Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Cummins. County Waterford is having a particularly good week with regard to Government investment, and I want to congratulate the Senator and commend him for the work he has done on the announcement of funding for Waterford City and County Council last week. I know it was significant and that the Senator had championed the cause for many months. I said last week that he would make us all envious when he spoke about the developments. I am really glad that Waterford City and County Council has been given the money and I look forward to seeing the fruits of that work. I also wish to congratulate the Senator on the announcement of the allocation of extra greenway funding this morning.

A number of colleagues have discussed online abuse. I can only say that it feels like the abuse of politicians at every level has shifted from third gear to maybe sixth gear. Even political sympathisers and supporters seem to think now that it is fair game to give their tuppence worth to our elected representatives. Members have asked for a debate on this issue, and I will certainly try to facilitate that after Easter, in the next number of weeks. It has got to a level where we have all gone down such a dangerous rabbit hole that I do not know where we will end up, looking at the level of discourse. I do not know whether it is true of our male colleagues here today, but I know from my female colleagues that it is commonplace for them to come into this House, open their emails and receive the most vile and disgusting threats. It is as if people do not think that they have any responsibility for the words they use. The discourse appears on a daily basis on all of our social media channels and it is now in our inboxes. It has to stop.

A few weeks ago we talked about encouraging more women and young people into public life. One would want to be absolutely off one's bloody rocker to encourage one's children to come into this life and to have to put up with the abuse that we have to put up with on a daily basis. However, we are the only people who can change it and we must do something about it. It needs to start with a debate with the Minister for Justice in the next few weeks, which I will organise.

A number of other colleagues have asked for a debate on living with Covid-19. Senator Currie is right. I do not know whether it is human nature or just Irish nature that when we are given an inch, we want a mile. We are all seeing and hearing the impact of Covid, first-hand on a daily basis. Senator Hoey talks about its impact on students on a regular basis. I am not just worried for our students; I am worried for our young people and middle-aged people. Senator Chambers is absolutely right that our older generations have been deprived of their liberty for over a year now, while some of us have been able to continue to walk around our villages and go to the supermarket, which seems to have been the only entertainment we have had for the last 12 months. There must be some liberty and freedom with the vaccination. Otherwise we are all going to scratch our heads and wonder what it has all been for, and where the hope that we are so hungrily clinging on to, that is going to be revealed in the number of weeks and months, is actually going to leave us. We only have Friday and Monday, and we do have a full schedule for both of those days next week before Easter. However, I will do my level best to try and get a debate on living with Covid and reopening, before what we hope will be some easing of restrictions announced on 5 April. Senators Warfield and Boylan brought up the Sinn Féin Private Members' Bill in the Dáil. We all welcome the €12.5 million that was announced in the urban regeneration fund for the redevelopment and the maintenance of the historic significance of 14 to 17 Moore Street. How proud we are of our inner city and its heritage, but how proud we must be to actually put our money where our mouth is to make sure we preserve it. I wish the Bill well in the Lower House.

Senator Burke raised the issue of local newspapers. It is not the first time he has brought this up and it seems to be a recurring theme. We all received the very large novel newspaper that came from all of our regional newspapers last week to highlight how significant the deterioration has been in their income, not just revenue from advertising but also from other sources. It is time for the Government to at least match what we have given to local radio stations. I was not aware of the situation of Mr. Ken Murray and Mr. Tim Ryan, or that the commission had ceased what is a vital source of information and flow of information from both this House and the Dáil to our local newspapers and local radio stations. If there is anything I can do to reinstate that, the Senator might let me know what needs to be done. I thank him for raising the matter today.

Senator McGreehan talked about national tree week. I was not aware of the historic nature of the alder tree and I thank her for bringing that up.

Senator Hoey referred to Dr. Conor O'Mahony and the parental rights report. I will try to contact the Minister today to get the Senator a date for when that will be published.

Not just today but frequently over the past number of weeks, Senators Cassells and O'Reilly have talked about the blight that is gambling in this country, its growth and its insidious nature, particularly in the context of young people. We have a debate scheduled with the Minister in the week in which we return after Easter, so I will email both Senators today with the date.

Senator Keogan - Senator Martin also made reference to this - talked about the photocall tomorrow, on which I commend her. One of the saddest things I saw or heard in the last week was Fr. Hughes being fined €500. For those who do not know, Fr. Hughes is a priest from Cavan who has been fined €500 for getting caught with eight people aged over 80 in his church, saying mass. It is probably the most mean-spirited thing I have ever come across in my life. I do not diminish the fact there are restrictions on us all, and I know we all have to obey the rules and the guidelines, but I do not think I have ever heard anything as mean-spirited as fining a priest €500 for saying mass. Again, I think that comes back to the living with Covid debate that we will try to organise between now and then.

Senator Gallagher talked about broadband access. I will write to the Minister to find out if allowances are being made for the fact younger students do not have access in the same way as other students to their course work, and if it will make any material difference to the outcome of their exams.

Senator Kyne talked about wind energy support and our carbon footprint. He is looking for a debate on renewable energy, which I will organise in the next couple of weeks.

Senator Ruane, among others, raised the issue of the need for sport. Again, the Senator will be able to tie that in to the living with Covid debate when we organise it in the next couple of weeks.

Senator Martin spoke about being able to profess a faith and practice a faith. It is not just as easy as saying that people can simply go online to mass and to funerals, which they are doing. It is not the same and we all know it is not the same. For those people whose faith is an enormous part of their lives, we need to realise that it is not just about praying to God but is also about community. It is something they have very much lost and been deprived of in the last 12 months.

I am happy to take Senator Bacik's amendment to the Order of Business. There is no problem with that. I am surprised and upset for the Senator regarding the outcome relating to the Bill, namely, that we have now decided to object to it, having supported it on Second Stage. I will try to get an update from the Minister today and come back to the Senator on that.

I thank Senator Norris for starting off by expressing his confidence in the Tánaiste, as, indeed, the Dáil did last November. I very much hope that issue will be coming to an end very soon.

I want to conclude with the issue raised by Senator Chambers. For many months, we have talked about equality of opportunity for women in all aspects of life in Ireland. I believe we have the support of every Member of this House and of the Oireachtas in respect of the continuity of our ambition to ensure that we have an equality of opportunity in society. By Jove, when we look at the actions of Turkey and other countries that are not far behind it, they literally seem to be going in a retrograde direction.I fully agree with the Senator. While the sentiments of the statement from the Commission were well meaning, words can only do so much and we need to see action. I probably would have far preferred a statement to say that if Turkey wanted to put in jeopardy its application to join the EU, for which it has been preparing in recent years, then it certainly made a great effort towards that last week. The strength of the statement from the European Commission should be far stronger.