Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Senator O'Loughlin spoke about Rare Disease Day, as did Senators Conway and Pauline O'Reilly. They all acknowledged the work of former Deputy, John Brassil, who as a pharmacist did a lot of work on that issue during the last term, and Deputy Lahart. Senator Conway asked for a debate on rare diseases, which I will request with the Minister for Health at the earliest opportunity. It is an important issue that affects a small number of citizens in a severe way. Great strides have been made in terms of amyloidosis and Patisiran. In the last term, there were other rare diseases that were dealt with. Spinraza was an area I worked on personally. While a small number of children were affected, the joy of bringing that drug to them was hugely important.

Senator Craughwell spoke about Friday being World Hearing Day. He is someone who suffers from hearing loss and has encouraged others with a similar issue to seek help, get their ears tested and to avail of all the supports available because it can be a very difficult issue to deal with.

Senator Pauline O'Reilly spoke about orphan drugs and the need to progress to a better approval process for those new drugs.We can include that as part of the debate.

Senator Ó Donnghaile spoke about the Windsor agreement and the need for the Northern Ireland institutions to get back up and running. We all certainly agree with that sentiment. We hope all the parties in the North can now find agreement under the Windsor Framework and move forward to get politics back up and working there. The Senator also requested, as he has previously, a debate on Palestine, which I have requested from the Department of Foreign Affairs. I am told we should have a date by the end of March for that debate. However, I understand Sinn Féin has tabled a Private Members' motion on this topic for next week. If the Senator wants to use that slot, it might be the easiest way to get an earlier date for the debate as it is a motion. From my side, I will be able to facilitate a debate on Palestine by the end of March.

Senator Hoey spoke about the trans debate that took place on television last night. I did not see that debate so I do not know what was said during it. Senator Mullen raised the same topic, although from a different perspective, and also requested a debate on the issue. It covers a number of different Departments, including the Department of Health and the Department of Education. I will make those requests to the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Butler, in respect of the mental health aspect - she has spoken a lot about the issue - and the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. We will see what can be done to organise that discussion, if that is a better word, although I get Senator Hoey's point about it being a debate as well. We will find a way to have a discussion in the House on the issues that have been raised. The issue is coming up regularly enough but with very different perspectives on it. I share her concerns around keeping the discussion very respectful and finding a way to have that discussion in the proper way, if we can achieve that.

Senator Hoey also spoke about issues affecting the Traveller community. I agree that while Senator Flynn does a fantastic job advocating for her community, it is important that all of us also advocate for that community in raising issues. In particular, the high rates of suicide in that community are very alarming and need to be addressed. There is a national Traveller strategy and a lot of work has been done. The recognition of Travellers as an ethnic group was significant progress but we have much more to do. Housing will always be a key issue for that community. A lot of work also needs to happen at local authority level because funding has been made available but what has been handed to those local authorities, very often, is not fully spent. There are many moving parts to that debate.

Senator Dooley requested a debate on short-term lets and Airbnbs. He raised particular concerns around the proposal to have a register of short-term lets and Airbnb accommodation. The Senator drew a distinction between very rural parts of the country where such accommodation might be a granny flat or small unit that, in any event, would not be suitable for a long-term let. We will try to arrange that debate. He also requested a debate on gas and electricity prices and the very slow pace at which companies are passing on the reduction in prices to their consumers compared with the very fast pace with which they raised their prices when wholesale prices increased. We will also request that debate.

Senator Seery Kearney spoke about the slow pace of the apartment defects scheme in place for Dublin. We can request that debate. The Land Development Agency is the organising unit and there is oversight of how the scheme is implemented, which is in stark contrast to counties Donegal and Mayo, where no organisation or entity is running the scheme. It is great the ability is there to have a co-ordinated approach, which is needed because many thousands of homeowners are affected. However, getting that done at pace will be very important because it is a highly stressful situation for any homeowner or family to find themselves in. It was great that we got that victory regarding the scheme but delivering it will now be key. We will request that debate with the Minister at the earliest opportunity.

I have dealt with the issues raised by Senator Mullen. We will request that debate with the appropriate Ministers and Ministers of State.

