Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018 - Second Stage, to be taken at 6.30 p.m., with the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes and those of all other Senators not to exceed eight minutes; and No. 2, motion regarding Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2018, to be discussed in conjunction with the Second Stage debate but not to be taken until Report and Final Stages of the Bill have concluded.With your indulgence, a Chathaoirligh, a word of qualification, the reason it is at 6.30 p.m. is that the Minister has to go back to Cabinet at 4.45 p.m. I took a decision that it would be better to have the Minister here at 6.30 p.m. That is by way of courtesy to the House.

Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail)
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I would like to raise two issues, both of which relate to education. The first relates to DEIS status allocation and the second relates to home school liaison teachers. We learned from the Department of Education and Skills that the process for DEIS identification uses data from the DEIS primary online database, the post-primary online databases and the CSO data, when measuring disadvantage and affluence in a particular area. Much of the online databases rely on postcodes and other information. This data is then used as a yardstick when allocating DEIS status. The unfairness of allocation of DEIS status is something I have raised in this House on previous occasions. The Minister, in his correspondence to me, has highlighted that just because a school is in a disadvantaged area, does not automatically mean that it gets DEIS status allocation. I would like to point out a very serious anomaly in this regard. This anomaly relates to the housing crisis and the reports from a survey that I completed with principals in Dublin 8 and Dublin 12, who indicated that they have a large proportion of students, which fluctuates between 10% and 20%, in situations where their students are characterised as the hidden homeless. This is where families are separated and where pupils are sleeping on couches of grandparents, aunts, uncles or friends for the purpose of attending schools. The figure of 20% in some locations is very high. For the purpose of not embarrassing the child, the parents in general put down the address for the grandparent or aunt. This information is then fed into the primary online database, POD, system that gives a distorted picture of the disadvantage or affluence in a particular area.

I know of three schools in Dublin 12 and Dublin 8 which fall into this category, and have not been allocated DEIS status. One is Our Lady of Good Counsel girls' national school, the Assumption girls' national school in Walkinstown, and the Drimnagh Castle boys' national school. These schools are an island among other DEIS schools and educate children from the most disadvantaged parts of the city. The review of DEIS status is coming up, and I implore the Minister to re-examine these schools for the purpose of DEIS status.

The second issue I would like to raise relates to home school liaison teachers and the need to increase the resources allocated to schools to provide for and support them. Their need and importance cannot be understated, with their vital role in supporting schools, families and pupils. One school in particular, Synge Street primary and Synge Street secondary school, share a home school liaison teacher. This is concerning when the primary school is categorised as an Irish medium stream school, with Gaeilge, and there will be a requirement for a home school liaison teacher in the future to have fluent Irish. This, of course, must be supported if we are to support the Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge. Without these vital teachers buttressing the education system in disadvantaged areas, the cycle of disadvantage will not be broken. There is absolutely no excuse for every child in this country not to get the best national and secondary school education that most us have gotten. We are known for our world class education system and we cannot leave any children out.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Shortly before I came in here today, I watched Leader's Questions in the Dáil. In particular I watched the debate on the proposed expulsion of a member of the Russian diplomatic community. I am shocked, to say the least, that we have decided to expel a diplomat from the Russian Embassy. To my memory, we have never engaged in anything to do with incidents that have happened in other countries. There seems to be an anti-Russian fest running through the western world at the moment. The Taoiseach said he would make available a briefing to party leaders, but we have to realise there are people in the Seanad and in the Dáil who are not in parties and who would be equally entitled to a briefing as to why we found it necessary to seek the expulsion of a Russian diplomat from this country. This country is a small, open economy. Trading with Russia is part and parcel of the trading in which this country engages. We should be very careful about anything we do to snub a country, particularly a country with the purchasing power of Russia.I would like to see what evidence there is to support the fact that Russians are engaged in espionage here. I would also like to see what evidence there is with respect to other embassies in this country and whether they are involved in any espionage.

David Norris (Independent)
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They are all at it.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Indeed, I would like to see whether there is anything worth being involved in from an espionage point of view in this country.

David Norris (Independent)
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For shame, how could Senator Craughwell imagine there is not anything worth spying on?

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Please, Senator Norris.

