Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I concur with the remarks by the Leas-Chathaoirleach in marking the day that is in it with regard to German reunification.

Senator O'Loughlin spoke about this being Positive Ageing Week 2023, and on not just the challenges of getting older but also the positivity which should be around in reaching that chapter in life. She reiterated her support for a women's museum in the country and mentioned the meeting she had with the Minister in this regard. She raised a local issue with respect of transport and Irish Rural Link for elderly persons.

Senator Clonan spoke, as he often does, about citizens with disabilities. He is a very passionate speaker in that area and, obviously, has a great amount of personal experience. He made certain remarks around the disability allowance and assessing the capacity to work which I believe were well made. Senator McGahon spoke about the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, INTO, budget briefing and the calls from that sector of education to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio.We will be having a debate with the Minister, Deputy Foley, on senior cycle reform at 5.30 p.m. today and there will be an opportunity to discuss education in the round so those issues can be raised with the Minister.

Senator Martin spoke about houseboat owners and the review of fees being charged by Waterways Ireland. He has asked for a more incremental increase in fees as opposed to a large increase in one go, which is a reasonable request to be considered.

Senator Gavan spoke about SIPTU, Age Action and the whole area of pensions. It is interesting to note that I have yet to see a particular process or policy from Sinn Féin as to how it would achieve the levels the Senator has asked for but he did at least acknowledge that a considerable amount of money is required to get to the increased pensions we want. We have seen an increase in pensions every single year under this Government. The upcoming budget will be no different. We know that we need to support our vulnerable citizens and our elderly. We need to ensure that people can support themselves with proper pension provisions as they age. That is why this Government is planning for auto-enrolment to ensure that future pensions will be provided for and that people who are in their younger years and not thinking about pensions, but who will be at some point, will have an opportunity to feed into one at an earlier point. This Government is planning for pensions and is planning quite far ahead, way beyond the lifetime of the Government, which shows prudent planning for pensions.

On early years educators, an issue raised by Senators Gavan and Moynihan, the challenges in that sector were spoken about quite a lot in the Chamber last week. It is worth acknowledging that, under this Minister, there has been a reduction in fees for parents and considerable investment in childcare and anybody who says otherwise is not being truthful. That does not mean we are where we want to be and that we have finished the job of work. Clearly, we have not. However, as a country we have come a long way. Even within the last five years, we have changed the narrative around what early years education is. It is not just minding children. It is early years education in the most formative of years. Our attitude as a country has changed. To expect everything to be solved in one year is unreasonable. Notwithstanding that, it is acknowledged that the wages paid to early years educators, who are predominantly women, have a long way to go if they are to be adequate and that they need to be increased. When the Senator spoke about the €200 million that Deputy O'Gorman said went into wages and the €55 million the unions say went in, there was a package of money allocated in the 2023 budget. I believe it totalled €221 million. Some of that went towards reducing parents' fees and some of it went towards increasing the wages for workers. The two of those were policy objectives for the Government, progress was made on both this year and more will be done in the next budget. There is an outstanding issue regarding smaller providers, which has been acknowledged, but a lot of positive work has been done in the area of childcare.

To respond directly to Senator Moynihan's suggestion that childcare should operate under a publicly funded model, I would like to see a Labour policy as to how that might be achieved. We are working with a private system, because that is what exists, to reduce fees, ensure capacity in the system, create more places and increase wages for those working in the sector. If we were to walk away from that policy, although I am not sure that is what the Senator is suggesting, and just follow the public road, it would take us a lot longer to build up that system. That is a policy decision to be taken. I would also urge a degree of caution in suggesting that parents are being gouged because, while some fees are extremely high in some parts of the country, many providers will tell you that they charge a very reasonable fee, which I believe is accurate in many instances. Many providers also say that they find it hard to meet the ongoing running costs of their businesses so it is important not to suggest that all providers are gouging parents. That is simply not the case. I will again note that work needs to be done to bring down the cost for parents but it is just not possible to achieve all that we want to achieve in one budget or one year. This Government has made a significant amount of progress in the past three years, however.

