Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Although I understand the reasons, I am disappointed to note that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, will not be joining us. I hope the Leader will ensure that we have a debate with the Minister in the near future, as it has been promised for many months.

I welcome the comments on the Control of Economic Activities (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 that we put forward last week. The urgent need for action was underscored by the fact that just this weekend, a children's school in East Jerusalem funded by Irish Aid was demolished by the Israel Defence Forces. This demonstrates why we need to move forward and act on this.

I was sorry not to be present for the full debate last Thursday, as I was a part of the Vótáil 100 symposium. However, I was here for the conclusion and I read the proceedings with interest. In that debate, my colleague, Senator Lynn Ruane, spoke about personal and collective responsibility, and how we, as legislators, need to address the reinforcing of inequality by society. The links between low education and imprisonment reported on in today's newspapers underscores that point. Senator Ruane asked the Taoiseach to deliver a republic of equal outcomes with far greater equality of wealth and income, reducing the material, social and cultural inequalities that exist between us in society.

The Taoiseach responded by saying he believed that equality of outcome meant that everyone was the same with no ambition; it meant levelling downwards, the model of the Soviet Union or Cambodia. In fairness to the Taoiseach, he also acknowledged that perhaps he misunderstood. He did indeed fail to understand. That is both disappointing and worrying. Greater equality of incomes and outcomes is not some abstract communist notion. It is what is advocated by best international research, including that of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD. It is what we have signed up to deliver under the detailed targets of the sustainable development goals, which Ireland helped to negotiate. For example, goal 10.3 is a commitment to ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome. It will be outcomes that will be the test of Ireland's implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Ireland's public service duty and commitment to equality budgeting, measures I have praised in the past, require the delivery of more equal outcomes. I believe that some members of Government understand that. It is important that the Taoiseach does too. His job does not ribbon-cutting at the starting blocks on some individualised race for success or survival. It is bringing society forward together, and bringing society together in deeper dialogue. That is something we value in the Seanad-----