David Norris (Independent)
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He should withdraw that remark.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Norris, please.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I was given a briefing on this matter similar to that given to party leaders. The other issue that I wish to talk about briefly is adult education and guidance services and the tremendous job those involved have done throughout the worst years of the recession. They have dealt with 52,000 people each year. I do not know whether we fully respect the work that is being done in adult guidance. There is a paltry budget of €6.55 million. They are pushing these sorts of numbers through adult education and guidance while the two new companies, Turas Nua and Seetec, have a budget of €54 million between them. From what I can gather, they have only managed to get 18% of those going through their system into full-time employment. We need to look at the way money is spent on further education and training. I know the Leader has an interest in this area. Perhaps, he might organise at his leisure a debate in the House on further education and training in particular. I attended a conference with a group called NETINVET in Europe. It was staggering to see the work being done in further education and training throughout Europe. Maybe we might get the Minister before the House and get an opportunity to review where we are going with further education and training in Ireland.

Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein)
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I commend all the parents and families of children and adults with autism, this being autism awareness week. They do Trojan work. There are huge gaps in the services and supports and these need to be addressed for families trying to support loved ones with autism. That is something we will continue to work on.

In that context I commend my colleague, Deputy Ó Caoláin, on tabling the Private Members' motion and holding the Government to account on living up to its obligations on disability rights. I hope all parties will support that in the Dáil.

The other thing I want to raise today is the situation we are still in with regard to access to Translarna. You will know, a Chathaoirligh, that Translarna is the medication that is necessary for children suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It is now months since we raised the matter with the Minister. I appeal to the Leader to go back to the Minister and say that we are extremely concerned that it is taking so long to access this medication and to have this medication, Translarna, approved for children living in this State. We know that it has been approved in 22 other countries. We know that people living only a few miles up the road in the North have access to it. It is intolerable that children living in this State continue to be denied something so vital to their health and well-being and so vital to keep their mobility. I call on the Leader to go back to the Minister to ask him to ask the HSE to engage fully with the supplier of Translarna. It is not good enough to say those responsible should submit another application. The last application submitted took three years. Only a small number of children need Translarna medication but they do not have three years to wait. I urge the Leader to impress upon the Minister the urgency of instructing the HSE to sort this out as quickly as possible in order that these children can have the medication they truly deserve in the same way as children in the North and in 22 other countries.

David Norris (Independent)
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I would like to refer to the refurbishment of historic Leinster House. I was out having a coffee at the end of last week, and it seemed to me that the builders were sandblasting the building. This is a big mistake, as far as I am concerned, because sandblasting this kind of stone leads to a spoiling of the surface and damp penetration. I spoke to a member of Sinn Féin about my concerns - a stonemason by profession - who said that I was completely right. I just want to raise the issue as to whether this is the appropriate treatment for Leinster House.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I believe that is a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. Perhaps the Leader could refer the matter to the commission. It meets once a month, and the Seanad usually has a particular interest in that.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I wish both Munster and Leinster the very best of luck in their two quarter finals this weekend. The matches are taking place on Saturday and Sunday. They will certainly put Ireland on the map, and hopefully both teams will win.

It was Daffodil Day last Friday. We often speak about parking charges for cancer patients at hospitals, but University Hospital Limerick, along with the hospitals in Ennis and Nenagh, have been to the fore on this issue. They announced recently that people who are in receipt of dialysis and cancer patients receiving treatment would not have to pay hospital car parking charges. This is most welcome. I call on all other hospitals to follow suit, because when people are in hospital for treatment they are at a very vulnerable time in their lives and not feeling well. Sometimes they come out of the hospital and have no change, and it is terrible that they are asked to pay for their car parking.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail)
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This is World Autism Awareness Week. Life can be challenging for both the parents of children with autism and the children themselves, and we need to provide them with support and funding. That is crucial going forward.

Sugar is our new enemy. The dusty white stuff is the cause of huge problems in our society, and I am glad we are about to start to tax high sugar items. We all need some sugar, certainly, and there are jobs in the industry, but we need to curb the increase of high sugar products in our children's diets. While I welcome the sugar tax, which is coming in on 6 April, just taxing the high sugar products is not enough. It will make them more expensive, but it will not tackle their allure. Young children want this product every day. I have a sweet tooth myself. Sugar can be addictive. Recently a parliamentary reply outlined that there is an anticipated revenue from this tax of around €30 million in 2018 and €40 million annually from 2019. The tax will add approximately ten cents to the price of standard cans of fizzy drinks and we need to worked harder on it. It is not enough to simply increase the prices of these cans. Manufacturers will find other ways around it.

