Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is what I am saying. We must make it simple by categorising it street by street, estate by estate or house by house. That is a fair point.

The other point I would make is that people talk about the turnout in elections and by-elections. I canvassed extensively in Dublin Fingal and Cork North-Central and I was not surprised at the turnout. Many people took a view that we are going to be going again in a couple of months' time and why bother. It is a wrong attitude to take in my opinion, because many people fought so that we could have the right to vote and we should cherish that. I will support any way we can increase voter participation. I do not know, in response to Senator Boyhan, if it is all about just young people voting. Many elderly people did not vote this time. It would be interesting to look at the marked register. It is important to have that debate. There are differing views about 16 year olds and 18 year olds voting. The Bill which I hope we will have before the general election recess and dissolution of the Dáil and Seanad will provide for teenagers to be able to pre-register to vote, which will help.I will support any initiative that will result in an increase in voter participation.

Senator Rose Conway-Walsh made reference to the two people who were killed in the attack last Friday in London, Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones. We pay tribute to them, and in particular the work they were doing on prisoner rehabilitation. It is important to recognise that any form of terrorism should be condemned out of hand. Their bravery and the bravery of other citizens on the day should be saluted.

I will not get into a debate with Senators Conway-Walsh and Gavan on the Order of Business, other than to say that the level of poverty is being reduced. I ask those Members to read the CSO figures produced in recent weeks. Senator Conway-Walsh went into a standard speech about Sinn Féin policies. I ask her to look at the employment levels in the country at the moment and various issues concerning the economy. Undoubtedly, we have challenges we will address. Senator Kelleher raised a very important issue concerning the family reunification Bill. I do not have a response for her but I would be happy to discuss the matter with her.

Senators Humphreys, Bacik, Nash and Mullen raised the issue of Saint Joseph's, which is a very important one. I must advise Senator Mullen that it is not the HSE that sets the rate, it is the National Treatment Purchase Fund. The rate has been increased by the NTPF. The Government has increased the funding to Saint Joseph's and I believe there has been positive engagement between the HSE and the chief executive of Saint Joseph's with a view to closing it. I listened to Senator Humphreys's comments about the unit's imminent closure in January. I do not want to divide the House on the proposal, in the same way as I did not last week on Cuisle. It is a very important matter. It is one the Minister spoke about in the Dáil this afternoon. I do not have an accurate transcript of what he said. I am committed to bringing the Minister to the House. The line Minister with responsibility for the issue is the Minister is the Minister of State, Deputy Daly. Neither he nor the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, is available at the time suggested by Senators, but if they are agreeable I will endeavour to have them in some time today or tomorrow. It is the prerogative of Members to call a vote but I am trying to work with them.

Members of the House raised the issue of Cuisle last week. To be fair to Senator Hopkins, I should put on the record that she was the first Member of this House to raise the matter. Others followed suit. I have never divided the House on the matter. I avoided a vote last week on bringing the Minister to the House. It is a matter for the Irish Wheelchair Association, which has taken a decision to close the centre. Senator Mullen has made the pertinent point that some direction should be given to encourage and support the opening of the centre by the Irish Wheelchair Association. His contribution was far more helpful than the blatant politicisation of the issue by Senator Leyden. The points Senator Mullen made are ones on which we should perhaps reflect and bring back to the Minister, the HSE and the Irish Wheelchair Association because it is about ensuring that those service users who want to be able to avail of the service and their families can have such a service. I will be happy to go back to the Minister to inform him of what was said.