Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on the report of the advisory group on small business, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business and to conclude no later than 5.45 p.m. with the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be called on to reply to the debate no later than 5.35 p.m.

I would like to inform Senators that I have secured commitments from a number of Ministers to come to the House to debate various topics raised in the House in the last session. These debates will be on the Irish language, foreign affairs, disability issues, media standards and children's rights. I can confirm to the House that the Irish language debate will be held next Wednesday, the fisheries debate on 25 January and the foreign affairs debate on 2 February. I do not have dates for the other debates but the Ministers have given commitments that they will come to the House to discuss the other matters.

Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)
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I wish the Cathaoirleach, the Leader and my colleagues a very happy new year and I hope they all enjoyed the break. This session is an important one and I commend the Leader and the other members of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges on the changes made to the way the Seanad operated in the past session. There have been very good and positive initiatives, although more are required.

In that vein, will the Leader consider the role of the Oireachtas in regard to EU scrutiny which has been raised on a number of occasions? The Oireachtas is deficient in the work it does in scrutinising proposed EU legislation. The second Lisbon referendum gave us the powers to scrutinise proposed EU legislation and we should do so if the other House will not do so. I do not believe the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs does so in a detailed way, although it is no reflection on the members of that committee. As I saw on previous occasions, it is effectively a rubber stamp.

Given that our interaction with Europe is probably now more important than it has ever been, because we are in the midst of an EU crisis, it is crucial we are proactive in this regard. Will the Leader seriously consider this? There are a number of EU directives and there is proposed EU legislation on which we could start immediately, and we should do so.

On a number of occasions over the past three months, I asked when the Government will publish its mortgage arrears implementation strategy. I remind my colleagues that the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, gave a firm commitment in this House that it would be done prior to the budget on 6 December, but it was not done. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, said it would be done before Christmas and that the Government would let people know what it would do with the 10% and upwards of principal private residential mortgages which are more than 90 days in arrears, but that was not done.

I heard in media reports that the Cabinet was to get a report last week or is to get one this week. When will the Government publish this long awaited mortgage arrears implementation strategy? It is almost three months since the publication of the Keane report but this report has still not been published. When will this report be published and when will there be some relief for mortgage holders?

I welcome the commitments the Leader received from Ministers to come to the House over the next few weeks. Will he ask the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, or the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, to come to the House to discuss the 150,000 letters the Revenue Commissioners issued in the new year to senior citizens? Everyone must be tax compliant. There is no issue with that. Of those 150,000, 15,000 will have tax taken from them and then refunded.

However, an issue arises whereby 115,000 of those individuals will have very small liabilities but I want to know - the Leader might be able to answer this question - if the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, or the Taoiseach knew about this initiative. It was interesting that in recent days Ministers and the Taoiseach said they were very concerned and they would talk to the Revenue Commissioners but did anyone talk to Revenue before the event? There is no way the Minister for Finance would not have known about this initiative from Revenue. Can the Leader confirm that the Minister for Finance did know of it? What advice was he given and what interaction did he have with the Revenue Commissioners before these letters were issued?

Ivana Bacik (Independent)
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I join with others in welcoming everyone back after the break and wishing colleagues a happy new year and a busy and productive session ahead.

I mention the untimely deaths of two very noted and respected journalists, Caroline Walsh of The Irish Times, and Mary Raftery, whose brave investigative work for RTE, and "Prime Time" in particular, exposed some shameful abuses of individuals, children and those with psychiatric illness in the past. They are sad losses to note over the period.

I welcome the new Jobs initiative announced today led by nine different Departments. It is vitally important that such initiatives are established, particularly given the news over the break of the difficulties experienced by workers who have lost their jobs in companies like Vita Cortex in Cork and La Senza at various locations around Dublin where workers were told of the loss of their jobs at outrageously short notice and are still owed back pay by companies which in other aspects are still trading. It is an issue we need to debate. The Leader has announced the debate tomorrow on the report on small business, which was sought at the end of the last session, and we will have other debates also on jobs initiatives over the coming weeks. I very much welcome these debates because we must be creative in our thinking about job creation and trying to stem the rises in unemployment.

As part of the debate on children's rights I ask that we also incorporate a debate on adoption. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, is in Vietnam this week and I very much welcome the announcement that she is there to seek to conduct the bilateral agreement with Vietnam necessary for adoptions to continue from that country. We had an excellent debate in the previous session of this Seanad on the Adoption Bill which came into force at the end of last year but huge concerns remain. Many of us will have heard from individuals who have friends or family who are very concerned about the issue of adoption and the way adoption law is now operating under the new and much more child friendly regime established by the Adoption Act. It would be useful, given that the Minister will attend the House to debate children's rights, to also have her deal with the issue of adoption, particularly when she returns from Vietnam.

Katherine Zappone (Independent)
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Reports in the media this week indicate that women only shelters for those who are homeless in Dublin have been redesignated as mixed gender. This is a cause of great concern to groups such as Sonas Housing which is working with vulnerable women who are now being accommodated in a chaotic, mixed gender dormitory situation. I have a question for the Leader arising from that which also relates to some preliminary results of a study from Trinity College Dublin on women and homelessness. The study indicates that 96% of homeless women have experienced violence of one form or another, with many experiencing incidents of violence while homeless, and 46% of those surveyed reported sexual abuse during childhood. In the majority of these cases the women surveyed also indicated that the perpetrator of this abuse was a male family member. The results of the survey confirm the need for female only accommodation services for very vulnerable women who may also be experiencing mental health or addiction issues.

