Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the 22 Members of the House for their contributions to the Order of Business. I join with all Members in offering our condolences to the bereaved in Toronto and we extend our sympathies to Mayor Tory on the tragic loss of human life. As Senators Ardagh, Bacik and Craughwell rightly said, this was a person causing carnage by driving a truck down a busy street. I extend my sympathies and those of the Fine Gael Senators and the House. This type of reckless behaviour has no place in a modern society. I refer to reckless abandonment. I am not sure what the motivation for the incident was but it is important we all stand united in our condemnation of what took place in Toronto. Again, I offer our sympathies to the families of those who died in, as Senator Bacik rightly said, a multicultural and vibrant city. We hope Toronto will stand up and be united in its grief but also in coming back from this tragic event.

Senator Ardagh raised the issue of the mobility allowance. As the Senator knows, the Government is working on new legislation for a new transport support scheme. The Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, was in the House earlier this year and answered a Commencement matter from Senator Dolan. Efforts are ongoing to draft primary legislation for a new scheme. It has been unusually complex. In addition, the petitions committee, which I am a member of, has had the Ombudsman and the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, before it. I would be happy to have the Minister come to the House to update us on the matter. It is one the Government is working on.

On the issue of the MetroLink, ar an gcéad dul síos ba mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas a ghabháil leis na príomhoidí, na múinteoirí, na tuismitheoirí agus na daltaí ó Scoil Mobhí agus an scoil eile. Gabh mo leithscéal, ach tá mé tar éis dearmad a dhéanamh ar a hainm. Tá a fhios agam gurb é Tír na nÓg an naíonra.