Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

While Senator Black did not raise the issue this afternoon, I have the date she sought. It is in the diary with a date in the next couple of weeks.

I thank Senator Black for seconding the amendment to the Order of Business. Unfortunately, I will not be in a position to accept it as the recommendations have to go through today.

Both Senators Black and Fitzpatrick raised the Women’s Aid report issued yesterday. Its findings are shocking when we think about our young women and men who were canvassed for their information and experiences.We have a long way to go to mind people and to change the culture in this country and every country, because it is not unique to Ireland. The campaign is worthy of support from all of us. I look forward to it.

I concur with Senator Buttimer's thoughts. It probably got through the initial schedule last week because I did not read to the end to see that it was about far more than just establishing a citizens' assembly regarding a mayor for Dublin city. There is absolutely no way that we will have just an hour-long debate on the future of local government. It is far more complex than that and should not be determined for the entire country by 100 citizens and politicians from Dublin. That is going back to the drawing board. Once it is reworded, I will come back and offer it to everybody again. We will agree on exactly how long is required for it.

Senator Seery Kearney, with such a beautiful smile, talked about the two babies who have been born and the babies waiting to be born in Kyiv. I commend the Senator for her leadership in the last week. I know that she knows this system inside-out. She also knows the experiences that people are going through. The empathy and leadership that the Senator showed during the week are a credit to her and the community she represents. It is a small but growing community. It is certainly worthy of the Senator's membership. I congratulate her.

As he has on many occasions, Senator Ahearn raised hyperemesis and the drug in Ireland which is prescribed, bought and paid for by families, Cariban. It is unlicensed, which has meant historically that the reimbursement scheme has not been able to reimburse families. I am pleased to announce that last week, following suggestions from both female and male Senators, the Minister for Health set up a working group to try to find a way around the fact that it is unlicensed so that we can reimburse women. I am sure that where there is a will, there is a way.

Senator Currie said that the cost of living for families can be directly impacted by the €75 charge when people need to bring their children to an urgent care centre where she lives, in Dublin 15. It seems like a lot of money to have to pay to attend an emergency care centre in the first place. I will bring it to the Minister's attention.

Senator McGreehan talked about International Epilepsy Day, which was yesterday. Coincidentally, I had the privilege of meeting Epilepsy Ireland on Friday with regard to a new planned project that it has in Fingal. I was shocked to hear that there are 67,000 people in Ireland who are currently managing epilepsy, with just three doctors. The dearth is staggering. People have raised the lack of neurological nurses in the past. We cannot monitor some of these patients more than once a year because we have no nurses and only three doctors. We have a long way to go to look after the 67,000 people and their families, who rely on their good health.

Senator Carrigy spoke about the impasse between Dunnes Stores and the productive farmers in our pig and horticultural industries. I am not sure that we really get that five entities in this country determine what we eat and what is on our supermarket shelves week-in, week-out, and what they pay to the producers. If they do not like the prices that the producers offer, they just go to different countries and get cheaper products. We row into Dunnes, Tesco, Lidl, Aldi and SuperValu weekly, thinking that we are buying an Irish product that is produced by our farmers and that they are making money from it. They are not. They are hanging on by their fingernails. I commend Senator Carrigy for raising that issue.

As a former Minister for Social Protection and Employment Affairs, I am gobsmacked by the matter that Senator Malcolm Byrne raised. He is right to call it sharp practice. Tesco is a worthy employer. It is sharp practice for it to try to downgrade and outsource the 100 security guards who have worked for and served it incredibly well, for many years in some cases. I will contact SIPTU and Mandate after the Order of Business to offer our support and see if we can do anything to help them. There is no way that those people should be made redundant, which is presumably what will happen. Outsourcing those jobs has to be illegal.

Senator Cummins raised the building regulations and highlighted the lengthy debate that happened on the committee report last Thursday.On Senator Dooley's contribution, I will gladly organise a debate for the week beginning 28 February for eating disorder week. It is a silent issue, probably because many families do not want their children to be known as victims. One of the most prolific ways in which women in this country self-harm is by controlling their eating. It is very harmful but somewhat hidden. A wonderful book, The Raggy Dolls: Stories of Survival from Anorexia Nervosa, was written by a psychologist who specialises in this area. He produces very good podcasts. We need a Government response and action plan, and I will happily organise that debate.

Senator Higgins and others spoke about Seanad 100 today. It was a wonderful event and I pay particular credit to all of the officials who supported the Seanad and the Seanad 100 centenary celebrations. A lot of effort went into it and it will be a wonderful celebration of the diverse and sometimes diverging views we share. It highlighted the amount of work and thoughtful co-operation that happens in this Chamber, something that does not happen elsewhere to the same extent.

Senator Sherlock spoke about the regularisation of the migrant scheme and her concerns about the eligibility criteria. I will pass those concerns on to the Minister.

Senator Boylan spoke about the expert group on jury selection today and the response to a freedom of information request she received with regard to the Office of Public Works, OPW. I will bring that to the attention of the Minister so that the Senator can get a direct response.

The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, spoke about hobby farmers. I have to be honest. I am not sure I would 100% agree with her contribution because to my mind the reason most people are part-time farmers in this country is because they cannot earn a living from being full-time farmers and have children, wives and homes to support. We have a long way to go to be competitive and not pitch farmers against each other and multiples, and definitely not farmers against the State and the Government that supports them.

Senator Boyhan spoke about Seanad 100 and the Dublin citizens' assembly. He expressed his concerns about the amendment that has been withdrawn.

Senator Dolan spoke about Seanad 100 and her joy at watching Mary Robinson and Senator Norris, and the passion they displayed when they spoke so eloquently earlier today. She spoke about her visit to GMIT.

Senator O'Loughlin, Seanad leader for Fianna Fáil, spoke about how the Seanad can show its leadership on climate change, retrofitting grants and having daily and weekly conversations about how Government actions have an impact and can change people's lives. She also spoke about the National Women's Council of Ireland, NWCI, rally on 5 March. I thank her for raising the issue. I also thank Joe Duffy for talking about this on the radio today. Women work supremely well when we work together in unison. That does not necessarily mean we all have to have exactly the same political or ideological views. Our power is when we come together and fight and campaign for something. It is ironic Senator Boylan said she will not participate in the women's caucus in Leinster House because it is exclusionary but is quite happy to participate in the NWCI rally in a couple of weeks even though it is exclusionary. This is a State-funded body that is supposed to represent all women in Ireland, not just a select few with some select views. I have to be very honest: this is not the first time I have genuinely felt it does not represent me.