Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on the summer programme, to be taken at 4.45 p.m. and to conclude at 6.15 p.m., if not previously concluded, with 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, time can be shared, and the Minister to be given no less than eight minutes to reply to the debate; No. 2, Garda Síochána (Compensation) Bill 2021 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] – Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 6.15 p.m., and No. 3, Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022 [Dáil] – Committee Stage, to be taken on the conclusion of No. 2, to adjourn at 8.30 p.m., if not previously concluded.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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Thank you, a Chathaoirligh. I agree with the Order of Business, as outlined by the Leader of the House. There are a number of issues to raise. I express my concern at the apparent disappearance of Elnaz Rekabi, who then re-appeared on Instagram a number of days later. She is the Iranian rock climber who was pictured competing in one of the rock climbing events without her hijab or headscarf and later could not be found. Her passport had apparently been confiscated. A number of days later, she appeared on Instagram apologising for the unintentional non-wearing of the headscarf. It is deeply concerning, along with other young women continuing to lose their lives in the Iranian protests. This happened to a young 33-year-old woman competing for and representing her country at an international competition. After public outcry, thankfully, she appears to be alive and appears to be well.We do not really know what happened in the intervening period, which is deeply concerning.

I reiterate my call that Ireland, as a member of the UN Security Council, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, who has direct contact with the Iranian ambassador to Ireland and the Iranian foreign minister, continue to call for full and transparent disclosure of all those who have lost their lives, for the Iranian authorities to desist in the use of force against peaceful protestors and, of course, for the full human rights of women in Iran to be enforced and protected as a given and that they not have to dress as per the demands of the dictatorship that is enforcing those rules.

On a more positive topic, I attended the opening of the specialist menopause clinic at the Rotunda Hospital this morning. It is the fourth such clinic to open in the country in the past year. By the end of this year, we will have gone from zero menopause clinics to six fully operational specialist clinics. The country is unrecognisable today in how it treats women's healthcare compared even with five years ago. We have made huge progress on this. I commend the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, the health service, the Rotunda Hospital and the healthcare professionals who are providing this much needed service. It is long overdue and it is fantastic to see it in operation. Women of my generation have access now to much more information than was the case in the past.

I acknowledge that Ireland launched the first ever national menopause awareness campaign on Friday last. There is a brand-new Government website, gov.ie/en/campaigns/menopause, on which women can find all the information they need about symptoms and where they can get help and treatment. That was not there for my mother's generation or the generations who went before. I understand from speaking to menopause campaigners that we are the first country in the world to have a national menopause awareness campaign. I have spoken to campaigners in the UK, US, New Zealand and Australia and they are asking how we did this because they want to replicate it. It is great to see Ireland leading the way on this.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I am changing the order of speakers to accommodate Senator Sherlock, whose mother is in the Gallery. She is most welcome. Also in the Gallery are members of the St. Luke's bridge club in Cork, whom I likewise welcome to Seanad Éireann. I invite the Senator to address the Order of Business and her mother.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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May we heckle?

Marie Sherlock (Labour)
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I am delighted members of the St. Luke's bridge club are joining us.

I welcome the eviction ban that was announced earlier, which comes after many months of our being told that it would not be possible. We were told about the possible constitutional challenges and the unseen legal advice and given warnings landlords would exit the sector. Landlords are already exiting the sector. The ban is being introduced now simply because there is no emergency accommodation left in this city or, indeed, in other parts of the country. Why is the ban being delayed until November instead of being implemented now? I ask that when the legislation is introduced, the ban be applied retrospectively.

I raise this issue because I am dealing with a family - I am sure all Senators are dealing with similar situations - made up of a mother and her four children aged seven, six and twins aged three. They were due to be evicted at the end of September but were given an extra month to the end of October. Their landlord died a number of months ago and the relatives want to sell the property. This family will not benefit from the eviction that is being introduced in November because they must be gone by the end of this month.

We have asked Dublin City Council about availing of the tenant in situscheme for the family. There are all sorts of regulations and red tape associated with it. Unfortunately, the council is of the view it cannot buy the house in question because it deems it substandard. This means a mother and four children will, in effect, be homeless at the end of this month, notwithstanding that the eviction ban will start the following day. My sincere plea is that the ban be brought forward. It is long overdue and its introduction by the Minister is very welcome. We need to see it brought into force without delay.