Dormitories are not ideal emergency accommodation. Why is this happening now? It did not happen in the past. In 2009, in response to various evaluations on the issue of homelessness and service provision, the homeless agency partnership adopted Pathway to Home, a new configuration of homeless services in Dublin. That reconfiguration involves moving resources away from providing temporary accommodation to longer term support for housing solutions. This strategy, naturally, was broadly welcomed by the sector. Concerns with respect to the implementation of the strategy have arisen, however. The move to mixed-gender dorms appears to be part of the transition in implementing the new policy. My office has conducted some research with the relevant advocacy organisations. These groups have indicated that this situation can be described as the bad implementation of good policy. The reform of public services is top of the Government's agenda. The Minister, Deputy Howlin, has consistently said we have to deliver the same quality of service with less money. I repeat that we must ensure no one is further harmed by the State's behaviour in implementing new policies in light of cuts, or current policies that have not yet felt the brunt of cost reductions. I ask the Leader to raise this issue with the new Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. The Minister of State needs to clarify the current accommodation situation for homeless women in Dublin and set out how the most vulnerable people will be protected while Government policy is being reconfigured.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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Ba bhreá liom beannachtaí na hathbhliana a ghuí ar an Chathaoirleach agus ar mo chomhghleacaithe go léir anseo. I thank the Leader for setting out with determination to arrange for discussions on a number of topics. I acknowledge his efforts in setting dates for debates that have been requested by Senators. I thank him for being so helpful. I look forward particularly to the debate on standards in the media. We have made progress with the conduct of debates in this House. It is now possible to ask questions and receive answers from Ministers. It strikes me that this type of approach will lend itself particularly to the debate on the media. We should continue to explore how we can get the best possible exchange between the Government and the Seanad on some of the issues that need to be teased out.

I want to support what Senator Bacik said about including the issue of adoption in our debate on children's rights. I have been approached by a number of people who are interested in that matter. It is important that we debate it.

The issue of education is also important. The Minister, Deputy Quinn, has come to this House on a number of occasions. There are continuing developments in this area. Over the Christmas period, I was quite struck by the number of people who contacted me to express concern about the change in guidance counsellor positions, which are to become ex-quota. This is causing a great deal of concern. I have noticed that, unusually, concern about this issue has been expressed by people who do not have a vested interest in the matter. They recognise the important pastoral and personal support role that is played by guidance counsellors. It is not just a matter of career guidance - it can be many more things than that. In fact, I was approached on Sunday evening by a lay chaplain who wanted to express his concerns about this issue.

I noted RTE's report on the issue last week. When we debate media standards, I will raise my concerns about the recurring tendency in RTE to try to create a church-State row when no such row appears to exist. I do not think the case for maintaining guidance counsellors within quota should be made on the back of some kind of attack on school chaplaincy. All of these services provide invaluable support. I felt that Emma O'Kelly's report on the matter on RTE was unhelpful. This is an important issue. We need to reflect on all the personal support mechanisms that are available to students, particularly at a time when the morale of people is being affected by so many challenges in society. I would like the issue of the provision of guidance counsellors to be revisited in early course. I hope the Minister for Education and Skills will come here soon so we can discuss the matter.

Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael)
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I wish everybody a happy new year. I look forward to working with every Member of the House in 2012. The media has reported some good news about Ireland's food and drink exports. Bord Bia revealed today that the value of such exports increased by 12% last year, to a total of €8.85 billion. This is very positive news for the agriculture and drinks sectors. The more Irish producers expand their business plans, produce and export, the more jobs will be created. It is noteworthy that the €1 billion increase in this figure, by comparison with 2010, means that these sectors accounted for a quarter of the total increase in Ireland's export revenues in 2011. The total value of exports designated for the UK market increased by 6%. The total value of exports designated for other European markets increased by 16%. The fact sheet for An Bord Bia for 2010-2011 indicates the following trends. The UK market is the primary destination for Irish agrifood and drink exports, accounting for nearly 44% of all our exports. Some 34% of exports went to continental and EU markets while 22% went to international markets. The figures for 2009 show that Ireland's gross agricultural output was valued at €4.73 billion. In 2010, Irish dairy exports rose by an estimated 17% to €2.3 billion. During 2010 Ireland exported an estimated 36,500 tonnes of sheep meat which was valued at €170 million.

We should have a debate on Ireland's food and drinks industry in the context of job creation and in order that we can have a presence and sustain the margins in global export markets. Irish firms need to work together as partners rather than as competitors. There is a possibility to increase the number of jobs in this industry to more than 300,000.

Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)
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I share Senator Comiskey's optimism about the agrifood sector but I ask the Leader to respond to what seems to be yet another sideswipe at the agricultural sector by those who seem to know very little about the difficulties that sector has been facing in recent years. This has come about primarily because last week the IFA published up to date figures on farm incomes, noting they had increased by some 26% to 27%, which is very welcome. The underlying reality is that although this income has shown a significant increase it is still well below the average industrial wage. It is reckoned to be in the order of €21,500 but in the media today there are suggestions that farmers should be prevented from buying farm diesel at a cheaper rate. The attitude is why should farmers be subsidised when they are showing such a significant increase in income?

I am sure the Leader will agree with me that the attitude should be "hands off" the farming industry. Farmers have gone through a difficult period and it is a volatile industry. In the past ten days the more serious commentators on this area who have analysed the increase in income have pointed to this volatility within the sector; one pointing out that milk prices can collapse overnight. Farmers face that particular difficulty. If people wish to make any comment about improvements in the farming industry they should compliment farmers on their hard work and note the achievements of their efforts.

