Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We started the Order of Business with Senator Mark Daly, who spoke about waiting times for driver tests and how difficult it was for young people, which we understand, particularly those starting to work or who have to drive to college or university because of the cost of accommodation. The Minister gave extra funding and resources to driver test centres. For example, in Kildare, we have three more testers in Naas. I have no doubt this is causing a problem for young people in particular. We will submit a question on the matter to the Minister. I also suggest the Senator tables a Commencement matter to get the finer details.

Senator Boyhan referred to the report on the Dublin Citizens' Assembly. I agree that we do not need to rehash the debate; we have had it. It is important we have consultation with local authority members and the business community. We need to respect what the citizens' assembly has said, otherwise there would be no point in the citizens involved giving up almost a year of their lives and putting so much time and thought into the work they do. My friend, Mary Doyle, is in the Visitors Gallery and she, along with me, visited Bad Lippspringe, Newbridge’s twin town in Germany. We have seen the positive effects of a directly elected mayor with excellent executive powers and good finance.It makes a huge difference to towns and cities. We certainly would want to see the report implemented but I understand that we are only referring it to the committee today. It will then come back to the Seanad for further debate.

Senator Joe O'Reilly welcomed the playwright, Frank Allen. It is good to have him here. We are always delighted to have people of such note in the Public Gallery. It is also lovely to see his niece, Ms Roberts, here as well. I wish him the very best of luck with the film he is producing. The Senator also raised the issue of waiting lists for children and an intervention with CAMHS. It is the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, and not the Minister of State, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, who deals with this. We will certainly, however, submit a request for a debate on this issue. We are all concerned to ensure we have positive mental health supports and that we put everything required in place when young people are undergoing mental health issues, especially in a school setting, etc. There is no greater priority in my view.

Senator Ó Donnghaile spoke about the UK legacy legislation. There is universal opposition to it. I am glad the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement has issued its statement. I spoke about this issue, as Senator Joe O'Reilly will know, in the European Parliament last week at the meeting of the Council of Europe. On that day, 21 June, the House of Lords was debating this legacy Bill. It is a disgrace. Many of my colleagues and I have grave concerns regarding it. It completely goes against the spirit of reconciliation and truth that the Good Friday Agreement put in place. I certainly agree that if negotiations fail to stop this legislation, its incompatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights would be sufficient for the State to take a case to Europe. We would all support that. The Senator also spoke about the paywall for GAA matches and that two matches on Saturday will be behind it, while another two matches on Sunday will not. This is wrong. We should have universality of access. We will bring this issue to the attention of the Minister of State with special responsibility for sport, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, because we all feel strongly about it.

Senator Sherlock spoke about solidarity with the former Iceland workers. As we know, a new company has taken this business over but there are major concerns about its conduct. We must stand in solidarity with those workers. The Senator also spoke about the workers in RTÉ. We express our solidarity with them. Many people in RTÉ have always worked sincerely and honestly. It is important that we have them to report to us on current affairs, sport and entertainment. I refer to the excellent work that "Prime Time" and other programmes do in trying to uncover deception and fraud. What is happening at the broadcaster is a disaster. Two committees will hear from RTÉ executives this week and it is important we give them the opportunity to do that without pre-empting what is going to emerge from those meetings.

Senator Black also spoke about her grave concerns about the legacy Bill in the UK Parliament. As I mentioned, we support her stance and that of Senator Ó Donnghaile in this regard.

I am glad that Senator Murphy mentioned the return of the Special Olympians to Dublin Airport yesterday. Our 73 athletes came home with 75 gold medals, as well as many other metals. It was wonderful to see the joy on their faces. RTÉ did a wonderful job covering those games. I went to Berlin for the opening ceremony because I was involved in the Special Olympics World Summer Games held here 20 years ago, as my friend Mary Doyle and many people around the country. Those were the first world games ever held outside America. It was a great privilege to be in Berlin and to witness the joy of our athletes from all over the world. Every time I met people from another country, they all spoke at some point about the welcome they got in Ireland 20 years ago.Those memories are really strong. I have to mention a particular situation in Kildare. Last night, in Rathangan, which was one of the ten host towns in Kildare, we had a welcoming home ceremony for two of our athletes, Eoin Daly and Grace Kavanagh. I was privileged to help organise that and act as master of ceremonies on the night. If anybody wants to see unbridled joy and a community coming together, they should look at the videos that are out there. In a small village, more than 1,000 people came out and gave a parade of honour to our athletes. We had a wonderful night in the community centre. We saw achievement, dignity and nothing getting in the way of our athletes competing. Obviously, it is not just about winning. It is about the whole competitive element and being part of a big team. Our great congratulations go to our 73 Olympians from all over the world. It was great to see the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, there to welcome them home.

Senator Keogan spoke about being in Ghana many years ago and seeing what she has in retrospect realised were men bringing young children into hotels for sex. In innocent times, the Senator had no idea what was happening there. We have to be very concerned when we see anything that takes away children's innocence and dignity and puts them in the most horrific of situations, which has a very significant impact on them in their lives. On the report on children in State care, we will absolutely look for the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to deal with that as soon as possible. We will send a message to that committee straight after this. On the wider picture of children being groomed, unfortunately, this does not just happen in State care. The Senator also mentioned the children who are not accounted for. It is absolutely horrific. We will look for a debate here as well as in the committee. We will ask the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to come to the House for that debate.

Senator Boylan spoke about the climate report. There is a special committee engaging with this. There is a presentation at 10 a.m. tomorrow from members of the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. I believe it is in the audiovisual room. It is important that we all attend, if we can, because the work the assembly did was very important and we need to make sure that it is valued. The Senator also mentioned the nature restoration law that is before the European Parliament at the moment. The Cathaoirleach will be pleased to hear that I am not going to get political about it but I am concerned about the position that the European People's Party has taken. I am glad that members of Renew Europe did not take the same position.

Senator Flynn was the final speaker. I thank her for all of the work she does for those who are marginalised. She spoke about the report on the living conditions of children in one of the major halting sites. Obviously, we need to support children who are marginalised in any situation. If they are ill because of their living conditions, we have to implement the recommendations of the report. A new joint committee has been set up to deal with different matters relating to Travellers, their living conditions and so on. I am sure that will be addressed in the committee but I suggest the Senator also give notice that she wishes to raise the matter by way of Commencement debate. Those are my responses to all of the issues raised on the Order of Business.