Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The only thing I can say to Senator Gallagher is that I concur with his request. It is a terrible shame that there are so many families in the same situation as the Sheehan and Kelly families. I will convey the Senator's request to the Taoiseach.

I am in the happy position of being able to tell Senator Conway that on our first week back in the new year a debate is scheduled with the Minister for Health on the roll-out of the vaccine. Despite the fact that we have great confidence in the task force, and Professor Brian MacCraith instils such confidence with his knowledge and expertise, there will be questions that are not in the 57 pages that were issued this week. Different issues will arise thereafter, so we will have a debate in the first week we return.

I fear that if Senator Mullen is trying to keep politics out of judicial appointments, that horse has well and truly bolted. Since the foundation of the State, we have had politicians appointing judges, and the development of a new judicial board is an attempt to take politics out of it. I very much concur. Pre-legislative scrutiny will facilitate all the debate the Senator requires, but if it does not, I will be happy to organise a debate in the House. That is no problem.

Senator Cummins is not being blatantly political by fighting for his city in the Seanad. The news about the North Quays is wonderful. It would be equally wonderful and, indeed, a full circle to provide what could be a state-of-the-art project for the development of the south east, if the Viking Triangle was successful. I do not believe the regional development funding will be announced before Christmas. It will be early in the new year. As the Senator so eloquently described it, I can visualise how it will look if he is successful. I wish him every success in the new year.

Senator Cassells had my good friends from local media before the committee yesterday. I fully support them. It is interesting, and a pity, that we supported local radio stations but did not support our local print journalists when they were in such difficulty. Indeed, there were debates in this House, in the Dáil and in committees before the Covid-19 pandemic to express the difficulties being experienced by local media. They are vital. National media, the news and the way we deliver and consume news are changing and we must change with it. However, local newspapers and local radio stations are unique and need an extra level of Government support. I am happy to relay that to the Taoiseach as well.

In response to Senator Bacik, the 3,600 submissions to the report that the Minister issued this morning show how much interest there is in this matter. The usual suspects are announcing that all we are trying to do is shut down free speech. That is the last thing any Member of this House or the Dáil wishes to do. We want to be able to have respectful debates on any and every platform, without some of the trite denigration that was issued this morning and, indeed, to a Member of this House in the last number of days on Twitter, which is a disgrace. We need robust legislation that does what we want it to do, and the legislation on the Statute Book thus far certainly does not do that. I will schedule that debate early in the new year.

I am aware of what the European Commission said this morning. The Taoiseach is isolating and I send him our good wishes that, hopefully, he is not in the same boat as Mr. Emmanuel Macron. Obviously we send Mr. Macron our good wishes too. The start date of 27 December is genuinely a lifeline. It is not a light at the end of the tunnel, but a light that is shining brightly. There will be questions next year and we will have rolling debates on the roll-out of the vaccine. It is incumbent on all of us to say, loudly and consistently, that we are committed to getting vaccinated. I am committed to getting vaccinated. I do not know yet where I am in the queue, but my father, about whom I have been intensely worried for the past couple of months, will be, hopefully, at the top of the queue at 85 years of age. We need to be leaders in this House, the Dáil, our homes, our communities, our churches and outside post offices to address some of the concerns and fears people have and to reassure them that vaccines have had the most fundamental and transformative impact on modern life, apart from clean water. We must reassure people that this will be equally transformative, to try to get us back to the normality we expect of life.

In response to Senator Seery Kearney, my association with Pieta House is probably well known. I cannot commend it enough. It is a tremendous and wonderful organisation. The campaign we are running this year is one we have never run previously. Its objective is to bring awareness of the signs of suicide, and it has a profound impact on getting conversations going. It is not the only organisation. We have the Samaritans, Jigsaw and probably hundreds of local organisations that have been established by loved ones who have been bereaved as a result of somebody who has died by suicide. All those organisations deserve our respect and support, particularly at this time of the year when people are a little more emotional than they are during the rest of the year. All the charities have had a difficult year. We are not giving in the same way we normally would because we are not living the same lives. Perhaps we should be mindful of that if we are feeling generous over the next couple of weeks.

Senator Byrne raised a matter, but Senator Hoey started the round. I am not embarrassed to say that we will schedule a debate on the rule of law. We might focus on Hungary and Poland, but there are many other countries that have things to answer for at various levels. However, the changes announced by Hungary to its constitution earlier in the week are repugnant to me. I do not stand in solidarity with European People's Party colleagues from Viktor Orbán's party.I am embarrassed by what they have done this week. Our own party and members of the European People's Party should have taken measures and this should have been addressed before now. The issues around meetings are nonsense and the question of forums for meetings has stalled the process. We will absolutely have a debate after Christmas on the rule of law not just in the context of Hungary but also regarding all those countries with varying records in this regard that must be challenged.