Some weeks ago, I raised the issue of security workers. This was supposed to be a good news story, whereby 16,000 of them had negotiated a pay deal with the vast majority of employers in the sector and the Minister had signalled his willingness to sign off on the wage agreement. However, an injunction was taken out on 24 August. All these weeks later, the State has failed to enter any defence against that injunction.We know a separate court matter is being taken in November regarding the constitutionality of the security employment regulation order. When that goes to court, however, it will be put off for another six months or more. All the while, we have very low-paid security workers in this country who are only getting a tiny pay increase and who the State is not standing up for. There is a very serious issue involved.

We have been told by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and by the relevant Minister that confidential conversations are going on in the background. For these security workers, nothing is happening. Like everybody else, they are in a cost-of-living crisis. For anybody talking about how we need to support low-paid workers, the State is not standing behind the pay deal on which it almost signed off. We need to see some action from the Minister.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I am a great believer in process and allowing processes to run their course. It was a great disappointment that last Friday in Galway, while at a very positive event with Genesys opening its new office at Bonham Quay in the heart of the city, word began to filter through that An Bord Pleanála had decided not to defend the legal action being taken against the Galway city ring road. There are questions on a range of issues here, but particularly our planning laws and An Bord Pleanála itself.

As Senators will have read in the newspapers, and this is hard to believe, the board admitted in its letter that it was not aware at its final meeting that a new climate action plan 2021 had been adopted four days previously on 4 November 2021. How it could not be aware is one thing that is hard to fathom and believe. The fact that a mistake or oversight, if that is what it was, by An Bord Pleanála could - but hopefully will not - scupper a project that has been worked on for years in Galway is another matter.

This is only the latest incarnation of the road project. Work commenced on the original project as far back as 1999. Therefore, we are being left behind other cities like Cork, Limerick and Dublin where both road infrastructure and other infrastructure is powering ahead or has at least seen adequate development.

The original bypass project was a road project only. This incarnation of the Galway city ring road was part of the Galway transportation strategy. A power of work had been done by the city and county councils combined with the democratic support of the local authorities and council members to progress this project as part of the transportation strategy.

Only in the last number of weeks, the cross-city bus link project has gone to planning. We see work going ahead on the new pedestrian cycle bridge at the salmon weir and other projects that are planned within the city. We have also seen improvements in other areas and plans for a new greenway for Moycullen that will aid and reduce the pressure on the city. However, we are still in limbo in terms of the next stages. Thankfully, the county council on behalf of the city council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland stated that it is confident that the issues arising can be resolved and, as a result, intends to continue to progress the delivery of the Galway city ring road.

The people of Galway cannot be treated in this manner. Whether it was an oversight or a mistake by An Bord Pleanála, I hope it this does not scupper a vital project for Galway city. I have said before that we need a debate on the whole area of planning. The Government is looking at its planning laws but we have a situation where we cannot allow planning and decisions to be drawn out year after year and, indeed, for decades when it comes to infrastructure in Galway city. Galway deserves better, and we need better.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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On 31 August, I wrote to the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, following a request from a member of the public about tender documents that had been released by the Department of Transport for the procurement of consultancy services for search and rescue services. My letter questioned why there were two very similar tenders in the marketplace. The first detailed tender issued in June and closed on 31 August. The second tender, which seemed to be for the same job, required less expertise and closed recently.

In my letter, I questioned how these tenders would be adjudicated on given that we have no aviation expertise within the Department of Transport despite this being a key recommendation of the air accident investigation unit, AAIU.By way of reply, I received a letter from the Secretary General of the Department of Transport in which he states the following:

That document is not in the public domain. It was provided only to entities who passed Stage 1 of the process ... Your possession of that document is a cause for serious concern. Consequently, officials from this Department, at my request, have consulted the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and the Office of the Attorney General.

In order to protect the integrity of the procurement process I wish to ask you: how did you come into possession of this confidential R[equest] F[or] T[ender]? I also request that you would not read, print, copy or circulate this document to any other third party. Please delete from your email system any emails or attachments where the R[equest] F[or] T[ender] can be found electronically and destroy any hard copies if any have been made.

