Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, Consumer Rights Bill 2022 – Second Stage, to be taken at 4.45 p.m. and to adjourn no later than 6.45 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate, and No. 114(4) Private Members’ business, motion regarding Iran, to be taken at 7 p.m. with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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I join with the Leader's comments in regard to Creeslough, Donegal. On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group I extend our deepest sympathies to the families, those who have lost loved ones and to the entire community. I strongly commend the fantastic work done by the emergency services who were on the scene dealing with what was an unthinkable tragedy. The scale of it is phenomenal. I also commend those working in the hospital. They had to step up their emergency response. The scale of what they had to deal with in a short space of time was such that if it had to be planned for it would be difficult even to plan. They did everything they could.

I commend those working on the ground now providing meals because the community has lost its only shop. I commend the Government for using the existing humanitarian scheme that would normally be put in place for flood disasters to try and assist families out of direct financial assistance in the weeks and months ahead. It is an unthinkable tragedy.

It is important while we will be discussing the tragedy, and it will be top of the news agenda for the next number of weeks, that we do not forget those families and those communities beyond that point and that we continuously keep an eye on it because the loss and the impact of that tragedy will be felt far into the future. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha. It was lovely to see at the commemorative service the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Leader of the Opposition on the ground with the communities so soon after what had happened. It shows the immense solidarity and support that we have for those communities and that the entire country has been impacted and affected by what happened there.

I will raise another matter which is the energy costs around retrofitting. The deep retrofit scheme was announced earlier this year. It would be timely to have a debate in this House with the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, on how that is working because one of the things we could do to assist people with their energy costs is to try to help people to cut energy waste and to make their homes more efficient.

I have concerns around the way the retrofit scheme has been set up. In order to access the deep retrofit grant it is only necessary to pay the balance because a point of contact will do all the works and only charges the balance as the grant is claimed by that company. However, to access the grant on a piecemeal basis, perhaps having the windows done first and then insulation separately to reduce expenditure, all the cost must be paid upfront and the grant is claimed back afterwards. This seems to make it far easier for those who can afford to spend the big money on a full deep retrofit and not as easy for people trying to do it bit by bit until they get their list of works done. We need to look at that because it has become more expensive now that the cost of materials and labour has gone through the roof.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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On behalf of the Fine Gael group, I express our sympathies regarding the ten people who lost their lives in County Donegal. Their families, communities, neighbours and friends and the people of Donegal have suffered considerably. This loss will be felt for generations. We stand in solidarity with them. We commend the bravery of the local people, the emergency services, the first responders, GPs, those working in the hospitals and the wider health services, and everyone else who was on the ground saving many lives following the tragedy that happened last Friday. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha.

There is a lady in the Public Gallery, Ms Iryna Tekuchova, who is from Ukraine. She is doing a PhD in Maynooth on disability and the impact of disability services in EU accession states. She is also on the expert panel of the Organisation for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, which is part of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, OSCE. I am on the expert panel as well and it met for the first time in Poland last week. What struck me from my engagement was the serious challenges that people with disabilities are facing in Ukraine. We saw the bombing of Kyiv in the past 48 hours. Let us imagine being a wheelchair user or someone who is blind and the air raid sirens go off. In terms of reaching a shelter or somewhere else that was safe, they would be compromised even before anyone else was.

What concerns me most is the fact that, of the 16 key aid agencies that are rightly getting billions of euro in funding from all over the world, only two have targeted programmes for people with disabilities in Ukraine. That is not good enough. As a country, we need to ensure that all of the key agencies, including the Red Cross, have dedicated programmes for providing financial support on the ground to Ukrainian organisations for persons with disabilities, which are struggling to support people. The horrendous difficulties that persons with disabilities face in a war have regularly been discussed in the Houses.

Some of the work that the panel I am a member of is doing involves examining the impact of emergency responses, particularly as they affect people with disabilities. Perhaps when next we debate Ukraine, we might focus on supports for people with disabilities on the ground and the organisations that support them. This issue is an even greater scandal than the scandal we are dealing with.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I thank Senator Conway for acknowledging Ms Tekuchova. I welcome her to the Seanad and thank her for her important and valuable work on behalf of those who are most vulnerable in a war zone.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I join the Leader in her words of support for the people of Creeslough, County Donegal. This afternoon in Seanad Éireann, we joined together to observe a moment of silence for Senators who wanted contemplation, prayer and reflection over those who lost their lives so tragically in Creeslough. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones - their families and friends - as well as the emergency services, both North and South, the community of Creeslough, the people of Donegal more widely and the county's diaspora.

