Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I extend my welcome to those visitors joining us in the Visitors Gallery. It is always good to see people who want to see democracy in action. I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Deputy Leader but there are a few things I want to bring up. First, it was a very good announcement last night regarding the extra €100 towards back-to-school costs. We all know the implications to parents of an impending September and it is a very difficult time of the year. Barnardos and the Irish League of Credit Unions have done excellent work in that regard through their surveys. Added to this is free transport, which is another great development, and the extra hot meals for 60,000 children - an investment of €67 million. There is still more to go and I appeal to the Ministers for Education, Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, when they are speaking about back to school costs, to look at raising the capitation allowance for students and finally get rid of the dreaded voluntary contribution.

That brings to mind the parent and student school charter legislation, which went through both Houses in 2019 and has not been implemented yet. This is excellent legislation that will give parents and students the opportunity to discuss costs in schools with school authorities and the management board. I ask the Deputy Leader if she could put pressure on the Minister in terms of getting this implemented and finding out the delay in it.

I also raise the issue of pension abatements. This policy was originally designed to stop highly paid civil servants and politicians from retiring during the financial crises in 2011 with sizeable pensions and lumps sums and then returning the public sector. I appreciate my colleague, Senator Craughwell, has also raised this many times. However, it is negatively affecting those who are not so highly paid, particularly those from the Army who have left and gone back into other jobs. Ex-Defence Forces personnel, who would never have earned a lot in the first place and would not have a big pension, are getting caught in this system. We need to look at it and make sure there is equity there. If people wish to work and continue working, we should be able to support them without them being financially penalised.

A tweet from Dr. Mary Wingfield caught my eye yesterday. Dr. Wingfield was in Milan at the European Atlas of Fertility Treatment Policies. Ireland is practically at the very bottom of the list. We are 40th out of 43 countries, which is absolutely shocking. We know according to data that one in every six couples has fertility problems. We absolutely need to help to support them. I acknowledge the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, has opened five out of six fertility hubs promised and the remaining one will be open in Nenagh at the end of this year, but the elephant in the room is IVF. There has to be an absolute commitment from this Government to support financially IVF for couples and that should be made in the budget. I echo that call.