I ask the House to take note of the sad passing of one of the original ambassadors of Irish tourism, the late Bridie Gallagher, who passed away this week. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam. Bridie Gallagher was the first tourism ambassador for Ireland in the 1950s when tourism was only an embryonic industry. She brought out the music and song of Ireland and was a wonderful personality, showing the essence of Irishness to audiences across the world. This was so much so that I have no doubt that the Donegal tourism industry and that of the west of Ireland in general, right down to my colleague's county of Kerry, benefited enormously from the considerable publicity Bridie Gallagher generated when she appeared at the most iconic attractions across the world, including the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York. I would like the Leader and the House to note her passing. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam.

Marie Moloney (Labour)
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I, too, join my colleagues in wishing everybody a happy new year.

I wish to speak about the staff of Vita Cortex in Cork, having visited that plant during the Christmas period and having met with the staff in a dark, lonely and cold plant where they were spending their Christmas. This is a much wider issue than Vita Cortex alone. The same situation is going on all over Ireland, in every town and county, where small businesses and operators are closing down one business but still operating another. I understand and appreciate company law is very complex but it is very unfair that a company can continue to trade another viable company, with the same people, owners and directors, making money from other companies while letting the State pick up the tab for the people they have cast aside, some after 40 years of loyal service to that company. Will the Leader ask the Minister to intervene in this case? The minute the insolvency fund pays out the redundancy-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Senator Moloney, this matter has already been raised.

Marie Moloney (Labour)
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No, this a separate issue from that raised by Senator Clune on the Adjournment. The minute the money is paid out, the €900,000 is gone because the company has claimed inability to pay despite making money across the country. Will the Leader ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to intervene to break the impasse and assist the workers in question?

Feargal Quinn (Independent)
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Senators Bacik and Mooney referred to recently deceased persons. I want to mention Mr. John McCarthy who died yesterday. I got to know him quite well through meetings in Leinster House on several occasions. He was the champion of those protecting depressed people forced to undergo electroconvulsive therapy which he himself suffered. While I may not have always agreed with him, he was a reminder of the work we have achieved through debates here on mental health.

I was delighted to hear the Leader received commitments from several Ministers to attend the Seanad in the coming weeks. I would love if the Taoiseach addressed the House too. I cannot recall if he has attended it since his election.

Mary White (Fianna Fail)
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He has never been in the House.

Feargal Quinn (Independent)
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If we are going to work hard to ensure the benefits of a second Chamber are recognised, it must be done over the coming few months. If we are going to succeed in this regard, we will have to change the Taoiseach's attitude to the Seanad.

Some months ago I raised the matter of illegal diesel laundering which has come to the fore again with the highly toxic sludge found on the M1 near the Border today. Until I heard it on the radio, I had not realised the large sum involved to now remove this sludge and transfer it abroad for proper disposal. While that figure is large, it is only a fraction of what the State is losing through its subsidies for diesel used by the agricultural community. Other countries on the Continent subsidise their farmers for diesel use but in a considerably different way. Our current system only encourages criminality in diesel laundering and forces legitimate companies out of business through unfair competition. The Minister should be reminded this is not a time for talking about the problem but for action to deal with it.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the significant appointment of Charles Brown as papal nuncio to Ireland and his recent ordination to archbishop by Pope Benedict last week. Archbishop Brown worked closely with Pope Benedict for ten years when he was Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It shows how important Ireland is on the Vatican's map.

The presence of our most senior and skilled diplomat, David Cooney, as ambassador-designate to Rome, at the ordination ceremony is equally significant. It augurs well for the future of relations between Ireland and the Vatican. We must remember there was no diminution in those relations as full diplomatic relations have been retained.

Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)
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If the Senator keeps saying that, he might end up believing it. The Government still closed the embassy to the Vatican.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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The Villa Spada now houses our delegation to Italy.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Has the Senator a question for the Leader?

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I have and Senator O'Brien is being helpful.

Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)
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As always.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I believe we will have a full resident ambassador there in a short time. We must allow David Cooney to work his great diplomacy in his skilled way. It will be accepted, hopefully, that the Villa Spada can house a resident ambassador in the fullness of time.

I very much congratulate the man and welcome all that is happening.

Senator O'Brien kindly interrupted me. I agree with all his remarks about EU scrutiny. There is a shortfall in this regard, which the House could usefully take up.

I very much congratulate the man and welcome all that is happening.

Senator O'Brien kindly interrupted me. I agree with all his remarks about EU scrutiny. There is a shortfall in this regard, which the House could usefully take up.

David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
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I wish all Senators a happy new year and I genuinely hope it will be a good year for everybody. Unfortunately, we know this will be a tough year for many. It could be the toughest year yet, socially and economically. The budget cuts announced last year are starting to bite, the end of year Exchequer returns showed that the tax take for the year was down on what was expected and 445,000 people are out of work. More people are out of work now than when the Government took office. We have a jobs crisis and a social crisis because many people will live in poverty as a consequence of Government decisions.

I welcome a number of the statements that will be discussed over the next number of weeks but there are a number of glaring omissions. A number of calls were made before the new year for a debate on job creation. It remains the biggest issue affecting this State. Too many people are out of work and the Leader will be aware that Waterford city has a disproportionately higher unemployment figure. Health and education are critical areas and the relevant Ministers need to come to the House to take statements. The Leader will also be aware of the impact health cuts are having on local and regional hospitals from his own experience in Waterford and of the impact education cuts are having on DEIS schools and on many others schools, which are losing teachers. He attended a meeting in Waterford with teachers from the city and county. The cuts announced in the budget are beginning to bite hard.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Has the Senator a question for the Leader?

