Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am not being political but I think that the Tánaiste and, indeed, the Taoiseach are saying very important words. They really are calling out the atrocities for what they are. They have called for an immediate ceasefire while giving €13 million to Palestine. I know that every one of us here echoes that, following our debates last week.I thank Senator Boylan for calling that out. We need to do that every day.

Senator Wall spoke about the Castledermot youth diversion project and how important it is to acknowledge the work that is going on, and he is absolutely right. It is important that we show there is another path for young people who are vulnerable and who need those extra supports. He called for extra funding from the Department of Justice. Last year, I had the opportunity to visit another such project in Newbridge with the Minister of State, Deputy Browne. They do incredible work so I agree with that. Senator Wall also asked for a debate on sports funding. The sports funding system we have is really good. Extra measures were brought in this year by the Minister, Deputy Byrne, with regard to ensuring there is support for women in sport and for those with disabilities to ensure we have inclusion. That is really important. There are, therefore, new innovations. I visited one such facility yesterday with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, in Newbridge. The K Leisure gym has changing rooms and modified equipment for those with disabilities. Every gym in the country should have this and funding should be made available for it. I agree with that.

Senator Malcolm Byrne spoke about the very tragic deaths of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee, and the bravery of Anthony Burke in alerting gardaí and working with them to make sure the perpetrator was caught. It is shocking to see the rising levels of homophobia and transphobia. I offer our sympathy and commiserations on the deaths of Aidan and Michael to those within the LGBT community because it must be a very difficult place at the moment. I also read that report of the Fundamental Rights Agency regarding the rise of racism and antisemitism in Ireland. It is absolutely very concerning. We need a debate around tolerance and acceptance. Democracy is more than about elections. Democracy is also about giving respect to the people with whom we share our communities and countries. Maybe we could all agree to a cross-party motion on the tolerance that is needed. I suggest that we draft a motion and send it to all Members. That will go to all parties and independent Members. We will seek time to debate that after the recess.

Senator Maria Byrne spoke about Ms Jodie Whyte, a female apprentice of her acquaintance. I mentioned yesterday when I was taking the Order of Business Ms Hazel Johnston who won apprentice of the year. It is the first time a woman has ever won it. It is important to point that out. It is great to see Shannon Airport coming back to itself and now having more people flying than pre-Covid. I say well done to the team there. It is important that we have regional balance in terms of flights.

Senator Boyhan sought a debate on rural housing. I am delighted to hear that the British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly went so well in my own county of Kildare. I could not agree more in terms of supporting people being able to build houses on their own land. It is hugely important at a time the price of housing is so high for anybody who has access to family land, obviously, bearing in mind environmental guidelines, sightline guidelines, etc., to be able to build on it. They absolutely should have that opportunity. There is a debate scheduled on 7 November with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien. It is important that we raise the issue at that point.

Senator Fitzpatrick spoke about the merits of Dublin city but also about the litter and rubbish on our streets and how Dublin City Council needs to take more action. We certainly will write to it. However, maybe at a national level we need to set our standards higher. There is a role for the Department in this regard. Dublin is not alone in terms of litter and rubbish. Irish Business Against Litter, IBAL, to be fair to it, came together quite a few years ago and brought about a concerted effort with regard to highlighting where improvements have been made and calling out where there have not been any. It is really important that we look for accountability at a national level. We have a role in that as well. We will talk to the Minister about that.

Senator Lombard and, indeed, Senators Kyne and Burke, spoke about the situation with the dairy industry and nitrates in Ireland with regard to the two different zones. I speak to farmers every day in County Kildare about this issue. Obviously, this is down to the EU regulations. Part of the problem is that regulations change every few years. To be fair to our farming community, they are told what the vision is from a European context and how that translates into actions in Ireland. They invest and put their own money in as well as, of course, availing of supports and then a few years later the advice changes. It is a really difficult situation for them. The Minister, Deputy McConalogue, has been working on this and several announcements were made in the budget to support farmers in the transitions that have to be made. We will not have the situation that has been painted this morning. That is fearmongering among farmers and I do not think that is fair. I will outline some of the measures that have been brought in. Funding of €700 million has been secured to support farm families in their efforts to tackle the challenges we have. This all came down to, obviously, water quality and the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, monitoring. The support will be made at rates of 40% and 60%. It is really important. The Minister has also sought approval to introduce a dedicated support measure to provide 70% for manure storage facilities and import livestock manure under a contract relationship. All of these are important. There is certainly more work to do. However, we will ask the Minister to come to the House and tell us what the latest update is in that regard.

