Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach, I was waiting there for ages. I wish to echo the sentiments of Senator Ardagh when she referred to Prime Minister Ardern. She is one strong woman. She has shown the world that it is possible to react urgently to the needs of people, in this case with the gun safety in her country because her paramount position and job description is to protect the people of the nation. She is one strong woman and I am very proud that she is leading the way.

I wanted to bring up a few matters. First, we need a debate on vaccines throughout the world. We know they are in decline and the herd immunisation has also declined and therefore we have seen the alarming rise of what we thought we had eradicated, namely, measles and mumps.Measles and mumps are present in this country. South Dublin has a particular problem with schools being closed, etc. We saw authorities in New York closing crèches and schools to children who are not vaccinated. I am pro-vaccination and pro-science and I will stand over that, but I simply do not know or have not thought enough about what we do for children who are not vaccinated. Do we go down that road? Is that unconstitutional? A debate on that would be very much welcomed and is really needed. We need to stick with science and with how we manage illnesses when they arise. We must keep the herd protection that is so badly needed.

Another point I wanted to bring up relates to the Psychiatric Nurses Association. The ambulance personnel are again out today, in particular those from the depot on Davitt Road. They are looking to next week again and are reconsidering 24-hour stoppages. At the moment there are 12-hour strikes.

They are my colleagues and I suppose I have a bias and a particular interest, but the HSE is refusing to deduct their union subscriptions. The HSE is refusing to engage or negotiate and is ignoring them. A hefty amount of PNA ambulance personnel are part of the National Ambulance Service Representative Association. Like me, they want the Minister to end this now and to instruct the HSE to sit down under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission to engage and sort this out. Everyone deserves and is entitled to the right to join a union or trade representative of his or her choice.

The third thing I wish to discuss - Senator Ardagh has raised this as well – is the Dublin 12 parent support group in Crumlin. We decided to use today, Autism Awareness Day, to raise awareness in the village of Crumlin because places, classes and units there for children are non-existent. The waiting lists are waiting lists of years, and that is too late for the children. I have been to many of the meetings and I see new parents arriving all the time. They are looking for support but they leave in shock, unfortunately. I try to ease them into it gently but they do not realise the dearth of education classes that should be there. The resounding vocal words this morning were "Educate, do not discriminate." Five year olds are being offered places but they have to be put on a bus. They have to manage and navigate the journey on their own to Maynooth and back again in a day. That is simply not feasible. Parents are resorting to home tuition, which is approximately an hour to two hours each week. Isolation and alienation are not the way to be inclusive in our communities. I tabled a Commencement motion this morning and I hope the Minister will take forward my views, fast-track more units and enable and instruct schools to open those units.