David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
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Will he give a commitment to take statements on a number of important issues? For example, a number of Members called for statements on the retail sector. I strongly believe that sector will have its toughest year in 2012. The 2% VAT increase will devastate many small shops across the State.

We all sympathise with the workers in Vita Cortex but the problem is once inability to pay clauses are inserted in legislation, these problems are created. Let us remember that the Government plans to include similar clauses in changes relating to joint labour committees. Members must be clear about they are voting for when they are in government. Some Government representatives spoke passionately about what is happening in this area but they should also remind themselves of what they voting for when such legislation is brought forward.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The Senator is over time.

David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)
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We need statements on jobs, health and education.

Susan O'Keeffe (Labour)
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I wish fellow Senators a productive and busy year. I would like to persevere with an issue I raised previously. I asked for the terms of reference of the HSE's independent review of the Mayo abuse case to be made public. I appreciate it is not that long since I made the request but there has been silence since then. Perhaps the Leader might assist in ensuring they are made public.

I take my leaf of perseverance from a woman who understood the value of perseverance, Mary Raftery, who, sadly, died yesterday. She was a friend and colleague and I learned much from her. However, we learned much for her. She absolutely understood the value of truth and the pursuit of truth underpinned her work, even though that is, as we all know, a difficult thing to do. She never let that stand in her way and she was vigorous in pursuit of things that she believed were important for us as a country to face up to. If we do not face up to that which happened in our past, we will be unable to prepare properly for the future. I would like to acknowledge the work she did and the loss her death will bring to all of us. We should all aim to persevere when circumstances are difficult and, in particular, persevere for the truth. She was a fine and shining example of that capacity.

Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)
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Ireland, no more than any other country, is not immune from the fallout from unrest in other parts of the world. This perhaps is one of the reasons we in this House have on a constant basis supported the Palestinian call for full nationhood, and also for it to be accepted by the international community. It is worth recording, therefore, that at the UNESCO General Conference, by 107 votes to 14, Palestine was granted full membership of UNESCO. Only 12 of the 194 members sided with the US and Israel in opposing that membership and I am glad to say that Ireland supported the application on the part of Palestine.

There is also a sad element to this, however. As a result of that vote, the United States has now withheld funding for UNESCO which amounts to almost 20% of the total funding. If that money is not restored within two years, and it is possible it will not be restored, this would mean the US losing voting rights in UNESCO and also losing its influence, which I do not believe is a good development.

I can only see Palestine coming into UNESCO as helping world peace. At the same time, it has failed to achieve membership of the UN. The only reason it failed was that the Security Council would not recommend it to the General Assembly. Palestine will now go a different route and will look for observer status, which will come down to a simple majority of the General Assembly.

I ask the Leader to convey to the Government the hope of this House that it would continue to support the Palestinian cause, as we have done in the past. I also hope, even though it will require a change in legislation in the United States, that the United States will reverse that decision and will restore funding to UNESCO. Let us get on with the real work of building peace in the world community. Ireland has always been an honest broker in this regard and I hope it will continue in that role in the future.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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I wish the Cathaoirleach and my fellow Senators a happy new year. I am pleased to join with Senator Ivana Bacik in marking how important it is for the Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, to be in Vietnam to renegotiate the bilateral agreement. The House will recall the long and arduous hours we spent in the last session debating the new Adoption Bill, now enacted, and also the 20 families whose files are in Vietnam and who are waiting for their babies. Progress was promised in the last session but it never happened. The Minister's visit is good news.

I join with Senator Susan O'Keeffe in regard to her fine words on the early and untimely passing of that fine journalist, Mary Raftery. Her work did so much for the advancement of children's rights and in many ways has led us to where we are today, on the brink of a referendum on that issue.

I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, to attend the House. The Minister today announced €3.75 million for an initiative on the teaching of science that will revolutionise how science is taught in this country and it is important he tells us more about this project. It is a lot of money in these times and, while I welcome it, I want to know whether this extends to the area of IT. We know many graduates who are not getting jobs in IT because they are not adequately skilled so it is an area where we are losing in the midst of an employment crisis.

Much emotion was expressed over the holiday period in regard to education. There were concerns about cuts to teacher numbers in small schools, on which we need clarification, and there was also a very emotive debate on career guidance. The career guidance counsellor in a school is a teacher, like any other teacher. Up to now, they were ex-quota or outside the teacher allocation but the Minister, Deputy Quinn, has now put them inside it. One might say that is not a bad thing. I condemn in the strongest terms the words of an eminent career guidance counsellor in this country, who is a former president of the career guidance counsellors' association, who stated that changes will cause suicide among young people. There is no causal link between the provision of career guidance and youth suicide. That is only inflaming the issue on something that is so sensitive and important. If anything, what we need is the module on suicide prevention that is in the SPHE in secondary schools-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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There is a debate tomorrow on that issue.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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-----to be taught to all children in schools because it is really when children are well and healthy that they need to learn about suicide prevention. It is important that we do not abuse the airwaves when we have them.

John Crown (Independent)
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I also welcome all my colleagues back. I want to start by briefly paying a personal tribute to the late Ms Mary Raftery, who I have known, off and on, since I was a teenage student in University College Dublin. Her body of work speaks for itself and all I can say is if all lives were lived so well, the world would be a better place.

I want to follow up briefly on the reference to Archbishop Brown and the fact that he used be involved with the office for the propagation of the faith. To remind my senatorial colleague, that was formally known as the Holy Office of the Inquisition. It had a name change at some stage. Perhaps it might be a good idea if Archbishop Brown would bring some of the skill set from the history of that organisation here to conduct some of the investigations into the banking sector.

