Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the development of Cork Prison, back from committee, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 2, Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013 - Second Stage, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 1 and conclude not later than 5.45 p.m., with the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes and the Minister to be called on to reply to the debate not later than 5.35 p.m.; and No. 3, Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) (Amendment) Bill 2013 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 5.45 p.m.

Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)
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I know the issue of the ongoing crisis and civil war in Syria has been raised in the House. Could we arrange a debate with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade? I state my support for his stance on the issue. It is a very dangerous situation where certain countries are looking to arm rebel groups, but this will only exacerbate the problem. The Tánaiste was very strong in his statements on this issue a number of weeks ago. However, we need to tease out this issue further. I would not support in any shape or form arming rebel groups in Syria. The Seanad might provide an opportunity for the Tánaiste to bring us up to date on the progress that has been made at EU level in dealing with the conflict.

Tomorrow the Government will announce the new code of conduct on mortgage arrears. We argued vociferously against this on the basis that the Government was also bringing forward the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill which would effectively allow open season on those in mortgage arrears by closing the loophole in respect of home repossessions. I remind the House that over 145,000 mortgages on principal private residences are in arrears. The figure is up by over 50,000 in the two years since the Government took office. In that time we have seen certain initiatives such as the Government advising the banks, including the two pillar banks, that they should be looking at other measures, with which I agree. However, out of between 145,000 and 150,000 mortgages in arrears, we have only seen 52 split mortgages. We have also seen the abject failure of the mortgage-to-rent scheme. I will use the debate this afternoon with the Minister of State with responsibility for housing and planning at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, to discover what is being done in that area in which most local authorities will not even operate the scheme. We are continuing to sleepwalk into a deeper crisis. After the new code of conduct on mortgage arrears is published tomorrow, I ask the Leader to arrange a debate on it some time next week. I have called for a broad debate on mortgage resolution measures for which there has been broad agreement, but I would like us to debate in a constructive way the new code of conduct when it is published.

During a debate on capital investment on 22 November 2011 I raised with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the issue of the greater Dublin drainage scheme, on which the Government proposed to spend over €1 billion. In the light of such massive capital expenditure by the taxpayer, I asked him at the very least to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the scheme. He twice gave me an undertaking that he would have the matter investigated, but he has since refused to do so. He would not take an Adjournment debate on it last week with my colleague Senator Averil Power. The people of the greater Dublin area but of north Dublin, in particular, deserve much better. I, therefore, ask the Leader to use his good offices to follow up on the commitment given to me by the Minister on 22 November 2011 that he would ensure the expenditure on this project would be investigated. A sum of €1 billion or more is not a small amount of money. I, therefore, ask the Leader to raise the matter with the Minister.

Ivana Bacik (Independent)
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I join Senator Darragh O'Brien in calling for a debate on the situation in Syria. It would be timely to invite the Tánaiste to come to the House to discuss the possible approaches that could be taken to this problem. I share the Tánaiste's view on the danger of arming rebel group in Syria. In the context of the G8 summit, we would all have hoped some international resolution might have been found. Many of us might share the view of the Canadian Premier, Mr. Stephen Harper, on the intransigence of the Russian Government's insistence on backing the Assad regime. There needs to be middle ground between arming the rebels and the unquestioning support Russia and Iran are giving the vicious Assad regime. It is a pity something stronger has not come from the G8 summit in County Fermanagh.

I also call for a debate on homophobia in the context of a law proposed by the Lower House of Parliament in Russia which outlaws LGBT activism and criminalises positive depiction of the lives of gay people. This law has received a great deal of international attention and criticism. It is described as the gay propaganda law and is already law in some Russian regions, but there is a Bill being debated in Russia to make it a national law. I am deeply troubled by this development. I know that many other legislators around the world have expressed their concern about this draconian Bill. It is also a matter for the Council of Europe, given that it has made it clear that it expects member states to protect their LGBT communities against discrimination. There have been good recent developments in Ireland in tackling homophobia and homophobic bullying in schools following initiatives taken by the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, and others. It would be good if the Oireachtas, too, could make a strong statement condemning this law.

I welcome the announcement that the Greek broadcaster, ERT, will be back on air following the court ruling that required the government to allow broadcasts to continue. The NUJ in Ireland has been very supportive of the employees of the public broadcaster and condemned the Greek Government's closure of it. I welcome the European Broadcasting Union's assistance for ERT employees in continuing to broadcast, even when the official signal was closed down. we all hope to see a resolution of that issue in a way that will protect the journalists working for ERT.

John Crown (Independent)
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I have an urgent request for the Leader to bring to the attention of the Minister for Health something that has been bubbling under the radar for several weeks, the uneven access to cancer treatments for patients with private health insurance, depending on which company they are with. This causes spin-off problems for the public health service because patients who require particular treatment and have been paying a premium all their lives to their insurance companies in the expectation that legally approved treatments available in the public system and with other insurance companies would also be available to them are being denied. Their doctors, after a process of appeal to the company fails, have to discharge them from the private system and bring them to the public system where the treatment is given at taxpayers' expense.

