Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I could not agree more with Senator Ward, particularly since our swimming pools were closed for such a prolonged period. Even people who are not as brave as some of those who have been doing it for years have taken to our seas. I see it outside my office in Skerries all of the time. It is just wonderful. The very least people expect is for the water to be tested and for guarantees to be given. I do not know if Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, in the Senator's neck of the woods, continues to test, but Fingal County Council certainly does in ours. I can write to Irish Water if that would be of any assistance to him.

Senator Buttimer asked for a debate on sport. I brought the issue of boxing, which Senator Carrigy raised last week, to the attention of Deputy Chambers. I am very sorry to hear that the situation has deteriorated even further. I can contact the Minister of State's office again today to see if we can schedule a debate not just on boxing, but on sport in general. I will come back to the Senator on that.

Senator Paddy Burke raised the issue of the impending protests, which we are aware are to take place tomorrow. The increase in the price of fuel is driving an awful lot of the discontent in certain industries. The haulage, taxi and transport industries expressed concerns over the weekend. I will certainly bring the Senator's concerns to the Ministers for Transport and Finance and let them know what the feedback is.

A number of colleagues raised the issue of the Horticultural Peat (Temporary Measures) Bill 2021. I will be very pleased to accept the amendment to the Order of Business in that regard. I thank colleagues for their help. I will take this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues for their assistance and support. I ask all of our Opposition colleagues to look favourably on the Bill after they have had an opportunity to look at it. There is a briefing session tomorrow. We hope to schedule debate on the Bill in the coming weeks. There is a crisis in the industry that is not of the industry's own making. I totally acknowledge that the Government should have addressed this issue before now but I hope it will now see our Bill in the spirit intended and understand its intent. It aims to bring this issue to a conclusion by providing a derogation to the industry, which supports 17,000 jobs and, more importantly, produces food for every one of us, supplying the supermarkets and markets we go shopping in every week. I thank Senator Dolan for raising the matter today.

Senator Seery Kearney talked about the video, "Turning Down the Volume". I wish her well. She highlighted some shocking statistics. I was sitting there and thinking that, because I do not drink vodka, it does not apply to me but that just means that somebody else is drinking a number of bottles on my behalf if the numbers are right. I am sure that is true for many people in the country who do not drink spirits.