The colours green and gold are synonymous with Donegal in good times and in sad times. They are, after all, the county colours. Thinking of Creeslough in recent days, I have thought of a beautiful landscape of mountains, bogs, forests, lakes, rivers, seas and shores and, above all, of its people. Yesterday, I was reminded of the words of the great American poet, Robert Frost, in his poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay".The poem is about the seasons, which always change, and highlights the march of time that none of us can escape. I will read its short few lines because it resonates for me. It is about the seasons, change and how nothing can ever stay the same.

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for his comments.

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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Ar dtús, mar atá ráite ag comhghleacaithe cheana, ba mhaith liom mo chomhbhrón agus mo dhlúthpháirtíocht a sheoladh chuig muintir an Chraoslaigh i dTír Chonaill thar ceann ghrúpa Shinn Féin sa Seanad. Táimid croíbhriste ar fud na hÉireann mar atá ráite ag pobal Tír Chonaill agus pobail Éireannacha ar fud an domhain i ndiaidh na tragóide tubaistí a tharla i nDún na nGall ag an deireadh seachtaine.

I thank the Leader and the Cathaoirleach for organising today's minute of silence to allow us the opportunity to join in what has been a real expression nationally of sympathy, solidarity and support for the people of Creeslough. I think we were all deeply impacted by the tragic events at the weekend but also very proud of the response by the local community to what must have been a devastating and unimaginable scene to come upon. Like Senator Boyhan, I thank, in particular, the first responders whether that was of the blue-light variety or, indeed, those in the Civil Defence in the local areas who stepped into an bhearna bhaoil so into a very dangerous and volatile situation to help in the effort in Creeslough. It says a lot about the community that people were prepared to help in such a fashion.

Support is being shown around the world, as the Leader knows, whether that is monetary support or, indeed, expressions of sympathy and that is important at a time like this. It is so raw in the immediate aftermath for the community. Equally, I hope, and I am confident, that through that pain and suffering these expressions of sympathy will penetrate and reach the families and the community, and give them some degree of succour. I agree with the Deputy Leader and thought that it was important for political symbolism to have the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Leader of the Opposition on the ground so quickly. That shows just how deeply this tragedy has impacted people right across Ireland.

I do not think that I can build on the very eloquent contribution made by Senator Boyhan other than to say that County Donegal is a beautiful place. It is beautiful because of its epic scenery and landscape. Creeslough is a part of County Donegal that, like many, I know very well. Its greatest asset, strength and beauty manifests in its people. It is manifest in the people of County Donegal. These are a people who have suffered tremendously over generations but a people who have always been resolute, united, confident, creative and talented. That was represented in the loss of the ten people who died. There was no better a representation of the best of County Donegal than those people themselves.

Again, I extend our sympathies to the people there at this devastating time. All of our thoughts and hearts are with them over these raw days and, crucially, in the time to come.

Mark Wall (Labour)
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I join with colleagues in remembering those who lost their lives in Creeslough last Friday. While we discussed the future of this island in this House last Friday a terrible tragedy was unfolding in that beautiful village.

Over the weekend, like many colleagues have said, and having spoken to family and friends, we were taken by the community spirit and togetherness of the village. I thank all those people who gave of their time and showed their community spirit. I thank the emergency responders from both the North and South, as has been said.On behalf of the Labour Party group in this House, I send our condolences to the families who have lost loved ones and those whose loved ones are still receiving treatment.

There are two other matters I wish to raise with the Leader. I wish our women's international soccer team the very best in Hampden Park tonight. I have watched every match the women have played in their campaign this year and attended their match against Sweden here in Dublin. They are a credit to this country. These young women are bringing the women's game to the fore and showing young girls what it means to put on that international jersey. They must be credited and thanked for everything they do and we send them our best wishes.

However, there is another side to this story I want to raise. Many of these young women, unfortunately, must go to England to pursue their dream of a professional career. Some in the squad are amateurs and are still playing here in the national leagues. As my colleague Deputy Ó Ríordáin said this morning, it is time we looked at creating a contract through Government intervention and with the FAI so we can grow the game at local level and increase that representation at national level. I congratulate the IRFU on recently awarding 43 international contracts to its professionals and creating a professional atmosphere for women's rugby in this country. It is time we grew such an atmosphere in soccer through whatever initiatives we can. It is essential we support the women's international game. Tonight we hope to have a good news story where a women's international team qualify for the World Cup for the very first time.