I will be specific without mentioning any patients' names. I have one patient who is battling a serious problem with malignant melanoma. He has been deemed appropriate for the drug Ipilimumab which will be familiar to many in this House as a result of advocacy here and elsewhere and because of a recent high profile patient who bravely went on air and told the story of how he had received substantial benefit from the treatment. The insurance company in question is GloHealth and it has informed me that it will not cover its members for treatment with Ipilimumab. I regret to state that at this point the Garda's insurer, St. Paul's Garda Medical Aid Society, which I have found to have a good scheme and which gave its members great coverage has also been difficult in this regard, whereas VHI, Aviva and others have been paying for it. One could understand if there had been some failure of approval of this drug. However, it has been approved for routine use. It is an extraordinarily exciting drug. It gives huge benefit, albeit to a small number of patients, but they would otherwise inevitably have a fatal outcome.

The Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, courageously and correctly at a time of mounting financial pressure on him made the compassionate and humane decision that this treatment would be available to public patients, about which I was delighted. However, I do not know what pressure he can bring to bear in terms of insurance company approvals, but I will gladly say people have choices. Anybody opting to take out private health insurance should think long and hard before he or she signs up with GloHealth. This is the thin edge of the wedge. If this company is adopting a policy of putting itself outside the mainstream of what is considered acceptable practice, potential customers need to know this because it is very good a pointing to potential putative benefits of joining it.

I would like to make a bigger point on what is a nice sunny day. The highest rate of malignant melanoma of any group in the world - I am looking at my fair skinned red haired colleague - is among fair skinned red haired Irish people who move to live in sunny countries. The highest incidence is among Irish people living in Australia. God did not design us to live in the sunshine. We were evolutionarily adapted to live under grey misty skies. As soon as we started to travel, this tragedy occurred. The incidence of malignant melanoma in this country between 1998 and 2008 doubled from 400 to 800 cases. Thankfully, with early diagnosis - the disease has a bad reputation - most people will be cured. However, the incidence of fatal widespread secondary melanoma has also doubled and as these trends are likely to continue, we need to have access to treatments.

I would like to put another thought into the Leader's head to be conveyed to the Minister. The waiting lists to see dermatologists, both public and private, are unacceptably long owing to an unbelievable shortage of dermatologists. As a result, patients are presenting late and there is a higher chance they will have an incurable disease when they present. By saving some money in the short term by not having people appropriately employed, we are saving up a big problem, not only a humanitarian and health problem but also a financial one when these patients come back with more aggressive and more advanced disease.

Terry Brennan (Fine Gael)
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It was no surprise to me when the First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Michelle Obama, when dining last night with her daughters at Matt the Threshers, a well known restaurant in Dublin, requested Carlingford oysters as her starter.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?

Terry Brennan (Fine Gael)
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Bearing in mind their worldwide reputation as an aphrodisiac-----

Mary White (Fianna Fail)
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Lir Chocolates are an aphrodisiac.

Terry Brennan (Fine Gael)
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-----the life improving qualities are enhanced if they are actually consumed in my own medieval town of Carlingford where these oysters have been reared by local fishermen for many years. I take the opportunity to extend an invitation to the Obama family to come to Carlingford to test the veracity of my statement.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the National Asset Management Agency transparency Bill be taken today in the light of the fact that former employees of NAMA are threatening Members of the House. Mr. Paul Hennigan was employed by NAMA and went to work for an asset fund in London. Part of his job-----

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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It is inappropriate to name people who are not here to defend themselves. Bí cúramach.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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As the person I mentioned was threatening Members of this House, he deserves a little recognition for the fact that he seems to want to silence Members of the House.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Two wrongs do not make a right.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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It is inappropriate for any member of the public to try to prevent a Member of this House from doing his or her job, whether in raising issues of concern or a loss to the taxpayer. I fail to understand how NAMA has not included a clause in its employment contracts that employees who leave to work in other areas are not able to work in areas in which they could utilise sensitive information available to them. I notice that Senator Paul Coghlan is chomping at the bit. He keeps telling us that NAMA is as white as the driven snow. He is clear-----

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Paul Coghlan will be well able to make his own contribution.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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His coalition colleague, Senator Higgins, has raised the issue and everybody knows the taxpayer is at a loss in the way NAMA is selling its properties because it is not doing it according to the legislation and in an open and transparent manner. I support my colleague in calling for a debate on mortgages. The new code of conduct is coming out tomorrow and it will be a charter to terrorise those who are in arrears.

Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)
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Hear, hear.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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The 145,000 who are in arrears will not be protected by the previous code of conduct whereby they could be contacted only three times a month. Now they can be contacted three times an hour. I ask for a debate on this because I understand the code of conduct is illegal. I ask the Leader for a debate on the question whether this code of conduct has any basis in law.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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As a matter of clarification, which Bill does the Senator wish to prioritise?

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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The NAMA transparency Bill.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Is that on the Order Paper?

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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It is.

