Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I better get going quickly before I get cut off again. I thank all the Members for their contributions on the Order of Business. Just as I was getting to my feet, a number of contributors walked in in a similar fashion, so Senator Currie and I were joking.

Senator McGahon kicked off the Order of Business by speaking about the really sad passing of David Hill. I extend my sympathies and, on behalf of the House, those of the other Senators to David's family. We will have a minute's silence after I conclude my remarks. To Senators McGahon and Horkan and anyone else who was there, I say that I cannot imagine what it would have been like to be there. It was a really shocking event. Our thoughts are with David's family, friends and colleagues and everybody who was there at the time. Senators McGahon and Horkan spoke very eloquently, and I could not have put better their comments on the man and the impact he had. May he rest in peace.

Senator Dooley spoke next. He raised a couple of issues. He wanted first to pay tribute to Paul Kavanagh, who served in this House, and to extend our sympathies to Paul's family, including his wife Anne-Marie.

Senator Dooley also spoke about the rising cost of fuel, as did Senator Warfield in the context of the cost of living. The cost of fuel is becoming a massive issue and it is going to continue. We have to acknowledge that this is not just an Irish problem but an issue globally. Oil prices are going up and the war in Ukraine is exacerbating the issue, so it is not just being felt here. There is a cost-of-living debate happening in many other countries. That is not to say we do not have a job to do here as public representatives to try to deal with it, but it is important to be honest with the public that this is not an easy issue to fix or to solve quickly. The Government, however, is working hard to try to resolve it. We saw the fuel allowance lump sum of €125 in the last budget. We have seen a reduction in the cost of diesel and petrol through excise, 15 cent on diesel and 20 cent on petrol. I know it is not a lot in the wider scheme of things but it is an attempt to try to bring that cost down. There was also the energy grant and the €200 rebate to every household in the country, and now we have €100 a week for every haulier to try to reduce the cost of their fuel to do their jobs, to put food onto our shelves and to keep the country running. The Government is doing its very best to try to manage the rising cost of fuel and the cost of living, which is impacting every household and every business. We are monitoring it very closely because we know how severe the impact is on so many households.

Senator Dooley also spoke about the discussions at Cabinet today level about the possibility that Ireland could see up to 200,000 refugees, which is a phenomenal number of people, come into our country. It will be an extremely difficult task. I know from conversations I have had with my local authority in Mayo that we are looking at contingency beds in public halls and any hotel space we can find. The difficulty is that some hotels have capacity midweek but not at the weekends. We do not want to shift mums and their children from place to place on a Thursday and back again on a Monday. This will really push our country and our citizens, every inch of this island, to the limit, but I have no doubt but that with the humanitarian response, the charity and the love we will show people who have arrived here and who will arrive here, we will get through this. It will not be easy, however. It will be really difficult. It is really important for public representatives of all parties and none to try to refrain from any populist commentary that might inflame the situation or speak of it as though it is easy to deal with and easy to solve. I know most will refrain, but there will always be one or two. This is not an easy thing to deal with. It is important that all of us band together during this time because this will not be fixed in the next six weeks. We are talking months and years of dealing with this issue. It will expand and become more pressing, so it is important we all collectively, as a country, work together to try to support these people as best we can and hope to God they can get back to their own country as quick as possible and that they have homes to go to. However, when we see the devastation, it could be some time before Ukraine can be rebuilt and people can be got back to their homes, but that is the ultimate aim. I know from talking to the Leader of the House that there will be statements on Ukraine dealing with all aspects, whether higher education, education or health, of this matter. We will deal with this issue in this Chamber on a weekly, rolling basis. Whatever comes along, there will be an opportunity for all Members to have their say, to contribute on the floor of the House and to work with the Government and our Ministers to try to deal with this issue collectively.

Senator Boyhan also spoke about the refugee issue. He acknowledged the work of our Cathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly, and our Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, in the US over St. Patrick's week, and all our Ministers who went off to represent our country and our people in what is a really important week, not just an important day, for our country in putting Ireland on the international map and building on the immense goodwill we have in so many countries across the globe, something we should never take for granted.

Senator Warfield also paid tribute to David Hill. He also spoke about the cost of fuel in particular but also the cost of living.I dealt with that in my earlier contribution. The Senator spoke about how people are cutting back on their central heating. We certainly have to keep an eye on that issue. For low-income households this can be the difference between putting food on the table and heating their homes. We have to be very cautious.

Senator Sherlock spoke about the P&O staff who were let go, as did Senator Currie. I concur with both Senators that the manner in which those staff were let go was shocking. I join with Senator Currie in remarking that we should send a message that it is not acceptable in this country. The company's location makes it more difficult but we extend our solidarity to the workers North and South. It is a shocking way to treat any staff member regardless of the reason behind letting them go.

Senator Horkan paid tribute this morning to David Hill and called for a minute's silence which we will do after this. The Cathaoirleach will facilitate that.

Senator Buttimer requested a debate on customer care and customer service and the role of ComReg. He spoke in particular about the frustration many consumers feel in trying to contact businesses when they need customer services. Many businesses make them go through lots of hoops before they can speak to a human being. We will certainly request that debate.

Senator Craughwell spoke this morning about the need for a debate in this House on neutrality. That debate was requested by a colleague a couple of weeks ago. We are working on it.