Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is true. I appreciate that Senator Boyhan has a job to do but he knows that I have done my best. I will try again. I never say never. The Senator will ask and I will ask and we will see if we can get a better date than 23 November. That said, at least we have a date, even if we are not happy with it. We will try to bring it forward. I will do my best and I am sure Senator Boyhan will do his best too.

Senator Ahearn raised the quite bizarre situation whereby in one of the largest counties in the country there is no BreastCheck venue for an annual analysis of the women of the age that the screening service looks after. I am happy to write to Mr. Paul Reid of the HSE today on that matter and will send Senator Ahearn a copy of my letter. It is incumbent on the HSE to catch up on the backlogs in its BreastCheck, CervicalCheck, prostrate cancer and other screening programmes to make sure we can keep people healthy. It does not make any sense to exclude Tipperary and I will write to Mr. Reid about that today.

Senator Fitzpatrick and several other Senators raised the surrogacy protest outside Leinster House this morning. Several Ministers for Justice, as far back as when Alan Shatter was Minister for Justice and Equality in 2011, have been working on this. I know how complex an issue it is but it is not satisfactory that ten years on, we are still saying it is complex. I am happy to write to the Ministers for Health, Justice and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to ask them what their plans are in this regard.

I am not sure that NIAC would appreciate a letter from me but I will try. I will send it on and see what happens. I was not aware that people were concerned and had not read anything about the efficacy of the Janssen vaccine. I will write to NIAC on that.

Senator Conway also spoke about Doolin coastguard, which was also raised by Senator Craughwell. The coastguard has been stood down which is a very concerning issue, not least in terms of any rescue that may be required in the coming weeks but also in terms of the overall culture and ethos.I will write to the Minister about that and come back to the Senator.

Senator Horkan looked for a debate on road safety, not least because the clocks went back and the evenings are getting darker earlier. We all need to be conscious of that and I will try to arrange that as soon as I can. He also welcomed the strong statement from An Taoiseach this afternoon on COP26, as we all do.

Senator Currie talked about introducing antigen tests for our schoolgoing children and the teaching population. We all know parents are concerned and worried and as parents we know it is our job to do so. We need to recognise that we need to employ any and all measures we can. We have been talking about antigen testing in this House for well over a year and some of our health providers are only catching up now but I welcome the Minister for Health's introduction this week of antigen testing for common public usage in instances of close contacts. I have no doubt that we will start to use them in a much wider setting in the coming weeks.

Senator Malcolm Byrne asked for a debate on the role of Irish Water in the provision of housing and he also welcomed the technological university for the south-east that was announced earlier this afternoon by the Minister, Deputy Harris.

As she has done so many times in recent months, Senator Hoey raised the student nurses who are protesting outside Leinster House today. I suggest to the Senator from my previous experience as a Minister that when one reads something in The Irish Timesof a morning, even if one does not have confirmation from the Minister, it tends to be true. I welcome the fact that our fourth-year student nurses will be given 80% of a nurse's starting salary and a training allowance for their fourth year. That is welcome and the reintroduction of the Covid payment is something that is long overdue and should be welcomed by our student nurses who are not learning when they are working in our hospitals. They are working their socks off and all credit to them but they need to be rewarded for it.

Senator Ward raised spiking, which I raised last week because a young lady I happen to know well reported that she had been spiked. It is interesting that in the past week, I have spent a lot of time arguing with men over whether we are scaremongering and whether women have nothing to worry about. I have to question why some men would protest as much as they do about trying to make women aware of the daily and nightly ailments they have to prepare for. We have to try to speak to the fellows who are doing it and tell them it is not on, we will not accept it and there will be zero tolerance. I have to wonder about some of the responses to this issue. Senator Ward has asked for a debate and I will try to organise that with the Minister for Justice, who only returned yesterday, and she is very welcome back from her maternity leave. We will give her a couple of weeks to get back up to speed.