John Kelly (Labour)
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Like Senator Crown, I raise the issue of the private health sector. I am concerned about what the Senator said because I changed my insurance over to GloHealth this year to save myself some money and it is a major concern for people who are changing insurance providers because they do not read the small print. I did not read the small print and was unaware of the issue Senator Crown raised.

I wish raise an issue relating to the insurance company I left. I was listening to Joe Duffy's radio show yesterday and a man announced that after his wife had had an operation in Beaumont Hospital and spent two nights there, he had received a bill for nearly €17,000 for her two nights' accommodation in the hospital. The bill for the operation and all the other ancillary services provided came to €1,200. When his daughter came home from America she thought this was incredible, so she phoned the insurance company in question and said she had a similar problem and needed to get it dealt with and that she did not have private health insurance but was prepared to go private. She asked how much a bed in the hospital would cost for her and they told her it would be between €700 and €900 per night, as distinct from what her mother paid, which was €8,500 per night. We need the Minister to come to the House and clarify why insurance companies can have deals with private hospitals which mean the taxpayer pays more for private health insurance because we have to fund this excess and waste in the system.

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein)
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Ba mhaith liom ceist a chur ar an gCeannaire, ceist a chur mé cheana, maidir le díospóireacht faoi chúrsaí Leader. I have asked on a number of occasions if it is possible to have the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, come to the House to discuss the Leader programme. There is a group from west Cork outside the gates today because they have certain issues with the way Leader is being administered, the plans for the future and the so-called alignment of the local development companies. Could the Leader indicate when that debate might happen?

This time last year we were all invited to a presentation in the audio-visual room from the group that was setting up Student Universal Support Ireland, SUSI. I have a letter from a constituent who has still not received his grant from SUSI. He is in an appeals process. His appeal was submitted 83 days ago, although SUSI's policy states it will deal with appeals within 30 days. He notes there are advertisements for the process for next year, the academic year 2013-2014, in which SUSI is asking people to make applications. It is clear that SUSI has been a disaster when it comes to administering these third-level grants. It might be useful if we could have the Minister for Education and Skills in to talk about that sooner rather than later so we can examine that process.

While the Minister is in he might also discuss the fact that more than 1,000 retired teachers were back for State exam jobs this year. The State Examinations Commission hired 1,049 retired teachers to ensure exam halls were adequately staffed this year, despite its stated wish to recruit unemployed and under-employed teachers for superintendent roles. We had a debate here last week on youth unemployment and it is hard to believe this number of retired teachers are being brought back when we have so many unemployed young teachers out there who need this work and should have been given first preference on such jobs.

Perhaps the Minister for Education and Skills might address both issues, SUSI and retired teachers, when he comes to the House.

Deirdre Clune (Fine Gael)
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Last Friday the European Council agreed to start talks with the USA on a transatlantic trade and investment partnership. It is a positive move which represents a great opportunity for indigenous Irish companies across all sectors to export to the huge US market. There is a great deal of work to be done on common regulatory standards and investment rules and I wish all those taking part in the talks well and look forward to a fruitful outcome.

I ask the Leader to provide for a discussion in the House on the annual report of the Pensions Board which was launched by the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, this week. Pensions are a serious issue for many following the financial crisis. Many who invested in property expecting to make a return to provide for their later years now find that that is not going to happen. People who invested in bank shares and made other provisions for their retirement have been disappointed. There is a great deal in the report and it is important that it be aired in the House, in particular to discuss defined benefit schemes. The report states there is actuarial evidence of a €16 billion hole in defined benefit schemes. In Cork Permanent TSB workers face problems and the European Court of Justice recently issued a decision in respect of the Waterford Crystal workers. Workers at the Irish Independent also have issues. Future pensions provision and the serious difficulties faced by many defined benefit schemes are issues the House should discuss with the Minister.

Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
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It was not possible for me to attend the Order of Business last week and I did not have the opportunity to express my deepest sympathy to Mrs. Bridie Fitzgerald and her family on the death of the late Senator Tom Fitzgerald. Tom was a particularly close friend of mine and a great adviser to me on the first occasion I stood for election to the Seanad. I was greatly indebted to him for the help he had given to me. We gave him a great send off in Dingle and I express my deepest sympathy to his wife and family.

It is nice to have a bit of good news on a Tuesday morning. I welcome the announcement at the weekend of the new rejuvenation project for Limerick city. I understand it will be a public private partnership project aimed at restoring Limerick to its rightful place as the retail centre for the mid-west region. It has the blessing, naturally, of the Minister for Finance and politicians of every hue and I wish it well. On the same day Foynes Harbour Board announced 150 jobs at a new energy plant on the docks at Foynes. As a director of the harbour board for 16 years, I note that this is something to which we have longed looked forward and it is wonderful to see it come to pass.

Approximately six months ago I had a matter on the Adjournment on the other major project awaited on the Shannon Estuary - the Shannon LNG gas terminal. The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, attended to discuss the matter and was extremely positive, as has been his Cabinet colleague, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan. The Minister, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, indicated that there would be significant developments in the coming months. I suggest it is now timely for him to attend the House to provide a general outline on the issue of energy security and developments in Ireland, particularly in the mid-west.

