Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Order of Business is No. 1, Eighteenth Report of the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight on the amendment of Standing Orders 57A and 190, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, Consumer Rights Bill 2022 [Dáil] - Committee Stage, to be taken at 1 p.m. and adjourn at 3 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 3, statements on the 9% VAT rate for the tourism and hospitality sectors, to be taken at 3.30 p.m. and to conclude at 5 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 seven minutes, all other Senators not to exceed four minutes and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; and No. 116, motion 4, Private Members' business, motion regarding poverty and social exclusion, to be taken at 5 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to not to exceed two hours.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to congratulate Ms Noeline Blackwell on an international award she received last night. PILnet is a global non-profit organisation that connects the legal profession around the world to ensure law works for all and Ms Blackwell has done incredible work in the area of domestic violence. She works on a national level but I often hear her on my local radio station, Kildare FM, KFM, so I have no doubt she is on local radio stations right around the country advocating for victims of domestic violence. It is a very well-received award and I wish to congratulate her on it.

Later today I have organised for 30 women from Newbridge Women's Shed to come to Leinster House to see the work carried on in this House and in the Dáil. It is a real pleasure to bring them here. Ms Carmel Cashin in Kildare County Council has done incredible work in founding Women's Sheds around Kildare. There are approximately 40 Women's Sheds nationally. They are a place for women to go, to connect and to do educational and enjoyable things. I have connected with the Rathangan and Newbridge ones and I have found that it really is a great space, particularly for people who are not from the area and for the new Irish. They are similar in a way to Men's Sheds but they do not get any funding whatsoever. They merit getting their own funding from national funding streams and I ask that perhaps we take up that call.

I wish to invite all Members to a briefing at 4 p.m. by an Bainne Beatha. For those who do not know them, they are a group of women who have come together as a result of their experiences of maternity services to try to support women to breastfeed. They are launching their report at 4 p.m. I do not wish to pre-empt their report but they do incredible work and it is really important that we put measures in place to support women with their choice in terms of breastfeeding.

The last matter I wish to raise concerns postgraduate fees. It is fantastic that students at third level are receiving a €1,000 discount, so to speak, this year and at least €500 next year. However, a number of postgraduate students from Kildare have contacted me and I have no doubt students will contact others. It is a concern that this is not extended to postgraduate students. I appreciate that in a budget we can only do so much but it is important to try to find some mechanism to assist those studying at postgraduate level. For many, a postgraduate qualification has become an entry requirement for jobs and they are very expensive.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I support the Order of Business. I wish to raise two issues. Yesterday Senator Conway had a Commencement matter on thalidomide to which the Minister gave a response. I will not rehash that response and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on specific cases given that there is ongoing litigation and legal proceedings. Suffice to say, it is a terrible shame that there is such litigation at such cost between the State and the people involved in this case. It is a travesty and a shame. I call on the Deputy Leader to use her influence here. Today I sent a letter to Ms Finola Cassidy who was here yesterday. I said fair play to her, to keep going and that the parliamentary parties are meeting. This is a coalition Government. This can happen and they are very simple asks but it not happening because the coalition Government, all of which I think have parliamentary party meetings this evening, have not made this happen. These people are asking for a Government apology. Surely to God we can give them a Government apology. They are asking for appropriate healthcare supports for their needs. These people are getting older. We are talking about things that happened in the 1950s and 1960s. They are asking for a Government compensation package. Other people have had compensation packages, and rightly so. It is really a terrible shame that we as politicians, although individually well meaning, have been meeting groups here over the past few months and making all sorts of promises. Individual politicians clearly do not have the power to deliver but collectively all of the Deputies and Senators who are members of the three coalition parties can make this happen. I would ask the Deputy Leader to use her good influence. I do not doubt her absolute commitment here but something needs to happen.

I wish to raise the issue of forestry and to thank the Forestry Services Limited and Euroforest for organising a really comprehensive briefing for Oireachtas Members this morning. I say well done to them. More important, they brought great clarity to the engagement with us today. They have asked for 14 policy recommendations. The most important one is the need to establish a dedicated forestry agency to drive this particular area and deliver on the Government targets on which forestry is not and cannot deliver for a whole range of reasons. I ask the Deputy Leader if we could have another debate on forestry and if the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, could come to the House as she is ultimately responsible for the area of forestry and on which I know she is keen. The reality is the Government forestry targets are not being reached. We need a new way to drive the ambition and the delivery of these targets. Today Forestry Services Limited and Euroforest said that they need a specific, targeted forestry agency.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Will the Deputy Leader facilitate a debate with the Minister for Finance on the decision of the Central Bank to ease mortgage-lending limits and thereby allow first-time buyers to borrow up to four times their income? It is an important decision by the Central Bank which I am sure we all consider welcome, but it raises a fundamental question as to its import and what it means in order that we will not go back to the days of old. I hope we can have that debate as a matter of urgency.

I join Senator Boyhan in asking that the Minister of State with responsibility for forestry at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine come to the House for a debate on the new national forestry programme. I appreciate the work being done by her to date but I come from a county where forestry is very important. We have three major sawmills in Cork and a huge industry is associated with forestry. It is underappreciated in terms of its influence and importance in the local economy. Senator Boyhan is correct in that we had a good briefing earlier on the economics of afforestation and forestry management in Ireland. I met a group from Arbor Forest Management, for example, which employs 20 people in Cork. There is a need for the new forestry programme, which is to expire this year, to be recommenced. A lot of schemes are ongoing but this one is about to end and, as Senators who are far more au faitwith agricultural matters will attest, farming is driven by schemes. I hope the Minister of State will come to the House as a matter of urgency to discuss the important matter of forestry and the new forestry scheme, which has a lot of jobs associated with it. Moreover, farmers are making decisions for next year and this will have an influence on that.

