Marie Sherlock (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I extend our best wishes to Senator Norris and we hope he will be back in full health in the autumn and in here with us. Senator Boyhan used the lovely phrase of a “Leinster House family” earlier. I also express my thanks to all those involved in ensuring that we can operate here day in, day out. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his great encouragement and especially to those of us very new to this Chamber. I also thank the Leader for all her work this year.I am shocked to hear about the broadcasting unit and I very much support Senator Gavan in what he said. It is unacceptable that there are workers in this House who, effectively, do not have employment when we are not sitting. That is not acceptable.

Many of us have watched in horror the events in western Germany over the past 24 and 48 hours. I express my solidarity with the people of western Germany. It is shocking to think that thousands of people are still unaccounted for as a result of the flooding that has taken place there. I do not know the exact causes of it but it is yet another reminder of how fragile our environment, built and natural, is and the vital need to protect, sustain and support it.

I will raise the issue of yesterday's High Court decision overturning An Bord Pleanála's decision to grant planning permission for a medically supervised injection facility at Merchants Quay in Dublin. I understand there are genuinely held concerns about a supervised injection centre. There is a school in the area in question. I am a mother of three small children and I get the need to try to protect and shield young children from what happens on our streets. However, the point of a supervised centre is to take people from the streets and bring them to a place that is safe and that will save lives. It is uncomfortable for many people when we talk about addiction, particularly drug addiction. There is a real sense of it being "over there" but addiction is in all our communities, not just in Dublin but throughout the country. I pay particular tribute to 2FM's Louise McSharry for her very powerful post yesterday because she talked about her family and the fact that addiction is not just somewhere else but is within people's families.

My colleague, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, expressed strong concern yesterday that the HSE does not have a plan B for this issue. We understand a mobile unit for supervised injection centres is not planned and that lives could be lost. We need the Department of Health and the HSE to substantively respond in the wake of this High Court decision because it is a major setback in looking after those who suffer from addiction in this country.