On a serious issue, the debate about hospital services - local versus central, centres of excellence versus local access - is one that needs to be conducted in a calm and rational fashion. With good heart, honesty and thoughtfulness, people will come to different conclusions. It is something which should be decided, probably not in parliamentary chambers but in areas where experts and local representatives can come together and see the pluses and minuses of it. I do not wish to get into it. It is a major issue.

I feel strongly, however, about the issue of honesty in politics and I am sorry but there is a big, unresolved wound, which opened over the course of 2011 and was only really fully exposed at the meeting of the Joint Committee on Health and Children on 8 December. That refers to the promises which were made pre-election by the then designate Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Health with respect to the retention of services in Roscommon hospital. I do not wish to get into the rights and wrongs of whether those services should or should not have been retained. Fine arguments can be advanced in good faith on both sides, but I am troubled by the sequence of events which, it has now emerged, led to the decision to make a U-turn from what were pre-election opposition party electoral promises to Government policy and which resulted in the 24 hour emergency services in Roscommon being closed.

It now appears that we are being told that the original decision was made by the HSE following a recommendation by HIQA. This decision was then supported by figures, which were reported by the Minister for Health in the other Chamber and in public, which suggested that the disparity of mortality for patients who were admitted to Roscommon or Galway hospital with a heart attack was 5% versus 20%, tying his hands and preventing him-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Has Senator Crown a question for the leader?

John Crown (Independent)
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Yes. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Health to clarify the situation. I believe he was honestly misinformed. We now know that the 20% versus 5% figure is wholly unsafe. Dr. Jennifer Martin of the Department of Health, at the Joint Committee on Health and Children on 8 December, stated that they had originally, while looking at HIPE data - which are not data designed to assess the quality of care - to see that if the data keeping was good, noticed this unusually high mortality rate which alarmed them. This, evidently, was communicated to the Minister who was making the decision about Roscommon. Dr. Martin then stated in the meeting on 8 December that when they re-reviewed the data, they were reassured. I have seen data from Roscommon; they were wrong. It may well be right or it may well be wrong-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Senator Crown is over time.

John Crown (Independent)
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-----to close 24 hour services in Roscommon, but it is not right to make a promise before an election and not to keep it, and certainly not right to do it using figures which are not safe. Dr. Paddy McHugh, the nurses and the doctors of Roscommon hospital-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Senator Crown is way over time. I call Senator Landy.

John Crown (Independent)
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I ask that the Minister, who, I believe, was honestly misinformed, would clarify this for the sake of the reputation of the good staff of Roscommon hospital.

Denis Landy (Labour)
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Like everyone else, I wish everybody a happy new year. All the Christmas cards were very nice and I thank everyone very much.

I want to raise an issue on health which I have raised on a number of occasions previously and which has been raised by many colleagues. I refer to the delay in processing medical cards in the central processing unit in Finglas. I read in the media a number of reports from politicians on all sides, including Deputies Kelleher and O'Mahony, of horrendous cases. In one case the individual was dead when the medical card arrived. In another case an individual who applied in 2010 received a letter in December 2011 stating that the application was being given urgent attention. In the north east, 100 GPs have withdrawn from primary care teams in protest against the delays in processing medical cards.

Senators on both sides of the House have raised this issue repeatedly since July. The Minister for Health stated that he was advised that 80% of medical card applications were being processed within ten working days. Given that the biggest issues facing Members in their constituency work is the delay in issuing medical cards, it is strange that the remaining 20% are approaching all the politicians. The numbers simply do not stack up. There has been no improvement despite the Minister's commitment to intervene. Two Ministers of State from my party have expressed concerns about the matter, namely, the Ministers of State at the Department of Health, Deputies Kathleen Lynch and Róisín Shortall.

I ask the Leader to arrange for a delegation from this and the Lower House to visit the central processing unit in Finglas to find out what is going on. Officials in that building will not even take calls from public representatives. All we can do is e-mail them, which is not good enough in this day and age. People have been waiting longer than one year to have their medical cards renewed. We were told locally that cards would take ten to 15 days and the Minister claims they are being processed within ten days but the truth is that they can take over a year. I urge the Leader to arrange with the Minister for a delegation to visit the Finglas unit at the earliest opportunity so that we can find out what is happening and foster a sense of urgency on the matter.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Leader to arrange an early debate with the Minister for Social Protection. As Members are no doubt aware, a national review is being conducted of community employment schemes. Cuts to the schemes were pencilled in but a review was announced on foot of the cross-party reaction. I ask that all stakeholders be included in the review because I fear we may be penny wise and pound stupid. Services are being provided throughout the country by those who participate in community employment schemes at a cost which the nation can afford. Many of the lone parents who participate in schemes have been told they must opt either to receive the lone parents allowance or participate in schemes without receiving the allowance.

I also seek a debate on health. I acknowledge health matters will arise tomorrow in the context of the debate on suicide but it has come to my attention that, as a cost saving measure, the HSE is not providing locum cover for consultants when they are on maternity leave. This is another example of being penny wise and pound stupid, particularly in respect of Our Lady's Hospital in Manorhamilton where locum cover is not being provided for a consultant on rheumatology who is to take maternity leave from this week. Despite great strides in this area over the past several years, the policy will double existing waiting lists over the coming months. On the issue of communications, Senator Landy referred to delays in medical card applications and we also had the letters from Revenue which were sent to pensioners. The handling of the issue relating to pensioners amounts to elder abuse in the context of-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The Senator's time has concluded.

Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)
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I am about to finish and appreciate the Cathaoirleach's leniency. When I telephoned the medical card helpline recently to protest about the delay in dealing with a client the person at the end of the line, who did not give me a name, informed me there were people on palliative care who had been waiting for a medical card since July 2011. It was as if this in some way justified the level of mediocrity people have been forced to accept. I ask the Leader to address this issue.

Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)
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I, too, extend best wishes for 2012 to the Cathaoirleach and my colleagues. I concur with Senator Landy on the issue of medical cards. We are all aware that the service is in crisis. Those of us who were members of Health Service Executive forums two or two and a half years ago warned that this problem was likely to occur. Unfortunately, we must make the system that is in place work.

I welcome the announcement made by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton, on a jobs initiative. He confirmed that the Government is placing job creation at the top of its agenda for 2012. The House should take every available opportunity to keep jobs at the top of its agenda.

I support Senator Bacik's request to invite the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, to the House to discuss children's rights, including adoption. I raise this issue against the background of a report in national newspapers on St. Stephen's Day that more than 1,300 children contacted the childline service on Christmas day, an increase of 40% on the same day in 2010. It is worrying that on what is supposed to be the happiest and best day of the year for children and families such a large number of children found it necessary to seek help. Financial pressures and difficulties have been cited as part of the reason for the increase, as have alcohol and drug abuse in families. A major debate is required on this issue, including on the wider issue of parenting. If such a large number of children believe it is necessary to seek help on Christmas day, something is seriously wrong in society. We pump large sums of money into training people for all sorts of careers and jobs but pay little attention and allocate few resources to parenting. The House should discuss this issue with the Minister and I look forward to doing so in 2012.

Ivana Bacik (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Mary White (Fianna Fail)
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I draw attention to the ongoing cuts in primary school education. I specifically highlight west Tallaght, including the areas of Fettercairn, Brookfield, Jobstown and Killinarden, where ten primary schools are designated as disadvantaged. The proposed cuts will result in schools in the area losing 25 teachers and 18 special needs assistants in a three year period. The area has ten special support teachers who play a critical role in helping children who have emotional and behavioural problems. Such problems can arise when parents are unemployed and families are in poverty. The ten teachers in question will be lost to the children in question. The 1916 Proclamation states that we cherish all of our children equally. I am at a loss to understand the current cuts, particularly those in primary schools in disadvantaged areas which are cutting off those in society who experience the highest levels of disadvantage. Where are truth, integrity and the belief that we should cherish all of our children equally? Unfortunately, income inequality is increasing and society is becoming more rather than less unequal. I would like an urgent discussion on the growing income inequality.

John Kelly (Labour)
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I support the call by my colleague, Senator Denis Landy, that a deputation visit the primary care reimbursement service, PCRS, in Finglas to see what is going on in regard to the processing of medical cards because it was big topic of debate on every local and national radio station over Christmas. Yesterday, I received a call from my local radio station, which incidentally is the same as the Cathaoirleach's, to remind me that I said on radio 12 months ago that this would not work. Judging by the number of telephone calls coming in, it is simply not working.

I will give one example of someone who had cancer. I told the person to give me the renewal form and that I would send everything to the PCRS with a covering note to ensure it would not get lost. Within three days, I received an acknowledgement from it by e-mail with the name of a person and a reference number. That was followed two weeks later by a letter to the family asking why it had not renewed its medical card. I telephoned the PCRS a few days later but it could not find anything in regard to the family. The reference number it had quoted in the e-mail did not relate to the client whose information I had sent in.

A week later somebody else telephoned me about the matter and said that the medical card would be rolled over for one month while the PCRS tried to find the details. The PCRS came back to me three weeks later to ask that the person send in all the information again. I said that under no circumstances would the person go to all that bother again. Whether the PCRS found the details after that or not, the person eventually received a medical card which was rolled over for 12 months.

There is something scandalously wrong with the way things are being done. There should be a dedicated section to deal with urgent discretionary medical cards. Bearing in mind that the Minister for Health said in this House that he was told by the PCRS that 85% of medical cards are straightforward and are dealt with in ten to 15 days - I do not believe that - I call on the Leader to ask the Minister to call for an internal audit of those figures based on the last six months of 2011.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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I join with the Cathaoirleach in wishing everyone well for 2012. I wish to follow up on what Senator Darragh O'Brien said in regard to our dealing with EU legislative proposals. We are only 50 weeks away from taking over the Presidency of the European Union on 1 January 2013. It would be appropriate for us to have a very proactive role in what the agenda will be in 2013. It is an ideal opportunity to use this House to highlight issues with which we could deal.

Last year, I outlined the fact that there are 129 proposals before the Commission. We could use this Chamber to deal with current proposals before the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council and to set out the agenda and flag issues which could be dealt with in 2013.

I join Senator Darragh O'Brien in calling for priority to be given to setting aside time to deal with EU matters. I met the Government Chief Whip on the matter. If we want to deal with EU matters, additional staff would have to be assigned to deal with them and I understand that is being considered. We should not leave this issue in mid air. We should actively pursue and try to have a programme in place for 2012. We should set aside a particular period of time each month to deal with EU matters.

