Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all Senators for their contributions. Senators O'Loughlin and Flynn raised issues with regard to maternity services. That is very important. It is a stressful time for expectant mothers, their partners and, indeed, their parents and anyone else who loves them and worries about them. It is not only a matter of the pregnancy. There are also scans. Expectant mothers may face a range of concerns. While there has been some relaxation in some hospitals and while individual hospitals have taken different approaches, there is certainly a need for a united approach. I agree with Senator O'Loughlin in her advocacy on that issue. I also agree with her with regard to the opening of third level education.

Both Senator O'Loughlin and Senator McGreehan raised the issue of domestic violence.Indeed, after the debate I will be texting "Safe" to 50300 to pledge €4 for domestic violence victims. I acknowledge the volunteers and professionals who provide services for victims across the country and those who advocate for them, such as COPE Galway, Women's Aid Dundalk, which was mentioned by Senator McGreehan, and the other facilities around the country that do very important work.

Senator Boyhan mentioned all the candidates in the Seanad by-election. I join colleagues in acknowledging that, in any election, some people win and, unfortunately, others do not. There are many walking wounded in this House after campaigns in the past year, myself included. We all acknowledge that it is difficult for those who do not gain election. They should not be too despondent. Many people who have lost an election go on to serve at a future date. Indeed, Senators Horkan and Maria Byrne are examples of that. I acknowledge Billy Lawless, who is a good friend of mine, Ian Marshall, Angela Feeney, Ciarán Ahern and Hazel Chu. I wish them well in their endeavours and future campaigns.

As regards the call for the Taoiseach to come the House, I know there are long-term demands or requests for the Taoiseach to come to the House from members of his own party and I am sure that will be forthcoming at some stage. It is a pity that we are not in the Seanad Chamber and cannot have a full house for such occasions, but Covid has an impact on everything.

Senator Hoey raised several issues. She mentioned conversion therapy, as did Senator Warfield. I acknowledge the work of Senator Warfield in the previous Seanad in terms of advocating for the Prohibition of Conversion Therapies Bill 2018. I acknowledge the work that has been done in the Northern Ireland Assembly in terms of banning the practice. I know the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, has stated that his Department is preparing a scoping document and is engaging with the Department of Health and, presumably, the Department of Justice. It is an issue that crosses those three Departments. I hope that we will see progress on it very soon. I know there are strong advocates on the issue within the Government and an anti-conversion therapy coalition in the community. I wish them well in their work. It is a very important issue that we must solve as quickly as possible.

Senator Hoey also raised the issue of vaccinations for the housebound. The issue was raised with the HSE at a recent Oireachtas committee meeting. The National Ambulance Service, NAS, is engaging with the housebound. There are delays in that regard. I contacted Martin Dunne at the NAS headquarters yesterday on behalf of certain individuals in their mid-90s who were left without having received their first vaccine, never mind the second shot. I suggest that the Senator follow up in that manner. The NAS is responsible for this issue.

As regards the Debenhams workers, obviously, I cannot comment on Garda operational matters. There are other forums in which the issue can be raised, including as a Commencement matter.

Senator Martin raised the issue of the Uighur people in the Chinese province of Xinjiang. Ireland won a seat on the United Nations Security Council because we have a reputation as a fair-minded country. As we are a small country, we can advocate without fear or favour on behalf of minorities across the world. I will ask my office or the office of the Leader to contact the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, to get an update on the issue. The Leader will keep the issue in mind in terms of a future debate on foreign policy.

Senator Flynn raised the issue of maternity services. In her absence, I congratulate her on her good news. I wish her well in that regard.

Senator Craughwell raised the issue of the vaccine and his concern that he has been offered one variety of vaccine. Obviously, I am not a health expert and I cannot advocate anything except to urge everyone to register for the vaccine when asked to do so and to take a vaccine of choice. This issue was raised at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health during the week. Professor Karina Butler of the national immunisation advisory committee, NIAC, appeared before the committee. I asked a question similar to that raised by the Senator on behalf of a constituent who is part of the vulnerable group and, having received a first dose of the vaccine, this constituent stated they would not take the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.Professor Butler stated it is very important that everybody gets vaccinated and that it will protect themselves and everybody else, and that even the first vaccine dose provides a certain amount of protection. I can understand the concerns of Senator Craughwell on his own personal health issues and I suggest he contact his doctor, obviously. In terms of the issues of vaccine hesitancy, it is certainly a concern given the issues that have arisen with various types of vaccine, not just here in Ireland but also in other countries. I know NIAC will continue to encourage people to register, take the vaccine they are offered and protect themselves and their families. I would advocate for that.

Senator Cassells talked about the UEFA championships, the super league and the whole issue of sport. I will ask the Leader to contact the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, and the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, in regard to a debate on the issue of sport. I know Senator Cassells is a huge advocate of our national games and the GAA. Most people acknowledge the volunteering spirit up and down the country in our clubs. I hope that the GAA, as a national game, will continue as an amateur sport with, if we like, a professional ethos in terms of training and athletes looking after themselves and their health. I will certainly contact the Ministers involved to raise the issue of a debate in regard to the GAA and the interesting development of the super league during the week which, thankfully in this case, showed that money did not trump the people who advocate, day in, day out, for their games and who go to attend games regularly. I know many Irish people have a love for the game and for various clubs across the water as well, so it is good that fans won out against money and big business on that occasion.