Senator O'Loughlin raised COP26 and the Israeli minister being unable to access the debate but also she spoke about the effects of the decisions that will be made at COP26 this week. Demonising any sector from any country will not do any of us any good because collectively we will not reach our 2030 or 2050 targets and whatever targets come thereafter unless we all take responsibility and work inclusively together. We must also compensate those who may have to do more of the heavy lifting than those in other industries. It must not be a case that it is tally-ho and they are left on their own. We will not do this without everybody working together and recognising that there are some industries that will have to compensate a little more than others. The State needs to recognise that and work with those industries.

Senator Ó Donnghaile again asked for a debate on the Northern Ireland protocol. The Taoiseach is here on 18 November but I recognise that a further proper, stand-alone debate on the Northern Ireland protocol is required and I will ask for that.

Senator Carrigy talked about forestry, as did the Fianna Fáil leader, Senator Chambers, earlier. A real debate on this is required because far too many people are waiting for licences for far too long and it is causing a backlog so I will try to organise that as quickly as I can.

Senator Cassells talked about the report of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media and I heard the Chairperson of the committee on the "News at One". The 33 recommendations from the pre-legislative scrutiny of the online safety and media regulation Bill were welcome. It is a prime example of how pre-legislative scrutiny can help facilitate a much broader debate and bring things to the table that a Minister and his or her advisers might not have thought about. That is why it is so important that we have pre-legislative scrutiny of all Bills.

Senator Keogan asked for a debate on homelessness. In a lot of ways I feel for the DRHE because it tries to find a fine balance between recognising that there are an enormous number of volunteers who want to help and who come from a good place in trying to help but that there also have to be minimum standards in the provision of services.One is caught between a rock and a hard place of not insulting somebody but making sure that we give the best services that we can to some of the most vulnerable people. A debate would be very welcome and I will organise it as quickly as I can.

Senator Maria Byrne spoke about an anomaly that was raised with me the other day with regard to junior basketball. Basketball Ireland has issued statements that junior basketball cannot be held at a competitive level because no children under the age of 12 are vaccinated. Sport Ireland has disagreed saying that is nonsense and should not happen so there is an anomaly. Both of the organisations need to work things out. I have written to the Minister responsible for sport and asked the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, to see if he can be of help and intervene.

Senator O'Donovan raised a case today in the Chamber that he raised privately with me the other day. The lady involved has done absolutely everything that she can potentially do to get the vaccine that she has sought but to no reward. This morning, I wrote to both Dr. Colm Henry and Professor Brian MacCraith asking them to alleviate the situation. I will revert back to the Senator to make sure this matter is resolved.

Senator Ruane talked about the Traveller community and homelessness report. She also talked about the incredibly strong recommendations, even though some of them are as obvious as the nose on one's face and should not need to have had discussions and reports. I refer to the basic fundamental rights of having access to clean water, electricity and energy supplies, and not being alienated in one's own community. We need a debate to highlight to people who take for granted an awful lot of the things that they have on a daily basis. A tremendous amount of citizens do not have these things as a basic right.

Senator Sherlock spoke about the surrogacy Bill and sought a debate with the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin. The debate has been requested and I await a date from the Minister. I assure the Senator that I will let her know as soon as I have a date.

Senator Boylan spoke about the motion on greyhounds, as she has often done here before. I totally appreciate and understand why she might call a vote. Genuinely, the debate will happen at the committee but I appreciate why she would want to have the debate here.

Senator Pauline O'Reilly talked about COP. She made one of the most eloquent contributions today because she underlined that it is all our responsibility to make sure that we hit the targets and not just the few.

Senator Craughwell spoke about the crisis in the Coast Guard and the Comptroller and Auditor General's reports and the feeling that there are certain anomalies in Government spending around the provision of services. More important are the allegations of bullying and harassment that have led to volunteers in Doolin standing down. That is not a tenable situation and I will contact the Minister to see where we will go with that.

Senator Dolan talked about the university in the north west. She also talked with great pride about the fact that both ladies and gentlemen football teams from Ballinasloe won last weekend. There must be something in the water down there.

Senator Chambers, the Fianna Fáil Seanad leader, opened the Order of Business by again welcoming the technological university in the north west because it will have a major impact on her home county of Mayo. She also sought a debate on the forestry sector, which I will organise. She also talked about the very significant statement that the Taoiseach made today, on all our behalf, at COP26, which is very welcome.