Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Taoiseach to the House. It speaks volumes that, seven months into his term as Taoiseach, he is here. I commend him on his reflective comments, on this first day of spring, on what this Chamber has achieved and the huge potential that is there in terms of what we should and can achieve going forward. This House has been a reflective Chamber. It has been a source of very intimate debate on very important social issues over the seven years that I have been a Member here, and indeed for many decades before it.

This House has instigated change. Many of the changes that have taken place in this society over the last number of decades were instigated in this House. That is something this House can be proud of, but we can achieve a lot more. We can be a Chamber that reflects Irish society and improves it. That is why I welcome today's announcement that we will have a committee on the future of Seanad Éireann, and I believe we will all engage in that.

I commend the Vótáil 100 initiative. It reflects what was achieved in the last 100 years in terms of female representation and the hopes and aspirations for that going forward. I also believe that 2018 will be a year were people with disabilities in this Republic will feel equal. It has started very well, with the announcement by Government on Tuesday that we are, once and for all, to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. That is very significant and it certainly sets a tone. Will the Taoiseach to tell us in his concluding remarks what timeline he expects for getting the various legislative measures that are required over the line? I want to assure the Taoiseach - and I am sure I speak for all colleagues - that if legislation needs to be initiated in this House because of the demands of the other House, we would be very happy to oblige so that we can embrace and ratify without any reservations the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

When the Taoiseach was Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport he initiated events like The Gathering, and initiatives such as the Wild Atlantic Way. That type of project has helped the tourism industry bounce back, and all parts of the country are benefitting from that. I would like the Taoiseach to look at increasing funding for tourism, particularly in the area of capital projects that will give people who visit this country a great overall experience, and a variety of experiences which are available in winter and in summer. Tourism can be an all year round product.

I wish the Taoiseach well. We in this House will do everything we can to ensure that the republic of opportunity is felt by everybody.