Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the students from St. Fintan's school as well. I hope they have an enjoyable day. There are several matters I want to deal with regarding the Order of Business. I wish to remind the Leader, before I start, that I have in recent times obtained generalised agreement to the proposition that the Garda Reserve would be the subject of a ministerial discussion and debate in this House and that the issue of prison overcrowding would also be discussed as matter of urgency. I reiterate those requests that those matters should be addressed by the Department of Justice in this House. They are important issues. The Leader, who herself has a record of service as a reservist, will understand the nature of my concern that volunteering and reserve activity in Ireland is being allowed to atrophy at the moment.

The second issue I wish to raise which I think the House should consider, is housing prices because the issue is affecting the use of hotels and the diminution of tourism employment across the economy, consequent on the deployment of hotels for accommodating badly-needed places for asylum seekers. We must have clarity from the Government as to what the revised plans for our tourist industry are and an update on the Government's plans to accommodate asylum seekers, especially Ukrainian asylum seekers, to whom Senator Byrne referred a few moments ago. These issues must be considered on a national basis. We need a calm, reflective debate on these issues, namely, the Garda Reserve, prison overcrowding and the effect on the tourism industry of the diminution of hotel spaces, particularly in places like County Kerry, where much seasonal employment is jeopardised by the absence of accommodation for tourists.