Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all Members who contributed. Senator Seery Kearney started off the day by mentioning the ESRI report on the employment rates of people with disabilities. She was joined by Senators McGreehan, Ardagh and Conway in rasing that important issue. It is a worrying statistic that we are the fourth worst country in terms of people with disabilities accessing meaningful employment. We have a job of work to do today. The Indecon report commissioned by Senator Doherty when she was the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, which is a good piece of work, is long overdue in terms of publication. It has been recommended by the Joint Committee on Disability Matters that it be published. That is something tangible we can do early on.

I concur with the remarks about what I will not even call a protest. That is not what I understand protest to be. That was harassment of a citizen of this country. Regardless of his or her profession, nobody should have to endure that. The idea of safe zones outside people's houses will be a complex debate. It is something we could discuss but we need to be cautious about not restricting protests. It will be a thin line to try to walk but it is an important conversation.

Senator O'Loughlin raised the issue of the Army rangers who went to Afghanistan to extract citizens and their families, as did Senator Craughwell. I commend them on their work. Senator O'Loughlin raised it in the context of the "Women of Honour" discussion we had yesterday at Commencement matters. There are ongoing difficulties with the Defence Forces. There is a cultural issue which I hope is no longer there but it certainly was there. It is important to acknowledge the fantastic work the Defence Forces do. As Senators Wall and Craughwell pointed out, there is devastation across the Defence Forces following those revelations. All current and past members want an independent inquiry. That is important.

Senator O'Loughlin also raised the issue of the Kildare Down's syndrome association and the need for support for young people in achieving their full potential. That links in with the ESRI report.

Senator Craughwell raised, as he has done on many occasions, the issue of the search and rescue contract. I am persuaded by his argument that the tendering process may find some difficulties given we have not concluded the investigation into R116. I have no doubt he will make that matter known further up the line and I will do the same.

Senator Pauline O'Reilly spoke about the Minister for Education and I concur with her comments to the effect that the Minister has been doing fantastic work in education at a difficult time. The Senator raised an interesting point on the role of the Department of Education and the Minister in climate action. Our young people are leading the way in climate action and teaching us what we need to do better and that we can be better. Senator O'Reilly mentioned the IPCC report and that we have not had a debate on that. It might be worthwhile for this House to have a proper debate on that report. It was stark. It was nothing overly surprising for many people, but it sets a high bar for us to achieve as a country to achieve our emissions targets. We will try to get the Minister in to have a debate on that. Previously, the Senator brought a Bill to the House about solar panels in schools. There are clever ways we can work with education and address the climate challenge.

Senator Boylan started by raising the manner in which Chris MacManus MEP was invited to the debate later today with MEPs. We had a discussion about that within the Seanad Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight. Senator Gavan raised concerns on behalf of the group and we all agreed it would have been preferable had invitations been sent earlier and had people had more time. It was agreed by the group that the MEP would be facilitated at another date to address the House so as not to be disadvantaged. we were all keen to hear from all of our MEPs. There is another MEP who cannot make it, namely, Luke Ming Flanagan. We would like to facilitate all MEPs at a date that works for them and we will make sure to get all voices into the Chamber.

The Stardust matter is one that Senator Boylan has raised before and it was raised in the Dáil today. It is an important issue and as a country we have not always been great at listening to victims, taking our lead from them and framing our responses to these types of issues. I stand with the Senator in supporting those who have been victims and their families and community who have suffered for a long time.

Senator Sherlock raised the north inner city MetroLink, as did Senator Fitzpatrick. There have been media reports of a delay. They are unsubstantiated. The most recent advice we have from the Minister for Transport and his Department is that there is no requested delay on his behalf but there may be planning issues. He has given a commitment that it is his intention to proceed with the project during the lifetime of this Government. That is the most up-to-date information we have but I concur that we probably need to get a proper update in the House to clarify matters because there is media speculation and that serves to upset the communities involved. I agree it links in with other public transport projects and we know how important public transport is for many reasons, including quality of life for people in those areas and meeting climate obligations.

