Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the 22 Members who have contributed to the Order of Business. Senators Ardagh, Boyhan and Conway-Walsh all raised the issue of the cath laboratory in Waterford. In last week's debate, Senator Coffey made reference to health apartheid. Senator Conway-Walsh, in her remarks, posed a very good question which we can use as a starting point. Irrespective of where we are from, the provision of services and the need to ensure that people can access services must be an overarching principle of our health system, whether we are in Castletownbere, Connemara, the Donegal-Derry border or wherever else. It is important to be able to access services. I will begin today by offering my sympathies to the Power family on the tragic death of Thomas. It is important that we understand that this is not about an individual person but a health system working for all members of society. The briefing today and the debate around the cath laboratory in Waterford is one that has been to the fore for a long time. It is emotive and highly charged and is an issue of absolute importance and of grave concern to both the Minister and to the Government as a whole. That is why the Government, through the Herity report, had an independent review. The Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, has given a commitment to look at it again along with the issue of primary care and other types of health provision. It is important that this be allowed to take place and I would be happy to have the Minister come to the House. We had the debate in this House last week. It is an important issue and one that we should continue to have investment in. We should all read the Herity report. If it is to be challenged then let us do it on the basis of clinical fact and evidence. I hope that would be the policy of Government in the future.

Senator Ardagh also made reference to the issue of housing prices and housing supply. The Government, through Rebuilding Ireland, is committed to ensuring that we solve and address the legacy issues to which it had to face up in respect of housing supply and the housing crisis. Rebuilding Ireland is the Government's policy and the vehicle within which we will drive change in the construction sector through the provision of housing in various different strands. The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, has been asked by the Taoiseach to review the plan, to report on progress under the plan and to identify measures that are required. I am quite confident he will do that. It is important that we live up to the needs of people and meet the demands that are imposed upon us in the provision of housing, whether it is in private housing, affordable housing, the supply and demand, and social housing.

I join with Senator Ardagh in commending Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, the independent Government rapporteur, on his report. I fully subscribe to Senator Ardagh's view that the Government must work with Dr. Shannon in implementing the recommendations around the protection of children. We have seen Dr. Shannon play a pivotal role in the past in this area and we hope he will continue to do so. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Zappone, has been a very proactive Minister in her brief and I am sure that she will again rise to the challenge of completing this. I hope that we will have the Minister to the House.

Senator Boyhan referred to the open day in Moorepark, which is on the Cork-Dublin road. It is a huge centre of excellence in the agricultural sector, and I commend all involved in the different facets of Moorepark, including research, innovation and the development of our food sector. Senator Boyhan is correct that our diary sector is a pivotal part of our agricultural community, and I would be happy for the Minister to come to the House. He also made reference to people in direct provision.I look forward to the day we allow people to work. The Senator referenced people working in the food and agriculture sector and I hope we can address the issue. There was a recent court ruling and the Government is working to implement the judgment.

Senators Boyhan, Paddy Burke, Butler and Craughwell referenced the importance of Brexit and the report of the Seanad Special Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. I congratulate Senator Richmond, Chairman of the committee, as well as all Members for their input and contributions. It was a pleasure to attend and to watch some of the hearings and Senator Richmond's chairmanship did a service to the House. Over 50 hours of work went into the plenary sessions, which is not to mention the research and the work done behind the scenes. This shows that the committee system of this House and the Houses of the Oireachtas is a fantastic catalyst for change and a forum for suggestions to be brought to the Government and Departments. Senator Ó Donnghaile was also a member of the committee and I apologise for not mentioning him. We will have a debate on a motion before the House next week. Brexit is of importance to all of us and I hope the committee report will not just gain media attention but will be read by people because it is a serious and substantive piece of work on the issue of Brexit.

Senator Conway-Walsh made reference to the raids on Irish-based insurance companies today. It is important that we understand the independence of the different arms of the State in investigating matters. This case concerns competitiveness and consumer protection in the financial services sector, specifically insurance companies. I hope there is a thorough investigation but I do not want to pre-empt the outcome. If anything is unearthed it is important that it benefits the consumer and it is important that we do not find anything that is anti-competitive in the practices in this industry. If sufficient evidence is unearthed action must take place. I very much welcome the first public session of the Charleton inquiry and I hope the tribunal concludes its work in a thorough and professional manner.

Senators Humphreys, Kieran O'Donnell and Wilson made reference to regional development and I will come back to their points about State airports. Senator Humphreys said Government was interested in rebalancing away from Dublin but I do not think that is the case at all. The previous Minister, Deputy Coveney, commissioned Ireland 2040, which had a huge and impressive consultative process. He was committed, as is the current Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, to Ireland 2040 being completed and published. It is a highly ambitious plan for Ireland and involves a national planning framework to ensure the people of Ireland are recognised as being from the four corners, the four provinces, of Ireland. It is not about region but people and having development on an all-Ireland scale. The importance of balanced regional development will be seen when the report is published. If there is a choked capital and nothing anywhere else, it is not a balanced country. It is not about Dublin versus the rest of the country but is about allowing for a different model of economic development. It is about ensuring we can attract investment into many parts of the country, whether Cork, Cavan, Galway, Limerick, Waterford or wherever. It is about the opportunity to work, investment in local areas and a flourishing country, not just a flourishing region. I look forward to having that debate. Ireland 2040 is about targeted, focused growth and, as the report outlines, is about urban gateways and hubs across the country.I very much look forward to having that debate in due course.

Senator Noone referred to tackling obesity. She has been a champion of the issue in her contributions in this House since I have come back here. She is right to outline the statistics and the fact that Ireland has 70% fewer 11 to 15 year olds drinking sugar-sweetened soft drinks, while at the same time daily fruit consumption increased by 26% and sweet consumption decreased by 49%. That proves the Government's Healthy Ireland policy is working but we need to do more work. I very much commend her on the work she does.

Senators Gallagher, Feighan and Murnane O'Connor referred to ambulances. I would be very happy to have the Minister come to the House to discuss the National Ambulance Service and the ambulance service plan which is part of the HSE's service strategy. HIQA has outlined deficiencies in some service provision. What we must have is a strategy that recognises the importance of timely access for people to ambulances.

Senator Gavan raised the issue of private ambulances but what he failed to mention in his contribution is that in the North, where I hope his party will be part of the soon-to-be restored devolved Government, private ambulances were used 561 times in the month of January at a cost of £1 million. It is not a black and white issue in terms of ambulances only being public. A balance needs to be struck. It is not the way forward to say private ambulances are always the wrong approach. It is about ensuring that all people have timely access to health care, in this case ambulance services. The people who availed of private ambulances do not care whether they are public or private once they can receive treatment.

Senator Gallagher referred to the delay in the delivery of broadband in rural areas. It is important that we acknowledge the Minister, Deputy Naughten, is committed to the delivery of broadband in rural areas. We all wish we had better broadband speed and access in many parts of the country but I am confident the Minister will deliver.

Senator Craughwell paid tribute to staff in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in particular to Ambassador Collins. I join with him in commending all diplomatic staff across the world who represent Ireland. I pay tribute to the retiring ambassador in Washington D.C., Anne Anderson. Having met her on a number of occasions I can say she is a first-class public servant who has represented her country with distinction.