As public representatives, all Members of this House will, from time to time, receive documents and possibly questions which are of concern to members of the public. I believe we are obliged to bring the concerns of the public to the relevant Minister or Ministers. That is exactly what I have done. I have to say I was rather shocked by the intimidating reply from the Secretary General of the Department.

We are living in stressful times. Nothing is more certain. The report of the fatal crash of Rescue 116 provides indisputable evidence of a litany of reckless behaviour and failings on the part of the Department of Transport, the Irish Coast Guard and the operator of this vital service. Changes were recommended. Equally, our taxpayers need to be protected from decisions which lead to poor value for money. The Department of Transport and the Irish Coast Guard have been shown to be lacking in their capacity to remain an intelligent customer for aviation in general and in search and rescue, SAR, in particular. Yet, instead of complying with the recommendations of the AAIU, they still have no aviation expertise and instead rely on consultants. The Department can tender for experts to minimise risk but it cannot tender out responsibility. I am disturbed that any civil servant would be unaware of the Howlin v.Morris judgment on the private papers of Members and would feel he or she could use his or her position to intimidate a Member or a public representative-----

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Senator, in relation to the language used in respect of the letter from the Secretary General, while of course you are entitled to bring up issues like that, describing it as intimidating-----

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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It was intimidating for me.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Okay. Just be careful about language.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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It was intimidating for me. When a Member of this House is told that an email that was sent to Ministers is being referred to the Office of the Chief State Solicitor and the Office of the Attorney General, that is intimidating.

I would like the Minister for Transport to come to the House to reassure all Members that he does not support or subscribe to any form of intimidation. I ask the Secretary General to comply with Article 83 of EU Directive 2014/24/EU and appear before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications to deal with the substantive issues surrounding the SAR contract. No Member of the House should be subjected to any form of intimidation. I take the Cathaoirleach's point on the word "intimidation", but this is not the first threatening letter I have received from the same Department. The Secretary General must surely be aware of the Howlin v.Morris judgment and of the fact he cannot compel me to produce any document or to deliver the names of people who have contacted me. There is a massive amount of concern, not just from me but from those who are interested in providing services to this country, that they are not being dealt with particularly well. The Secretary General has an opportunity to come before the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications and answer the questions that need to be answered.

Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party)
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First, I highlight World Menopause Day, which Senator Chambers has already mentioned. In May 2021 in the convention centre, I raised the issue of the menopause. I felt a little bit nervous doing so. We speak about all sorts of other issues, but we had not really spoken about the menopause. I received a bit of a backlash following that, because certain members of the medical profession felt that perhaps I was blaming them for the experiences women had when they went to their GPs. While I am certainly not blaming individuals, I am blaming a medical system that let down women for a long time. We know that 50% of this population experience the menopause, which is nothing to be ashamed of, and 91% of women say they experience symptoms.We need to talk about the menopause, and that includes the medical profession. I am pleased to see that the first menopause clinic has opened and that the Minister for Health has taken on this issue. It is welcome to see, under this Government, that we are prioritising women's health. It is welcome we have menopause awareness week. We must also look at the education system when it comes to any medical professional who has contact with women because the first port of call is the person that one goes to and explains one's symptoms as one actually does not know what is wrong. Even today, I read a report where someone said their symptoms made them fear they had early onset Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the first person one encounters needs to understand fully what the menopause is, to be able to identify it and then say where one needs to go. We have come a long way but we have not reached where we need to be when it comes to the menopause. Lastly, people's careers and professions are deeply impacted by the menopause.

I welcome the decision by An Bord Pleanála to admit that it did not take into consideration the climate action plan. Five months before the decision was made by An Bord Pleanála, it knew that the climate Act had passed and that it was a relevant body for the purposes of that Act. Therefore, it was disingenuous for An Bord Pleanála to write in a letter that the climate action plan had only been published four days before when it knew its full obligations.

We must be honest with people that climate action requires us to take steps that are sometimes a little bit uncomfortable. Many people do not realise that only 3% of the traffic in Galway city tries to get from one side of the city to the other side. In particular around Galway city, there is no consensus that a road is the best solution and I believe a road would push people even further out of the city, thus increasing sprawl. For all kinds of reasons a road is not the best approach. The politicians have probably not been honest with people in Galway for a long time and that is why we are where we are. Thankfully, progress is being made with public transport and cycling options, in particular for Galway city. Let us celebrate that progress and advance these initiatives.