We have to control how this product is treated by the consumer. According to a study published byThe Lancet, Ireland is set to become the most obese country in Europe, alongside the UK, within a decade and that Irish men already have the highest body mass index in Europe, with Irish women in third place. Almost a third of Irish children are overweight, which is a ten-fold increase in the rate of obesity for Irish boys between 1975 and 2016, and a nine-fold increase among Irish girls, according to this study. These figures do not leave a sweet taste in the mouth. In fact, they are nasty. It is time for smart food training. We need to use the boost in revenue from this new sugar tax in education. We need to inform and arm the modern consumer with knowledge about what we are eating and drinking.

In our Fianna Fáil manifesto we sought to invest in sports infrastructure as well as promoting physical activity. I request that the Minister comes into this House to discuss the issue. The Government will receive this massive amount of money annually. It is vital that our young people receive the benefits, and I believe that education and physical training is the way forward.

James Reilly (Fine Gael)
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Like others, I wish to raise the fact that this is World Autism Awareness Week. There are approximately 65,000 people in this country who suffer with this condition to varying degrees. Including their families, up to 250,000 people are affected by it in a very real way. In my surgery this morning, I met a 14 year old boy who was expelled from his school a year ago because they could not cope with his challenging behaviour and he has had no school for a year. I was in the Seanad many years ago when the then Minister, Dick Roche, brought forward a Bill, at my request and that of the Irish Autistic Society, to close a loophole the Department of Education had been using to excuse itself and to renege on its obligation to provide an education for children with autism. The 1945 Act allowed a derogation for parents who could not have their children educated because of intellectual disability. In those days there were no facilities for educating such children and this was used rather cynically by the Department. I am happy to say that an awful lot has happened since then and the Department has moved on hugely, providing special classes and SNAs, which are very welcome. What happens, however, when one has a child who has nowhere to go? This child has been at home for a year. He has intelligence and ability and can make a contribution to our society but he is left locked up in his own world with his parents. They have been offered a home tuition package but there is no one to deliver it so it is of no use to them. Meanwhile, time passes and the opportunity for this young man continues to fade away. I hope the Minister for Education and Skills and the Department will look into this and address it. I will certainly be approaching them about it.

Last year this House passed the Autism Spectrum Disorder Bill unanimously on 12 July, a date well known to us for other reasons. That is nearly nine months ago and this young man is one of 65,000 reasons we need a national strategy for autism and autism spectrum disorder. As I have said before, I will raise this issue every single week until I see that Bill in Dáil Éireann. It is not something that can wait and people are desperate. They have children with serious needs which they need addressed. The autism Bill will not address that immediately but if we do not put a strategy in place and do not have a co-ordinated approach, we are not doing our children and young adults with autism the service we should be doing them.

There is now a need for a strategy to address older people with autism, with longevity having increased hugely. I ask the Leader to bring the Minister to the House to explain why this Bill has still not reached Dáil Éireann. It will reflect badly on this Government and on us if this Bill is not passed into law a year after it was unanimously approved by the Upper House. The Lower House has not yet been given the opportunity to offer its support but I have no doubt it will be forthcoming.

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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I reiterate my call for updated statements from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade on the current state of play in the Brexit negotiations. This is in no way to disrespect the nature of the critical juncture we are at but it has been some time since we heard a statement from the Minister on the matter. It is timely, warranted and necessary given the significance of the issue, on which we all agree. It is important that Seanadóirí have the opportunity to engage with and hear from the Minister on this and to offer our views as the Government moves forward.

There is an ongoing absence of an Executive in the North as a result of the failure of the DUP to sign up to the draft agreement. I do not wish to provoke recrimination but we need to move now to the logical space laid out for us in, and created by, the Good Friday Agreement, that is, the convening of the intergovernmental conference.It can allow for the ability to legislate on some of the contentious issues, which I do not believe are contentious - they are solvable - such as language rights, marriage equality and, this week, the findings from the High Court in Belfast on legacy inquests.

