Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Níl me an Taoiseach fós. Tá mé an Ceannaire agus tá mé sásta a bheith mar Cheannaire. On my behalf and that of the House, I offer our sympathies to the Hanafin family on the very sad passing of our former Seanad colleague, Mr. Des Hanafin. I extend sympathies to his wife Mona; his son and former Senator, John; and his daughter and former Minister, Mary. We will have expressions of sympathy in due course but as a House we should acknowledge his passing and pay tribute to him.

Senators Ardagh, Conway-Walsh and Burke raised the issue of the Devereaux family and the fair deal scheme. I acknowledge that the story we all heard and read about is unedifying and it should not have happened. It begs the question as to how the decision was made in that manner. One should not have to go on the national airwaves or to newspapers to have one's case heard, as Senators noted, with empathy and compassion.The fact that it was an 85-year old and a 90-year old couple who are citizens of our country makes the case even more bewildering and baffling. There was a complete lack of humanity and commonsense shown in this case. Thankfully, the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Paul Kehoe, have intervened. All of us recognise that swift ministerial action caused the case to be reviewed. In fact, other cases will be reviewed as well. The case has brought into question the evaluation that took place. Certainly, an elderly couple should not be treated in such a manner.

I have listened to Senator Conway-Walsh so I am sure she will appreciate, and as Senator Colm Burke rightly said, 23,000 people avail of nursing homes. It was not a question that the beds were being closed to the family in question. In this case, a double room was available to the couple. I have been led to believe that the HSE has been instructed to resolve the situation, that the application had been accepted so the couple will be reunited, and that the Minister for Health had been in touch. It is important to recognise that in this case a very flat decision-making process was taken on board, which should not have been the case.

Senators Ardagh, McDowell, Boyhan and Colm Burke mentioned the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill. Irrespective of one's view on its merits or demerits, and to paraphrase Senator McDowell, whatever type of periscope one uses and whether one is for or against the Bill, it will be taken in the Lower House of the Oireachtas this week and by us in due course. Some people will be in favour of the Bill, some people will argue that members of the Judiciary should be appointed in an open and transparent manner and other people will have a different viewpoint and insist on no change. As Members will be aware, the Taoiseach said in the Dáil this afternoon that it is still, under the Constitution, permissible for the Government to appoint judges but there will be a change in the manner in how judges are appointed. It has been outlined that there will be a lay chairperson, which is not unusual. It happens in a variety of different appointments and has served us well.

As Leader of the House, I am not about to demonise members of the Judiciary or pay mere lip service to the work that they have done. I wish to recognise and repeat, as I have done in this House before, that there is a need for the Judiciary to be independent and that the separation of powers is very important. We must recognise that we have been very well served by the Judiciary.

The Taoiseach and the Government are of the view that there should be no self-regulating or self-appointing. The issue of the removal of political linkage and patronage in the case of a judicial appointment is a suggestion that has been put forward by the Government. What I am clear about is that in the differing viewpoints that exist about this Bill, it is important that we hear about the deficiencies in the Bill. If deficiencies do exist then we need to rectify them. I give an assurance to Members of the House that there will be ample opportunity to debate the Bill but I shall not allow filibustering and grandstanding. Senator McDowell made reference to the agendas of certain people. It is fair to say that there are agendas all over this debate. Therefore, we must ensure that we have a fair and proper debate to iron out deficiencies, if any. We will, under my leadership and with the co-operation of all in this House, fulfil our constitutional duties in analysing and perusing the legislation.

The Taoiseach has spoken about the Bill in terms of appointments being less political and more transparent. We will have the debate in due course. I wish to reassure Members that we will allow time for the debate and allow ample opportunity for the debate to happen. I have no intention of rushing the Bill but I will not stand for filibustering or grandstanding because we have an obligation to pass legislation.We will have a fair debate and work it out at the meetings of group leaders.

Senator Rose Conway-Walsh referred to the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London. I reiterate my sincere sympathy for the families of the people who perished in that tragic fire. The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has not been sitting idly since. He has been very proactive in requesting all local authorities to review their multi-storey social housing units to ensure all relevant systems, be it alarm or detection systems, emergency lighting, emergency exits, corridors and stairwells, are in place and fully functional. As I said last week, in apartment complexes, including private apartment dwellings managed by a management company, there can be no second chance for residents and apartment dwellers; therefore, there can be no shortcuts taken. This is about ensuring the safety of all citizens, whether they are social housing tenants, renters, individuals who own apartments in apartment complexes or others in any type of dwelling. The Minister has also been proactive in raising awareness among landlords, including the landlords of households and persons in receipt of social housing supports and rental assistance payments, and in the Residential Tenancies Board. In addition, he has asked that the building regulations, particularly Part B on fire safety, be upheld and implemented. He held a meeting of the management board of the national directorate for fire and emergency management to review and assess the readiness of fire authorities to respond to emergencies. It is important to acknowledge that he has been proactive. However, we all have a role to play as we must leave nothing to chance.

The Senator also referred to the rural school transport scheme. I will be happy to invite the relevant Minister to come to the House to discuss the issue.