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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I wish to raise three items. First, I, too, welcome the ban on evictions but, like my party leader said in the Dáil today, we need action to be taken now or as soon as possible. It is safe to say, and it is definitely safe to say on behalf of my party and, I am sure, on behalf of all of the groups on this side of the Chamber, that we stand ready to assist the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and his Government colleagues to ensure the legislation is put through speedily, efficiently and effectively. Families have come forward to speak about their experience of living in tents, and that shames us all. We need to get this legislation through as soon as possible for all of the reasons we know.

Second, the Dáil will debate a Sinn Féin motion that seeks to ban energy disconnections and provide crucial protections for pay-as-you-go customers. Much like my previous commentary, the Government proposal that such a ban would not come into effect until December simply is not good enough. I ask colleagues to support tonight's motion in the Dáil to ban energy disconnections, not in December, not in November but now when people need it most and when we know people are facing into an already difficult winter across a range of aspects of the cost-of-living crisis. We know from last night and last week just how cold the nights are getting.

Last, I wish to make it known that Belfast City Council has put out a public tender calling on artists to create two life-size or even larger sized statutes of Mary Ann McCracken and Winifred Carney to be located on the grounds of Belfast City Hall. Anyone familiar with the grounds will know it is a lovely location at which to spend a sunny afternoon eating one's lunch but there are not many women depicted in the form of statues on the grounds. There are not too many progressives or Irish republicans depicted on the grounds either. I welcome the fact that a tender for both statues has been issued and artists from all across society are invited to submit a tender. Many colleagues here regularly engage with artists and the cultural community so I ask them to make artists aware of the tender.Mary Ann McCracken is probably best known as being the sister of Henry Joy, but she was a hell of a lot more than that. She was an abolitionist and a humanitarian. Right up until she was in her 80s, she was down at Belfast docks handing out literature opposing the slave trade. She is a very well-known figure in her own right.

Winifred Carney was James Connolly's aide-de-camp in the GPO. She was known as the typist with the Webley. She stood for Sinn Féin in the famous 1918 general election in my part of the world, east Belfast. I have one very quick story if the Cathaoirleach will indulge me. I remember listening to a talk on the life of Winifred Carney. She was ordered to leave the GPO by Connolly when he was injured. He told her to take off her Sam Browne belt in order that she would not be recognised and identified as having taken part as a member of the Citizen's Army. Connolly ordered her to take off her belt. Not only did she refuse to leave the GPO garrison and take off the badge, she actually removed the badge and carved her name, Winifred Carney, into it in order that she would definitely be known as having been in the garrison and involved in the Rising.

The deadline for submissions is 11 November. I use this opportunity to encourage artists to put in their tender and I ask colleagues to do likewise.

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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Over the past few weeks, I have called for the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to come to the House to debate ending direct provision. I again thank the Leader for writing in and for supporting it. Unfortunately, I will need to submit a Commencement matter for next two or three weeks until I can get him in the House.

It has come to my attention and to the attention of many other Senators that people in direct provision who are employed, no matter how small their job might be, will be required to pay rent. The Government can make it sound as nice as it wants, but it is still rent that people will have to pay. Where did this idea come from? Who is responsible for deciding that people living in direct provision will have to pay rent? Would anyone here pay rent to live in a system that does not meet their needs? From speaking to people living in direct provision, I know it is a cruel system. Basically, all they have is a safe space. Earlier I spoke to a woman who told me she has to share a bathroom with four other families. Will we next ask women placed refuges to pay rent? It is really getting serious when we are asking people living in direct provision to pay rent. I know it is for those who have a job.

It also came to my attention earlier that officials from the International Protection Accommodation Services are going into refugee centres and if people have their papers, they are being asked to move out. How can people move out of these centres when they have no homes or anywhere else to go to? We have a major problem that we need to deal with. The Minister can hide away from it, but we need to get him to come to the House to ask him these questions. At the end of the day, this is a humanitarian crisis and we should not be asking these people with little or no money to pay rent.

Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail)
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Today I am seeking leave to amend the Order of Business to introduce a Bill on behalf of the cross-party group on cancer care of which I am chair. I refer to the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2022, which is colloquially known as the "right to be forgotten" Bill. The aim of the Bill is to ensure that cancer survivors are not denied access to financial products, such as life insurance, due to their past medical history. This is particularly pertinent for those who might be diagnosed with childhood cancer or cancer in their teenage years. Research shows that nearly a quarter of cancer survivors have had difficulty accessing financial products in the past. I hope this Bill will go some way to help reduce their difficulty and allow them go on to lead normal lives into the future.

My colleague Senator Gavan will be seconding the Bill. I propose an amendment that No. 21 on the Order Paper be taken before No. 1.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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In the past few days, two pieces of news have caught my attention. They are two linked items that give rise to some discrepancies. The first is the seizing of a mansion in Saggart by the Criminal Assets Bureau from the Mansfields on account of it effectively being owned by Daniel Kinahan.Second is the announcement yesterday by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, that €2 million sourced from the proceeds of crime is to be invested into community projects. The use of cash criminal proceeds in this way is to be lauded indeed. It was from a motion by independent Louth councillors led by Councillor Paddy McQuillan that this brainchild was born. It is our communities on the ground that suffer due to the selfish action of criminals and it is the people of those communities who should receive every support we can give them to build stronger and safer communities. Just as we build up our police force to suppress crime, we must also build up our communities to prevent it. Community projects which foster interconnectivity are an integral part of this. As this use of liquid criminal proceeds is of obvious benefit, why are we so slow to liquidate other assets? This seized mansion, which could fetch anywhere between €1 to €2 million, will instead languish on the books of the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB, or its approved receiver for years, during which time it will be left vacant serving no one and moneys will have to be spent to maintain it and keep it secure. During the housing crisis, the proceeds from this property could be used to house multiple families or even directly used itself as housing. Why the delay in accomplishing this? It is time to have a look at the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 and allow the CAB to expedite the sale of criminal assets in order that those proceeds might speedily benefit our communities as well. Will the Minister for Justice address the House with her opinions on this matter?

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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On education, there was some good and some not-so-good news in the past 24 hours. The not-so-good news is the delay in publishing the junior certificate results. Many students did not go into transition year but went on to start the leaving certificate cycle. They will have been three to four months into the first year of a two-year cycle before they have the results of the junior certificate. We have heard the excuses and the reasons but they are still not good enough. For young people to do an exam in early June and not get the results until towards the end of November is really not acceptable and it should never happen again. It is happening now and there is not a lot we can do about it but it should never happen again.

On the good news, I have been campaigning for some time in this House and have met Ministers and spoken publically about the need for the leaving certificate papers to be accessible to people with print disabilities. They need the papers to be digitally accessible. It was announced yesterday that the papers would be digitally accessible to the blind and visually impaired community. I want clarification as to whether this will be for all people with print disabilities, as it should be. This country is an outlier when it comes to State examination papers being accessible to people with print disabilities. For many years, they have been accessible in most other European countries so that people who use laptops, iPads and other forms of technology can access their examination papers and enlarge the print with their fingers or with whatever low-vision aids they need. It is very positive that in June 2023, this facility will be available to people with vision impairments in this country. It should have happened a long time ago but it is welcome that it has happened. I commend the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley and the Minister for State, Deputy Madigan, on making it happen because I certainly annoyed them over the last number of months in particular to make this happen. I want to commend Féach, the organisation that represents parents of young people with vision impairments, on its campaigning on this issue and making it happen as well.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I echo Senator Conway's comments on the disappointment at the delay in the junior certificate results. It is quite unfair to those students, particularly for those who may be looking at an apprenticeship or at whatever subjects they might be choosing for senior cycle. We have to ensure that delay does not happen again.

I also call for a debate around the planned national research strategy. While much of the focus will be around structures, there is a serious question regarding the level of support we are giving to our PhD candidates. Some significant improvements were made in the budget but it did not go far enough.If we are to believe in investment in research in the long term, it is essential that we support those who are pursuing PhDs. I would like the Leader to invite the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, to the House to discuss the research strategy.