I reiterate the call made by my party president in Queen's University in a keynote lecture delivered last night. It is necessary to convene the conference at this time, although all of us would rather see an Executive that functions on the basis of equality, respect and integrity for every citizen. In the absence of that, however, the Good Friday Agreement shines a light on a path forward. We should follow the Good Friday Agreement at all times, as we have done, and convene that sitting of the intergovernmental conference to ensure the delivery of rights for the people who should not have to wait any longer.

Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)
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I would like to extend our deepest sympathy-----

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I cannot hear the Senator.

Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)
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There are two mics on.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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The Senator must be hoarse.

Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)
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No, I am not. I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the Russian ambassador, Yury Filatov, and the President and people of Russia on the tragic fire that killed 64 people, including possibly 41 children, at the Winter Cherry shopping centre in Kemerovo in Siberia. It is a terrible tragedy. We had the experience of the Stardust tragedy, and the fire that happened in that shopping centre was similar in the way the doors were locked and bolted. It was an horrendous situation for the children and the adults involved. It would be good if we, through the Leader, extended our deepest sympathy to the Russian ambassador. I am sure everyone in this House would like to extend their sympathy to the people of Russia.

Regarding the expulsion of a diplomat from the Russian delegation here, all I can say is that I hope the Government has very sound grounds that the government there was involved in this Salisbury attack. We have not been briefed in this House on the reasons for the expulsion of a diplomat from Dublin. We have a very good relationship with the Russian Federation. As a former Minister with responsibility for trade, I led the first delegation from Europe to then new Russian Federation in the 1990s. We built up an enormous trade with the Russian Federation. All I hope is that we will not be victims of the decision of the Government and that jobs will not be lost in our agriculture and industrial sectors. We have to maintain our trade links, particularly post Brexit, with all our trading partners. We have a great relationship with the Russian Federation and the ambassador in Dublin and I hope those relations can be restored as quickly as possible.

Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Pope's visit to Ireland this coming August. He is a very popular Pope and world leader. We only have to look to the other countries he has visited to see the excitement that has generated and what can be in store for us. The possibility of his visit was first proposed by Senator Norris in this House, and I also proposed it when I was in the Dáil. I am glad that it will come to fruition. However, I would like his visit extended beyond the capital, beyond Dublin, and that he would visit the Knock shrine-----

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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And Armagh.

Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael)
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-----especially in light of the fact that it is nearly 40 years since the shrine saw the historic visit of Pope John Paul II. In recent times the Pope has venerated Fr. Patrick Peyton, who was from Mayo, from near the town of Attymass from where I come. It would be opportune for the Pope to visit there and that would be a very popular move not only with the people of Mayo but with his many followers throughout the country.With that in mind, I am sure that Members on all sides of the House will join me in asking that the authorities and influencers, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in particular, would make every effort to facilitate a visit to Knock. A good deal of work is going on behind the scenes. I am aware there are serious protocols in place and that it is not an official State visit. The Pope is a Head of State and a world leader, and I would like to see the visit happen. It would mean a great deal to many people and it would round off what will be a very welcome visit.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I wish Senator Mulherin well in her quest to bring Pope Francis west of the Shannon. No doubt there would be people of all ages gathered around the gable wall, if that comes to pass.

Last week, we had a debate about reducing the voting age to 16, and whatever one thinks of that proposal, there is no doubt that we need to engage the trust of young people in the political system, but for that happen and for them to believe in politics, they need to see that politics actually works. One area, tragically, we would all agree politics seems not to work is in the area of the necessary reforms and improvements to our health service to a considerable degree. Too often, debates on the health service break down on tribal lines, and part of that is because politicians often have a sense of impotence about whether any change is possible. I am talking in particular about the ever-recurring problem of waiting lists in accident and emergency departments, for hospital beds and for scans and procedures. As we all know, that problem can get worse when the weather worsens, but it is a recurring problem. One has only to read the Order of Business and the Official Report of these Houses to see the concern of individual Members of the Oireachtas. The Minister told us on 31 January that it was time to break the vicious cycle that leaves patients waiting in unacceptable circumstances.

