Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all Members who contributed to the Order of Business. Senator Conway raised the tourism sector and stated tourism accommodation is being used to house a significant volume of refugees. The issue has been raised on numerous occasions in the House. There was a debate in the House with the Minister a number of months back. It is a concern, particularly in counties like Clare, where Senator Conway resides and where tourism is a big employer.I will raise the issue with the Minister. The Senator rightly acknowledged that what was done in terms of accommodation was necessary and we had to do our best to accommodate people, but there is a genuine concern within the tourism sector about the plan to get bed nights back for 2024. In County Leitrim, for example, over 80% of bed nights are taken up. In Donegal, the figure is 50%. In my county, it is approximately 35%, and the same for Galway. That is a significant number of bed nights, which impacts considerably on pubs, cafes and restaurants, as they are not getting the same footfall. We have time now to try to do something for next year’s tourism season. I thank the Senator for raising the issue, which I will bring to the Minister.

Senator O’Loughlin spoke about the Brigid 1500 events being launched in Kildare, including a festival and the schools programme. She also mentioned the brilliant work done by Sister Rita, Sister Mary and Sister Phil. It is poignant to look back on what Brigid represented so many years ago and how relevant her message is today, particularly in light of conflicts across the world. It makes us pause to reflect. How much the message holds true today is amazing.

The Senator also raised the issue of water outages in south Kildare and the fact that three schools were closed today. I urge Irish Water to get moving rapidly to address the outages with a proper solution as opposed to trying to develop a plan. Time is of the essence. Three schools being closed is not acceptable in this day and age. Water is an essential. If there are weekly outages, there is clearly a major issue.

The Senator discussed the loss of 100 jobs at Pfizer in Newbridge. I hope that many of those jobs can be saved, perhaps through relocation. While that might not always be suitable for the individuals concerned, depending on family circumstances, I hope that the issues can be addressed by working with the chamber in Kildare and Senator O’Loughlin. Senator Wall also discussed those water outages and job losses at Pfizer in Newbridge. Clearly, these are major issues in the county.

Senator Boyhan raised the matter of rural housing guidelines. He will be aware that getting the guidelines published has been an ongoing challenge. We were expecting them in October 2022, so they are long overdue. There is not a consensus on what they should say. Depending on the part of the country in which you find yourself, you will have a different view on the matter. Speaking as someone from a rural area of County Mayo, getting planning permission on your own land is a major challenge, particularly where the area is considered to be under urban pressure. There are many challenges, and we need to consider the types of plans we put in place. The plans for the middle of a city are different than those for parts of rural Ireland, where there is a different way of life. I have strong views around the ability to get planning permission in a rural area and what that means for a village being able to sustain itself and keep its numbers. This is an important issue.

The Senator also spoke about Sam and Odette Doran and the Not Our Fault campaign. They are regularly outside the door with their campaign to make their point. I thank the Senator for raising the issue and putting it on today’s agenda.

Senator Gavan spoke about the conflict in Gaza and wished for the safe return of Emily Hand. I can speak for us all when I say that I hope young Emily can be returned to her family. I cannot imagine what it must be like to think your child is dead only to learn she may be alive. It is unbearable. I hope that Emily and all of the other hostages are released and that we see an immediate stop to all of the killing. Sometimes, there is a difference in the language we use and the issues we discuss from one day to the next, but broadly speaking, every Member of the Houses is on the same page. We want the killing to stop on all sides. We want a ceasefire. We want peace in the region and we want a two-state solution. I am also replying to Senator Black, who raised this issue as well. Ireland can be proud of its position on the matter. At the outset, we were one of four member states to ensure that a resolution at EU level to stop aid going to Palestine did not pass. We took a step straight away that was the minority view. We have always supported the Palestinian people in their cause for self-determination and we have always supported a two-state solution. As a country, we can be proud of how we have dealt with the conflict, notwithstanding the challenges, the need to keep diplomatic channels open and to talk to all sides, and the need to get our people back to safety. We are trying to assist at EU and UN levels to achieve a de-escalation in the region so that the conflict does not spill over and there can be an immediate ceasefire. This is a complex situation, but every person in these Houses and the country wants to see an end to the killing and the violence. That is something on which we can all agree.

Aside from the water shortages and redundancies at Pfizer, Senator Wall discussed the need to address the waiting list for home help services. Many posts have been sanctioned and there is funding to pay for them, but recruiting staff is an ongoing challenge for the HSE across the board. Every effort is being made to hire staff into those positions, to reduce waiting times and to get home help to those who need it. The Senator also welcomed the opening of the Athy distributor road.

Senator Black spoke about Gaza in the Middle East. She requested a debate with the Tánaiste on the situation. I will forward that request at the earliest opportunity. She also spoke about the briefing she will be holding today at 4 p.m. She is not in the Chamber currently, but I responded to her on behalf of the Fianna Fáil grouping – she asked for us to attend – to say that we were meeting the Palestinian ambassador at the very same time. We will do our best to attend the briefing if that meeting concludes in time for us to do so. There will be representatives from the party at the briefing and I thank the Senator for organising it. I just wanted her to be aware of the position.

Senator Ardagh discussed road safety and the need to do more to tackle speeding. The Minister of State, Deputy Jack Chambers, is working hard on this issue. Dealing with road safety and speeding has been one of his priorities since joining the Department of Transport. Work is under way in his Department to introduce new regulations on reducing speed limits. As the Senator pointed out, though, it is also important that the existing rules be enforced. People should adhere to them and to any new rules.

Senator Ardagh gave credit to Senator O’Loughlin for bringing about our St. Brigid’s Day bank holiday. Well done, Senator O’Loughlin.

Senator Doherty asked for a debate on the pension cap. I will request one with the Minister for Finance. It might be difficult to get him to attend in advance of our debate on the Finance Bill, but we will ask for it anyway. The Senator is correct, in that the cap initially sounded like something that would just address the extremely wealthy, but we have now seen its impact. It is outrageous that we would consider hiring someone to be the head of our intelligence service who is not a citizen of this country. It beggars belief. We have US and UK intelligence experts essentially saying that they would not even consider doing anything like that in their countries. It would not be on the agenda. We have people in this country who are able and suitably qualified and who could take up the position if there was not a financial impediment to them doing so. I give credit to The Sunday Times, which prominently ran significant pieces over the past two Sundays highlighting how this was a major concern that we needed to take seriously. Similarly, there was an extensive piece with Mr. Drew Harris last Sunday around the challenging nature of security in the State. What he is dealing with today is much different than what we would have dealt with even ten or 15 years ago. Things have moved on in terms of intelligence and security. We are members of the European Union, so we are not operating alone in a silo. Many foreign companies invest in this country and employ hundreds of thousands of people here. Properly investing in and protecting our national security and having a good intelligence service is vital for the security of the State, maintaining foreign companies’ investment in our country and protecting our citizens. I hope that the concerns that are being voiced across the board are being heard where they need to be heard. If the impediment is the pension cap and we cannot manage to update it, you would have to wonder. I hope that the matter is being taken seriously. I am sure Ministers are considering it. There is still time to address it before the competition closes, which I believe is tomorrow.