Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all of the Members who have contributed. I concur with the remarks made by Senator Norris and many other colleagues in the House on the death of the former Deputy, Mervyn Taylor. I extend my condolences, and that of the House, to his family, friends and to the Labour Party on the passing of a colleague.

Senator Murphy kicked off today's discussion by raising two issues. One was the old age pension, in the context of the budget, and a request for a significant rise so as to look after the elderly in our communities. The budget should look after not just the elderly in our communities but all vulnerable persons; those who are most at risk of falling below the poverty line and those most at risk following the Covid experience and still recovering.

Senator Murphy also mentioned the issue of energy supply. He has spoken passionately about the impact that closing the power stations at Lanesborough and Shannonbridge has had on his community, and the just transition. There is a secondary issue now of energy supply that needs to be addressed, and his recommendations and suggestions will be conveyed to the Minister.

Senator Kyne mentioned the reports in the media and the Irish Farmers' Journal, as did Senator Paul Daly and the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, on the ongoing conversation about dairy production, the national herd, the Mercusor issues and the production of beef in South America because we have now signed up to import some of that beef. There is a lot of fear in the farming community but farmers may be further ahead on the climate agenda than we sometimes give them credit for. They are very willing to put their shoulder to the wheel but must be allowed to make a living at the same time. We must strike the right balance and bring people with us.

Senator Mullen raised the issue of climate change and the need to explore the option of nuclear power. We need to be open to a wider debate on energy and find ways to meet our increasing energy demands now and into the future, particularly in the context of what we now know will be, in the Minister of State's words, a tight number of years in terms of the energy supply for the country. We need to address the matter.

Senator Mullen mentioned the need to tackle gambling addiction and he mentioned the community group in Northern Ireland called Gambling with Lives. Senator Wall has passionately spoken about tackling gambling addiction on a number of occasions and the imminent publication of the gambling legislation, which is overdue. We do have issues with gambling in this country. Gambling is quite pervasive and targeted at young people to get them hooked early. These issues need to be tackled. Different aspects of society have an unhealthy relationship with funding from gambling companies, which is an issue that also needs to be addressed.

The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, spoke very well about the opportunities to change how things are done in farming. She told a very interesting story about a dairy farmer. I do not know his name but he stopped using chemical nitrates on his land with good results. She mentioned that such a switch may not work for everybody and we should embrace new ways of doing things to make things more environmentally friendly.

Senator Warfield mentioned the archiving of different aspects of Irish society and said that there could be a black hole if things are not locked into memory. He pleaded for the arts sector to receive adequate funding in the upcoming budget, with which I am sure Senators would agree.Senator Wall spoke about the gambling bill. He also spoke about rural transport. I agree with him that there is a big issue around that. Public transport is not the same in every aspect in every part of the country. Certainly, in my own county of Mayo, it is severely lacking. There are not many options for people in some parts of the country. An issue that has arisen in the recent months related to the student accommodation issue concerns young people having to travel to college. It is a very practical issue that we can deal with in the short term. We could potentially extend the zone to make it a little cheaper for those students. We should definitely look at that. It is quite an acute issue, this year in particular.

Senator Ruane proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, seconded by Senator Higgins, which I will be accepting, namely, to introduce a Bill to tackle emissions from companies. I agree with the Senator that in some ways we have been hoodwinked by many of the bigger polluters, probably over the last two decades, when the focus has been shifted onto the individual. We have spoken about the use of plastic straws, KeepCups and all of the little changes that we obviously need to make but that is not really tackling the climate problem. There is a small number of large companies, particularly the petroleum companies, that are the biggest polluters and emitters. The polluters should pay. I have no doubt that if there was mandatory disclosure from companies of what their emissions are, the public pressure would certainly change their direction in a much quicker way than otherwise might happen.

Senator Paul Daly concurred with the remarks of Senator Kyne and brought to the attention of the House the issue around the rights of way registration, which I believe was also raised last week. I welcome that legislation is coming on that issue but I agree with the Senator that if we do not tell people about it, it will not do much good and we will be back here in ten years' time looking for further extensions. It is a good suggestion.

Senator Lombard raised the issue of commemorations and how sensitive they are. We have had a couple of issues, even in the past few years, where comments around commemorations have raised tensions and have perhaps upset people in certain quarters. Therefore, it is an issue around which we have to tread carefully to be respectful of all views. I know that the Cathaoirleach is working intensely on the commemorations that this House will participate in for next year, in particular. There is a lot of work involved for all parties and none that are represented at that table. It is most important.

Senator Malcolm Byrne raised an issue around foreign birth registration service, which has ceased to operate during Covid and has not resumed. We will certainly raise the issue with the Department of Foreign Affairs to seek to get the service reopened.

In a complete change of direction, the Senator then welcomed the fact that a nightclub, the Button Factory, is reopening tonight. That is good to see. I do not know people will be doing at it, but I am sure they will be enjoying themselves, regardless. If the Senator is going, I hope he has a good time. It is good to be getting back to some nightlife. It is important for people to have that outlet. I wish the venue well tonight. I hope it goes well for everybody.

Senator Carrigy raised the issue around Housing for All, and suggested that some local authorities would not have the same access as others. I agree with the Senator that there has to be access for all across the board in every part of the country. The Senator also spoke very well about the mica issue and the families who are outside the gates of Leinster House today. They have been there throughout the month of September. They have been meeting with lots of parties and groups in the last number of months. They held a huge public protest outside the convention centre in the last term of the Dáil in July that was well attended. As I understand it, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage met the group last night. There were further developments. A memo is going to Cabinet, which has not been agreed yet. However, we are assured by the Minister that there will be significant changes to the scheme that brought in by the last Government. There will be significant changes to this scheme and it will be updated, hopefully to address the concerns of families who have been living in appalling situations for many years.

Senator Currie raised the issue of building sustainable communities and transport. I was almost jealous to hear her speak about the DART, BusConnects and other services that are just non-existent in so many parts of the country. However, I do appreciate that the pressures on public transport in the capital are clearly very different to what they might be in rural parts of the country. The Senator raised an important point. Many projects are being discussed, planned and talked about but perhaps we are not quite sure what is actually going to be delivered and when it will be delivered. That is an important clarification that is required.

Senator Martin raised an issue, which he skirted around. I am not entirely sure how to respond to the issue without breaching the rules myself. However, the issue he raised is an important one. We should not be afraid to review the current practice.