Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is a bit like everything else. There are different viewpoints but there is a process that the Committee on Procedure and Privileges has commissioned. Maybe we can see what the outcome from the Committee on Procedure and Privileges is. I do not want to pre-empt the result of that but we will come back to it, if that is okay with Senator Norris.

Senator Conway-Walsh raised the issue of fodder to farmers. I think we all agree there is a need to see fodder provided, be it in the east, west, south or north of the country. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, has been proactive on the matter, as have Members of this House. I pay tribute to Senator Lombard who in his own constituency of Cork South-West - I do not wish him to come back to Cork South-Central - has been proactive in working with the co-operatives and farmers in the area. I compliment him on that. It is important to recognise that payments have been made. The Minister has been proactive on the matter and action has been taken by Government. It is about ensuring that we have cattle fed. It is about ensuring that fodder is provided to farmers. It is also about ensuring that the co-operatives, which have worked with farmers, will not be seen to be overzealous in demanding payment. The Government has put in place a range of incentives. We will have the debate as part of Private Members' business later on. It is also important to recognise that we also need to look at the issue of climate change and how that has an effect on us as a country. As Members know quite well, we have now had weeks of incessant rain during which I would say we have not had two days of drying. Moreover, land and underfoot conditions are very wet. The Minister has been proactive. We always have an animal welfare scheme. There is a range of farm relief schemes available to farmers and that will come across as part of the debate tonight on the Private Members' motion. I am not familiar with the issue the Senator raised regarding the transport issues in terms of the projects but if the Senator wants to give them to me later, I would be happy to take them up with the Minister.

Senator Black raised the issue of trolleys in hospitals. I completely empathise with the Senator, not only on her family's situation but in that every patient who is on a trolley is a person who deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.At a time when we have the biggest spend on health care in the history of the State and our spend per capitais one of the highest in Europe there is something fundamentally wrong. The political class and the Minister are blamed when there is no money available. There has been an increase in recruitment and more hospital beds have been opened but I recognise that there has been an increase in attendances at emergency departments. In budget 2018 €40 million extra was provided to respond to winter pressures, €25 million was allocated this year for social care measures which was €3.5 million for 480 additional transitional care beds and €18 million for 1,080 additional home support packages. An additional 204 beds have been opened but someone coming into the country from abroad would imagine there was nothing happening. It is not good enough that there are people on trolleys or that people have to be treated badly but the Government launched a national development plan which allows for an increase of some 2,000 extra acute beds. It is important to consider the Sláintecare report. It involves an emphasis on primary care and the need to see that develop. I would be happy for the Minister to come to the House. What is the HSE doing to eliminate the problems? We blame the Government in many cases. I have been in a situation similar to the Senator's because family members of mine were in the emergency department over the Easter break. There is something fundamentally wrong when a patient has to wait three hours for a discharge letter to be told they can walk out the door because they are okay. There is something fundamentally wrong when a triage nurse cannot tell them they can go home, or if they have to wait eight hours when it is clear that the system is not working to benefit the patient. As a former Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health I believe it is time all the vested interests in the health sector came out of their silos and into the centre on behalf of the patient. That is the point that comes through in the Senator's story today, that it is distressing and should not have to happen.

Senators Feighan and Ó Domhnaill raised the North and the Good Friday Agreement. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade will be in the House today. We should all take note of Bill Clinton's remark, "don't let it go, you can't let it go by doing nothing". We want to see the Assembly back in Stormont. That requires everybody, gach duine le chéile, working together. The Minister has said repeatedly that we cannot go back to the bad old days and we do not want to go back to them. We want to see mature, sensible decisions made to return to power-sharing and the Assembly, to work for the people. That requires compromise on all sides. This morning we remember the former First Lady of the United States, Barbara Bush, who said compromise is not a filthy thing, it is a good thing. The same applies to politics around the world.

Senators Leyden and Craughwell raised the issue of the Defence Forces. We debated this yesterday on the Order of Business. I do not want to get into an argument again but I understand that the Senators represent Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA, and other organisations. We all want to see the men and women in our Defence Forces treated fairly and properly. Senator Craughwell spoke about family income supplement; 1.3% of serving members receive that support. To hear Senator Craughwell this morning one would swear half the Army was on that support. It is not acceptable that people are on family income supplement. I am not advocating that. The Minister of State with responsibility for defence has started an independently chaired review of the conciliation and arbitration scheme over the past two years when more people have joined the Defence Forces than left it. In addition, new pay scales have been introduced for the post-2013 recruits and starting salaries have increased by 25%. Those are facts. Under the national pay agreement all wages up to €70,000 will be restored. There is a review of 1994 and 2006 contracts. In addition, there has been capital investment in ships, equipment, barracks, planes and there is an active recruitment campaign such that 751 people joined the Defence Forces last year. I do not want to have a political row because I value and respect the members of the Defence Forces, some of whom are my friends, some past pupils, and, as Senator Leyden said, many live around Haulbowline. We want to see pay and conditions increase and the achievements of our Defence Forces recognised and respected and I hope that will happen. Politicising it is the wrong way to do it. I would be happy to have the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, come to the House again.

I agree with Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell about the story of Caroline and Michael who spoke on the "Today with Sean O'Rourke" programme. They deserve great credit for the way they told their story and their bravery in coming forward. The committee I chaired produced an end of life care report and the Senator did major work in her own right which should not be left sitting on a shelf. We must have empathy, compassion, care, respect and always treat people properly. The Senator was correct in what she said this morning. As part of the heads of the Bill relating to the eighth amendment the Minister for Health has spoken about maternal care and the care of infants. The ancillary recommendations of the committee on the eighth amendment will also resonate with some of what the Senator said this morning. We need to take greater care of people. I would be happy to invite the Minister to the House on this as a standalone item. I do not wish to patronise Senator O'Donnell but we cannot allow a report that is a landmark be left sitting on a shelf because it is about people. People should not have to go on a radio programme being personal and open about their situation. I compliment their courage in telling their story. We need to have compassion in our maternity services and I hope we continue to have it.

I join with Senator Devine in commending the Minister for Justice and Equality on broadening the Magdalen laundries redress scheme. The sign of a good Minister is that he listens. It is a question of including women who were doing the same work as others and being treated in the same way. I welcome that decision.

Senators Mulherin and Davitt got into an argument on housing. As Leader of the House I try not to be personal but when the only remark of Fianna Fáil's spokesman on housing is about a Minister or a Taoiseach without reference to policy that does not say a whole lot. We will have a debate on housing. We have come through the worst of recessionary times. I remind Senator Murnane-O'Connor, who is looking at me, that it was her party in government-----