Senator Black raised the issue of the Owenacurra Centre in Midleton, County Cork, the long-stay adult mental health facility. That is a major issue throughout the country. In my county of Mayo there are not enough residential facilities for people. We are leaving families in an awful place where it is a life sentence because they get very little support from the State. We have many elderly carers who are at a stage of their lives where they need help and they need a break. These facilities are very important. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler, is working on it. She is an empathetic Minister and takes these issues to heart. She is doing her best to find a resolution for that centre. I wish the residents, staff and community well because it means a lot to them. I thank the Deputy for bringing that issue to the House.

Senator McGreehan raised the issue of the ESRI report and spoke passionately about the need for people with disabilities to do their jobs well in the workplace and to help employers help their employees.It should not be necessary to have to put together a complex business case to advocate for very basic assistance in the workplace to help the worker to do his or her job to the best of his or her ability. There is definitely space in the budget negotiations to try to do better for people with disabilities.

Senator Buttimer raised the issue of aviation, as he has done on many occasions, particularly in respect of Cork Airport and the whole aviation sector. We have seen the impact on the aviation sector in the past year and a half, but also the importance of retaining routes and connectivity to Ireland as an island nation. We have a job of work to repair the aviation sector, restore confidence and look after staff in the sector. I concur with the Senator's remarks on supporting Cork Airport. We cannot just rely on Dublin Airport; we have to support regional airports such as Ireland West Airport Knock, Shannon Airport and Cork Airport. They are really important for the country, not just for the location in which they are situated.

Senator Ardagh raised the issue of the national childcare scheme and spoke passionately about the inner city, the disadvantage that many children in the area face and the importance of the Robert Emmet group in supporting children after school with hot meals and homework. They are our most vulnerable citizens and we have a duty of care to them, particularly those who are in such situations. It is small money in the grand scheme of things and I hope something can be done on that issue. I will certainly relay that to the Minister.

Senator Ahearn raised the issue of Carrick-on-Suir and the St. Brigid's hospital campaign. I thank him for bringing the issue to the House. I agree with him that more than 11,000 signatures is a significant number for a small community to gather. We can see how important the issue is to those in the community. I hope they will have an opportunity to speak to the Minister at the earliest opportunity and have their concerns heard. If anything can be done, I hope it will be done.

The Senator also raised the issue of banking services in rural communities. He mentioned the AIB branch in Fethard. The loss of public services and banking is a concern for many rural communities. Difficult as it might be, there are challenges relating to the demand for some of those services. We need a conversation on how we support communities where, though the bank might be the centrepiece in the town, the services are not being used to the same level they were previously. Particularly during the pandemic, many people who ordinarily used in-branch services began using online services, so the degree of change in this area has escalated and accelerated. It is an issue to watch because it has a knock-on effect on other businesses in the town as footfall decreases when a business is lost. There is certainly a conversation to be had regarding supports for those towns.

Senator Maria Byrne raised the issue of family carers. She referred to the stark statistic that 50% of family carers report having mental health issues. All Members deal with families in their constituencies that are looking for extra pay hours, home help and respite. It is just one battle after the next. It wears people down to the point of exhaustion and they just give up. I believe we are failing families in this space. There is just not enough help for people. They save the State a significant amount of money by caring for their loved ones at home and that is not acknowledged to the point it ought to be. Families are often pushed to the point where they just cannot do it any more, there is no one able to care for the person in question and there is then a need for a long-term residential facilities that do not exist. There is a significant job of work to be done there. That work has started under the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, but we need to start thinking outside the box on what supports we can give and not have it such a battle for families all the time to get those supports.

Senator Eugene Murphy spoke about young Callum Clarke. I wish to pay tribute to Callum on behalf of this House for his really brave rescue of his grandfather, Sean Stroker, who I heard being interviewed by Joe Duffy on the "Liveline" radio programme. He was really emotional talking about his grandson. He was so proud of him and grateful to him. It was a good news story and I want to wish Callum well. I am sure he is taking it all in his stride, as young people often do.

Senator Murphy also raised a very important point regarding an agriculture correspondent for RTÉ. It is an important role to fill and I hope RTÉ does so without any further delay.