Senator Cummins raised the issues of the breaches of data by Sinn Féin and the electoral reform Bill. The electoral reform Bill is hugely important and is one that I know will generate a lot of debate in this House. I know members of the committee are engaging with that and I am sure they have done pre-legislative scrutiny, and that Bill will come before us in due course, as well as the issues around the electoral register and the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO. As candidates in various elections, we all have to fill out our SIPO returns. We fill them out truthfully and honestly and hope that every other individual candidate and party does the same. Certainly, if there are questions to be answered, they have to be answered by Sinn Féin or by any other party that might be implicated.

There are a number of questions, such as when the database was first initiated, when it was moved from London to Frankfurt, why was it moved, did they ask any of the electorate could they store personal information first in London and then in Frankfurt, and is it the case that Sinn Féin is circumventing SIPO rules. There are a lot of questions that have to be answered. It is certainly free for any party to request debates, put down Commencement matters and advocate on Private Members’ time. We will follow that but Senator Cummins has raised very important issues for the parties, Sinn Féin in particular.

Senator Moynihan talked about the taxi industry. The Tánaiste is coming to the House next Friday to talk about Covid and business supports, which will be an opportunity for the Senator or her colleagues on her behalf to raise concerns about taxis. I have a good colleague in Galway, Councillor Frank Fahy, who is a taxi driver. Like so many different businesses and self-employed people, they have had a difficult year because of Covid and the collapse in tourism, in the hospitality sector and in all of that area. It is an important question. I ask Senator Moynihan to raise that issue with the Tánaiste next Friday on behalf of taxi drivers.

Senator Gavan raised the cases of Alexei Navalny and Julian Assange. I cannot comment on Julian Assange and perhaps it would be more in order to put down a Commencement matter or we could look at a debate with the Minister, Deputy Coveney, in regard to foreign affairs. I acknowledge the bravery of Alexei Navalny, who voluntarily returned to Russia and probably knew what he was likely to face. I hope he recovers and gets independent healthcare in Russia.

Senator Davitt raised the issue of school places. This is a hugely emotional issue and is stressful for parents and children, probably more for parents, I suggest, than for children in most cases. People are registering with a number of schools.There is a situation where one might not know until the end if a place becomes available. There has been a lot of work done in the last couple of years on making the schools placement system fairer but there is always competition. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Foley, to consider the topic in a debate.

Senator Dooley asked for a debate on the important matter of reopening society. The Tánaiste will be before the House next Friday to discuss some of the issues involved in that regard. I will ask the Leader if that debate can be adjourned rather than concluded because I expect that there will be a lot of interest in it. The roadmap will be published by then. The aviation sector is hugely important and has effectively collapsed. We know its importance for Shannon, Knock, Dublin and Cork and the advocacy of so many Senators over the past year who raised the concerns of pilots and staff. Thankfully, supports have been provided but it will take some time for the system to reboot and reopen.

I am sure mandatary hotel quarantine will end when it is deemed to be safe. No one likes the idea or thought of it. It goes against the grain in the context of Ireland being a welcoming country and one that relies so heavily on tourism. I hope it will not last for a long time.

I fully agree on outdoor seating for wet pubs - I do not like the term either. I know the Minster for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, has introduced a grant. This matter was raised within our party meeting during the week and the Tánaiste said he would look at it and see if the pubs that do not serve food can be included in the grant scheme relating to outdoor seating.

Senator Lombard referred to building inflation and housing issues. People have been locked up in their homes for the past year and have plenty of time to look around and see what is wrong with their houses and what things they might like to do or change, maybe put up an extension or do a refurbishment. Working from home might mean that a person needs to spruce up the office or build a new one. I am sure that creates demand for materials and labour but there are genuine issues. The ESRI was before a committee recently and Deputy Canney asked about building inflation. Dr. Kieran McQuinn of the ESRI has spoken about the significant build up of savings which are available for people to do up their homes. This could lead to heightened levels of demand, with supply still constrained. There is also an issue with labour shortages. There might be people who moved to England in recent months when the construction sector reopened there and there is an issue about getting them back. I will contact the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to see if we can get a debate on a very important issue of housing and inflation in building.

Senator Paddy Burke also spoke about tourism and small businesses. The Tánaiste will be in the House on Friday but I will contact the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, again about tourism and hospitality. The Taoiseach and others have stated there will be a package for the sector when it comes to reopen and we will advocate for that.

Senator Joe O'Reilly spoke about cross-Border work in respect of a range of excellent schemes, including those relating to sport and town and village renewal. There is potential for the Oireachtas and the assembly linking up on projects that may operate on a cross-Border basis or where parishes are split by the Border. Coming from a Border county, the Senator knows more about that than me. I will contact the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, to ask what plans she might consider. It is an interesting proposal. The Senator might put his thoughts and suggestions on paper and I will progress the matter. It is an excellent idea on which I commend him.

I congratulate the two new Senators. I know they will make a strong contribution in respect of matters relating not only to Limerick or Dún Laoghaire but also those relating to the panels to which they have been elected.