I also want to raise the question of a global crisis that is in many ways often forgotten, given the focus of the news on other parts of the world, namely, the question of Venezuela. The UN reported this week that since 2015, 7 million citizens have left Venezuela and after Ukraine, this is the biggest migrant crisis in the world. Approximately 2.5 million people have ended up in Colombia. They have been the victims of famine and of the economic collapse in that country. Democracy has been repressed and we have seen political oppression. It is important that Ireland at UN level does everything that we can in order to seek the restoration of democracy to Venezuela. I welcome the fact that Venezuela lost its seat on the UN Human Rights Council in the last few weeks, although unfortunately we still see certain countries that have dodgy human rights records, such as China, Cuba and Qatar, sitting on that body. However, it is important that we use our role at UN and EU levels to try to ensure that we see democracy restored to Venezuela and that support is provided to those who are migrants from Venezuela, especially from the oppressive political regime that is in place there.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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I would like to second the Central Bank Bill to which Senator Ardagh referred, which is also known as “the right to be forgotten” Bill. I wish to commend everyone who is involved in relation to this matter. I formally second that Bill.

I want to raise the issue of my village of Castleconnell, because two serious aspects of life in Castleconnell have been highlighted in the last few days. First, in a village of 2,500 people, we have 443 applicants on the housing waiting list. That is 443 families and individuals. The plan right now is to build five council houses between now and 2026. It is absolutely shocking and what it means is that people really are bereft of hope. They are paying exorbitant rents of €1,400 per month for substandard three-bedroom accommodation. A number of people had received eviction notices before the very welcome but belated announcement today. They are, therefore, facing losing their homes at Christmas. The fact is that there is so little planning by Governments and by the local authority - I blame the Government in particular for the lack of funding here - shows just how overlooked the people of Castleconnell have been over the last number of years.

To add further woe, we have been told just this afternoon that our local post office will close as of Friday. People are being asked to travel 6 km to the next post office in Newport, County Tipperary. The fact of the matter is that for a whole host of people, such as pensioners, people with disabilities and people who do not have their own transport, they will have no means of collecting their pension after this week. It is an absolutely shocking indictment. We hear so much about support for rural Ireland but here is the reality: our post office will close on Friday. I have spoken to An Post and, in fairness, it is doing its best to try to get somebody else in to try to keep it open and running. Yet, in the meantime, there is no aspect of life that will not be impacted in the village if the post office closes on Friday. I want to appeal to all involved to try to keep this post office open until we can get a replacement service in place. We cannot lose our post office. It is the heart of our community and it is a shocking indictment that has been let get to this stage.

I appeal for a debate on the role of rural life, in particular, and on the importance of post offices because I think we would all acknowledge it and yet we still see them close. Urgent action should be taken. Once again, I call for a debate on housing, particularly in terms of the appalling impact where I live in Limerick.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I would like to talk about public transport in Dublin Central. Obviously, every senior citizen in Dublin Central can avail of free travel and young people up to the age of 24 are enjoying a 50% discount on public transport. That is welcome. Does the Leader know that feeling when one has been standing at a bus stop and has been waiting and waiting and the next thing three buses all come along at the one time? It is infuriating, although one is delighted and wonders which bus to take. What is happening in Dublin Central in terms of public transportation investment is similar to that. Currently, in Dublin Central, we have a statutory planning application in train for the Blanchardstown bus corridor into town through the Navan Road.The Leader knows the route well. It runs down Old Cabra Road and through Stoneybatter. An application has been made for a BusConnects route from Finglas and Ballymun, running down Mobhi Road and Botanic Road, through Phibsborough and Constitution Hill, and into town. We also have the MetroLink, which is a massive infrastructural project. The DART+ West upgrade is also progressing. This is all welcome investment. We all support more frequent, affordable and reliable public transport. As the Leader knows, we have campaigned for safer public transport. However, for residents and businesses in the area, this number of statutory planning applications running at the one time is an enormous burden. It is a burden for any citizen to engage in a voluntary capacity. It is a statutory process. The engineering wizards and experts within the National Transport Authority, NTA, and other statutory bodies should have had the sequencing capacity to know that would put an unreasonable burden on residents.

I ask the Leader to write to the Minister for Transport on this issue. I appreciate this falls within the remit of the NTA but the Minister for Transport needs to intervene and give direction that is going to galvanise support and engage people to support these massive infrastructural projects in order that we can have more reliable, efficient and affordable public transport.

Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail)
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I rise to raise a topic that has been raised by a number of Senators, that is, the stay on evictions and the greater and general topic of housing. I agree with Senator Gavan that it would be no harm to have a discussion on housing in this House. That would be informative for everyone.

I welcome the Minister's decision to introduce a stay on evictions over the winter period. It is a sincere and well thought-out provision by the Minister and the Government. However, it will be important to follow on at the back end of that stay. Landlords who have an enshrined right in this country to be in charge of their own properties and homes are having this law forced on them, for however a short a time. If we are going to introduce a stay on evictions, we must work with landlords and property owners. The detail seems to be sparse although I understand there may be further clarification later. For argument's sake, I will say there are some tenants who are not playing ball at present and others who will not play ball because they know they are going to secure a house until next year. That leaves landlords with very little or no recourse. To go to the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB, to try to get a tenant out of a property if there is a problem takes a year at the best of times. I am curious about what guarantees are available and what back-up we are going to give to landlords.

Fianna Fáil previously proposed a tax break for long-term leases. I do not where that proposal has gone but it made a lot of sense. I have spoken to my party colleagues about it. I mentioned more than a year ago the tsunami of sales that were coming. I mentioned that to my colleagues in the House approximately three months ago. I can see it happening at first hand. It is having a knock-on effect and causing a problem. Each and every day, as the Leader will know from attending clinics, more people are presenting in cases where their houses are being sold and they are going to be left homeless, for want of a better word, or at least without their current home in a short timeframe. That is something we need longer to consider. We must engage and deal with landlords. Putting our heads in the sand and running landlords out of the market is something we can do if we want to but we must have a proper strategy to do it.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I also wish to raise the proposed closure of the post office in Castleconnell in Limerick. Residents have contacted me. It is not easy to get from Castleconnell to Newport. Residents are reliant on getting lifts. Many older people use the local post office for their banking facilities so I encourage the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to come to the House for a debate on the future of post offices.

I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Health regarding transforming four hospices from section 39 to section 38 organisations. This is most welcome in Limerick, where Milford Care Centre is located. It is joined by Marymount Care Centre, St. Francis Hospice and the hospice in Galway. I compliment the CEOs, staff and the many volunteers who work in these hospices. My family availed of the services in Milford Care Centre over the past number of years. Compassionate work is carried out there. The news today is welcome because it secures funding for the future of hospices in Ireland. I thank the Minister for listening to us. I spoke to him and the Tánaiste about this matter and I think it was the right thing to do.

Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael)
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The Technological University of the Shannon opened a learning gate today. One might ask what a learning gate is. I learned this morning that it is a place where students can come and study. Ballinasloe Area Community Development hosts a place for start-ups, enterprise and companies but it also has meeting room space and this is where students will now be able to come and learn, meet with other students or carry out research for the college they are attending. This is the first of 11 that will be opened by the Technological University of the Shannon. It is even opening one in Dublin. It means there will be additional support for students. I am delighted to see it because it again shows that there is third-level access in the Ballinasloe region and how we are developing these links with our third-level institutions which are driving excellence in the regions.

As has been noted, there has been very good news on the education front, particularly further and higher education. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science indicated that the extra SUSI payment for third-level students will be on 16 December. We also know that €1,000 has been taken off the student contribution fee so this will be a real boost for families and those who have paid in full. I think they will have to submit their account details by mid-November. For those who have not paid in full, it will be taken off their second payment. This is really positive news for students and their families coming up to Christmas.

Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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In response to Senator Dolan, it is a really exciting time when one gets such wonderful new educational institutions such as our technological universities. It will be wonderful to watch them grow and develop from their inception. It is really exciting for the areas that have them so I thank the Senator for raising that issue and for acknowledging the €1,000 rebate that will be returned to students, or indeed their mammies and daddies who have paid their fees over the past couple of months. It will be very welcome.

Senator Maria Byrne spoke about Castleconnell post office, as did Senator Gavan. I am not sure if it is of any benefit to either Senator if I contact the CEO of An Post but surely to God there must be somebody we can put in until we find somebody who will take over the post office. I am assuming, although I do not know for sure, that somebody is retiring and they cannot find anybody else to take over the business. There must be some interim arrangements that can be put in place for the 2,500 people referred to by Senators Gavan and Maria Byrne. I will certainly make contact with the CEO and come back to the Senators.

