Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is great and obviously a new Senator will bring added excitement. I wish everybody who participates in the election the best of luck.

On Senator Maria Byrne's point, I acknowledge that the Taoiseach has acquiesced to the suggestions we made. Senators Gavan and Conway also raised the issue here recently. There is certainly something unusual going on in Limerick and it is necessary to discover what it is. The only way we can do that is to have the investigation. I welcome the Taoiseach's commitment to do that. Hopefully, the investigation will be speedy, independent and transparent.

Senator Maria Byrne also referred to a report I read the other day, which is disturbing. It is on the number of babies who were born in the last number of years suffering from withdrawal symptoms from drugs and alcohol. This highlights that we need to give more supports to some women who experience extra stresses in pregnancy, other than the obvious stresses we all know can arise.

Senator Dolan spoke about the Galway cycleway consultation process being extended today. Senator Ahearnand another colleague asked for a debate on childcare.I will organise that as soon as I can. I know that the Minister is absolutely intent on providing new and extra funding to the childcare sector each and every year for the next number of years. However, there certainly is an immediate crisis with regard to the lack of places because people have been working from home. I will organise that debate.

Senator Carrigy asked for the threshold of parental leave to be increased from the current European standard of 12 years of age up to 15 years of age. I will bring that to the Minister's attention.

Senator Buttimer asked for a transport debate on the wider national development plan with regard to the provision of roads etc. He also raised another issue. As Members are aware, there has been a break in Committee Stage of the Air Navigation and Transport Bill for a number of months now to allow for consultation between Members who have concerns - I happen to be one of them - and the relevant experts in both the Department and the Irish Aviation Authority, IAA. That Bill is coming back before the House next Wednesday. I give Members a commitment that Committee Stage will not be guillotined. We should not be guillotining any Bill in any House, unless there is a national emergency. There certainly is not, other than improving the safety of our aviation industry, which really is an emergency, in my opinion. There will be no guillotining of that Bill. Senator Buttimer also mentioned transparency, in support of Senator Mullen's contribution before him. I am loath to even relate this back but we had a debacle over the summer about how doing things in a non-transparent way in an open process gets people into trouble. I think we have just gone and done it all again. I really do not understand why this has happened, if we have an independent process to take on board a chair for a body of work that is going to be incredibly important, and perhaps contentious. There may be different opinions; that is fine. We need to have confidence in the independence of the chair. We have heard people expressing different views today. I will certainly ask the Minister to come and explain why the process was not as open as was originally intended before Christmas.

Senator Seery Kearney requested that we reach out to the families of the parents who may be having surrogate babies between now and the summer in Ukraine, to enable them to engage with the Department of Foreign Affairs to ensure that there is a safe transition home when the babies are born. We will certainly facilitate that if we can.

Senator McGahon talked about the three-day flexi ticket that he has been talking about and getting implemented for the last number of years. It is lovely to see that it is going to be implemented. It is a real plus. However, it would not leave a good taste in your mouth if you had just forked out and could not get a refund. I will get in contact with the National Transport Authority, NTA, to ensure that there is a smooth transition.

Senator Ward asked for a debate on Brexit funding for our piers and harbours. I will see if I can organise that.

Senator Malcolm Byrne asked for a debate on the global battle for talent and the future of work in Ireland. I will certainly ask the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to come and talk to us about that. The Senator also touched on media funding and the Defence Forces.

Senator Craughwell spoke of potentially sending a naval ship to the area off the south-west coast of Ireland, starting, I think next week-----