Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Ó Donnghaile's call for a debate on the eviction ban. I have received numerous phone calls this morning and last night. It is important that someone from the Government come to the House to discuss where these people are going to go. I dealt with families this morning who were in tears. I have contacted the local authority, but there are no places for them. I would appreciate it if someone from the Government attended the House as soon as possible to discuss what is happening with housing. People need certainty, but last night provided none. The Government speaks about cliff edges. Many people are hanging off cliff edges by their fingernails after last night's vote.

I wish to raise the Life Saving Equipment Bill 2017. We last discussed it on Committee Stage in February 2022. A mindless act of vandalism took place at one of my local GAA clubs, namely, the Round Towers GAA club in Kildare town. The defibrillator located there was so badly damaged that it is almost beyond use. The club wrote:

We dont need to stress how important this piece of lifesaving equipment is for the town community.

This is shocking behaviour.

If anyone has any information on who is responsible please contact Kildare Town Gardai.

I also raised the issue of the Bill last November, when two automated external defibrillators were stolen from Castlemitchell GAA club, which is my club, just outside Athy and from St. Joseph's, a neighbouring GAA club across the border in Laois. The people carrying out this criminal damage must understand that they do not know the hour when someone in their families or, indeed, they themselves will need this life-saving equipment.

Colleagues in the Fianna Fáil Party are debating the matter and I understand the Bill is with the Government at the moment, but it needs to be enacted. The message needs to go out that, if people inflict criminal damage on life-saving equipment, they will face the consequences. We cannot afford to have this equipment stolen, damaged or put beyond use when someone needs it. I include life buoys in this regard. Coming from a town with a canal and a river, I have encountered situations where life buoys were stolen and were not available when people needed them. Life buoys are covered by the Bill. I would like an update on the Bill and to see it enacted as quickly as possible.

In the short time remaining to me, I wish to raise the matter of school places, particularly in special schools. I have taken a number of calls in recent days from people who cannot get school places for their loved ones in south Kildare. In some cases, their loved ones have been out of the school system for more than a year. This is not good enough. They have tried ten and, in one case, 12 local schools within an hour and a half of them. There are no places for their loved ones. We need to debate the matter with the Minister. I appreciate the Deputy Leader's time.