Senator Wall raised the issue of the housing adaptation grants and building costs. It is a really important issue. I was told yesterday by a local auctioneer that the cost of building has gone from €120 per square foot to €160, which is a huge leap. Those grants need to keep up with the increase in costs. It is an important issue. We need to have a debate on housing in general and perhaps this issue can be brought under that debate in order to get a response from the Minister.

I am assured the gambling Bill is progressing. I know that in the last term it was a key priority for the now Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and it is a key priority for the Government. I totally take on board the impact gambling has on individuals. It is a scourge. Young people and children are being targeted with very clever online advertising and in-play gambling, which is really dangerous.

Senator Dooley raised the issue of the spiralling cost of fuel. I concur with him that this is a massive problem coming down the tracks. The cost of fuel is increasing at a rate we did not expect. We will need certain provisions to be put in place in the budget to offset that cost and protect our must vulnerable. It is a commitment of the Government that any increases in carbon tax will be ring-fenced and put back into climate action and addressing fuel poverty to ensure those most at risk of experiencing fuel poverty are protected and do not experience it. That is a really important pillar of our climate policy.

The Senator also mentioned the Irish Aviation Authority and the aviation sector, particularly air traffic controllers. Perhaps that whole issue can come in under the debate on aviation.

Senator Fitzpatrick raised the issue of public transport. She touched on the MetroLink, which I have addressed, but also the Maynooth line, the DART+ West service and the need to upgrade those services. It goes to show the importance of public transport and the role it will play in those communities.

Senator Currie raised the issue of maternity restrictions. That issue has been raised almost weekly by Members. It is an ongoing issue. One of the positives that has come out of this is that we now have an Oireachtas group of women from both Houses, all parties and none, who have come together to try to deal with this issue collectively because we realise there is power in numbers and the collective voice. Today I will join other female Members of the Oireachtas, including the Leader, Senator Doherty, who organised the meeting, to meet the HSE, represent the women of Ireland and try to get this issue resolved. We are hopeful of a resolution to it soon but it is long overdue.

The Senator also raised the issue of the health service in Northern Ireland being almost at breaking point. I concur with her that it is incumbent on us to assist our friends in the North and do our best to help them. I wish them well. It is scary to listen to the descriptions of the scenes in hospitals that have every bed full and in which the health workers are put to the pin of their collar. It is something we can do to help while we are doing really well here in Ireland in terms of our vaccination programme. Our success in that regard has not been replicated everywhere else to the same degree. People will get there, but if there is anything we can do to help, we should do it.

Senator Conway spoke very passionately about the ESRI report on disabilities. Obviously, he has key lived experience of that issue and always speaks on behalf of people with disabilities in this Chamber. I commend him on his comments.

Senator Mullen raised the issue of the Zappone appointment and how the Government appoints people to those roles. He made a very interesting point regarding the need for an envoy for freedom of religion and belief. I agree with him that there is definitely merit in that proposal. As regards the leak from Cabinet, I concur with his remarks that it is very serious to have a leak from Cabinet. It should not be chalked up to normal political operations; that is not what it is. It is not acceptable and it is prohibited by the Constitution. It should be addressed very seriously. I concur with his remarks in that regard.

Senator McGahon raised the issue of county development plans. I too have been engaging with many councillors across the country on this issue. It is a massive issue. There is a significant amount of tension between the Planning Regulator, elected members and local authorities. One of the biggest issues is that the planning framework was published prior to the pandemic and it is possible that it now does not quite fit the needs of Ireland today, post pandemic, with all of the changes we have seen in work. There is not yet a planned review of the national planning framework. As Members know, it informs the regional plan, which informs the county plan, so it has a knock-on effect on county development plans. I refer to the issue in respect of the dezoning of land by the Planning Regulator. Many elected members are not happy with the direction they are getting from the Planning Regulator. That has to be acknowledged. That relationship needs to be worked out and the elected members need to be listened to.At the end of the day, they are local representatives. They are elected by the people in their communities to represent those communities. They are the people's voice and if they are not happy across the board, in every corner of the country, we have a problem. The county development plans are very important for planning for all our communities over a five-year period, which is a significant period. There is a great deal of work to be done there and it is an important issue to raise in this House, given that most of us have come through that electoral process in local authorities.