Senator Kevin Humphreys highlighted the importance of breastfeeding and benefits for both mother and child. It is timely to have a debate on the issue. There has been movement away from breastfeeding, but there has been a re-evaluation of its importance. I will be happy to arrange a debate on the issue of public health in the House.

Senator Neale Richmond referred to the impending publication of the report of the Seanad committee on Brexit. I commend him for his chairmanship and stewardship of the committee and thank Members for their participation in it. It was a useful exercise which Members took on with relish. I attended a number of meetings of the committee and I am aware, from listening to and reading the contributions made, of the importance many of the delegates accorded to participating in the committee. I am happy that the 46 hours of public consultation and the other elements of the consultation process will result in publication of the report this week. I will be happy to set aside time for a discussion on it either next week or the week after.

Senator Neale Richmond also made an important point on the need for the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs to come to the House after European Council meetings to discuss them. Whether it be scrutiny of European proposals, Council meetings or summits or Brexit, this House should have a strong role in considering what happens in the European Union. I will be happy to discuss with other group leaders the need to have regular debates on these matters in the Chamber, as well as the making of statements after European Council meetings. Whether it is a matter for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges or group leaders, we should certainly discuss it.

Senator Robbie Gallagher raised the issue of the North-South interconnector and referred to the struggles and travails of the residents who must endure this ongoing saga. The Minister responsible must be cognisant of the points raised by the Senator, but I will be happy to invite him to come to the House to discuss the matter.

Senators Frank Feighan and Máire Devine raised the matter of flags. Senator Frank Feighan is correct that certain flags have no place in any part of the country in view of the taunting engaged in when they are raised.I am sure the Minister, Deputy Coveney, will be very happy to take up the matter as part of the talks in the North. Senator Devine referred to the Parades Commission. It has done a lot of good work. Over the coming important days, it is important that we have a resolution to the talks, power sharing is restored and that we have devolved government in Stormont. We hope all parties will come to the table.

I have asked the Minister to come to the House in due course for a discussion on the issues in the North. Senator Feighan referred to the DUP and the deal with the Conservative Party. One would have to say that, on paper, the amount of money being invested in infrastructure, education and health in the North is to be welcomed. It is important that all sides of the island benefit in terms of the deal for the North and the need to resolve the power sharing matter.

Senator Devine referred to bed closures in Linn Dara. We all agree that child mental health is an issue we need to address. I know that having spoken to the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, he is very committed in his new brief to working with all sides of the House to ensure that funding is provided. Since 2012, an additional €140 million has been provided for mental health services and the budget is now over €850 million per year. Some 1,100 people have been recruited to work in the area of mental health.

The Senator is correct. There is a deficiency in child and adolescent mental health services. The Seanad consultation committee will commence work this Thursday in the Chamber. We will hear from parents and advocates. It is another example of how the House can play a key role in the development of policy and shine a light on particular areas where solutions and a way forward need to be found. It is to be hoped we can bring an end to the scourge of people taking their own lives or feeling vulnerable and isolated. I share the Senator's view that there is a need for a more concerted and unified approach to the issues she raised. It is important that the Minister of State comes to the House, and he is happy to do so.

Senator Davitt referred to a family in Mullingar hospital. I do not have the particulars but I would be happy to talk to the Senator about the matter.

Senator Burke raised a very important issue, namely, the care of our elderly. He also referred to the role of HIQA. We all accept that there is a need to maintain standards, but as the Senator said, in the pursuit of excellence and improvement in the standards of care, HIQA is causing some associated difficulties for community nursing homes. The previous Government invested in community nursing homes and older hospitals, which is to be welcomed. I am happy to have a debate in the House.

Senator Gavan raised the issue of the INTO pre-budget briefing last Thursday, which I was very happy to attend in the National Library. I had the pleasure of meeting John O'Driscoll from Cork. I am beginning to sound very close to Senator Gavan on some issues, which scares me on one level. To be fair, the ask was not huge. The issue of pupil teacher ratios was addressed. There has been a reduction and more needs to be done. We need to examine capitation grants. The pay differences between new entrants and those on existing scales is something we should all be in favour of addressing. I would be happy for the Minister for Education and Skills to come to the House to discuss the matter.

Senator Murnane O'Connor referred to SUSI grants and the Department of Education and Skills. I would be happy to have the Minister come to the House. She also raised the very important issue of Ireland remaining competitive. That is why the former Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, was very much of the view that he wanted Ireland to be the best small country in the world in which to do business. As the Senator knows, he took over a broken economy which the Government has been putting back together.

Senator Murnane O'Connor is correct. We need to be competitive and keep prices in check, in particular in our hospitality and tourism sectors. I hope we will not see a reduction in the price of alcohol because we are trying to address the issue.I believe Senator Murnane O'Connor is right. We need to see our prices in keeping with the EU average.

In response to Senator Warfield, I would be very happy to have the Minister, Deputy Murphy, come back to the Senator with regard to the Bill he has brought before the House. On behalf of the Minister, Deputy Coveney, the Minister of State, Deputy English, gave a commitment of 2018. I would be happy to have the Minister, Deputy Murphy, come to House.

I would be happy to accept Senator Gavan's amendment to the Order of Business.