Tomorrow during Private Members' business in the Dáil my party colleagues will bring forward a motion to provide a mechanism for community workers to get a pay increase they have not received in 14 years. We are all aware of the great work done by section 39 workers, community employment, CE, supervisors and all such workers in our communities. It is true to say that without many of them, many of our community facilities simply would not function and many families would not have the supports they and their loved ones so badly need. I have spoken to many people in the sector over recent days. They consider themselves the forgotten workers of this country despite the work they do being essential. I hope the Government will accept this motion tomorrow and that in the future we can discuss once again the great work done by all those people in all those organisations.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I would also like to be associated with the remarks expressing our sympathies to the people in Creeslough and the wider Donegal community. We thank those from north and south of the Border who rushed to try to help on Friday.

I raise the matter of Garda numbers. I very much welcome that up to 1,000 extra Garda recruits have been sanctioned by the Government. However, we should look at making greater use of retired members of the force and possibly encourage them to take part in the Garda Reserve by doing a number of hours in Garda station offices and so on. This is something Councillor Mannix Flynn on Dublin City Council has raised on a number of occasions. We are missing out on the valuable resources many of our retired gardaí could give to the reserve.

Like Senator Wall, I wish our women's soccer team well. I am glad the FIFA Women's World Cup will be held in locations that respect human rights. There is a major concern about the fact the men's World Cup will take place in Qatar where there continues to be evidence of abuse of migrant workers, including wage abuse. There is evidence more than 50 labourers died there in 2021. Homophobia is rife in a country where it remains on the statute book that if you engage in same-sex sexual activity, the penalties could include death. As for the treatment of women there, a woman in Qatar must obtain the permission of her male guardian if she wishes to marry, work in certain jobs, travel or study abroad or indeed be the primary carer for a child, even in the case of divorce. I express the concern of this House about the FIFA World Cup or any international sporting event being held in a country where human rights are abused.I would hope that every Member of this House, if they are travelling to any of these countries, would raise human rights abuses and certainly should not praise the regime in these countries or try to minimise the deaths of migrant labourers. We need to send a very strong message. This House and this country have always stood strongly for human rights and their protection in all locations in the world. I believe every Member should reflect that concern.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Yesterday was World Mental Health Day. Every time we turn on the radio these days, people are talking about mental health issues. If we go back to what happened in Creeslough on Friday, we can see the outpouring of support for residents. I compliment the Government for coming out and offering support. This is going to have an awful effect, especially on students who went to school with those children. To see the whole thing unfold on television was so sad. I offer my sympathies to all and I compliment all those involved in the wonderful work over the weekend.

Today is International Day of the Girl. It is opportune that the Irish soccer team are playing the match tonight, which is on RTÉ 2 at 8 p.m. I wish them the very best of luck. I believe that greater supports are needed for females in sport. As has been highlighted in this Chamber, there are many supports in place for male teams but not for the female teams. While we have started to move in the right direction, we need to increase our support. I wish the soccer team the very best of luck this evening and, hopefully, we will see them qualifying tonight.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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At 7 a.m. on Friday morning, I was awakened by the news of the €8.9 million lotto win in Duleek, my town. Throughout the morning and early afternoon, the chatter was all about who had won the money and the rumours of the winners swarmed around the town with great excitement. However, about 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., it went quiet as reports came in about Creeslough. No more talk of the lotto winners. Our hearts and tongues stood still, awaiting the news of the tragedy. Hour by hour, we were briefed on the rescue, the battles of the emergency services and the many parishioners who did everything they could to recover those ten bodies. To all the people of Creeslough and the neighbouring parishes, I want to thank you for how you stepped up to support the emergency services, for all those cups of tea and for the offers of accommodation for everybody who came their way. What can we say? No words will comfort their pain. I spoke to Independent Councillor Michael McClafferty and Councillor John O'Donnell on Saturday morning. Both were on the scene at the time, trying to support their people of Creeslough as best they could.

