Regina Doherty (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Okay. I will bring it to his attention and come back to the Senator with a response. I thank her for raising that.

Senator Keogan asked for a debate on the proposed use of body cams and the purchase of same by An Garda Síochána when the legislation has not even been drafted yet. I will see if I can get a response for her to see if we can do that.

Senator Seery Kearney spoke about what I can only describe as an absolutely astonishing reveal yesterday by, for anybody who was not in the audiovisual room, the Justice for Wards presentation that we were given by a lovely lady called Mary Farrell and her colleague, Joe. It was absolutely astonishing. This business – this game – that we are all in never ceases to amaze me. Things absolutely rock you that you just cannot believe could be true, and then they are. For what it is worth, if people do not know, could they please have a look at the Justice for Wards campaign? Some €2 billion of wards’ money is being managed by the Courts Service. The risk profile of the investments that it made over the years is absolutely astounding. There are losses of hundreds of millions of euro. On behalf of young people like the young man who Joe spoke about yesterday, his grandson, who was only six years old when he had a near-fatal accident that resulted in horrific injuries and needs for him for the rest of his life, the mismanagement of that poor boy’s fund is nothing short of scandalous. Yet, nobody seems to bear responsibility for it. The Courts Service does not want to have anything to do with it nor does the High Court president. It is astonishing. If anybody could lend any help to that campaign, it would be appreciated and worthwhile to try to get to the bottom of it.

Senators Blaney, Cummins and O’Loughlin all raised the issue of septic tanks. A report yesterday was shocking insofar as how many failed the tests but also how many are not on the register. It would be worthwhile if the Minister took the request seriously to allow people to re-register, particularly those who purchased their houses after 2013. Let us have a look at that.

Senator Blaney also looked for a debate on the new policing structures, particularly the three county models that, effectively, in his opinion, will downgrade services to many of our counties on the west coast.

Senator Mullen asked me to allow him to introduce No. 15 this morning and it is no problem to take that today. It is topical and timely. The Senator was very quick off the mark; this is a very speedy response. Well done, as it is something that has to be attacked.

Senator Cummins also spoke about cost rental housing, looking for clarity on changes that will be made to the scheme between now and the summer recess so that we all have them. I will ask for that and come back to him.

Senator O’Loughlin opened today with the meeting of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters this morning and the presentation given on behalf of the deaf community. She highlighted the need for research into the deaf experience, particularly of children in primary and secondary school, so that we can then make policy-informed choices as opposed to what she said is no choices. Not only is deafness an invisible disability, she also claimed that is invisible in policy decision-making. That is not a good thing, so we will have to change that.

Just before we finish, I would like colleagues to join with me for one minute’s silence please so that we in Seanad Éireann reaffirm our support for Ukraine following the recent bombing of the dam near the town of Nova Kakhovka.