Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support the Order of Business as outlined. I have just received my booster vaccine and I feel relieved and privileged to have it. I wish to put on the record my appreciation of the Minister of State, Deputy English, taking on board the very valid views of all the Members of this House yesterday and withdrawing the countermotion and supporting the motion Senator Alice-Mary Higgins tabled.

I wish everybody a very happy Christmas on behalf of the Fianna Fáil group in the Seanad. We wish all Members health, in particular, over the Christmas period. I thank the Cathaoirleach and his office, the Leader and the Leader's office and, of course, Martin Groves and his office, the ushers, the terrific catering and cleaning staff and all of the backroom people who make sure that we can do our business as best we can. I wish everybody health and a very good new year.

I wish to raise a few items. I have just come from a Joint Committee on Disability Matters meeting with Peter Tyndall. I think it is one of his last appointments as Ombudsman. He spoke about his report entitled Grounded - Unequal access for people with disabilities to personal transport schemes. It was disturbing to hear about the report and its findings, in particular in regard to the motorised transport grant and the mobility allowance which the Fine Gael-Labour Party Government did away with in 2013, promising that something would be put in place. It is almost nine years later but nothing has been put in place. There seems to be a paralysis in terms of doing something. People are being denied access to work and to education, the ability to shop for themselves and a social and a sporting life, because sport matters to people with disabilities as much as it does to all of us. It is incumbent on all of us to ensure all Departments to prioritise this for 2022.

I refer also to the Women of Honour group which has spoken recently about the Government's draft terms of reference for an independent review into allegations. They are not happy with them and have sought a meeting with the Minister, Deputy Coveney, who has said he will meet them. It is important the victims' voices are to the fore in this process. The review has to be transparent and thorough, and it must have the full confidence of those impacted.

The last thing I will mention is the need for blood. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is under huge pressure because of people's illnesses and because of the storm. It needs to stockpile 12,000 pints of blood before Christmas. It is wrong that gay men in Ireland are essentially barred from giving blood. A big shout out to everybody who can give blood to do so.