Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is not doing people a favour to give them a passport. It is very unfortunate this has happened. All public representatives are trying our best to assist people. The Passport Office has increased its staffing by 50% but it is still not enough. The blockage seems to be where paperwork is involved. It is not digital applications. If people are sending post in any form, for example, for children's first passports, there is a significant blockage. We have requested the Department and the Passport Office to try to improve the service for people. It is taking a very long time. Families and individuals are missing out on holidays. It is not a good service we are giving at the moment.

Senator Flynn spoke very passionately, as she always does, about the Traveller community. She spoke about those who have lost their lives to suicide and the much awaited national Traveller mental health strategy. Many of us walked past the demonstration outside the gates of Leinster House on Kildare Street. I wish them well. It is a very colourful and positive demonstration. I encourage Members to get out. Senator Flynn has rejoined the demonstration. She let me know she would be leaving for it.

Senator O'Sullivan spoke about the leaving certificate and junior certificate exams. He encouraged as many teachers as possible to come on board to assist in marking exams because of the added benefits that they know their students and their capabilities.

Senator Conway spoke about the airports in Dublin, Shannon and Cork and the need to rebalance. Once again he raised the very important issue of moving towards digital leaving certificate papers to facilitate those students who might have additional needs. It seems we are a bit behind the curve on that front. The Senator continues to raise the issue.

Senator Keogan spoke about the cost of documents. She made a valid point that it is quite costly, particularly to get a driver licence. There is a long way to go to get to that point. The Government is looking at cost-of-living measures. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, spoke at the weekend about the work happening in that Department. All Departments are looking at anywhere a payment or cost is prescribed by the Government to reduce them across the board. This is being looked at. I am sure the Senator is aware the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, has announced that leaving certificate fees for this year are to be waived. The Government is doing everything it can to try to reduce the cost burden on families and individuals.

Senator Maria Byrne spoke about the sad passing of former councillor and Senator, Mary Jackman, from Limerick. She was the first female mayor of Limerick. We send our condolences to the Jackman and Furlong families on the passing of Mary.

As she has often done, Senator Maria Byrne also raised the issue of University Hospital Limerick. I am sorry I do not have any further information. We know there will be an independent review but I cannot answer as to why the hospital appears to be an outlier. There are consistent problems with patients on trolleys and overcrowding. I cannot imagine how difficult it is for staff and patients. There is clearly a very big problem in the hospital because other hospitals have issues but not on the scale we see in Limerick. There is clearly a very specific issue in that hospital.Senator Warfield spoke in support of the comments on the Traveller community made by Senator Flynn. He spoke about the tourism industry. He also spoke about the difficulty in getting taxis in the city, which is something that I can attest to. I think that we all have had trouble getting a taxi in the last while. There seem to be no taxis at certain times of the day and night. Taxi drivers do not seem to use apps or perhaps turned off their link to apps because it seems to be easier to hail a taxi and pay by cash. Recently I heard a conversation on radio with a journalist on the difficulties in getting taxis and her name escapes me. I know that she is an Australian woman who works as a fact checker for The Journal. She made a point about women's safety in that if a woman cannot get a taxi home then one will think twice about going out at night because getting home is a real problem. We definitely need to look at this issue. Again, because of the last couple of years where there was a very limited night-time economy a lot of taxi people may have left the service. In addition, the country is only really open since February, even though it feels like we have been open for a lot longer, and we are still building back up these services.

I acknowledge that the cost of hotels is extortionate in the capital city. I urge hoteliers to reflect on the prices they charge people because not only will they put people off travelling from somewhere in the country to the capital and deter tourists from coming here but people will remember the extortionate prices charged by some but not all hoteliers, in particular in the capital city.