Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the former Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, who is in the public Gallery, to the House. The Deputy is very welcome. It is good to see him here with a group.

Mar a dúirt an Seanadóir McDowell, beidh an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh ag éirí as a phost mar Sheanadóir i gceann cúpla seachtain. Tá díomá mór orm go bhfuil sé ag fágáil an Teach mar, mar a dúirt an Seanadóir McDowell freisin, fear uasal agus macánta é. Níl sé marbh; tá sé beo fós. Gabhaim mo fíorbhuíochas de as ucht an obair a rinne sé. Bhí sé an-chairdiúil le gach duine agus é i mbun a ghnó. Go n-éirí leis sa phost nua i TG4.

I join with all Members of the House who have spoken and all who have not. We will probably pay tribute in time to Senator Ó Clochartaigh on his impending departure from the House. As Senator McDowell rightly said, he was a very courageous man but also a very pleasant and courteous man with whom one could do business. He had a different point of view to many of us in the House on many occasions but at all times, he rose above that. I thank him for his service to the people of Connemara and the people he represented in this House but also for his friendly banter. I wish him well in his new position with TG4. I am sure that in time, we will be able to pay tribute to Senator Ó Clochartaigh but he is not dead. He is very much alive. He has a new career ahead of him and I wish him well.

Senator Ardagh began by raising the issue of Safer Internet Day. I would be happy to have a debate on that in the coming weeks. All of us in the House share the Senator's views regarding the issue of a digital strategy around the age of usage of a mobile phone, the appointment of a digital safety commissioner and the age of consent. It is important that as part of Internet Safety Day, the Minister for Education and Skills today announced the allocation of an investment of €30 million in ICT equipment for schools but, significantly, he also launched a very important programme about being in control, which is a resource for schools and parents. The grant will allow for the integration of digital technology in teaching. International research has shown that it is through qualified professional teachers, in addition to the knowledge of parents, that we influence and help shape minds. As Senator Ardagh rightly said, it is about ensuring our children are safe and are kept safe online. We must all address this issue and keep it to the forefront of everything we do.

I also join with Senator Ardagh in congratulating An Garda Síochána for Operation Ketch on Monday morning. It sent a very powerful signal and, hopefully, it will lead to arrests. I had better be careful about what I say because I do not want to put anything in the case but it is certainly is an operation we should all support and it is certainly one that I know has international co-operation. I commend An Garda Síochána for that. Senator Ardagh spoke about the community employment scheme for people over the age of 62. I agree with her that the matter has been raised in the House before. It is important to allow people of an age group to be able to continue to make a contribution and to be involved in this case in community employment in our communities. I would be happy to have that debate.

Senator McDowell raised the issue of the two impending by-elections. They are independent of each other in my opinion too. I am not a learned expert like Senator McDowell but I have read the article and one is an inside and the other is an outside nomination. I look forward to having the by-elections held whenever the writs are moved and the groups have sent their documentation to the appropriate personnel.

I join with Senators McDowell, Higgins, Craughwell and Bacik on the issue of the Israeli Prime Minister calling in our ambassador last week. I am very much of the view that we, as Members of a Parliament, the Houses of the Oireachtas in this case, are quite able to do our own business, to have freedom of mind, opinion, thought and how we exercise our democratic decisions here.