Marie Moloney (Labour)
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I refer to the horrific tragedy at the weekend in County Kerry involving the double murder of a 27 year old woman, Jolanta Lubiene, and her eight year old daughter, Enrika, and express my sincere sympathy to their family. As a murder investigation is ongoing, I will not comment further.

The Educational Research Centre has raised fundamental concerns about the teaching of science and maths in school, particularly at primary level.

In primary and secondary schools, teachers express concern that not enough time is allocated to the teaching of these subjects. Primary teachers also express concern that their curricula are outdated and that, in the area of science, only 7% of Irish students reach the advanced benchmark level for scientific achievement. Irish primary school teachers feel they are not equipped with the right training and equipment. I refer to the report that reveals that only 12 hours out of three years training was allocated to the teaching of science in Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. Ireland comes 22nd in the OECD rankings, which is about average. When the Minister for Education and Skills is in the Chamber, I would like to raise these issues with him and ask him why the concerns of teachers are not being addressed. We should prioritise those areas.

Senator Ó Clochartaigh referred to retired teachers. During the year I raised this issue at the Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection and we received an assurance it would not happen again, that retired teachers would not be utilised for substitute teaching or supervising exams. Obviously, the assurance did not hold up. These are areas of concern and should be discussed in a debate. I would appreciate if the Leader would put these concerns to the Minister for Education and Skills.

Sean Barrett (Independent)
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The Chancellor of the Exchequer in the UK said the issue of corporate taxation has moved more in the past 24 hours than in the previous 24 years. I draw the attention of the House to an OECD report produced in May on base erosion and profit shifting. A follow-up volume was produced for Enniskillen, entitled A Step Change in Tax Transparency. It goes forward to the July meeting of the G20. The area is moving very fast and it has implications for Ireland. I ask the Minister for Finance to address the issue of the changing corporate tax base and the wish of international public opinion to deal with the problem of base erosion and profit shifting. It poses a challenge for Ireland to respond to the situation.

Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the good news that €30,000 has been allocated to Leitrim County Council to have a look at the old railway line that runs from Sligo through Leitrim and Cavan into Northern Ireland, with the prospect of opening up a greenway. This would be a great boost for jobs in the area in its construction and in tourism enterprise. The fact that it runs close to the original Rainbow Ballroom of Romance, which I spoke about on a number of occasions, and close to the original cottage of the late Seán Mac Diarmada, one of the seven signatories to the 1916 Proclamation, means it would be great to have it all linked. It would create an amazing tourism industry across Sligo, Leitrim and Cavan and onto Enniskillen. It is appropriate that the funding comes now that the G8 meeting is taking place in Enniskillen.

Mary White (Fianna Fail)
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As a three times elected Senator, it is my duty to uphold the principles of democracy in our little country. The slash and burn approach of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, to abolishing town councils all over Ireland disempowers Irish citizens and centralises power in the hands of unelected local authority officials. Town councils, each with a sense of identity, are drivers of economic growth, of enterprise development and of the many festivals and events they organise in towns. Many of these are based on the local produce of the area, such as the prawn festival in Howth, which is in the electoral area of Councillor Eoghan O'Brien. These local government cuts not only decrease the political representation of our citizens but also the voice of our citizens at national level.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?

Mary White (Fianna Fail)
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I wish to ask the Leader if he will invite the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan to the House. I would like to have it out with the Minister about this cut to the democratic deficit.

How dare he cut the democratic deficit in our little country. Fianna Fáil is opposed to this attack on local democracy and it is important to remember that the 500 democratically elected town councillors will lose their jobs. The Minister is putting people out of their jobs.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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I was not present last Thursday because EMC announced the creation of an additional 200 jobs in Cork. This brings to more than 2,000 the number of employees the company has in Cork. I pay tribute to the company and to its chief executive officer, Mr. Bob Savage, who is also the chairman of the board of Cork Institute of Technology. I refer to the changes he has brought about since taking over as chairman and the need for the connection between industry and our educational institutions. On Sunday, it was reported that there were more than 4,900 vacancies in the IT sector because we do not have sufficient people with the necessary skills in a number of areas, especially in the context of languages. It is important that the connection between industry and our educational institutions continues to be developed.

The cost of HSE agency staff was published earlier. A total of €176 million was spent in 2012. The cost of agency nurses increased from €105 million to €123 million while the fees paid for nurses on call increased from €27.7 million to €43.1 million in one year. This emphasises the importance of the Haddington Road Agreement. If it is adopted by all the unions - and hopefully it will be - there will be an opportunity to employ an additional 1,000 nurses in the health service. That is important to assist in the reduction of the expenditure on agency staff. Will the Leader schedule a debate on public sector reforms over the past two years if not during this session, early in the next session, to establish what reforms have taken place to date and what needs to be done in the next two years to make sure issues such as this do not continue to arise?