Senator Doherty spoke about the situation in both constituencies in Fingal, neither of which has a swimming pool. I am shocked to hear that. We always feel a poor relation in County Kildare where we have two swimming pools in mid- and south Kildare. The agreement is that the next one will be in the north of the county. I have been fighting for years to get one in Newbridge. I am shocked to hear there is not one in that constituency. In terms of looking for the site in Castleland, as the Senator said, I once learned a very valuable lesson in Newbridge when we were doing a development plan. As part of an agreement on zoning land, a landowner agreed to give a certain portion over to the community. The problem was that the site was never actually identified on the map at that particular time and it then disappeared. While we did have the text, the map always supersedes it. It always has to be on the map. Sometimes we get all the best advice in the world and people will say that the agreement has been made and things will happen afterwards in terms of agreement between the local authority and landowner or land developer. If it is not put down 100% in writing, it disappears. We will help to try to secure that, however. It is really important. Children should have the opportunity to learn how to swim. Even though there are lovely beaches, as the Senator said, we need to be able to do it all year round. We certainly will see what we can do.

I know Senator Gavan to be a true humanitarian from his work in this House as well as at the Council of Europe. He is right. Sometimes we highlight a situation. Russia and Ukraine took the headlines for so long, and still deserve to do so, but now it is Palestine and Israel that deserve to be in the headlines. Unfortunately, however, we have situations that slip under the radar and the world looks away. The genocide against Kurds in Syria is shocking and appalling. We will seek to have a debate. Many requests are coming in but we will see when we can fit it into the schedule. I will certainly raise it with the Tánaiste as well.

I will say to Senator Kyne that while speaking about agriculture, I did not mention the targeted agriculture modernisation scheme, TAMS, 3, which is being developed at the moment. He also raised the issue of school transport. I could not agree more, but there seems to be no movement whatsoever with Córas Iompair Éireann, CIÉ, and Bus Éireann. We have to take it beyond the Department of Education. The Department has tried so we need to take it up with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to try to talk sense. It is absolutely ridiculous that we have one rule in one situation.We are always talking about people growing older and pushing out retirement ages. Here we have a cohort of people who are willing to work but rules that have been put in place other than through legislation or by the Department of Education are preventing them for doing so. We will take that issue up with the Minister, Deputy Ryan.

I do not know the details in respect of the person who does not have a school place. That situation is shocking. I do not know whether it relates to a primary, secondary or special school. I ask the Senator to send me the details of the matter. It is a horrific situation. The least anyone can expect is a school place and it is absolutely wrong that the person in question does not have one. I am happy to take the matter up on the Senator's behalf.

Senator Burke spoke about overfishing and issues relating to the decline of salmon and the disappearance of herring. When we heard of the death of Bobby Charlton last week, many of us thought about his brother Jack, who loved to fish for salmon on the River Moy in Ballina. The Senator has called for a debate on the matter. We will look for that in time.

Senator Carrigy, too, spoke about the school transport situation. Obviously, the budget put far more money into trying to get that sorted out. The only way we can sort out school transport, apart from getting more drivers, is for every child who goes to school to have the opportunity to avail of school transport, no matter where he or she lives. We know from the work we do in our constituencies of all the traffic issues near schools at pinch-point times. If there was a proper school transport system where children were collected and brought to school, those issues would be avoided. That is the way we must go forward. We are awaiting the review, which is due in the coming weeks. We will schedule a debate on that review when we receive it.