Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach and colleagues. Senator Conway wants two debates. One is specific to a small number of Members but it is extremely important because all the Members from his area have raised on numerous occasions the funding for the transfer of the heritage sites to the county council. Clearly, there is no response that is satisfactory to the Members, so I will see if I can organise statements for 60 minutes on it. The Senator is also looking for a debate on flooding. I will talk to the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW and see if we can get him to come back.

God bless Senator Fitzpatrick; I wish her a speedy recovery because she looks like she did a serious amount of damage to her face on her run this morning. She commended the staff in the Mater Hospital who looked after her. She is also looking for a response from the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW on the matter of works on Moore Street that have been due for commencement for a long time now. Senators Lombard and Garvey both raised the response on school transport received earlier from the Minister of State. I did not have the chance to read it. Following the Order of Business, I will look at the response. More important, I will write to the Chair of the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight, who is the Cathaoirleach, to discuss the matter. To be honest, that does not get us the answers we need. While discussions took place earlier, I contacted my office. I am scheduling statements on school transport for 60 minutes next week. The schedule Senators have received will have to be amended and I will add 60 minutes to it. I have been told the Minister is not available, but somebody needs to be available to discuss this on behalf of the hundreds, if not thousands, of children who do not have school transport. It is coming up to the end of October. We need answers, and we need them now. On the basis of that, we can go down the route of complaining to the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight and change Standing Orders. Alternatively,we can go down the route of giving the Minister an opportunity to send someone to speak on her behalf, if she cannot come to the House, and provide substantive and qualitative answers next week as to when children in the communities we represent who do not have school bus transport will receive it. I will arrange that for next week and send Senators a copy of the letter.

Senator Boylan stood in solidarity with the workers of Liffey Valley. It is the most ham-fisted attempt to try to get people onto bikes and buses that I have ever seen in my life. I support the Senator in raising the issue today. I am not sure if there is anything we can do. If the House thinks there is anything we can do collectively as a body, Senators can speak to me afterwards and we can certainly do it. It has made a hames of something that should have been good, had some thought and planning been put into it.

Senator Boyhan asked for a debate on local government funding and governance. In fairness, he has asked for that debate a number of times and the request has gone in. I will remind the Minister of it once again. Equally as important, he asked for a debate on agriculture, which I will organise in the next couple of weeks.

Senator Keogan spoke about statements made, one assumes, on behalf of Irish citizens by one of our Ministers of State. I do not believe they represent the views of the vast majority. I am all for transparency in conversations and having open discussions, but we should not make assumptions about what Irish people think. The assumption one might make is far more in line with the views of people. On the same note, I am glad that Ursula von der Leyen made decisions, albeit that they were not as transparent as they could have been, a couple of years ago when the European Union was fighting for vaccines for its citizens. Obviously, those discussions and transparency will come into play once the investigation is finished.

Senator Buttimer asked for a debate on nursing home closures, in particular in respect of the care of older people in the future. More people are getting older today than was the case in generations gone by. It is a timely debate that is needed. The Minister is not available at the moment, but as soon as she is I will book her in. The Senator also asked for a debate on the EPA report released this morning.

Senator Eugene Murphy welcomed the Central Bank changes, in particular the policy for people who have separated or divorced, which will give them the capacity to buy houses.

Senators Murphy and Buttimer wished continued success to our Irish ladies boxing team, and I do the same on behalf of everybody in the House. The ladies are punching above their weight in all sports, boxing in particular, for the past while. We wish them continued success and thank them for the joy they give us.