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I refer to a comment by Senator Paul Bradford regarding the proposed abortion legislation, the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013. He said that he did not think that hiding under a Whip was the correct way for Oireachtas Members to approach such a contentious Bill. He is quite right and I ask the Leader whether we should have a debate on the operation of the Whip and the possibility of a free vote on an unprecedented life and death issue such as this. In other jurisdictions, conscience issues of such moment are the subject of a free vote.

I prefer that the Fine Gael Party keeps its election promise and one could argue against a Whip on the basis that everybody signed up to a particular promise but it is infinitely preferable to breaking that promise and legislating for abortion to allow people at least the freedom of their consciences. Many Deputies and Senators are deeply troubled by this legislation. I do not have to remind colleagues either that this House is under scrutiny these days and it is important that we show our distinctiveness and that we take issues perhaps more seriously on occasions than the other House. More important - and another reason - are the extremely disturbing comments made by the Minister for Health on Sunday when he admitted that the Bill would probably result in more babies being delivered having suffered damage because of their premature delivery.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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The Senator should quote the Minister properly if he going to do so at all.

Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)
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That is not what the Minister said. The Senator should not misquote him.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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It is absolutely Orwellian and dystopian. I am misquoting the news report. The Minister said he accepted that.

Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)
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I insist that the Senator does not misquote the Minister, especially on something as profound as this. I also insist that he puts it in the context of the conversation.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I have never misquoted anybody in this House.

Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)
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In the context of the conversation-----

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Mullen's time is up.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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The Minister did accept that this legislation would see this terrible scenario. He tried to justify it on the grounds that the only alternative would be to force pregnancies to continue but we are not here talking about necessary medical treatments where a physical illness requires an intervention; we are effectively talking about abortion on request.

Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)
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We are not.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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There is no medical evidence to back up-----

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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We are not having the debate today.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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That is what it amounts to.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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There is a full month ahead for that debate.

Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)
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He is not only misquoting the Minister but he is also justifying the facts that suit himself.

Ivana Bacik (Independent)
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On a point of order, the Senator insists on misrepresenting both the nature of the legislation and the Minister’s comments.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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We are not having a debate on it.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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This is the type of denial we have been getting from-----

Ivana Bacik (Independent)
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The Senator is in denial.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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-----in recent weeks and months. That is what really has people frightened.

Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)
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Senator Mullen’s commentary is the type of misrepresentation that we have had to listen to over the past three to five weeks.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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The Senator's time is up.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I will happily compare notes with people of goodwill on any side of the House on this issue, but I will not be fooled by the head honchos on the Government side who want to swear that black is white, and to avoid frightening the-----

Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)
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How does the Senator interpret goodwill?

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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Given that there are people deeply troubled on both sides, I believe what has happened here is a clear indication that we ought to have a debate on the possibility of a free vote.

Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)
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It is a clear indication of the Senator's misrepresentation of the facts and his own justification to suit his own facts.

Catherine Noone (Fine Gael)
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I support Senator Crown on the issue of private health insurance. I work for many insurance companies in my other job. Their practice is generally to avoid paying when they can; that is just how they operate. People should be warned that they should read the small print. I agree with Senator Kelly in that even those of us who should know better do not always read the small print. In many instances, people find out about problems with their health insurance cover when they are most unwell and in a very vulnerable state. This issue should be debated, not least because of the serious rise in the cost of health insurance, irrespective of the company one is with. We could very usefully debate this in the House in the very near future.

Let me raise an issue brought to my attention by a councillor in Dungarvan, of which issue I have no doubt the Leader will be aware. There has been an increase in rates of between 30% and 100% for many of the businesses in the town. One business saw an increase of 1,100%. Can one imagine this? The increases are devastating for the retail sector, especially in a small provincial town. I am concerned about a precedent being set for other small towns. We should invite the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to the House to discuss this in the very near future. The rates increases are stifling small towns.

I was surprised but highly irritated when I read the newspapers on Sunday to see that supermarkets are still peddling below-cost beer aggressively. Incredibly, beer in Tesco was cheaper than water and other soft drinks during promotions that were advertised in many Sunday newspapers last weekend. I am often slagged for being a killjoy in this area but it should be noted I enjoy a drink as much as the next person. However, what is occurring is clearly wrong in every sense. How on earth can beer cost less than water or fruit juice? What sort of message is this sending out? Retailers are selling beer for just 65 cent per bottle while bottles of water are retailing at 90 cent. This highlights the need to stop the below-cost selling of alcohol with immediate effect. I do not know what is happening with the alcohol strategy but understand issues arise over the advertising aspect. We have heard much debate in recent surveys that has centred on alcohol sponsorship. A far simpler, quicker and more effective way of reducing dangerous and excessive consumption of alcohol by young people, and people at home in a less controlled environment, is to end the below-cost selling of alcohol. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Alex White, should be invited to the House to discuss this ever-worsening and very serious problem.

Susan O'Keeffe (Labour)
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As I am sure others have done, I welcome the First Lady of the United States and her family to Ireland. I hope they have enjoyed their brief stay. They have done the country a service by raising its profile and drawing attention to our tourism product. I thank the US President, Mr. Obama, for having had the foresight to quote William Butler Yeats while he was here and for never missing an opportunity.

Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)
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He quoted incorrectly.

Susan O'Keeffe (Labour)
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It was not incorrect.

Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)
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It was in the wrong context.

Susan O'Keeffe (Labour)
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We will forgive him. Even I will forgive him.

Following a very successful Yeats day in Sligo last Thursday, I thank Senators for their good wishes. In advance of the visit of Prime Minister Abe of Japan to Dublin tomorrow and to cement the links between Ireland and Japan which promise enormous economic, tourism and cultural benefits, I thank Ambassador John Neary who will host a Yeats' day event in Tokyo on Saturday for a wide group of people. I will have the pleasure of speaking at the symposium with the ambassador. Cultural and international links are being built. I ask that at some point we have a discussion on whether we can invite other people to come to Ireland. We can ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, to invite others to come to Ireland to enjoy a variety of activities. We are very good at inviting journalists from other countries to come to Ireland and write articles in their newspapers. Perhaps we might short-list four or five interesting people from across the world to come to Ireland to enjoy our company, beautiful sites, culture and so on. There have been calls for another debate on that issue. I, again, thank Members for their good wishes. We had a great day and celebrated Yeats in style.

Michael Mullins (Fine Gael)
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I, too, welcome the fact that a very positive image of the island, North and South, has been projected around the world in the past few days. I hope it will result in many more visitors coming to the country and partaking of the Carlingford oysters to which Senator Terry Brennan referred.

I hope positive progress is being made at the G8 summit on the conflict in Syria. I support Senator Darragh O'Brien's call for the Tánaiste to give us an update on progress. We all want to see a peaceful resolution as a matter of urgency of the appalling conflict in which so many people have lost their lives and millions have been displaced. I hope the other leaders are able to persuade Prime Minister Putin to change his stance, urge a peaceful resolution and get everybody around a peace conference table as a matter of urgency. It would be very appropriate for significant progress to be made on the island of Ireland in that regard.

Reference was made to health insurance costs. Everybody agrees that the system needs a root and branch review and is highly dysfunctional. Taxpayers are being fleeced on an annual basis. We have heard of the possibility of a 30% increase in insurance costs. The figures mentioned by Senator John Kelly are alarming. Somebody who paid health insurance was charged €8,500 a night for accommodation, but if he or she had paid cash, the cost would have been between €900 and €1,200. There is something appallingly wrong with this. I heard a story yesterday - it may have been the same programme to which Senator John had Kelly listened - where a consultant arrived at a person's bedside to tell her that, unfortunately, he was so busy that he would not be able to see her until the following day. The woman was charged for two visits to her bedside by the consultant. There is something wrong with such a system. Once upon a time if a person went to a garage to have repairs carried out to his or her car, he or she would have been asked whether it was an insurance job or whether he or she was paying cash. We are now seeing the same in the case of health insurance. I welcome the comments of the Minister on "The Week in Politics". We would welcome an opportunity to have an open and frank debate with him on health insurance costs and how the structure can be reformed to give value to the taxpayer.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I refer to Senator Mark Daly's ongoing fatwa against NAMA. He has not hit the target once.

In fact, he has not substantiated a single charge. In regard to the proposal he has made today, I can only urge the Senator to bring it on.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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As I am loth to referee a Kerry battle, I ask Senator Coghlan to make his point as quickly as possible.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Coghlan is well aware that 500 acres were sold in Cork city and nobody in the area was aware it was for sale.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Coghlan, without interruption.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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Senator Daly has never been specific when it was put up to him.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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All the information is in the newspapers.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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He needs to put up or shut up. He made a very serious charge today.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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It is in the newspapers.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Daly must allow Senator Coghlan to speak.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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One cannot believe everything one reads in the newspapers.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Coghlan's parliamentary colleague has made him aware of the problems with NAMA but he refuses to listen.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I did not interrupt Senator Daly when he was speaking.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I ask Senator Daly to resume his seat. It is unfair to interrupt another speaker in this way. I advise Senator Coghlan that it might be prudent not to draw Senator Daly on any further.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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The Senator made a very serious charge today of illegality. I am not aware of NAMA doing anything illegal. In fact, the recent reports shows how well it has performed thus far on behalf of the taxpayer. That performance has been commented on favourably by the Minister for Finance and others in authority in this country. I am interested to see what rabbit the Senator might pull from the hat this time. I hope he will at least be more specific.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Coghlan can read about these matters every week in the newspapers.

Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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I am not concerned with what might be written in the newspapers. Senator Daly has filled a lot of space before, but there was nothing to it.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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In regard to the particular matter I have raised, I will supply the Senator with all the information he wants, including on Portman Square in London, which proves that the taxpayer is at a loss.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Daly cannot interject in this willy nilly fashion on the Order of Business. To clarify, in regard to the Senator's proposed amendment to the Order of Business, the Bill to which he referred was defeated on Second Stage on 6 June 2012 and, accordingly, is no longer on the Seanad Order Paper. The Senator cannot, therefore, move an amendment to discuss the Bill.

Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)
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A new survey by Amárach Research shows that more than 80% of Irish people, or eight out of ten, believe that parliamentarians should have the right to a free vote on conscience grounds on the proposed abortion legislation. It is an issue that is exercising many people at this time. Young people in particular are shocked that parliamentarians are not entitled to a free vote on this fundamental issue of morality and life.

Will the Leader ask the Taoiseach to come to the House for a debate on the right to conscientious objection on moral issues? This should be par for the course in a democracy and within political parties. Indeed it is a mark of a mature democracy. The Whip system is preventing that from happening and is impeding critical thinking on reasoned and informed conscience grounds. The Whip system is a very dangerous weapon when it is used to whip people's thinking into line on serious conscience issues to do with life and death. After all, what is a democracy without freedom of conscience? We are appointed to the Oireachtas, either by direct or indirect elections, yet when it comes to serious moral issues such as this we are told to leave our brains outside the door. The Irish people do not want us to do so. They have spoken in this research and eight out of ten of them support the right to conscientious objection. I ask for a considered debate on this issue.

Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent)
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On a point of order, will Senator Healy Eames indicate how many people were surveyed for this research?

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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That is not a point of order; it is a point of provocation.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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There have been several welcome announcements in regard to healthy living initiatives in Clare in recent days, relating to the construction of walkways, cycleways and greenways. The coastal walkway connecting Liscannor and Doolin, for example, was officially opened last Friday. It follows the opening of a beautiful cycle lane between Ennistymon and Lahinch.

Today it was finally announced that we will see research, development, planning and design for the old West Clare Railway, which will eventually connect Ennis to Lahinch via Corofin. Essentially, this will be a greenway that connects Ennis to the Burren through cycleways and coastal walkways. All of this is very healthy and good for tourism and economic development. It presents a package that will be very attractive internationally to people who want to come on healthy holidays to Ireland. There is a huge market for healthy holidays throughout the world and we can capture some of that and capitalise on it.

I want to bring to the attention of the Leader an unfortunate position with regard to the coastal walk. Clare County Council had the contract for this walk, but some of the subcontractors have not been paid. There is great merit in the allocation of public contracts in such a way that the local authorities or public bodies in question can retain a certain percentage of the funds to cover the cost of subcontractors that have not been paid. The news of the proposed works is positive, but unfortunately some people with families are still waiting for payment for works carried out on behalf of taxpayers. The taxpayers have paid, but the subcontractors are still waiting to be paid. This is a regrettable situation. We need to see an alteration to the e-tender documentation system to ensure we have some sort of protection for poor unfortunate subcontractors who are trying to make a living.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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Senators O'Brien, Bacik and Mullins called for a debate on Syria. I will ask the Tánaiste to come to the House to update us on the current negotiations and Ireland's stance on that country. Senator O'Brien also called for a debate on the new code of conduct on mortgage arrears, which will be issued today. We will have the Central Bank (Supervision and Enforcement) Bill in the House this week and there may be an opportunity to discuss that matter with the Minister during the debate on that Bill. However, if further debate is required, I will try to arrange for the Minister to come to the House again to discuss the new code of conduct. With regard to the Senator's question on the greater Dublin drainage scheme, I understand the matter was addressed in an Adjournment matter here last week by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan.

Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)
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He washed his hands of it.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I will certainly raise with the Minister the question Senator O'Brien asked about the statement made by Deputy Howlin in this House in 2011.

Senator Bacik also called for a debate on homophobia, in light of the Bill being taken in the Russian Parliament. We have had a number of debates in this House on that issue. The Bill mentioned is very disturbing, but we have had a number of debates on the matter.

Senator Crown and others raised the issue of uneven access to cancer services and the difficulties with some insurance companies with regard to payments and the prescription of drugs. This is a cause for concern and the Senator is quite right to point out that some insurance companies are unwilling to cover the drug in question. I suggest the matter can be discussed when we have a debate this week on the Health (Amendment) Bill with the Minister. I compliment the Minister on his participation in our excellent debate on hospital services last week. The Minister spend some considerable time with us discussing the hospital service groupings and a number of other issues raised by Senators during that debate. I urge Senator Crown to raise the issue with the Minister.

I advise Senator Michael Mullins and other Senators who raised the issues of hospital charges and payments, appointments and private health insurance to raise them during the Second Stage debate on the Health (Amendment) Bill 2013 later today.

Senator Terry Brennan lauded the benefits of Carlingford oysters. I have nothing further to add to his comments on the subject.

Senator Mark Daly asked when the National Assets Management Agency transparency Bill would be dealt with in the House. I am surprised that he did not know that Bill was dealt with and voted on last year.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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It was voted down.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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It says little for the Senator's research in that regard. On the matter on which he called for a debate, the Minister for Finance dealt comprehensively with it in the debate on the Adjournment matter tabled by Senator Lorraine Higgins last week or the week before.

