Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I can speak for myself is the only point I was making. We will have a full debate on the matter on 2 May. I hope I have responded to the genuine questions and concerns raised by Members. I fully take on board what has been said. We will have a full debate in the House on it.

On a completely different matter, Senator Dolan raised the issue of Lough Funshinagh, which was also raised last week. Significant flooding is taking place at Lough Funshinagh, County Roscommon, involving homes and farmland. The environmental impact of the flooding includes the destruction of all the flora, fauna, wildlife, trees and shrubbery. Everything is destroyed because of that flooding. People there have been asking for help for a very long time. I appreciate that Ministers, and our new Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, are working hard to try to address the issue, but for people living in the area around Lough Funshinagh, it is absolutely imperative that help gets there soon. It is unacceptable that it has been allowed get to this state and that the water tables have not been lowered. I certainly wish the Minister of State well. I also offer any support that I or other colleagues here can give to those people. When the environmental challenge we have is being used as a justification or reason to leave people in that situation, we have just completely lost the run of ourselves. The wildlife and plants are all dead because the place is so badly flooded. It needs to be sorted and the red tape needs to be cut through to allow people to get down there to deal with that flooding situation. It should not be beyond us in 2024 to deal with some flooding, get people back up and running, and get farmers back out on their land. I thank the Senator for raising the issue.

Senator Cassells welcomed the news that Tara Mines is to be reopened on an incremental basis. I completely take on board his comments that he wants assurances that the terms and conditions of employees will not be reduced or worsened because they have been left out of work for nine months and are now coming back in. It is an important employer in the area around Navan, County Meath. It is important that employees are respected and taken care of, that the company pays them properly, and that their terms and conditions are protected.

Senator Boylan raised an important issue around the "RTÉ Investigates" programme broadcast on Monday night. It was a historic day when the eighth amendment to the Constitution was removed and, after 35 years of debate, the people had their say. There are certainly regional imbalances in how services are delivered. In more rural areas, where I am from, the service is not the same as it is in Dublin. That needs to be addressed. People did not vote to have better services in one part of the country as opposed to another. The Minister is very aware of that. It is a challenge getting services into some areas but I certainly support equal access to services right across the board.

Senator Craughwell spoke about the migration issue and the pact, which I have dealt with. On the cadet class that has come out, I congratulate those who have graduated from the cadet school in the Curragh. I wish them well in their new career. The Senator hit the nail on the head regarding the elephant in the room, namely, the pension issue. I recently spoke with two members of An Garda Síochána. I was chatting with them in Ballinrobe, County Mayo. There had been a spate of break-ins in the town the night before. The Garda car came from Castlebar because there was no car in Ballinrobe. While that car was in Ballinrobe, there was no car in Castlebar. We chatted about why so many gardaí are leaving the force and the pension issue came up. There were two young men who are probably not that long in the Garda, but the pension issue is clearly a disincentive to stay in the Defence Forces or An Garda Síochána long term. I have no doubt it is the same in the Prison Service. These are unique jobs as regards their demands on the individual. After years and years of training and building up that corporate knowledge, if somebody at a senior level is lost, that person is not instantly replaceable. It takes time to build up that knowledge. We have seen that in the Defence Forces, where we have lost significant knowledge in the organisation that is normally passed down through the ranks and generations. You cannot go to the private sector to get these skill sets. They are home-grown and developed within the organisation. The pension issue needs to be reviewed because the retention issue will get worse and worse across the unique jobs we rely on in the public sector to keep the State working and functioning properly, and protecting our democracy, as is often mentioned. The Garda and the Defence Forces are key to that. The issue needs to be looked at. I thank the Senator for raising it.

Senator Currie welcomed the fact we now have tougher sentencing for knife crime. She touched upon the behavioural reasons for it. When we talk about increasing sentences, we have to acknowledge that, sometimes, they have no deterrent at all and often do not address the numbers committing those crimes. We need investment in communities at an early stage, including supports into communities. We need to deal with poverty. We also need a criminal justice response when the law is broken. It is not just one avenue to address that particular issue. Trying to prevent the thing happening, and the issue occurring in the first place, is obviously the more desirable way to approach it. The Senator asked for an update on community safety partnerships and suggested that Dublin West would be considered.There is a pilot running in the city centre already as part of the community safety partnerships. There are another four pilot projects being run across the country. We can seek an update from the Minister on that. The matter is going to the Joint Committee on Justice for review. We can certainly request a debate on it.

Senator Clonan raised the potential of Israel to retaliating against Iran. There is major concern about an escalation of the conflict in Middle East. I certainly share the Senator's concern for our troops in the Irish camp in Lebanon. They are in a precarious situation. The Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Deputy Micheál Martin, is very much aware of that. There is ongoing contact with the camp and with the Defence Forces to ensure we are abreast of what is happening there. It is a challenging situation and it brings home the point that even though we are involved in peacekeeping and peace enforcement missions they are dangerous missions. When we send our troops abroad they are to be commended for representing Óglaigh na hÉireann and the State with distinction. I am sure it is a worrying time for their families as well.

We have had a number of debates on what is happening in Gaza and we will continue to keep that issue at the top of the agenda. We are all united in our support for the Palestinian people and in seeking a ceasefire. We certainly hope there is not an escalation of tensions in the region. The world is watching on with fear about what might occur if that does happen. I thank the Senator for raising the issue and for keeping it on the agenda in the Seanad.