Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Ó Ríordáin referred to the confidence and supply agreement. I welcome the fact that he is alarmed that there will be no election this year or next year. In light of the uncertainty around Brexit, all of us are pleased that the country will continue to have a Government in place without the threat of an election. This will allow us to bring Ireland forward. Incomes are up, unemployment is at an all-time low, and there has been a decrease in the poverty and deprivation index for the fourth year in a row. We have challenges to face in health and housing. I hope we will see progress in that regard over the next 12 months.

I join Senators Ó Ríordáin and Byrne in hoping that the 2020 women in sport targets will be met. We all welcome the fact that high levels of participation and interest in women's sport, and attendances at women's sporting events, have been achieved. Women's sport in Ireland has reached an all-time high. I commend our hockey team on its victory in the RTÉ sports star awards at the weekend. Many fine individual female sports stars have become role models as part of our sporting galaxy of stars.

I take the point made by Senator Conway-Walsh regarding auditing. Believe it or not, I share her views on the CMA recommendations. We need to hold auditing firms to account. It cannot be just one or two firms that are held to account; everybody must be held to account. There are people who signed off on accounts even though they should not have done so. It is important to highlight this issue.

Senator Lawlor spoke about the payouts associated with soft tissue injuries. The Minister of State, Deputy D'Arcy, has done considerable work on that. I would be happy for him to come to the House in the new year.

I commend the people of Ballybay, who have shown their community spirit and their spirit of entrepreneurship to ensure the town is open for business this Christmas, as mentioned by Senator Gallagher.

I join Senator Byrne in welcoming the decision to award EU transport corridor status to Shannon Foynes Port Company. I congratulate those involved.I welcome that the Shannon Foynes Port Company has been awarded EU transport corridor status today. It is one of nine ports across Europe awarded this status. Senator Byrne has been a champion of Shannon Foynes Port in this House and has raised issues for it on a number of occasions. I thank the Senator for that.

With regard to Senator Devine, we had better put our swords back in their scabbards for a minute. The issue of nurses' pay has come to the fore again through the decision of a number of unions to engage in industrial action. I certainly hope this can be avoided. I made the point earlier that engagement is the way forward. All of us recognise that we have recruited more nurses, we have restored the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, cuts and that there is a need for all of us to work together. The Department of Health will meet the oversight committee this week to further engage. I certainly hope that industrial action can be avoided. It does not help any situation and I do not see how nurses going on strike can benefit the health system. I understand that they have a democratic right to engage in industrial action but I hope that all sides will engage properly and meaningfully in order that we can avoid that at all costs.

Senator Gavan spoke of today being International Migrants Day. I have given an answer to the Senator before on the issues he has raised. I am a person who does not stand up for what the Senator has described here today. There is a duty on all of us, at national and at European level, to ensure that our parties are part of groupings that promote human rights at all times.