Senators Daly and Carrigy raised the issues that were raised at the gates of Leinster House by members of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association and the Irish Beef and Lamb Association. Members of both organisations from throughout the country are outside Leinster House today to raise particular concerns about the sheep sector and the difficulties regarding cost of inputs going up and the increased pressure on families working in that sector to make a living. We will request a broad debate on agriculture from the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, with a specific focus on the sheep sector to give it the prominence it needs.

Senator Horkan welcomed the Moldovan delegation. As convenor of the friendship group, he wanted to acknowledge the work it has done on its support and response to the war in Ukraine. He also welcomed the fact Moldova now has EU candidate status.

Senator Ahearn drew attention to the fact this week is Eating Disorders Awareness Week. It is an area I have done some work on. I agree with him that language is so important. From a very young age, young people are very impacted by the type of language used around food and body image.There is no doubt that social media have played a huge role in recent years in exacerbating the problem and making it a bigger challenge. These issues predominantly affect girls but there has been an increase in the number of boys presenting with problems. This is a hugely challenging issue, and it is important that we raise awareness. In terms of the impact on the individual, anorexia is one of the most deadly mental health issues, with the potential for loss of life. It is extremely serious for any young person dealing with that issue.

Senator Cummins spoke about commercial properties that have been brought back into use for residential purposes. It is a positive statistic to put on the record of the House that 665 new housing units have been converted to residential use. These include 169 former pubs, which was an initiative the Senator brought forward. He has requested a debate to discuss new ideas for what we can do to increase the housing stock. I commend him on his work on this issue.

Senator Conway requested a debate on rare diseases, which I will organise at the earliest opportunity.

Senator Carrigy spoke about the Seanad Chamber being used this Thursday for a meeting of the Joint Committee on Autism. I commend him on this work on that issue. It is a pleasure to be able to facilitate this hugely important discussion. It is only right and proper that the Chamber be given over to allow the parents and individuals concerned to come in and voice their views in their Parliament. It is hugely significant and symbolic, and I very much look forward to the sitting on Thursday. It is great to see it happening and I commend the Senator on organising it. A lot of work goes into arranging something like this and making it happen on the day. Well done to the Senator.

Senator Kyne referred to the hot school meals programme, which comes under the remit of the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, being extended to an extra 64,000 children. That is really welcome. It is unfortunate that in a wealthy, First World country such as this, there are children going to school without having had breakfast and who possibly will have no lunch either. It is important that the scheme be extended to as many schools as possible. It is initially being rolled out to DEIS schools, which makes sense because their pupils are the most disadvantaged. It is a really worthwhile initiative from the Department of Social Protection. It will assist many children by ensuring they get their basic nutrition on any given day.

Senator Boylan raised the issue of pet welfare, as she often does. I welcome the conviction to which she referred, which sends a strong message. Such prosecutions are hard to get over the line and are often not progressed to that stage. It is really important that there has been a conviction in this case. I heard the statistics on the radio from Dogs Trust on the number of homeowners and renters who are giving up their pets for various reasons. There was an increase in people taking on a pet during the course of the pandemic and some people may now be finding it difficult to manage since they have had to go back into the office. Having a pet is a big job and not one to be taken on lightly. Pets are not handbags; they are another member of the family. We have a little dog at home and I know what is involved in the day-to-day care of pets, making sure they are looked after and planning for when one has to go away. It is a big responsibility. Any decent member of society would be appalled by some of the abuse that goes on against dogs and other animals. I commend Dogs Trust and the other charities that work to help animals and are there to take over when the pet owner is unable to continue the work of caring for them.

Senator Maria Byrne spoke about an issue with the invalidity pension. It sounds ridiculous that the individual she mentioned would not be allowed to participate in research directly affecting him and which could provide valuable insight into policy formation. The Senator might consider raising the matter on the Commencement debate because it is quite specific and niche. The Minister may not be fully aware of the issues raised. It sounds like the individual has fallen between two stools. The situation he is experiencing probably is an unintended consequence of the way the scheme is set up. There should be no barrier to getting out and about and, in particular, doing voluntary work. The very least we should be able to do for individuals dealing with all those health issues is to facilitate them in getting out and about in the community and doing what they can physically do. As I said, the circumstances of this case probably are an unintended consequence of the particular regulation.