Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I actually had a request in with the Minister with regard to the employment opportunities and potentially, perhaps, the lack of supply of workers for the construction versus the retrofitting of houses. As soon as I have a date, I will come back to Senator Burke on that.

I acknowledge Senator Currie’s discussion on the British-Irish Parliament Assembly. I wish all of our colleagues who are attending this weekend a good and constructive weekend. I have no doubt the events will be consumed by what is going on in the world at the moment.

Senator McGahon talked about Ms Frances Haugen and I completely agree with him. She is a remarkable lady to be able to take on not just the might of a very large international organisation, but we all are aware that it has the support of probably many governments around the world, so she is taking on the might of many important and strong people. I wish her well.

Senator Ahearn talked about the N24 and an acknowledgement that a response needs to come from the Minister in the next couple of days. I will send his message straight to the Minister’s private secretary today, just to let him know it has gone through.

Senator Carrigy asked me to make inquires with regard to vacancies for ophthalmologists in Longford. I will do that today and come back to him.

Senator Maria Byrne welcomed the Shannon Estuary economic taskforce and the terms of reference being announced this week. I look forward to that report coming back in the next couple of months.

Senator Moynihan talked about the tenant purchase scheme and the anomalies that obviously have changed since the statutory instrument was drafted in January. I will come back to her once I make inquiries with the Minister on that issue.

Senator Malcolm Byrne looked for a debate on cybersecurity which I will sort out.

The last remaining single-item issue was raised by Senator McDowell. My history probably belies the statement that I will make, but I was new and I was asked by the then Taoiseach to do what I did, and I dutifully did it. The one statement that I made at that time that I was completely derided for and had the legs cut off me and naively probably did not realise the game I was involved in, was that the Seanad did not want to be restored, repaired, renewed or changed. I was wrong in that statement because that probably gave a reflection that the Members of this House did not want to see renewal and reform, and they obviously very much do. Former Members and Members who have not even arrived here yet do. The mistake I made was to say that the political establishment did not want to reform. Senator McDowell’s contribution this morning has borne that out to be true. We have power and the Senator certainly has a persuasion that is probably unlike our own. There are very much Members of the Government parties who absolutely concur and agree with him. Therefore, whatever we can do to him in his quest, we certainly will. I suggest that since the 12 months before the Second Reading can happen has now lapsed, we should perhaps have a Second Reading and force the political issue that is something that we all do genuinely care about. Democracy is important.

That brings me to the single issue that every other colleague has raised this morning without individually naming them. The world is in a very dangerous place. It is perhaps trite for us to say that diplomacy has failed because I am not sure how one can be diplomatic with a dictator whose sole and single intent is on invading to boost some sort of nationalist rhetoric in his own country. I do not even have the words or capacity to understand why somebody would be that way in today’s day and age, when there are so many other opportunities to grow and to be nationalist and proud of one’s country, other than having to demean and demolish somebody else’s culture and heritage, and human life.

To that end, I have arranged for the Minister to come in on Tuesday evening. The schedule was already issued, but I made that request this morning. He will be in with us on Tuesday evening and we will have a third debate and hopefully an update as to what the EU, the Irish and the international response is to what is happening right in front of our eyes today.