John Gilroy (Labour)
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I wish the Cathaoirleach and everybody else a happy new year. Senator Marie Moloney's contribution in support of the Vita Cortex workers in Cork was very welcome and I add my voice to it. However, I draw the attention of the House to the plight of the Cork-based Bowen construction workers. Some 92 workers have been left without any final payments or redundancy payments because NAMA refused to facilitate them. In June of last year a liquidator was appointed and during the application process the High Court judge recommended that the Bowen Construction workers be paid what is owed to them. However, within days of the liquidator being appointed, NAMA moved to appoint a receiver to the same company and the workers have now been left without their entitlements. Those are just two cases where NAMA seems to be operating in a manner I cannot understand. I wonder how many more workers are caught in the legal limbo land NAMA has created. It is important that we ask the Leader to invite the Minister, Deputy Bruton, or the Minister for Finance, whoever has sole responsibility for the operation of NAMA - it is difficult to know even that much information - to the House for a discussion on this issue. It appears many workers are being left in this legal limbo land but when it comes to dealing with other sectors of Irish society, we are quick to facilitate them.

Tony Mulcahy (Fine Gael)
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I wish everybody a happy new year. I am delighted we will have a debate on disability but that debate should be as informed as possible. On her second visit to the House the Minister outlined that she was carrying out a value for money audit of disability service providers, in particular those who provide intellectual disability services, and the cost of running those businesses on a day to day basis. I ask the Leader to use the auspices of his good office to ensure that report is made available to us prior to any debate in the House because relevant to the entire debate on the intellectual disability sector is the cost of the provision of service to that sector and its value for money.

What also must be outlined is the payments to the chief executive officers and senior management within those organisations. It is very important that those payments are put on the public record to allow us have an informed debate in this House. In excess of €1.2 billion is being provided for the provision of those services to what is a relatively small number of people. We should not have a debate on the rights of people with disability, which is important, but on the quality and value for money of the service we are providing. That may allow us provide a far better service with effectively the same amount of money. I ask the Leader to write to the Minister to ensure we have that report prior to her arrival in the House.

Caít Keane (Fine Gael)
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I agree with Senator O'Keeffe and express my sympathy to Mary Raftery's family. I acknowledge the fantastic work she was doing. Everybody in this House recognises what she has brought to the fore. She lifted the carpet and exposed many serious issues, and I thank her on my behalf and on behalf of the people of Ireland for doing that.

Regarding the furore over the pensioners tax issue, which somebody termed earlier as the abuse of the elderly, the way it was done was not right in that different language should have been used in the letters that went out. I hope Revenue has learned a lesson in that regard but there should be a general notice for everybody, not just the elderly, that it is their duty to ensure they pay their tax. People who are liable for tax must make sure they pay their tax but I ask the Leader to make it known to Revenue that it should put out a general advertisement in that regard because it was the elderly today who got this type of letter but it could be single parents or another category of people tomorrow who may not understand the letters. The message should go out loud and clear that it is everybody's responsibility to ensure they pay their tax if they are liable for tax.

I compliment the Government on having those operating the computers talking to one another because that is what unearthed the problem. We have had criticism of Departments in terms of one Department not knowing what the other Department is doing. It is a positive development to have those in the Revenue and the Department of Social Protection talking to each other but we should put Revenue on notice that everybody should be informed that it is their duty to pay their tax.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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Senators Darragh O'Brien and Colm Burke raised the issue of the role of the Seanad regarding EU scrutiny and European affairs. I have a copy of the Commission's work programme. It was secured for me by Senator Burke. A number of items in it could be discussed by this House. The official view is that the committees are dealing properly with EU scrutiny. I do not believe that is the situation. I believe this House can and should be used for debates on the Commission's work programme and on EU scrutiny. As Senator Burke has said, the Government Whip has said staff would be required to allow the House to have such debates, in order to ensure the proper information was available to us in advance of our discussions. I hope we can move that on in early course and have these debates. I assure the House that my office will not try to stifle discussion of these matters. This is an ideal forum for debates on the EU work programme and on EU scrutiny.

Senator Darragh O'Brien also called for a debate on the implementation of the mortgage arrears strategy. I will endeavour to have the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, come to the House to deal with the matter.

Senator O'Brien and a number of other Senators referred to the letters that were sent to pensioners by the Revenue Commissioners. I totally accept that the letters have caused confusion, anxiety and concern for some pensioners. Obviously, this is an operational matter for the Revenue Commissioners. They have an independent and legitimate responsibility to do their work. I can tell Senator O'Brien that I am not aware of any contact between the Minister for Finance and the Revenue Commissioners. There are lessons to be learned from exercises like those we have seen. The Revenue Commissioners have accepted that the communication strategy in this regard should have been handled better.

As Senators are aware, officials from the Revenue Commissioners are meeting an Oireachtas committee to debate this matter. I reject the criticism from some quarters to the effect that the political system should somehow be directing the Revenue Commissioners' operational issues. Significant problems have developed in countries which such direction takes place. The Revenue Commissioners are responsible for ensuring people pay the right amount of tax at the right time. The State entrusts that job to the Revenue Commissioners. That is all I have to say on the matter.

Senator Bacik welcomed the new jobs initiative that was announced today, involving nine Departments. I think everyone will welcome that. It is something we should discuss in this House. I remind the House that, following a request for debates to be held in this House without Ministers being present, Senators will be able to come up with job ideas and opportunities during such a debate next week. Everybody in the House will have a chance to propose job creation ideas and suggest what we should be doing. I will allow for an open-ended debate on the matter next week. I hope we will be bursting with job creation ideas then.

Senators Bacik, Healy Eames and Mullins raised the question of Vietnamese adoptions. Reference was made to the fact that the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, is in Vietnam. It would be appropriate for us to have a debate on this issue. We could also discuss the increase in children calling the childline service on Christmas day and throughout the Christmas period, which was mentioned by Senator Mullins. I am sure the Minister would be quite willing to come here to debate those matters.

