Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I commend the Cathaoirleach and the Ceann Comhairle on their decision to invite President-elect Biden and I congratulate him and Senator Kamala Harris on their election. I join with Senator Byrne in congratulating John King of CNN on his wonderful exposé of how to carry out analysis of politics and I commend my past pupil, Brian O'Donovan, of RTÉ.

I primarily rise to support Senator Craughwell on the issue of gender pay equality. It is incumbent on us as Members of the Oireachtas to support the WorkEqual Oireachtas group. The 14.4% pay differential is unacceptable and untenable. There is a duty on all of us to work to eliminate that disparity in pay.

I ask the Leader to bring in the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to discuss the issue of the Land Development Agency and Cork City Council developing the Cork docklands. I commend the work of the Land Development Agency and I pay tribute to the former Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, on the work he did in establishing and pioneering the Land Development Agency. Today, Cork City Council and the Land Development Agency will partner to develop the docklands of Cork city. There is the potential for 25,000 new living accommodation spaces and 29,000 new work spaces for people and that is incredible. I ask that we have that debate. It is an important debate to have. It is about developing our second city and that is what we should be doing. I commend the Cork footballers on their great victory last Sunday.