Creeslough will never be the same. Nowhere ever is after something like this. Healing from such a deep wound takes time. However, we must give hope to the families of the victims. In the weeks ahead, we must make sure that we provide supports and counselling for the families and for the emergency services. They need care and they need to talk about the trauma, what they witnessed and how they are going to deal with the pain and the loss. There are never days without pain, there is never laughter without sorrow, there is no sun without rain. Please God, this dark cloud will be lifted by the hearts of this nation and the people of Creeslough will feel the nation wrap its arms around them at this time.

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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I want to put on record my condolences to the community of Creeslough. Everybody is heartsore looking at what happened over the weekend. I hope the community will be given all of the support they need in the years to come. They are in our thoughts.

I will not get an opportunity to speak on the Private Members' motion on Iran tonight but I want to offer my support. It is very important that we show solidarity with the women in Iran and continue to show solidarity with women across the world. When people are dictating what they can and cannot wear, it is important that this is recognised.

I want to move on to talk about human rights in Qatar, particularly with the World Cup taking place there shortly.I cannot be any clearer in saying I do not believe the World Cup should be taking place in Qatar. It was a shameful decision. The Amnesty International report for 2021 and research completed over the past decade confirm it was a terrible decision. Since the award was made to Qatar over ten years ago, over 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died in Qatar. They have died building the stadiums, airport, roads, public transport system and hotels, and even a new city, which will host the World Cup final. We are aware that migrant workers in many countries are the lowest paid and have no workers' rights. It is particularly the case in Qatar. The construction industry has failed to protect the 2-million-strong migrant workforce. When we see Qatar's grim death toll revealed in the official data, it is really striking that the causes of death include falls from a height and asphyxiation due to hanging. Deaths of undetermined cause are also listed. The most common cause of death listed, natural death, was attributed to acute heart or respiratory failure because of the conditions in which the migrants were working. That is before we get on to all the other human rights violations. Therefore, it is deeply concerning to see that a Member of this House went on an all-expenses-paid trip to Qatar to try to whitewash what has happened there. The country should never have got the World Cup. I hope that if people watch it, they will remember the workers who died to make it happen.

Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail)
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I wish to raise an issue that is quite serious and has been a scourge in recent years, namely class A drugs. We really have to tackle the problem head-on. As we know, the types of drugs coming in have changed significantly. Even in rural communities, one would be shocked to see how common cocaine and similar types of drugs have become. Heretofore, such drugs were prevalent on nights out in large cities or towns but now they have ravaged their way through the whole of Ireland. Among the younger population, they seem to be the norm or are certainly heading towards that. This should not be the case. If we do not tackle this problem head-on quite soon, there will be many repercussions. The Leader, like all the politicians here who are dealing with people in clinics, will know of the knock-on effects of drugs on families, relations, the wider community and work. The problem is becoming more prevalent. It is probably worth having a serious conversation on it in the House.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for raising that important issue.

Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein)
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I want to raise the issue of nightlife and licensing law reform, which Sinn Féin focused on in its Private Members' motion in July before the recess. We had a very worthwhile debate in the House on the future of nightlife in our towns and cities, acknowledging that of the more than 522 nightclubs that existed in 2000, just 85 remain. The whole system needs to be reformed. To the Government's credit, it has done the groundwork. In our Private Members' motion, we recognised the work of the night-time economy task force, the report of which was published in September 2021, and a programme for Government commitment to reform licensing laws and application processes and conduct a full review of policies on nightlife. The Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, made a commitment in this regard in July during the Private Members' debate:

The general scheme will be brought forward in one of the first Cabinet meetings when we return in September. The intention is to move it through the various stages as quickly as possible ...

We all know the Cabinet meets every Tuesday. There have been seven Cabinet meetings since the recess but there is still no sign of the heads of the Bill being brought to the Cabinet. Therefore, the justice committee cannot commence its work.A draft Bill was sitting in the Department long before the Government came to office. Businesses are struggling. This Christmas will not even be the usual catch-all fillip for everyone. It will not save everyone and, therefore, we must see this proposed legislation as fast as possible. The Minister's commitment is slipping away with every week that passes. I call on the Leader and the House to make it clear to the Government that we do not accept this. Commitments have been made and these should be honoured, because businesses and a whole section of society are waiting on this long-delayed reform.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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I join with the Cathaoirleach, the Leader and the leader of the Fianna Fáil group, Senator Lisa Chambers, in expressing our deep sorrow and heartfelt sympathy for the people of Creeslough. Many people, including me, have stood in that filling station. We have holidayed in that part of County Donegal in recent years. We love Donegal people. Those local shops and filling stations are lovely places to go into. People will always have a chat. Like everyone else, I feel hopeless. All we can do is to pray. One thing we should do, as someone said, when all the reporters and politicians have gone, is to make it our business to call there when we can, on a weekend or whenever, just to say "Hello" to people and let them know we are still thinking about them six to nine months down the road. The emergency services personnel did a fantastic job. It is a fantastic community. Undoubtedly, some tough days lie ahead for those people this week. It was only when listening to the coverage of the funeral this morning that I was struck by the sadness people there are dealing with these days.

