Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will probably have a justice debate for the whole thing.

Senator Martin Conway spoke about Ukraine, as he has done on many occasions. He welcomed the fact that the driver's licence issue has been resolved. He also said that there is a need to establish a one-stop shop that will provide information and assistance to Ukrainian refugees as they arrive.

The Senator spoke passionately about the leaving certificate. I think all Members will concur with his remarks on the digital leaving certificate papers but also the particular story around a young person with a disability who is blind but was asked to read a picture in an oral examination. The Senator was correct to suggest that there was a lack of cop-on in that situation. The Department of Education needs to be updated on how it deals and assist people with disabilities. I see no reason that digital leaving certificate papers could not be provided to assist anyone who has an impairment.

Senator Boyhan informed the House that Senator Tom Clonan will join the Independent Group and, therefore, will join him and his and his colleagues. I wish Senator Clonan and the group well.

Senator Boyhan mentioned the forthcoming annual general meeting of the Prison Officers' Association, which will be attended by the Minister for Justice. He expressed concerns about the plan to make the organisation an independent State agency. He also asked for a debate on penal reform. We will have that debate, at the earliest opportunity, with the Minister so he and others can raise issues then.

Senator Hackett, who is a Minister of State, spoke about LGBTQ+ projects in her area that try to deal with rural isolation in the midlands. Isolation is an issue in many rural areas and particularly for the LGBTQ+ community. She spoke about shocking statistics revealed by a recent survey whereby one in five of those surveyed had been punched, hit or physically attacked in public for being LGBTQ+ and one in three had been threatened with physical violence. Those statistics are a shocking reminder that we have come a long way but not far enough. The Senator also referenced the tragic murders in Sligo and the assault in Dublin visited on that community.

Senator Hoey mentioned a production by the Droichead Youth Theatre that deals with the difficult topic of cancer in young people. I am sure that the topic was dealt with sensitively. I, too, was unaware of the fantastic organisation called CanTeen Ireland that assists young people who are going through this ordeal and are on this journey. I also was unaware of the statistics the Senator pointed out that in 1994 four out of ten people survived a cancer diagnosis and it was six out of ten in 2019. That is incredible work and is a credit to the health service. We do not get everything right. We are doing well with cancer care but we can always do better. The Senator was correct to point out that the level of Government funding for these supports is quite low. I was not aware that only 3% went to youth cancer and that is an important statistic to put on the floor of the House. I also thank her for alerting us to the theatre production and the CanTeen organisation.

Senator Dooley spoke about staff shortages, labour shortages and labour movement. He also asked for a debate on these issues. He spoke about the shortages in the hospitality sector and how difficult it is to attract staff to the sector. He spoke about the difficulty in getting long-distance truck drivers. He spoke to hauliers in his area of County Clare and highlighted that it takes up to two years for work permits to be granted for these workers. There is no justification for such a delay. If we have a labour shortage then we must do everything that we can to secure permits and assist businesses to remain open and operational. The Senator also requested a debate on labour movement and shortages.

Senator Buttimer spoke about health issues, in particular about immunisation and vaccines and highlighted that we have only spent 0.2% of the health budget on immunisation. He has asked for a debate on the issue and on vaccine hesitancy. He put on the record the statistic that we are lower in terms of the uptake of vaccines like the flu vaccine than what is recommended by the European Union.

Senator Malcolm Byrne expressed the view that the voting age should be lowered to 16 and said that he hoped the electoral commission would deal with the issue. He also mentioned the sports capital grants scheme. He acknowledged that the scheme had provided a record level of funding but that sports clubs are now having to deal with the impacts that the price of inflation is having on materials and labour, which, in turn, makes it difficult to deliver these projects.It is something we will have to keep an eye on to make sure that money can be spent and those vital sports projects in our communities can be delivered.

Senator Carrigy raised an issue around the IABA. I do not have a response for him specifically on what should happen in that regard. I suggest he raises the matter directly, perhaps through a Commencement matter, with the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. That might be the appropriate avenue to yield the response he is looking for.

Senator Gallagher expressed his sympathies to the O'Kennedy family on the passing of Michael and to the Leonard family on the passing of Jimmy. I concur with the Senator's remarks and extend our sympathies to both families on the passing of their loved ones.

Senator Maria Byrne raised the issue of the primary care certificate, which is a particular difficulty. We have all had cases where people have applied for those certificates because they need them to assist them in their mobility and getting around. She raised the particular issue of no adjudicator having been appointed from the Department of Transport to assess applications for certificates. I suggest to the Senator, at the outset, to try a Commencement matter because it is quite a specific question. If that does not yield a result, we will try to follow up with the Department of Transport, through the Leader's office, on that. It would be a good Commencement matter.

Senator Blaney asked for a debate on the shared island unit, which we can request through the Department of An Taoiseach. He spoke about the upcoming Assembly elections in Northern Ireland and the need to ensure that politics works there for its citizens. We can all agree with those remarks.

Senator Dolan spoke about the connected Ireland rural mobility plan. An update on that plan would be welcome to see where it is at. There were many good proposals in my area of Mayo. There is a lot of excitement around new bus routes and connecting towns because populations have moved and changed and people are living in different areas now. We might request a debate on transport with a particular focus on getting an update on that plan. We will try to get that at the earliest opportunity.