I bring all this up because I believe it is my duty to draw the House's attention to one particular story. A courageous and articulate young woman called Helen Murray has been in the media recently, and in touch with me, to describe her very negative experience of waiting six days to get an MRI scan. She was told there was a possibility she could have multiple sclerosis, MS, and that only the MRI scan can rule that out. As somebody who had never had any health issues prior to that, one can imagine her terror and how that was exacerbated by having to spend 22 hours in a waiting room of the accident and emergency department in the Mater Hospital to be seen by a doctor. She makes the valid point that it is not just about people lying on trolleys. She spoke about how she spent the night on plastic chairs with elderly people, people in pain, people who were vulnerable and people who simply cannot afford private health care where waiting lists can be a problem too. She said that many did not have access to food because they were too petrified to move from their seat to go to a café in case their name would be called and they would lose their spot. That did happen when somebody went home to get some rest. Somebody came around ticking boxes, discovered they were gone and that person lost their place in an interminable queue. She spoke about the problem of food machines only taking coins, in a world where people use a card or even their telephones to pay for items. She said many were frozen with the cold as the sliding doors were constantly opening and closing, and pillows or blankets were not given to those waiting.

In a service oriented society, how is it possible that even basic things, like treating well people waiting to be triaged or those waiting for further news, do not seem to be possible? In her particular case, the problem was that the MRI scan could not be done over the weekend. To make matters worse, when she got a CT scan and an X-ray after a long wait, she was sent home to come back on a Monday only to have another long wait. That involved giving her a bed in the hospital which she did not need because she did not need to be hospitalised but she was hospitalised because the scan could not be organised.

I am not telling the Leader anything he does not know but I believe he would agree that it is my duty to do so when people feel this inordinate frustration. This is a 23 year old person with an interest in politics who cannot understand how this is going on in a First World country. The solutions are difficult, but we have to keep focusing on them. We also have to keep raising the plight of these people.I am not interested in having a debate which will break down on tribal lines. However, we have to do our duty for these citizens by keeping these issues to the forefront in politics.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I call the Leader.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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I wish to raise a matter. I apologise, a but I was at a committee meeting.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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The Senator should have been here. Perhaps he should not have come back.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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I cannot perform bilocation, as the Leader understands.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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We always try to accommodate senior Senators.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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He is not a senior Senator but a new one.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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I refer to the proposed metrolink in the national transport infrastructure plan. I live close to the Luas green line and have strongly supported such public transport initiatives. I am not a NIMBY person in any shape or form. However, the House may or may not be aware that it is proposed to incorporate the Luas green line with a metrorail system. While that may seem innocuous and fine, we have just spent €368 million in extending the Luas green line to Cabra. We are now being told that a metro system will be built at a cost of between €3 billion and €4 billion, replicating, in large measure, in the city centre access to places such as St. Stephen's Green and O’Connell Street with new underground stations. Will the Leader ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, to explain to the House how this proposal is being described to all and sundry as a public consultation process, when, from an email I received yesterday, an €18 million tender for architecture and engineering has already been awarded for the project? If it is a genuine consultation process, I would like to have some clear views on where Dublin's transport infrastructure could be alternatively served in areas such as Rathfarnham, south-west Dublin and different areas of north Dublin, as well as keeping the Luas green line. I would like to have some indication as to who made the decision to do this, why and what the alternatives are. To describe it as a public consultation process and for Transport Infrastructure Ireland executives to say they are open to discussion about the alternatives rings very hollow when one sees the detailed planning and realises an €18 million tender has already been awarded for the particular module.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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Is it Ceaucescu era consultation?

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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It reminds me of a certain bowl in north-west Dublin several years ago. It raises the question of whether we should be considering alternatives before we commit to this €3 billion to €4 billion project. If we have up to €4 billion to invest in public transport in the Dublin region, I do not believe the Houses of the Oireachtas have been given a fair opportunity to consider if this is the best idea. Even in the worst case scenario, if the project were go ahead, as I very much doubt that it will in the end, the existing Luas green line would be closed for between one and two years. People should be told the consequences of the decisions being made in their names.

Gabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael)
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I have just come back from Baldonnel Aerodrome and want to refer to the Air Corps. Everybody knows that its primary focus is on looking after the security of the State. However, many do not realise it has other secondary jobs such as providing the air ambulance service which based in my home town of Athlone, supporting the Garda and dealing with hazardous chemicals. There are 870 members of the Air Corps based in Baldonnel Aerodrome working in defence of the State.They have a serious problem, one that is more serious than in any other area, which is retention. When the Minister comes to the House, I ask that the debate include the Air Corps as well as the Army. Could the Leader tell me when that debate with the Minister will take place?

Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
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It was reported recently that up to one third of motor vehicles thefts involve unlocked cars. I am Vice Chairman of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, which spent a long time discussing motor insurance and the cost of motor insurance. It surprises me hugely that one third of the car thefts that are even reported involve unlocked cars. Presumably some people in this situation do not report it because of their stupidity in leaving their cars unlocked with cash, valuables, laptops and other equipment in them. People are going around at night and are checking people's cars and are discovering that they are unlocked. There is CCTV footage of people checking cars. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport or, if she has responsibility for insurance, the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation should produce a campaign to ensure that we alert people. It is a very simple thing to lock one's car. It is probably a very simple thing to leave it open but the consequences are quite significant. People are out there preying on it. As a national Chamber, we should be trying to remind people to do the simplest thing of all, namely, lock their cars, reduce motor insurance premiums in the process and save themselves an awful lot of time and grief.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise an issue that has emerged over the past few days. It concerns fodder on Irish farms. In particular, it has been raised over the past few months with regard to the north and west. With the long winter and exceptionally wet and turbulent weather conditions, there has been very poor grass growth and stocks of fodder have decreased dramatically over the past few weeks. Since 2013, which was the last time there was a fodder crisis, there are roughly 300,000 extra cows in Ireland. We have depleting stocks of fodder and large numbers of animals to feed. As this week has proved, the weather has been exceptionally unkind to us. The growth levels are not there at the moment. Teagasc is saying that we are at 25% of where we should be regarding grass growth so there is a genuine concern in the industry about the next few weeks. In 2013, we put a fodder crisis fund in place to bring fodder in from abroad. It was the first time it ever happened in this State. We need to look at that option again. We need to look at the possibility of bringing in fodder, although perhaps not from the UK, which has limited fodder levels as it is facing the same weather conditions. However, we could bring it in from France from where we imported 300,000 tonnes of haylage in 2013. It is a really stressful issue for farmers, who do not know where to go.

There is a huge issue with the weather. The climate has turned against us and the depletion of these vast amounts of silage bales in the past few weeks has put farmers under exceptional stress. Perhaps we need to start planning for the unfortunate event that took place in 2013. We need to put in place, or talk about putting in place, a scheme. I have been hearing from hauliers and have been talking to farming organisations. The cost of bringing in one load of stuff from the UK is between €1,200 and €1,300. If that is the cost, it is unsustainable. It just cannot work. The only way it can work is if the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine helps supplement the cost, as it did in 2013. It is a big issue out there and I hope the Leader of the House might in his wisdom raise the issue with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine because we need to start planning. If we fail to plan, we could be stuck in the situation we had in 2013 when we brought in the feed in May, which was a bit too late.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I thank the 15 Members who contributed to the Order of Business. I begin by paying tribute to the former Ceann Comhairle, Seán Treacy, and I offer the sympathies of the House to his family on his very sad passing.On my own behalf and that of Fine Gael and the House, I join Senator Terry Leyden in extending sympathy to the families affected and the Russian Federation on the tragic loss of life in the horrific fire in a shopping centre at the weekend. We are all united in our expressions of sympathy on the loss of the 64 victims who included, as the Senator said, 41 young children. I offer our sympathy to the Russian people on these tragic deaths.

I wholeheartedly agree with Senator Catherine Ardagh on the issue of DEIS status. It is an important issue, on which many of us on this side of the House have been interacting with the Minister for Education and Skills-----

Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail)
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The hidden homeless, in particular.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I am only beginning my reply to the Senator whom I am happy to support. It is an issue that requires further analysis by the Department. We are all united in wanting to ensure every child has the opportunity to realise his or her potential, including through changes to DEIS status. Many of us have raised the issues outlined with the Minister. I cannot understand, for example, why some schools in Cork city have not been given DEIS funding. However, a total of 79 schools were added to the scheme last year. The objective of the scheme is to improve literacy and numeracy levels and ensure an increase in school completion numbers and access to education for those who most need it. Last year new methodology was put in place by the Department which incorporated CSO figures. It is important that the development of a new monitoring unit is worked on. I agree with the Senator that issues need to be ironed out. I am happy to work with her to increase the number of schools participating in the scheme and the budget for it. The home-school liaison service has an important role to play, particularly in schools with a high absenteeism rate and a low participation rate. I have taught in a school and been director of adult education. It is important to support this service and work with schools in disadvantaged communities. It is also important to encourage all students to use these schemes and services. Home-school liaison teachers play a vital and pivotal role in many schools. They do specialised work and have a vocation, although I might get in trouble for saying that. Their role goes beyond the normal interaction in the classroom and I commend the work being done. I call on all Ministers, irrespective of their ideology, to increase the number of home-school liaison teachers in schools.

