to the Order of Business.

To begin with, I welcome Jamie Lyne who is seated in the public Gallery. He is from County Cork and is here as part of his transition year. I welcome him to the House. I hope he has a very pleasant experience.

I thank Senators Ardagh, Boyhan, Conway-Walsh, Norris and Warfield who mentioned the publication of Dr. Geoffrey Shannon's report yesterday. The report is a damning indictment and makes for grim reading. It is important to recognise that the report spans a seven-year period from 2008 to 2015.

I am a former Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children, which was involved in the inception of Tusla. Therefore, I know that work is being done. Like many of the Senators present, I wish to commend the social workers and the people who work in Tusla for the work that they do and acknowledge that they work in trying circumstances. We have had a children's rights referendum. We have introduced a Child and Family Agency. We have brought forward a number of important pieces of legislation that deal with rights and protections for children.

I know from speaking to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Zappone, that she is very determined to improve child protection. The work of Tusla is at a critical phase. We must now ensure that we do not go backwards. We must not blame a lack of resources, systems failure or structural impediments.We must ensure there is real social protection given to the children of our State because, as Senator Conway-Walsh has said, in the case of those at home there is a need for the State to intervene, and as Senator Black has rightly said we as a society and a community must stand up to the blight of alcohol that is damaging many of our children because of what happens at home. I will come back to the alcohol aspect shortly, but this is very important.

It is also important to put on the record of the House that in the context of Tusla and An Garda Síochána, work has been done and they are now ready to sign a protocol in respect of the operation of section 12. Senator Boyhan has come back to the House. The Minister, Deputy Zappone, is willing and agreeable to come to the House tomorrow to discuss the matter. She cannot come in this evening. I have not got an exact time yet for tomorrow but we will work on that. The Minister cannot come tonight and I cannot do miracles for the Senator. I have worked with him in the past, and the Minister is prepared to come to the House tomorrow.

I will now turn to the Children First guidelines. The guidelines require, as Members know quite well, a formal protocol between An Garda Síochána and Tusla regarding the protection of children in care and child welfare. The report is very damning and it is very serious. The issues were raised by Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, a very eminent person who deserves to be congratulated for his work. It is important that we find from within his report a roadmap where can see, as Senator Boyhan has said, the solutions to be put forward.

In the past number of months, the emergency out-of-hours service has been significantly expanded. There is now full national cover for this service in four areas: Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and Cork city. These areas all have full social work service where social workers are available to engage directly with the children concerned. Importantly, gardaí now have full access to the child protection notification system, which they did not have in 2015. When we rush to commentary it is important to recognise that emergency foster care is not necessarily suitable for all children in all circumstances and that there are some exceptional circumstances where there is a residential placement made more available. From talking to the Minister, Deputy Zappone, I know that she is very much committed to it.

Like the Taoiseach, we are all upset by the report. We all want to see the imagery and the harrowing viewing from last night rectified. Nobody wants to see children unloved, in fear and unprotected in our country. We all must allow, empower and enable Tusla to do its job. This issue is a protection issue about our children. It is not, as the Taoiseach has said, about protecting jobs, structures or systems. It is about ensuring that in this case there are answers from Tusla and that An Garda Síochána answers for what it is liable for. I know that the Taoiseach and the Minister are planning to meet with all involved. There is nothing more important in our society than the protection of children and the right of the child to be in a safe and secure environment. Nobody is happy with the latest report. The Minister, Deputy Zappone, is available to come to the House tomorrow and I would be happy to have her in the House on that matter.

I join with Senator Ardagh regarding the hospice movement. I commend those who work in the Harold's Cross hospice. In Cork city we have a tremendous hospice in Marymount. The people who work there provide huge support, assistance, care and especially love to people who are, in some cases, on their last passage of life. It is a huge source of solace and encouragement to families. I will have the Minister come to the House on that issue.

I shall not accept Senator Conway-Walsh's amendment to the Order of Business. Sinn Féin has Private Members' time when it can move that. Private Members' time will be in the first week we are back. The House has set a precedent with Senator Bacik's Bill as the example. That went through the House and commenced in the Labour Party's Private Members' time. Sinn Féin is well able to use its own Private Members' time in regard to the matter outlined by Senator Conway-Walsh this afternoon.

With regard to Senator Black's point, it is the hoped that the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 will have concluded its journey in this House prior to the summer recess.I know from my discussions with those in the Department and the Minister of State that we are endeavouring to have the Bill back. The Minister of State, Deputy Corcoran Kennedy, is anxious to have the Bill enacted. As Senator Black said quite rightly, there are huge issues with alcohol in our society. It is important that we have the matter addressed. It is not 500 days since the Bill was brought before the House; we are not here 500 days. However, it is important that we get the Bill passed. I recommend to all of us in the House that we try to expedite it because it is important legislation.

I share Senator Kevin Humphreys' joy. It is good news that we have seen, hopefully, the issue around the national maternity hospital addressed. I welcome the decision by the Sisters of Charity. It is important that we allow the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, to bring that to a fruitful conclusion so that we can see the new hospital built and mothers, newborn babies and infants receiving care in a building that befits 21st century Ireland.

The Senator also made reference to the all-party health committee. Notwithstanding that there is no Member of Seanad Éireann on the committee, which is a pity, I commend it on its work regarding the future of our health care. The report is an important one that deserves to be debated. One of Deputy Harris's first acts as Minister was to put this group together. It is a ten-year strategy for our health system and an opportunity to get our health system right with regard to spending and putting a structure in place. I would be happy to have a discussion in the House on the report.

Senator Byrne congratulated the HSE and those behind the new emergency department in University Hospital Limerick. I am disappointed Senator Gavan in his contribution did not share the good news about the hospital given he had been complaining recently about it. I thought he might have joined in the congratulatory remarks of Senator Byrne. It is a pity he did not have an all-party approach to it. I know he will welcome the investment in capital infrastructure in the hospital in Limerick. As Senator Byrne said, it is also important that, in terms of the issue around the skills shortage and the staffing shortage, the appointment of a clinical skills co-ordinator will take place.

Senator Gallagher raised the issue of Brexit. This is the most important political issue for us as a country. He spoke about the Irish Exporters Association. With the Irish Exporters Association, the farming associations, the tourism bodies and IBEC, a huge amount of work is being done to highlight and promulgate issues around Brexit. It is important that all of us, as Members of the House, work with all organisations to ensure that there is a common approach to Brexit and that we can get the best deal for us as a country. Senator Gallagher raised some issues such as broadband, jobs and tourism and he is correct to raise them.

Senator McDowell raised the issue of the local property tax. I thought for a minute he was at the Fine Gael hustings on the local property tax because it was-----