Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleagues. I probably have not been to an agricultural conference before, but I very much look forward to it this weekend, in particular to raise the flag for the horticultural growers in Ireland, who probably have not had much presence on the Fine Gael agricultural committee in the past ten years. There are some 450 delegates and some good speakers, and it will be an opportunity for us to re-engage with the farming community this weekend.

Senator Keogan asked for a debate on the WHO treaty. That is no problem. I will organise it in the next couple of weeks. To reassure her, certain things get brought up at European Council meetings and by the Commission, but we always have our veto, so we are sovereign in what we decide to do. Notwithstanding anything Senator McDowell has said, that there should not be a veto in certain fora, we have a veto at the European Council and the European Commission and we will not be afraid to use it.

Senator McDowell asked for a reflective debate in the coming weeks on the outcome of the Assembly election in Northern Ireland. I will arrange that, notwithstanding the sensitivities and the fact that we all want to make sure we get an Assembly up and running. We do not want to do anything to interfere with that but, by all accounts, it would be a very interesting debate. I wish everybody well who is going up for election today.

Senator Craughwell talked about acknowledging the diversity of views. We would all do this. The diversity of views is vital. It is why we are here. If every single one of us came into this Chamber every day and said exactly the same thing and we all agreed with each other, we would be bored off our rockers.I would be. I say that as someone who has at times fought with her own fingernails. I am definitely able to have a fight with people I do not agree with. The most important thing we can do is find dignity in people's opposing views and treat them with respect. It makes the final decisions we make in our Parliament, in this House and in the Dáil, more worthwhile and worthy when we accept and listen to the diversity of views and take on board other people's ideas. We need to be tolerant of each other and treat each other with respect. That goes every way, not just one way.

Senator Wall seconded the amendment to the Order of Business, which I am very happy to accept. He also asked for a debate on prescription drugs and HRT in particular. I have been investigating this for the last couple of weeks because of requests people have made of me. There are the usual explanations about supply chains, Brexit and Ukraine but the light-bulb moment came the other day was when the supply company said it is not getting as much for its product here as it is somewhere else. It is economically more viable for it to go elsewhere. That is the free market economy. However, it calls into question the people who have negotiated our contracts for delivery and that is where we need to focus our ire as customers and our lens as legislators. I will try to organise that debate as soon as I possibly can.

Senator Buttimer asked for a debate on the new higher education plan launched by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science this week. It is welcome. Everybody will have their own views but after many years of talking about it and the Cassells report and so on, we are finally getting a bit of movement. It is most rewarding to see the hundreds of millions of euro going into it. That is to be debated.

I also acknowledge what Senator Buttimer said about unemployment. As a former Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, but more importantly, after seeing what the pandemic did to nearly everybody who was working, I feared we were going to have tens of thousands of casualties arising from the pandemic. Thankfully, there are fewer people unemployed today than before the pandemic, which is wonderful news. There are also more job vacancies in Ireland today than there are people on the unemployment register so we are still not doing something right and a debate would be very worthwhile. Flexibility or anything else we can do to encourage anybody who wants to work is worth debating so I will organise that. We will debate that with the Minister but I also look forward to debating Senator Sherlock's legislation.

I thank Senator Murphy for raising the issue of Robert Pether, his wife Desree, their son Flynn and their young daughter. I am not as frustrated about this as the Senator because he is far closer to the case than I am but I do speak to Desree on a nearly weekly basis, if not more than that. I am utterly dismayed at the lack of a response from the Australian ambassadors, and I say that respectfully. They say they are not willing to engage with us because of the nature of the case, which I understand. If that attitude were reflected in their representing Robert it might give us some solace that somebody is fighting for him but it appears nobody is. Desree and the new solicitor they have acting on their behalf have been very complimentary of our Minister but compliments are not moving the case any further and they are not getting Desree's husband home to her and her children. I will try to arrange a debate and get the Minister for Foreign Affairs, or the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, in here to talk to us about what we can collectively do to raise the awareness of this woman, who is phenomenal because of the stress she is living under and the campaign she is running to bring awareness to her husband's case. I thank the Senator for raising that today.

Senator Warfield brought up the ten-year anniversary of the referendum on children's rights and his wish for the Electoral Commission to look at holding a referendum to extend voting rights to children and young adults aged 16 or over.

Senator McGahon spoke about a virtual driving academy. I had never heard of that before but I think it s a wonderful idea so I will write to the RSA on his behalf.

Senator Crowe asked for a debate on the summer programme in special schools. It is sad that we talk about increasing it every year but we have to do that by encouraging schools to participate in the programme as opposed to telling them they have to. The needs of young children with special needs do not stop needing to be met during the months of July and August. The numbers are stark as only 1,641 children out of 8,018 are getting continuity in that service. It shows how far we have to go. I will ask the Minister for Education for a debate on the matter. She has done a huge amount of work in the last few years to improve the programme but we still have a bit to go so I will organise that debate.

Senator Boyhan talked about the historic visit by our Cathaoirleach to the Ukrainian Parliament next week and wished him well. We will arrange time for him to tell us about what he has learned and the experiences he has had when he comes back. We look forward to that.

Senator Lombard acknowledged us putting on the record of the House and remembering the murders of those 13 gentlemen and one child in Dunmanway 100 years ago.

Senator Malcolm Byrne asked for a debate on human rights and foreign policy. It is not just about what we are seeing on our screens all day, every day, in Ukraine and Belarus but what is happening in countries further away, which may not be talked about so much. We have the luxury in Ireland of thinking we have everything right. There are lots of things that are still wrong but with regard to human rights and dignity we are a hell of a lot more advanced than some of our international neighbours. We will certainly organise that debate.

I accept Senator Sherlock's amendment and look forward to the debate on her Bill.

Senator Gavan talked about the metropolitan plan that was announced in the last number of days. He is not the first person to have raised that this week. We have a large contingent here from his neck of the woods and nobody is happy with it. I was asked for a debate and I have put the request in. There is probably more to it but the Senator is right that the appearance that has been given is not a good one. That must either be addressed or counteracted and an explanation given as to why it is not true. I will bring that to the House as soon as I can. I thank the Senator for raising it.

Senator Clonan talked about an investigation into war crimes, which the resolution we are going to pass in the next few minutes also relates to. He is right. For the last few months we have been talking about humanitarian aid and everything we can do for the effects of the war but we need to start talking about how to help end the war. I do not know whether "sinister" is the right word for the simulation we were exposed to on Monday night. If it was not so serious one would nearly say it was childish and churlish. There is a genuine fear - maybe I am wrong and maybe I am indoctrinated - that these people do not think about things in a normal way, the way everyone else thinks about things, and that it actually could happen. We need to move the narrative on to try to find a space where everybody can stop the egoism of winning the war and start saying we need to stop the war and stop people being murdered while they defend their own home ground. There has to be a way to do that. I will organise that debate on the Ukrainian war outcome as soon as I can.

Senator Kyne opened the debate by raising the case of 17 Ukrainian children. Only in Ireland would we stop a mother who is looking after and communicating on behalf of 17 young children, who are as distressed as they could be when going to school, from getting on a bus. I will contact both Bus Éireann and the Minister for Transport today and try to relieve that issue. The Senator also asked for a debate on the Inland Fisheries Ireland board, which I will organise as soon as I can.