Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Some of the obstructionist behaviour on the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill in this House is appalling, as was some of the carry-on yesterday with regard to the issue to which Senator Norris referred. Members did not choose to reflect and listen and were going from A to B to C to D. I will not get into that debate today.

Senator Marshall raised the very important issue of Brexit. Professor Philip Lane gave a very good presentation in Dublin Castle today. A no-deal Brexit will disproportionately affect this country. There is no such thing as a good outcome to Brexit. That is why Government is trying to mitigate the potential impact on the Border and the north west of our country. It will, of course, affect small businesses and farms. I will be happy to have the Minister come to the House to give an update on Brexit. Today is a very important day in Westminster. I hope common sense prevails.

Senator Conway-Walsh raised the issue of social protection and means testing. Means testing has always taken place. The issues the Senator raised in that regard are best addressed through the submission of a Commencement matter. I do not have an answer for her on them.

Senator Leyden again made a contribution on the importance of local radio and its independence. I believe we all agree that, since its inception, local radio has brought about a terrific sense of community. It has brought people closer together, informed people and has made a vital contribution to our public and civic life and to people's lives, whether in the north, south, east or west. The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI, is the overarching body which oversees and grants licences. It has made its decision, which is to be welcomed, but we will have that debate in due course.

To respond to Senator Boyhan, the O'Farrell case will be dealt with later on today and I will be happy to have a debate on the National Development Finance Agency. Senator Butler raised the issue of tendering with regard to Brexit. That is a matter for the Minister of State with special responsibility for public procurement. I would be happy to have him come to the House.

I join with Senator Bacik in congratulating the young students who are today, rather than protesting, highlighting the need for action around climate change. To all climate change deniers I would say that it is time to get real. They should look at the temperatures around the world, the snowstorms in parts of the world, the heat that has just been encountered in Australia, the wet weather and other indices which prove and show that climate change exists and is having a profound impact. We have another debate on climate change tomorrow. On the issue of the national children's hospital, I do not have the information regarding the Attorney General and cannot give it to the Senator.

Senator Swanick raised the issue of medical equipment for rough sleepers. I will be happy to have the Minister, Deputy Murphy, come to the House. I commend Senator Swanick on his initiative with regard to the report we will be debating later today. Senator Byrne raised the issue of apprenticeships and the importance of highlighting the need for people to take them up. I will be happy to have the Minister return to the House on that issue.

Senator Craughwell spoke on the Defence Forces. As he rightly said, Senator McFadden has championed that issue. There are lots of issues around the Defence Forces. We need to commend all involved in highlighting the issues around our veterans. I do not have the answer Senator Craughwell is looking for regarding the use of Defence Forces barracks and buildings, but I am sure he can table a Commencement matter for the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe. All of us must recognise the importance of the Army and the Defence Forces and the work those men and women do. They are probably the lowest paid in the public service. We all agree that needs to be addressed.

On Iran, I would be very happy to have a debate in the House in that regard. It is important that we build relationships, expand our markets, and reach out to other countries. We had the benefit of visiting Tehran last year. It was a very informative and educational visit. We learned a great deal about the relationship the workers have with the West, as opposed to that of officialdom, and about the ways in which we can all learn from each other and build synergies and new alliances. We should not tip our cap towards Washington the whole time either, but that is a personal view.

Senator Gavan raised the very important issue of the community employment, CE, supervisors. I have made this point in the House before, but we all agree that community employment schemes are very important in our communities. We all want to see them enhanced and the men and women who participate in them move on to further employment. It is a wonderful scheme that has benefited our communities. There is a group of CE scheme workers who do tremendous work in my own GAA club in Bishopstown. Equally, the supervisors provide a tremendous service through their work. Senator Gavan also spoke mischievously about a sinister letter.I do not believe it is a sinister letter, to be fair, in what it is trying to do. From my understanding it is not about threatening people, as Senator Gavan alluded to. Rather it is about ensuring several things. First, from what I understand, it seeks to find out the number of people who will not be at work on Monday so that we can provide a certain level of service. Second, it is about ensuring that the effects of a legitimate demonstration or protest, like that of the nurses, are minimised with regard to the delivery of the services for the sake of the people who avail of the service. Third, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Regina Doherty, has said on the public record that she has no intention of reducing any funding to schemes as a result of the action. Again, it is important that we have proper debate and commentary around what has been asked of people in a letter.

I will address the other point mentioned by Senator Gavan. We would all love to give people a pension. However, I am told the cost is €188 million per annum. My question to Senator Gavan is where he believes that money will come from.