On the matters raised by Senator John Kelly, I refer him to my earlier reply to Senator John Crown, namely, that private health insurance issues should be addressed during the Second Stage debate on the Health (Amendment) Bill 2013. I hope the Senator and others who have raised the issue will contribute to that debate later today. I look forward to hearing their contributions.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh referred to SUSI and the appeals system. I agree that there have been difficulties in this area and that given all student grant applications have now been processed, appeals should at this stage be being dealt with in less than 30 days. There should be no further delays in that regard. I also agree with the Senator that unemployed teachers should be given first preference in filling supervisory posts for examinations. I will ask the Minister for Education and Skills to come to the House to address these issues.

Senator Deirdre Clune spoke about the agreement to commence the EU-US trade talks, an important issue that is being driven by the Irish Presidency. One of the aims of the Irish Presidency was to get the talks going. Senator Sean D. Barrett has referred on a number of occasions in the House to the benefits that will accrue to Ireland and Europe should agreement be reached.

Senator Deirdre Clune also referred to the Pensions Board report. I will raise with the Minister for Social Protection the possibility of her coming to the House for a debate on the subject.

Senator Ned O'Sullivan lauded job creation at Foynes, which is to be welcomed. I will make inquiries about the LNG terminal and the prospect of further jobs being created in that regard. I understand the Minister is addressing a major European conference on oil and gas exploration today. I will request that he to come to the House to update us on the matter. Alternatively, the Senator can table the matter for discussion on the Adjournment.

I join Senator Marie Moloney in expressing the sympathy of the House following the brutal murder of a mother and her daughter in County Kerry on a recent date. It was a dreadful tragedy.

On teacher training and the teaching of science, the Senator hit the nail on the head. The Minister for Education and Skills will be in the House on Thursday to deal with the Further Education and Training Bill 2013, at which time the Senator can reiterate the points made by her this afternoon.

Senator Sean D. Barrett spoke about the reports on the issues of tax transparency and base erosion.

Again, we will try to get the Minister for Finance into the House to debate this issue. It is an issue which Senator Barrett has raised before and we have had other Ministers to the House to discuss it. I am sure the Minister will be quite willing to debate the matter again.

Senator Comiskey asked about the feasibility study for the opening of the old Leitrim railway line while Senator Conway inquired about the re-opening of the old west Clare railway. Should these go ahead, they would be of tremendous benefit to tourism in the areas. We are overdue a debate on tourism in the House. The Minister has indicated he is willing to come to the House for such a debate, as soon as he has a spot in his diary.

Senator White raised the abolition of town councils. This matter will be dealt with when the relevant legislation is brought to the House.

Senator Burke praised the creation of 200 extra jobs in Cork by EMC and outlined the need for connections between industry and education facilities. The director of innovation in Enterprise Ireland recently addressed this matter when he raised the question of linkage between Waterford Institute of Technology and local industries with graduates setting up spin-off companies as well. I concur with Senator Burke that there is a need for a greater connection between industry and educational facilities, particularly institutes of technology.

Senator Burke also pointed out that €176 million has been spent on agency staff in the health service and the importance of the Haddington Road agreement in that context.

Regarding Senator Mullen’s concerns about the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill, I have outlined on several occasions that we will have ample time to debate the Bill in this House. I understand it will be introduced here in early July. I am sure we will have a reasonable and dignified debate on this matter at the time.

Senator Noone raised the importance of reading the small print when it comes to private health insurance. Again, this matter can be addressed when we are debating the Health (Amendment) Bill 2013.

Local authority rate valuations caused consternation for small retailers in Waterford city and county when the new rates came out. It is of paramount importance that retailers have an opportunity to appeal a valuation. There are quite a number of information meetings going on in Waterford this week on the subject. It has caused shock to a number of small retailers, in particular. Second Stage of the Valuation Bill was taken in the House some months ago but Committee Stage will not be taken until after the summer recess.

I agree with Senator Noone on the below-cost selling of alcohol. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Alex White, has promised to discuss the alcohol strategy in the House after it is launched in the coming weeks.

Senator O’Keeffe welcomed the US First Lady, Ms Obama, and the US President, Mr. Obama, to the country. Of course, she never misses the opportunity of mentioning former Senator, William Butler Yeats, by raising Yeats Day last week. I noted her points about its links with Japan. Cultural tourism is very important for the country also.

Senator Mullins joined Senator Darragh O'Brien in calling for a debate on Syria. I also note the points he made about the difficulties with private insurance.

I think Senator Paul Coghlan clarified the situation regarding NAMA. I will not comment further on it as it would be inadvisable for me to get involved in an argument between Senator Coghlan and his colleague from County Kerry.

I believe the matter of a free vote, which was raised by Senator Healy Eames, will be discussed at her party's parliamentary party meeting tomorrow. She will have ample time to discuss it at that forum.

Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail)
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She is queuing up already.

Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)
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Senator Conway spoke about the development of the old West Clare Railway. He also mentioned that some subcontractors are not being paid. I understand the Construction Contracts Bill 2010, which was initiated by Senator Quinn, is currently going through the other House. It was delayed for quite some time after it was passed by this House. I assure Senator Conway that it will come back to this House as soon as possible after it has been passed by the Dáil.