Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the 18 Members who contributed on the Order of Business. I join the many Senators who paid tribute to the memory of the late and great iarThaoiseach, Liam Cosgrave. Like many others in the House, I attended the funeral last Saturday afternoon and was struck by the simplicity and humility of the occasion which reflected the man he had been. As Monsignor Wilson said, he was a man who loved his family, country and faith.Senator McDowell's very eloquent testimonial to him illustrates the importance that the State and its institutions played in his life and that of his family. At a time of commemorations and celebrations, the legacy of Liam Cosgrave and his family will be one of standing up for our people, the Garda and the Defence Forces and the Members of this House, when Members of these Houses were attacked and killed, as were members of the Defence Forces and the Garda.

I had the pleasure of meeting him during the election campaign in 1973 when my father was a young man. I was six years old and he told me I should be at home in bed, gave me a few bob and thanked me for being at the rally in Cork.

His work as Taoiseach reflected his desire to bring peace to our country. How sad it was that the work of Sunningdale could not have been accepted, embraced and moved forward. It took a generation, many of whom have died, before that happened. When we reflect on the work of Sunningdale, we will see that it was a stepping stone to, and it left a footprint on, the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the Good Friday Agreement and others such as the St. Andrews Agreement. It is a pity that those on both sides of the divide did not warm to the work of his Government.

He was equally a man who brought Ireland to the world, as Minister for External Affairs visiting the United Nations and as Taoiseach in the European Union. That Government, through Mark Clinton and Garret FitzGerald, embraced Europe and saw its importance to this country. As a member of the Council of State, where he served for more than four decades, he gave wise counsel and showed his shrewdness and ability to bring people with him, in some cases with very few words, as Senator McDowell said. He took great pride in the Defence Forces, particularly the Army Equitation School. I pay tribute to him and thank him and the Cosgrave family for W. T. Cosgrave, Liam Cosgrave and Liam Cosgrave Jnr. who served as Cathaoirleach of this House. When we reflect on our great political journey as a country, the name of Liam Cosgrave will shine brightly. As leader of the Fine Gael Party in this House, I offer our deepest sympathies to Liam, Ciaran, Mary and his grandchildren and his extended family. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

On a happier note I join all the Members of the House who paid tribute to the success of our soccer team last night. I tweeted during injury time "me nerves". We were all blowing that whistle. Senator Ó Donnghaile referred to Derry and the great goal scorer. From a Cork perspective, David Meyler and others would come to mind. It was an evening of joy for those of us who follow sport. I hope the draw will be kind to us whenever it takes place. I congratulate all the team for giving us an uplifting evening. It shows the importance of sport.

Senator Ardagh referred to the lone parent report. The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Regina Doherty, will come to the House on 26 October to discuss the matter. The point of the report is that employment has increased and it is a question of reversing the cuts and ensuring we allow single women go out to work without being punished or penalised and that they can see the benefit of employment and not have to withdraw from the workforce. The report makes valuable reading.

The Senator also referred to housing and development. A couple of weeks ago in the debate on housing, when the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, was here, I referred to the sod turning in many parts of the country. There has been an increase in this budget of funding for the health sector. This Government is very much committed to Rebuilding Ireland and housing is a priority of, and for, Government. The Minister for Finance and for Public Expenditure and Reform is allocating €1.83 billion for housing in this budget. Some 3,800 new social houses will be built this year.That belies the line peddled by Members of the House on the Opposition benches in particular that the Fine Gael Party does not build houses. A total of 3,800 social houses are being built.

The housing assistance payment is being increased by €149 million, allowing for an additional 17,000 householders to be supported and accommodated in 2018. I know you will chastise me, a Leas-Chathaoirligh, but it has been raised on the Order of Business. We will see funding of a further €18 million, giving a total of €116 million for homeless services in the budget for 2018, which has just been announced in the past couple of hours. The most important way to tackle homelessness and to make housing more affordable is to increase housing supply, and that is what the Government is committed to doing. That was the thrust of the housing package in the budget. I think we will all join in congratulating the Ministers, Deputy Donohoe and Deputy Eoghan Murphy, for their contributions in terms of the housing budget.

Senator Ó Donnghaile made reference to the benefits of sport. I agree that James McClean's goal last night is one that shows the importance of how we can join a nation together. I would be happy to have a debate on the benefits of sport, whether it is under the umbrella of competitive, active sport or through more recreational leisure under the umbrella of Healthy Ireland. The Senator is correct that it is something we must look at not from a value-for-money perspective but in terms of how we can increase the longevity of citizens and also reduce the health budget, which we are spending unnecessarily on some issues. The importance of sport was outlined by Senator Butler, and whether it is Meath winning the all-Ireland intermediate camogie competition, Cork winning the camogie or Dublin winning the football, it is about sport of whatever code - whether ladies' or men's' - and about all of us participating and joining together.