Senator Maria Byrne also spoke about the very welcome announcement of the four hospices being redesignated from section 39 to section 38 organisations, which is very welcome. Senators Davitt and Gavan both looked for a debate on housing. While the eviction ban is very welcome for most people, I acknowledge their concerns about landlords. We need to protect people. The story on RTÉ last night about the family living in a tent is not acceptable in this day and age. There have been challenges regarding accommodation and building houses in the past number of years.It is certainly not acceptable that two young children with autism and their parents are living in a car and a tent. Nevertheless, we need to recognise that the more actions we take to discourage landlords from being in the business, the more that will result in people not having anywhere to rent, given that the State is not building the houses it needs to build in order to provide for those people. It will be a welcome debate. I will organise it as soon as the Minister is available to us.

Senator Fitzpatrick asked that I write to the Minister with regard to the three statutory consultations, which probably are a bit of an overload for the residents in the same area, even though we are all trying to improve the services of public transport for them, and I will certainly do that.

Senator Malcolm Byrne asked for a debate on research grants and the establishment of proper funding for PhD students and research candidates, which I will certainly organise. He also touched on a global crisis that is not spoken about as much as other crises, namely, that in Venezuela, and spoke about attempting, through the UN and the EU, to restore democracy and look after the 7 million citizens who have been displaced over the past year or so.

Senator Conway spoke about the delay in getting the junior certificate results. I have a little lady at home who is waiting, like all the other young ladies and lads in school, and it seems to be an unacceptable delay. It certainly highlights the fact that there are not enough teachers to correct the papers, so we have to find the root of that problem and fix it.

Senator Keogan raised the welcome announcement that the fruits of the seizure of criminal assets will be redistributed to communities that have been most blighted by crime. The announcement of the first €2 million was made this week and Balbriggan was lucky enough to score €150,000. There was another announcement for Meath and there have been more for various places almost throughout the country. I was flabbergasted to hear that we have to keep assets for six years before we can dispose of them and realise the cash. That does not make sense. I will certainly make inquiries, although it may require a tweak in legislation. I would have thought that if we saw something and had the authority to seize it, we would not sit around for six years waiting to realise the value of the money, but I will revert to the Senator on that.

Senator Ardagh proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, which Senator Gavan seconded, and I am pleased to accept it. I look forward to scheduling her Bill, as soon as I can, for a Thursday afternoon in order to try to get it progressed insofar as we can between now and Christmas.

Senator Flynn sought a debate on direct provision. Every time she does so, I do ask about it but I have not yet been given a date. I will ask again today and remind the Minister with responsibility. I am concerned about the recent announcement that people in direct provision are being asked to pay for accommodation. It is not acceptable that just because we have awarded them citizenship or remain to leave but they do not have anywhere else to go, we would then decide to charge them for what is substandard accommodation, so I support the Senator on that.

Senator Ó Donnghaile welcomed the ban on evictions and raised both his party’s motion that is to be taken in the Lower House tonight and the public tender for artists in respect of life-size statues. I laughed when he spoke about Winifred Carney because not only was she an original Sinn Féin member but she was also a Fine Gaeler and then a Fianna Fáiler before she got out of politics. She was definitely a difficult woman who did not let any man push her around, which is very welcome, so I acknowledge that.

Senator Pauline O'Reilly the menopause experience, how good it is to talk about it, how often we have been talking about it and how welcome the major changes of the past year have been.

Senator Craughwell spoke about the SAR tenders, while Senator Kyne spoke about the ring road in Galway and the fact we are now back to the drawing board.

Senator Sherlock spoke about the injunction on the security industry, an issue she has raised a number of times.

Senator Chambers spoke not only about the welcome additions to the menopause clinics - we are now on the fourth one - but also about the worrying trend emerging in Iran of the disgusting treatment of women. We really need to follow up with the Minister for Foreign Affairs to find out where that young woman is and ensure she is safe.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Ardagh has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 21 be taken before No. 1." The amendment was seconded by Senator Gavan. The Leader has indicated that she is prepared to accept the amendment.