Senator Zappone mentioned a very important issue, namely, a move to having mixed-gender dormitories for homeless women. The idea is there would be no female-only accommodation. I do not believe it is acceptable there would be no such female-only accommodation. We will certainly raise the matter with the new Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, whom I will invite to the House to discuss the whole area of housing and homelessness, as soon as she has a chance to brief herself.

Senator Mullen spoke about guidance counsellors. Other Members sought a debate on education. I have asked the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, to come to the House and I await his response. He will be present to deal with legislation in the coming weeks but I hope he will be in a position to attend for a general debate on education issues as raised by Members.

Senators Mooney and Quinn mentioned diesel and the laundering of same. There is no doubt this is a major problem and the cost to the Exchequer is enormous at this stage. The matter has been brought up with the Minister on several occasions and I agree some action must be taken. I do not believe there should be any question of removing the subsidy farmers have for agricultural diesel. An Bord Bia and the importance of agriculture were raised by Senator Comiskey. Agriculture is responsible for a good amount of our export growth and it is important that farmers be given every possible incentive to increase that growth. There was significant growth in incomes for the farming community last year but farmers had many years of poor incomes in the past. The average income is not yet up to the industrial wage so I do not believe there is any prospect of removing the subsidy for diesel for farmers.

Senators Moloney and Gilroy mentioned the Vita Cortex situation which will be dealt with as an Adjournment motion today, raised by Senator Clune. Senator Gilroy also raised the issue of workers in Bowen construction. The protection of workers, companies that go into liquidation and the NAMA situation must all be clarified. I agree totally with the Senators in that regard. Workers should not be the ones who suffer as a result of any problems that arise from the liquidation or folding up of a company, or its relationship with NAMA. The Minister must deal with that issue.

Senator Quinn and a number of other Senators passed a vote of sympathy in regard to the death of Mary Raftery. Senator Quinn also mentioned John McCarthy, who was a champion of mental health issues. Bridie Gallagher was mentioned too, as was the literary editor of The Irish Times, Caroline Walsh. All Members wish to express their deepest sympathy to the families of all four people mentioned by various Senators on the Order of Business.

Senator Coghlan spoke about Archbishop Brown, the new papal nuncio, and I am sure we all welcome his appointment. Mr David Cooney is our ambassador designate and the Senator expressed the wish that we would once again have full ambassadorial status with the Vatican and that our embassy there would be restored.

Senator Cullinane sought a debate on job creation and education, matters I have covered. The House will have a very important debate on small businesses and the report of the advisory group on small businesses following the Order of Business. I hope there will be many contributors to the debate.

Senator O'Keeffe asked for the independent report on the Mayo abuse case to be published. I will inquire as to its status in that regard.

Senator Ó Murchú raised the matter of Palestine getting observer status at the UN. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade will be in the House on 2 February and the matter can be raised with him then.

Senator Healy Eames asked if the new €3.75 million fund for the teaching of science, an important area, will include IT. I will find out for her what the funding covers. She also raised the debate on suicide which will be held tomorrow. I originally envisaged it would involve only group spokespersons with a question-and-answer session at the end. However, due to the wide interest in the debate and the number of requests I have had for speaking time, spokespersons will now get eight minutes and other Members five minutes which they can share to allow in as many Members as possible. That is why there may not be a question-and-answer session at the end.

As regards Senator Crown's question about Roscommon County Hospital, I do not intend to rehearse the whole question again. It is operating-----

John Crown (Independent)
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On a point of order. The record needs to be corrected, however. Something was stated in the other House which is incorrect.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Senator Crown, that is not a point of order. The Leader without interruption.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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The matter can be clarified at the Oireachtas health committee for Senator Crown.

Senators Landy and Kelly raised the delays in processing medical cards. I agree with them that most medical cards are not processed within ten and 15 days, as has been claimed. There is also the question of appeals which are then sent to Sligo for processing. I have heard of cases of files not being sent from the Finglas offices to Sligo. There is a problem in this area and a need for improvement. I will raise this matter with the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly. The system is not operating as he feels it is.

Denis Landy (Labour)
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Will the Leader ask the Minister to receive a delegation on this matter?

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I will speak to the Minister but we do not normally send delegations from the Seanad to meet a Minister.

Denis Landy (Labour)
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We can always start.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The Leader without interruption.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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Senator MacSharry requested a debate on the review initiated by the Minister for Social Protection on community employment schemes. She will be attending the House over the month on the social welfare Bill so such a debate can be had then.

Senator White raised the changes to the delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, programme, an important issue for disadvantaged areas. In all, 160 posts will be withdrawn next September, three quarters of them from DEIS-programme schools. These posts arise from earlier schemes to tackle disadvantage and were supposed to be withdrawn after the introduction of DEIS in 2005. However, this did not happen and several schools will lose some teachers in September. The Minister for Education and Skills and the Department have informed me these will be treated sensitively through alleviation measures. There is possibly a choice. If there was a choice between increasing the pupil-teacher ratio and continuing the work in disadvantaged schools, I know what side I would come down on but it is a matter which I will try to get the Minister for Education and Skills to address in the House.

Mary White (Fianna Fail)
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The teachers in the particular schools are concerned that departmental officials never visited the schools.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The Leader without interruption.

Mary White (Fianna Fail)
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Bureaucrats make the decisions.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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Senator Colm Burke raised EU matters, to which I referred earlier.

Senator Mulcahy called for a debate on disability services. He sought the circulation of the audit report on such services to Members prior to the debate because it addresses value for money in the provision of services, the quality of services and the pay of chief executive officers in various disability organisations. I will endeavour to do that.