Senators Gerard P. Craughwell and Terry Leyden referred to the expulsion of a Russian diplomat. The Tánaiste brought a position paper to the Cabinet this morning and the Government decided to expel one Russian diplomat as part of a European-wide solidarity stance with the United Kingdom. I do not believe for one second that it is anti-Russian. This is about ensuring we will all stand in solidarity as Europeans; it is not about east versus west. The use of chemical weaponry in Salisbury-----

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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We do not know who produced it. Solidarity extends to Brexit-----

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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That is a correction to which the Leader might not respond.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I do not have all of the facts, as I am not a member of the Cabinet, but I will request the Tánaiste to come to the House, if that is the request being made, for a debate on the issue, or if the Senator would prefer a briefing, it can be given to him. Either way, I am amenable to both. However, it is important that we stand against the use of chemical weapons.

Senator Craughwell also raised the important issue of adult education. I will be happy to schedule a debate on it. The school completion rate and the level of access to third level and further education have improved. The Senator's former role was in the education system and I agree with him. As a former director of adult education, I fully subscribe to and believe in the importance of returning to education of whatever hue.People of all ages returning to education, at FETAC level or not, is to be commended and encouraged.

Senator Conway-Walsh raised the issue of Translarna which she has raised before in the House. There is a High Court case pending as the Senator knows quite well. The HSE has made it clear it is willing to look at any resubmission of an application by the company in question. There was a limited introduction across Europe and a number of trials are being carried out. It is important, given the small number of people affected, that every effort is made to expedite its sanctioning and use. I would be happy to take up the matter with the Minister. To be fair, there is a court case pending and I do not want to get into it right now.

Senator Norris raised the issue of the works on Leinster House. The Cathaoirleach quite rightly said it is a matter for the commission. We will be happy to discuss it as part of the debate. Members of the House are on the commission.

Senator Byrne raised a number of issues. She wished Leinster and Munster well at the weekend. Sport unites us. Perhaps it also divides us but it unites us more than it divides us. We wish all our Irish teams well. I commend all the volunteers on Daffodil Day who were out in their droves across the country. I thank the volunteers and pay tribute to all involved in Daffodil Day. It is a huge day of awareness of cancer. I commend the Irish Cancer Society and its chief executive, former Senator, Averil Power, for the work it is doing. We need to see that issue continue to be at the forefront of what we do.

Senators Murnane O'Connor, Reilly and Conway-Walsh also raised the issue of World Autism Awareness Week. It is important to stand in solidarity with all families and organisations that have worked this week to light our country blue. The Cork Association for Autism is doing huge work. This week Cork Airport announced a new programme introducing a series of books to help children with autism to travel and to make it easier. It is to be commended. Senator Reilly also raised the issue of his Autism Spectrum Disorder Bill and the need to have a Government strategy. I assure the House it is not this House that is delaying that Bill. It is the other House. We need to put pressure on it. It is also important to continue investment in autism services and ensure we allow families to have access to treatment and diagnosis in a more timely way.

Senator Ó Donnghaile raised the issue of the North and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. I saw the remarks his leader made in the hallowed halls of Queens University last night. The Government has always been very clear about our commitment to the Good Friday Agreement and our determination, as I have said here before, as a co-guarantor of that Agreement, to ensure the effective operation of all institutions.

Notwithstanding the remarks the Senator has made, it is important to get all parties back into talks so we can have a resumption of government from Stormont. The Government has indicated that to the Secretary of State, Karen Bradley, and the UK Government. That is the preferred route for all of us. It is the best route for the people in the North. It is also very much about the importance of having Government making decisions for the people in the North of our country. I would be happy to have the Tánaiste, Deputy Coveney, come back to the House to have discussions on the Brexit issue, which continues and is evolving as we go along. It is our intent to have that discussion after Easter. We had hoped to have it before the Easter recess.

