Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Senators who contributed to the Order of Business. Senator O'Loughlin raised issues surrounding domestic violence from the perspective of men who may be on the receiving end of it. She commended the work of Men's Aid and put its details out there for those who may need to contact the organisation. She also spoke about a positive community gardaí meeting in Rathangan, County Kildare. She referenced school secretaries who are now employed by the Department of Education, which is welcome. It is a step forward and progress and something that has been sought for many years. We have 146 school secretaries in my county. This is a fantastic piece of work by the Department. The Senator also called for a debate with the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, on the HSE recruitment freeze and its impact.

Senator Dolan paid tribute to the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys. We will debate the Social Welfare Bill 2024 today, which will give us an opportunity to speak about some of the issues the Minister has worked on. The Senator specifically pointed to the Minister's work for rural communities and one of the areas the Minister is most proud of, the school meals provided to children across the State. She also highlighted the recent announcement by Minister for higher education, Deputy O'Donovan, on additional college places in important courses, such as medicine and veterinary. The National Training Fund was used to find the funding for this as there is a gap in third level funding.Senator Mullen raised important issues around the ongoing debate on assisted dying or assisted suicide, whatever term people feel is correct. I am not sure that the two are as interchangeable as sometimes they are used because they are quite different. He spoke about a briefing to the Oireachtas Life and Dignity Group today by Dr. Tom Hutchinson. I am not sure if he has Irish heritage but I think there is a connection there. He made an interesting analogy with the Dublin marathon and helping people get over the line and that is often celebrated. I think the Senator has raised very important issues there. There was a very interesting article in the Sunday Independent by David Quinn which I think is very much worth a read. It certainly provokes thoughts. Senator Mullen has been on the joint committee which dealt with this and the rest of us have probably not delved into the question in the same depth as our colleagues who sat on that committee. My party is giving a free vote on that and I imagine other parties will do something similar. It is an area where there is still much debate to be had. It coincides with the debate around palliative care, resourcing that and ensuring it is properly funded. It is something we will all need at some point or other. Hopefully we all get to that stage.

Senator Gavan raised issues around teacher recruitment. He is right to point out that there are acute problems. In my own county, Mayo, and lots of rural communities it is quite difficult to get a teaching job so it is the opposite challenge to the difficulty in recruiting teachers into positions. I know the issue is more acute in Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare, that is, the capital and the commuter belt. There is merit to considering some sort of top-up payment for people working in the capital city because it is just more expensive to live and work here. We need teachers in schools here as well as we do everywhere. It does merit consideration for front-line workers especially, such as teachers, nurses and gardaí to acknowledge the significant additional cost in living here. It is much cheaper to live in Mayo than it is to live in Dublin. That is just the fact. You see many teachers trying to get back to their home counties who cite the cost of living up here. It is something that must be considered to try to address those shortages in the areas where it is most acute.

Senator Gavan also raised issues around housing. We have had this debate back and forth over the past four and a half years. I will say, and I believe, the Government has made housing a top priority. There has never been more money put into housing. There are so many schemes. Cost rental did not exist before this Government. There is the help-to-buy scheme, which I know Sinn Féin wants to get rid of but which we think is helping people get on the property ladder and that is evidenced. There is the first home equity scheme. Sinn Féin wants to get rid of that too but it is another support to get people on the property ladder to buy their first home. There are supports for first-time buyers and on the commencements and delivery of housing, we should reach about 44,000 units by the end of this year. That is an increase on last year and the previous year. The numbers are going in the right direction. Is there more work to do? Yes, of course there is. We still have a housing challenge right across the country where we need to get more homes built. Supply is the key issue there. It is and will remain a top priority for this Government and I am sure the next too, whenever it is constituted.