Senator Dooley spoke about the budget and raised a number of issues under that umbrella including the need to increase the capitation grant for national schools and the challenges presented to the tourism sector as a result of refugees being accommodated in hotels and guest accommodation. This tourism issue is one I have raised myself, as have many other Senators, although I acknowledge that we had to do what we had to do to house the refugees coming into the country and that we will continue to do that work. However, in many rural areas where tourism is one of the main employers and main drivers of the local economy, if the local hotel is not available for tourists, it poses a problem for the pub, the restaurant, the coffee shop and all of the associated industries. That needs to be acknowledged. I agree with the Senator's comments on that.

Senator Dooley also raised the issue of criminal barristers being on strike today, as did Senator Ward. This is an issue that came up last week as well.I reiterate my support for the restoration of their fees. In fairness to those who are on strike today, it was the last thing they wanted to do but they have exhausted all other options. They are the last group of public sector workers to get their pay restored. The Department of Justice has issued its support for pay restoration, although it has yet to outline a process for how that will be achieved. Nevertheless, I understand from my engagement with the Minister that she and her Department are in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to try to achieve that. Criminal barristers have been extremely patient and reasonable in requesting that their fees be restored, and they are not looking for a full restoration in one budget. They are looking for a process to be put in place and for that process to start in order that they will at some point have their wages restored. I hope that process will be put in place without delay.

Senator Doherty spoke about section 39 workers, as did Senator McGreehan, and made the point that our disability sector would not function without these workers, who are predominantly female. There is a disparity there in terms of treatment. As a country, we seem to undervalue the work of carers and those working in the care sector. When we look at the wages earned in other sectors, they do not really reflect the importance of the work that is done, so I will convey that view to the Minister.

Senator Keogan spoke about CAMHS and the ongoing challenges of mental health. She is correct that the Covid period put a huge strain on youth mental health. A lot of young people fell through the cracks and their mental health was severely impacted by that period. Maybe we had underestimated the extent of that and we are now seeing it come through the system. It is a huge challenge for us as a country to deal with youth mental health. CAMHS is not fit for purpose - that is accepted - and there is a long way to go. Funding has been increased and the resources are there. We have tried to hire staff but we are just struggling to fill posts that have been funded, and that is a huge challenge. That is something we need to address. Were it not for organisations such as Pieta, which the Senator mentioned, we would be in a worse scenario. They do fantastic work and somewhat bridge the gap between the demand for services and what the State can provide.

Senator McGreehan welcomed her father to the Gallery, which was lovely to see, and spoke about Seamus Murphy and Sons, a local business in Louth that has closed, having opened in 1959. She also lent her support to section 39 workers.

Senator Conway, too, spoke about section 39 workers and made a plea that works be carried out on the Ennis to Limerick railway line, which connects to Galway, to ensure the train will continue to run even in inclement weather. He said it was one of the fastest growing rail services in the country, which reflects a point we often make in Mayo and Galway to advocate for the western rail corridor, where we say that if we put in the services, people will use them, as opposed to us just waiting for the population to grow.

Senator Horkan was concerned I was not listening to what he raised, but I assure him I was. He wants a debate on air quality with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and spoke about the Irish Heart Foundation research showing the number of premature deaths associated with poor air quality. He rightly pointed out that air quality is generally good but at times could be better, and I certainly agree with those remarks.

Senator Malcolm Byrne spoke HSE estates, the building section of the HSE, and I have had some difficulties myself in dealing with that section of the HSE. I agree with what he said about the inadequacy of our dealing with vacant buildings and their use. If he has previously tabled a Commencement matter, perhaps there is another way in which I can assist in trying to get some information, and I will work with him on that.

Senator Craughwell spoke about the Naval Service and the drugs seizure of the coast of Cork. He made the point, as he often does, that the Naval Service is not at the capacity at which it needs to be. It is accepted that some of our naval ships are not manned because we do not have the personnel, but I understand the Minister for Defence is acutely aware of that issue and is trying to address it. There have been ongoing challenges in our Defence Forces for a number of years on which we starting now to turn the ship, if Senators will excuse the pun.

Senator Ward spoke about criminal barristers' pay, a matter I have dealt with. I have requested a meeting with the Minister for Justice and her officials, in which I can include the Senator. I have not yet been given a date for that meeting and am still working on securing it at the earliest opportunity.

Senator Dolan spoke about the two researchers who won a Nobel Prize and the work that goes on behind the scenes to get to that point, so it was great to see it acknowledged. The impact on public health globally, with the number of lives saved, was certainly worthy of the accolade. That was a nice, positive note on which to finish the Order of Business contributions.