I have addressed Senator Leyden's comments on the tragic deaths. I join with Senator Mulherin, as I did last week, in welcoming the visit of Pope Francis to our country. He is a most welcome visitor. It will not be a visit by a Head of State; he is attending a specific event. His itinerary might be limited but I hope he travels beyond Dublin. It would be a wonderful act by the leader of the Catholic Church to travel to the Archdiocese of Armagh, which is where the future cardinal is. Senators Mulherin and Mullen also referred to Knock shrine, which would be a wonderful place for him to visit. I would like to see the Pope come to Cork but I will not get into that because-----

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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The Leader could buy him a pint of Murphy's.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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It is important to welcome Pope Francis and that he is given a céad míle fáilte to our country.

Senator Mullen raised a specific issue about a lady and our health service.I will not get into a tribal response, but the Government is making changes. Rather than focusing on the political end, we should look at the management end. The Senator spoke about a triage nurse. I had the recent experience of having a family member in an emergency department. They had to wait for a triage nurse and had to wait for a doctor to discharge them. Having worked in the health system, as Senator Gavan did, I do not know why the nurse cannot discharge the patient. A nurse may have more competency than the junior doctor who has to do it. There is a management structure and a process that needs to be changed in our health system. We focus on the health system. We are spending over €12 billion on health. There is something radically wrong when the case the Senator outlined has taken place in our health system. I would love to hear solutions to that. We are spending more than €12 billion on our health system and yet doctors, nurses, catering assistants, porters, radiographers and others complain. What is wrong? The system is broken. That is why a cross-party committee produced the Sláintecare report. I agree it is time for solutions rather than coming in and blaming politicians. I do not think we should always just blame politicians. There is a management that is not working. Let us have an honest debate about our health system.

Senator McDowell spoke about the MetroLink proposal. The public consultation process will continue until 11 May. I read the remarks of Mr. Aidan Foley of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, who is open to hearing from anybody on the process. We are spending €3 billion, planning for the future.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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We have already spent €18 million on this model.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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If we did not spend it, the Senator would be complaining that he would be stuck in his car and could not go anywhere or there were not enough buses. There is a public consultation over a €3 billion expenditure on metro. I accept the Senator's point. If residents or business owners-----

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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I am not speaking about the residents.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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----- in that affected stretch have issues, let us hear from them. Let us overcome the challenges. Let us work to ensure there is a process that is open and transparent, which takes on board the views of people.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Are architects already working on it?

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I have no idea. I am not the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, but I would be happy to have him come to the House. Let us not always look for the Minister, Deputy Ross, to come in and be complaining about the poor Minister, Deputy Ross.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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We cannot do without him.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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Life is too short.

Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
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He has been here long enough.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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He has become the guy the Senator wants to beat up in this House again.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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No.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I take his serious point that if there are issues, they need to be ironed out and there needs to be consultation. However, there is public consultation. It is advertised and documented. Senators should view the metrolink.iewebsite.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Nobody hires an architect to design a house and then has a chat about it.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I think the Leader is minded to have-----

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I hope Senator Craughwell does not watch "Room to Improve" about architects-----

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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The Leader is minded to have a debate, so maybe we would-----

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I also say to Senator McDowell that there are legitimate concerns which should be raised in the consultation.

Senator McFadden raised the wonderful service the Air Corps provides to the State. I would be happy to have that debate with the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, after Easter.

Senator Horkan raised the important issue of break-ins into cars. Those who watched RTÉ's "Crimecall" programme last night will have seen some of the issues he articulated today covered on that programme. I agree with him that people need to be more vigilant, take care and take time. I would happy to have the Minister for Justice and Equality to come to the House to discuss the matter.

Senator Lombard raised the issue of fodder and the stress some farmers are facing. I would be happy to have the Minister, Deputy Creed, come to the House.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Before we agree the Order of Business, I am sure the Leader will join me in welcoming some neighbours of his from Ballincollig who are in the Gallery.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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They are always welcome.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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I will not call them senior citizens; some of them are not all that senior. I mention Larry Collins, Con Sexton, Charlie O'Toole, Dominic Twomey and Eugene O'Callaghan.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I know the people in the Gallery. Some have been involved in the Cork county board and some of them in other organisations. They are most welcome.I am not sure whose guests they are but it will be a very entertaining night ahead, I would suggest. They are very welcome.