Senator Keogan never ceases to amaze me. I have known her for many years and there is a persona that she is as tough as boots and would do absolutely anything for the community she represents. I know that only too well. She is one of the softest, kindest and most emotional women I know. Do not ever change. It is a huge tribute to the type of person she is that she stood up and commended the wonderful men and women in the Erin's Isle club this morning. Their actions over the past number of weeks have probably been reminiscent of those of many other organisations up and down the country that do not receive enough credit. I pay credit to the Senator today, though, and say again, "Do not ever change". She should be the wonderful, sensitive and caring person she has always been and she should keep showing it. I thank her.

Senator Kyne mentioned another wonderful opportunity for funding and a development of something that we probably thought in rural Ireland was in decline, namely, the rural train station. Perhaps it is because we are more conscious of climate change and the policies being pursued that are undoing what has been done. This dual carriage station in Oranmore would be of tremendous benefit to the community and I hope there is a successful funding application.

Senator O'Loughlin raised the very obvious elephant in the room. We thrive on human contact and different people brought it up, not only today but also in discussing various matters. There has been a huge lack of it over the past ten months. Even those of us lucky enough to still be able to come to work, see colleagues or meet people know that it is still not the same and that there is still no human contact because we are away from each other. This is something of which we must be mindful.

Colleagues referred to the rise in positive case numbers and the very obvious perils that some of our neighbours on the Continent are witnessing. We know what human contact can do during a pandemic so we must all be incredibly careful. Senator Hoey put it perfectly by stating we should keep gatherings small and safe. That is what we all must do over the next couple of weeks until the vaccine programme starts.

I totally agree with Senator Gavan. There have been a number of debates about student nurses in the media, including social media, in the Dáil and with a number of Commencement matters, one of which was tabled by me. I am biased and although I have a student nurse at home, that is not the reason for my bias. There is work being done and nobody can ignore that. There is also learning being done and nobody can ignore that either. Where work is being done, payment must be made. I have no problem saying that and it might not go down well in certain corners of rooms. Where work is being done, payment must be made. It is that simple. The Senator and others have read out testimonies and we all know these students are working and learning at the same time. There is a hell of a lot more work going on than learning and this must be acknowledged. I suppose I respect the fact that the Minister has said a review is taking place and I will wait to see the outcome of the review. I hope my faith will be restored but I agree with the Senator.

I also agree with the Senator that the place to have climate change debates is in the Oireachtas committee. I will send a letter to the Chairman of the committee today relaying the Senator's request.

Senator Martin touched on a very similar topic to that raised by Senator Gallagher. I concur with the comments and will send a letter to the Taoiseach on his behalf commending him on the reaction to Ms Arlene Foster's request.

Senator Boyhan eloquently described the organisations that look after the people who are down on their luck in different periods of their life. I concur with his comments that such organisations must absolutely be commended, supported, praised and acknowledged. It is an absolute must. I read a report yesterday from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul indicating that many people who were former contributors to the society's coffers are the people it is helping this year. We are in the most absolutely unusual of times.

The State has been incredibly generous as it was a time to be generous in trying to look after workers and everybody we need to support but there are still people who have absolutely nothing to look forward to this Christmas. There are still people who are vulnerable, and as the Senator describes, embarrassed by having the kind of life they have. It is incumbent on all of us to remember that when the recovery comes and we get back to speaking about real and normal matters. For example, the homelessness report this week nearly went unnoticed but I recall that this time last year it absolutely did not go unnoticed. Perhaps politics have changed but the circumstances of those people's lives have certainly not changed.

When we start to get back to some sort of new normal after Christmas, we must start talking about the vulnerable in our society and the 15% of people who are unemployed because of the pandemic and the shocking point that most of these people are under 35. We must start talking about the other issues that have presented along with the older matters that concerned us last year or five years ago. The Senator is correct to commend the people both in our country and in London looking after expatriates, and it is an appropriate time for him to do that.

Senator Chambers started the Order of Business by seeking a debate on the national development plan and the national planning framework. I will certainly facilitate that after Christmas. She spoke eloquently as a first-time mother who had a little baby this year. Our new mams have been entirely isolated from their families this year and the normal supports they might have are not readily available. We must instill those again next year. We have raised many times in the House the question of maternity services and how disjointed they are because we are trying to keep people safe. Many of the infringements on normal life have come about so we can remain safe. I know there is acceptance and acknowledgement of that but it still does not make things easier. There are people who are more vulnerable in society than some of the rest of us, which must be acknowledged.

I will be here tomorrow wearing my Christmas jumper so I will keep my good wishes until then.