Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the 21 Members of the House for their contributions to the Order of Business. I dtús báire, cuirim fíor fáilte roimh triúr daltaí atá ag obair san idirbhliain. I welcome three transition year students to the House who are here on work experience. They are Senan Ó Ríordáin, who is a nephew of Senator Ó Ríordáin, Diarmuid Lyons Nolan from Carlow and Dara Mac Riocaird. I welcome them to the House and wish them well in their work.

I congratulate Senator Clifford-Lee on her elevation and appointment as deputy leader of the Fianna Fáil Party in the Seanad. I sincerely wish her every success. I look forward to working with her in her new role. She will find from Senators Ardagh, Wilson and other Members of the House that we have very constructive group leaders meetings and she is more than welcome to join that. I welcome her and wish her well in her new position.

I commend Senator Clifford-Lee on raising the matter of the court case. I know you commented on that, a Chathaoirligh. I also note that Senators Ó Ríordáin, Mullen and Ó Donnghaile spoke on the issue. We should reflect, first, on the court case itself, second, on the actions of Deputy Coppinger yesterday, and then on the very sincere contribution of Senator Clifford-Lee this morning. I completely agree with her. We can reflect on the Taoiseach's remarks yesterday. No person asks to be raped no matter what they wear, what they drink or where they are. It is wrong. It is a crime and the person who perpetrates such a crime is a criminal and should feel the full rigours of the law. The sentencing should be 100% commensurate with the crime that has been committed.

The Minister for Justice and Equality has appointed Tom O'Malley to chair the review body on the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences. That work is not complete yet and I do not have a timeline for when the review will be published. I hope we are all united in ensuring that the victims of sexual violence will not have to go through any further trauma. We must support and embrace them and encourage victims of rape to come forward to tell their story by ensuring that the State and the judicial system will wrap its arms around them, so to speak, and give them full protection. I respect Senator Mullen's right to have an option, but irrespective of what he said, we must be concerned at the way in which some of the trials are being handled and what is happening in them.

I will not stray into it but if legislation needs to be changed arising from the O'Malley review, then let us do it. I do not think the review body has a timetable to meet but I know the Minister is very anxious that it would happen sooner rather than later. I thank Senator Clifford-Lee for raising the matter. We should not have to raise it in this House. The fact that we do sends one message. The Government is nearing completion of the actions relating to the Istanbul Convention and we have made significant progress through the Domestic Violence Act 2018, which significantly enhances the legal protections available to victims of domestic violence. I hope the O'Malley review will be completed at the end of this year or the start of next year at the latest. That is the intention of the Minister.

Senator Clifford-Lee also made reference to delayed discharges, which is one that is a source of frustration to patients, family members and those working in the hospital system. It is important to put on the record of the House that €10 million in additional funding has been made available in budget 2019 to ensure that hospitals get patients home from hospital or to an appropriate care setting quicker. As a former Chairman of the Joint Committee on Health, I have been a long-time advocate of the focus being on primary care in terms of transition or step-down facilities, in particular for senior citizens aged over 70. The Minister for Health has an action plan with 21 enhanced actions targeting nine identified sites in terms of improving primary care services, such as by increasing diagnostics, including making arrangements with private providers, among other services. I think Senator Clifford Lee will agree with me that we must increase bed capacity and provide more long-term, step-down facilities. That is the reason the Government opened 240 extra beds and that 79 additional beds will be opened at the end of this quarter. For that reason it is important to recognise that work is being done. There are no simple solutions. Senator Clifford Lee's point is that if we can expedite early discharges more quickly, then we will see a change in the system to the betterment of all concerned.

Senator Freeman raised the issue of mental health, specifically the fact that €10 million is being spent on talk therapy versus €400 million on antidepressants and prescription medication. The culture of prescribing medication in particular is one we need to change in this country. For that reason a number of the points raised by Senator Freeman deserve to be debated, especially the training of GPs and also encouraging people to talk and to engage in counselling and to have a one-on-one relationship with a counsellor. It is important to recognise that talking helps. All of us recognise the importance of looking out for people and paying attention to their needs.Today is a very important day in the history of the European Union and of our country. The Brexit deal or, perhaps, the lack thereof is the topical issue of the day. I acknowledge the contributions of Senators Conway-Walsh, Ó Ríordáin, Ned O'Sullivan, Ó Donnghaile and Feighan. Monsieur Barnier, as the Leas-Chathaoirleach knows well, has worked very hard and has presented what I hope will be an agreement to both Governments. The Government has been very clear in its all-island approach. That has been our policy from the first day and we have not demurred from it for one second. I hope that the UK Government will recognise the importance of the backstop and of the Good Friday Agreement, which protects the constitutional rights of citizens in the North of our country and has received the international recognition of the United Nations.

The best thing we can do is to hope that common sense will prevail and that those who are advocating Brexit will listen to the needs of everyone, especially people of the North of our island. I hope that we will have a resolution today. It is far too serious a matter to play party politics with. I appeal to the DUP to remember that the majority of people in the North voted to remain. We are an island nation on the periphery of Europe but also at its heart. The fact that the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, have secured this agreement today illustrates the work they have done and the profound impact that work has had on other EU member states. I will have the Tánaiste come to the House in due course.

Senator Ó Ríordáin also made reference to BusConnects and the very important issue of public transport. All of us recognise that we spend far too much time commuting. More and more people are travelling to work, which is a sign that jobs are being created outside of Dublin. They are spending inordinate amounts of time on public transport. That is why Project Ireland 2040 is committed to developing and building a world class integrated public transport system not only for Dublin but also for the metropolitan around the capital and for Cork. I would be happy to have the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport come to the House in due course.

Senator Lawlor raised the issue of insurance. We had the Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy, before the House and I will have him back again.

Senator Paul Daly raised the very important issue of An Bord Pleanála. Members opposite sometimes forget that they were in government when the cuts were imposed. On day one in 2008, Fianna Fáil was in government-----