Turning to a different issue, the Irish Music Rights Organisation, IMRO, radio awards were held last Saturday night in Kilkenny. I compliment the many people in national, regional and local radio broadcasting who won awards. It is important that we recognise the work done by these people. I congratulate, in particular, those involved with the "Joe Finnegan Show" on Shannonside FM who won a gold award in the current affairs regional radio section. I think the Leader was interviewed on the show when she was a Minister. It is a flagship programme and one I produced previously. This award came for the interview with Eden Heaslip's family following his tragic death in Cavan. The piece was entitled "Be Buddies, Not Bullies" and the interview kick-started a major mental health and suicide awareness campaign. It also attracted national recognition for raising the issue of bullying among teenagers and young adults, especially on social media.

We have discussed this topic on many occasions here, so I do not have to tell Members about it. We have the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill 2022 coming onboard here now. I thank Kevin McDonald and Joe Finnegan for what they did in this regard. I heard them saying on Monday morning that they are not finished with this story. They are going to continue to deal with it for the sake of many of the people who are suffering death because of bullying. This is the tragic line I must use: "death because of bullying".

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I raise the issue of where we stand regarding our public transport corridors and our local government in this context. A delegation came to see me at one of my clinics in Kinsale yesterday about the Cork-to-Kinsale route. It is a significant one used by tourists every day. The starting point for that route has been changed, however. Instead of starting at the bus station at Parnell Place, it is commencing from Clontarf Street. This is about the process in this regard. Things change, but the process is the key thing. The National Transport Authority, NTA, comes in and it just makes changes. There is no consultation and no mechanism whereby members of the community are asked what they think. There is no interaction whatsoever. The NTA is the funder and, therefore, it has the ultimate power.

We have now had a bus stop moved, and no bus shelter provided, to right beside an adult shop. Residents of a certain age are trying to get off the bus there every hour of every day. The queues are beyond belief because the bus route is tied in with the service to the airport. Instead of making it to Kinsale in 45 minutes, therefore, it now takes just over an hour. When we look at how we are governing our State and at who has the power of governance, the power the NTA has now is beyond belief. I do not know how we gave it this power.It is a significant funder and a huge driver of these transport corridors, which are important. However, the public needs to have a say along the way and be involved. What is happening at the moment is that local authorities are saying the NTA is providing the funding, so they cannot go against it because it will not give them the funding otherwise. In other words, it is either the NTA’s idea or nothing. That is not governance or a democracy. That is not what the people want.

We need to have the Minister come in so we can ask who actually controls and runs the NTA. Who has the power of control and audit over the NTA? Where does the public - or even public representatives – step into this scenario?

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I join with the Leader and others in the tributes to the tragedy last week in Creeslough, Donegal. It puts everything else into perspective. Our thoughts and prayers go to all of the families involved who are bereaved.

The Leader is very familiar with the school meals programme and the hot school meals that are provided. Indeed, in her former life, she was involved in that programme, which has gone from success to success, from about 30 schools to about 300 and some €65 million spent.

We met recently with the Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board regarding the school meals programme. It too believes it a huge success, but it is concerned that there has been no review of the Department of Social Protection's maximum rate of payment in more than a decade regarding the costs of providing those school meals.

The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, initiated a review into the programme. Perhaps that review has not concluded or perhaps they are looking at the rates. I think they are aware of the extra costs currently facing suppliers. Unfortunately, we now have a situation whereby there is nobody tendering for the provision of school meals in certain areas. I spoke to a company that had tendered previously that said that it has not tendered for this year because of the increase in costs. The maximum rate of pay, for example, for a breakfast or snack is 60 cent for two items; for lunch, it is €1.40 for one substantial item, one small item and a drink; dinner is €1.90 for a hot meal and drink; and a hot meal club is €2.90. It gives examples of the food that is to be provided as well.