Senator Wall raised the concerns of those with IBD, colitis and Crohn’s disease which is a very serious condition. I take his points about invalidity pension. That particular payment is directed at those who cannot work due to severe disability and often with Crohn’s and colitis, it is a spectrum. It is probably difficult to assess and many people are working with that condition. It is probably difficult for the Department to categorise, as it were. There should be some flexibility within local authorities on the housing adaptation grants. Every case is different and each individual is different. Giving more autonomy to local authorities to make a decision around meeting the person concerned and assessing his or her individual needs would be a progressive way of doing it because often, one size does not fit all. That is where people fall between the cracks and are not cared for, particularly where they are suffering with a serious health condition.

I take on board the Senator’s comments on the Dublin commuter zone. I share his frustration around that. Promises were made to commuters in those areas. I know Senators Wall and O’Loughlin regularly raise issues relating to Kildare, where many thousands commute daily and the cost difference is significant.Given the cost-of-living challenge we still face, with costs still very high across the board, I will certainly ask the NTA to look at accelerating that. Quarter 1 of 2025 is not that far away, but it still would make a difference to people if it was accelerated by the two or three months to get it over the line.

Senator Carrigy raised issues relating to special school places in Longford. He and Senator Ardagh raised this last week and I know it is an ongoing topic of conversation, particularly at this time of year when parents are looking for places for next year. Two thirds of all special school places that exist today were brought about under this Government in the past four years. The Government has made incredible strides forward in the provision of special education places. However, we were coming from such a low base that there is a considerable way to go yet. It is unacceptable that a child does not have a place when they are ready to go to school. This puts further pressure on parents who are already under pressure. The Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, has responsibility in this area. For both her and the Minister, Deputy Foley, the senior Minister in the Department, it is a top priority to deliver more places. It just cannot happen quickly enough. There remains a huge gap to be bridged.

The Senator also mentioned an advance factory in Longford. A total of €15.5 million was allocated in budget 2025 to IDA Ireland specifically for the purpose of regional development and attracting foreign direct investment. There is money available to buy these sites and build those advance factories. I urge IDA Ireland to progress that with the local authority. It is a matter for the local authority to work with IDA Ireland to try to identify a site and get things moving because it can take a number of years to get planning permission and build a factory. However, the money has been provided in the budget to do exactly that in the regions to try to rebalance the regions.

Senator Craughwell spoke about certain videos and visits from certain individuals to certain politicians but he did not say much more on that. It is a very unpleasant situation. As we move towards the general election, we all need to have a heightened awareness of the impact of the online space on the electoral process and democracy. We cannot underestimate the impact of that on the electoral process. One of the things that has yet to be addressed is the moratorium on traditional media on the day before polling. As this restriction is not placed on social media, there is a gap there which needs to be looked at. It is moving at a faster pace than our laws and regulations are moving. I am sure in the aftermath of the general election we will analyse what the impact has been because it is certainly here in terms of the distortion of the electoral process.

I take on board the point the Senator raised regarding the patchwork of hours that secondary school teachers are often given to try to pull together a full-time job. That has a direct impact on the ability to get a mortgage, build a house, buy a house, start a family, etc. It is something that needs to be looked at. It is more acute in certain areas and with certain subjects, depending on the teacher.

Senator Keogan raised the very sad case of Kyran Durnin. I am completely shocked that it would take two years to notice that a child was missing. There are many reasons for that, including intention on the part of some people not to provide full information to the school or local authority. I hope the investigation yields justice for Kyran. It poses questions for Tusla and other State authorities as to how that could happen for such a young person. We will certainly request a debate on the area. I do not know if we will get an opportunity to schedule it, but the Senator has raised a very important point. Children under the care of the State are the most vulnerable children in the State and we need to keep a close eye on their welfare and well-being. Suicide rates would certainly be of serious concern. These are very vulnerable children. As a foster parent, the Senator will know the kinds of circumstances under which children come to her and what they have come from as well as the challenges they have had to deal with in the early parts of their lives, placing them at higher risk of those types of circumstances. It is a very important point to raise on the Order of Business. I will certainly try to get that scheduled if we get the opportunity to do so.