I ask the Leader to contact the Minister for Social Protection to see whether there will be a review of those rates. It is a hugely successful and important programme. We know the importance of having nutritious food and ensuring school children have breakfast, lunch and sometimes a hot meal. The analysis showed that they prefer hot meals over cold meals. It is important to get the five-a-day and for the general functioning of oneself. I ask the Leader to contact the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, to see whether there will be a review of the daily rates.

Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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Of all of the things that I managed to do during the four years that I was lucky enough to sit at the Cabinet table, the one that probably fills me with the most joy is the hot school meals programme. I got to meet all of the five- and six-year-olds and they cannot help but make one feel delighted that they are getting hot food, as opposed to cold ham sandwiches, which they warmly welcomed. It makes no sense to have the funding there if the cost per head is not sufficient for people to be able to apply for the tender. I will certainly contact the Minister today and ask her what the story is with the review. If there is not one planned, I will ask her to conduct one, so we can ensure that the €65 million is being spent well and reaches the children that we want it to reach.

Senator Lombard asked for the Minister to come in to talk about public transport corridors, but more importantly, what seems to be the unilateral decisions that are being made by the NTA without public consultation. The idea of good public service is doing stuff in co-operation and consultation with the people that we are here to serve. Any other method usually ends up in some sort of turmoil. We will certainly follow up on that.

I am delighted to hear that the "Joe Finnegan Show” won an award. He is certainly a formidable interviewer, and I can say that from being on probably the wrong end of him on some days. The interview that Senator Murphy talked about continues to have a massive impact. I wish him well and continued success in the work that he does around this particular issue."Be Buddies, Not Bullies" certainly will have a positive impact for many moons to come.

Senator Warfield raised the national nightlife licensing legislation that has been promised. I do not know the date on which the heads of Bill will be published but I will certainly make inquiries and come back to him.

Senator Davitt asked for a debate on class A drugs. It is scary to consider how common they are, even in the rural parts of our country, so it is certainly a worthwhile debate to put on the agenda.

Senator Boylan spoke about human rights and dignity, or the lack thereof too often displayed, in Qatar and similar countries and described in detail some of the tragedies that have happened to people who have migrated to Qatar for work and how poorly they are treated.

Senator Keogan spoke eloquently about Creeslough. I wish the winners she mentioned - I do not know if we know who they are yet - every success because it is lovely to see somebody from one's own neck of the woods winning the lotto.

Senator Maria Byrne spoke about International Day of the Girl Child and wished our Irish soccer team well this evening, as did Senator Malcolm Byrne, who spoke about the need for investment in women's soccer. He also highlighted the human rights abuses that continue in Qatar.

Senator Malcolm Byrne also mentioned Garda numbers and welcomed the new recruit numbers announced in the budget but said he would look to make for better use of the intellectual capital we have in what one would consider young men and women today who, I think, are retiring from the force, which seems a pity.

Senator Wall looked specifically for an international women's pro contract. What the IRFU did was really welcome and an acknowledgement that rugby is only a growing and developing sport for women, but we have exactly the same situation in soccer. The joy Vera Pauw and her team have provided us in the recent past really highlights the effort, the ambition and the positive attitude these young women have. They certainly deserve our support. Would it be worthwhile if we were to arrange a meeting with the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers? It might do something to advance the matter.

Mark Wall (Labour)
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Yes, absolutely. I appreciate that.

Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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We will see what we can do and we will push the matter on a little.

Senator Wall also mentioned the debate in the Dáil Chamber tomorrow evening on section 38 and section 39 agencies. I wish him well with that.

Senator Ó Donnghaile spoke about Creeslough. Senator Boyhan expressed his sympathies to those affected. I had never before heard that poem, "Nothing Gold Can Stay", but it was absolutely beautiful, so I thank the Senator.

Senator Conway welcomed Iryna Tekuchova, who is not here any more, to the Chamber. She is very welcome and we wish her continued success.

Senator Chambers asked for a debate on energy costs, particularly around retrofitting grants and what seems to be an unfair system of treating people who have the ability to do their whole house together as opposed to people who can do it only a bit at a time. We will certainly organise that debate.

I have not mentioned all the colleagues who expressed their sympathies on the tragedy in Creeslough but I thank them all for their solidarity with the community.