Could we have a debate on the State Examinations Commission and on what I think is a very poor timeline for the junior certificate results? It is unacceptable and I say that as a former teacher who understands what has happened with Covid and the timeline for the leaving certificate. It will now be November before the junior certificate results are released, which is far too late. It is not acceptable. It is not necessarily the fault of the Department of Education or the Minister but there needs to be a re-evaluation of how we can give certainty to students who are anxiously waiting to choose subjects that will have an import on their future careers, whether to go to college or take up an apprenticeship.

I ask for these debates as a matter of urgency.

Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I join my party colleague Senator O'Loughlin in congratulating Noeline Blackwell on her recent award. It is appropriate and fitting given she has been a champion of women's rights for many years. She is an unsung hero in society.

The primary issue I raise relates to the revaluation of properties that are subject to commercial rates in a number of counties, including Clare. Over recent months, ratepayers have been receiving revaluation certificates. I have met many who have found the process not to be to their satisfaction. While I accept there is an appeals process, I was with one shop owner in Ennis the other day whose rates bill has increased since 2019 from about €9,000 to €50,000. That seems crazy and incredible and it will put this business out of business. That is probably the most extreme case I have heard but many more businesses have seen increases of 100%, 200% or 300%. I do not know whether the appeals process will be able to resolve the issues I have outlined, but if we are seeing that kind of an increase in rates for some businesses, there is something fundamentally flawed with the process. I am not saying it is all flawed but something is fundamentally wrong with some aspect of it.

I would like to have a debate, at the earliest possible opportunity in this House, to discuss the overall framework in which properties are being revaluated for the purpose of paying commercial rates. We know the struggle that small business is under at the moment, not just coming out of the pandemic but with the significant increases in the cost of energy and the inevitable downturn in economic activity as a result of the increased cost of living. All these issues are headwinds into which small business is facing. We do not need to impose further stress or pressure on them at this time. I ask that we have this debate at the earliest opportunity.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I call Senator Moynihan.

Rebecca Moynihan (Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thought it was to be Senator Gavan first. Will the Cathaoirleach clarify this? There have been two Fianna Fáil contributors on the Order of Business but, no offence to Fianna Fáil, I thought representatives of all the groups are invited to speak first before other Senators who wish to contribute are invited to do so.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To be of assistance, when business starts, I list every Senator who is in the Chamber at the time, and group representatives are listed to speak in a certain order. If they are not here, out of respect for Senators who show up at the start of the Order of Business, I call them in that order. Senator Moynihan was here before Senator Gavan, so I am calling her next.

Rebecca Moynihan (Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the move by the Government to bring in an eviction ban over the winter. This happens every year in France because it is considered cruel to allow people to be left on the side of the road due to evictions over the winter months. It is standard practice there every year. We need to use the time between now and March to bring back properties into the social housing sector. We have heard a lot of talk about how small landlords fleeing the sector is a leading cause of homelessness, but 62,000 people who are reliant on the private rented sector should be in the social housing sector. Average rents of €1,900 were paid to them over 2019, equating to approximately €20,000 a year. Those people are in need of long-term social housing and we need to bring them back into the social housing sector, not leave them at the whim of the private rented sector, which is the leading cause of family homelessness.

The tenant in situscheme is in place and the Government has committed money to it, but local authorities can be quite reluctant to use it and often come up with reasons properties cannot be bought. I dealt with a couple of such cases over the summer and the reasons were not very strong. In one example, a former social housing property that was built by Dublin City Council is now owned by a landlord who is evicting a mother and her three children, but the council will not buy it because, as its representatives said when they appeared before the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage last week, it does not want to buy landlords' property. As far as I am concerned, if something is good enough for supported social housing through the housing assistance payment, HAP, it should be good enough for social housing. Those 62,000 people who need to be brought back into the long-term, secure social housing sector will be brought back by scaling up the building of social and affordable housing but also, as a short-term measure to stem the flow of families entering homelessness, we need to ensure local authorities buy under the tenant in situscheme.

Separately, I welcome the fact that yesterday, UK MPs voted under the Public Order Bill to bring in buffer zones in England and Wales. Buffer zones already operate through local authorities for clinics such as BPAS in Richmond and the Marie Stopes centre in Ealing, but it is welcome they have been brought in on a legislative basis. The Joint Committee on Health is today considering hearings on safe access zones and Senator Gavan and I have co-sponsored a Bill on the matter. It is welcome that this has been done in Westminster and I would like to see such a measure brought in here as soon as possible.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Before I call Senator Malcolm Byrne, I welcome to the Gallery the St. Michael's group from Gorey. They are most welcome and I thank them for coming to Seanad Éireann. They will now hear from their local man.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I join in welcoming the group from Gorey who are here. I raise the issue of a report by HIQA into foster care services in Waterford and Wexford.As we know, HIQA will carry out independent investigations on health services around the country. This has been reported on by Brendan Keane and the People Group newspapers in Wexford this morning. While the report has found that there are excellent foster families in Waterford and Wexford, one third of those families do not have access to social workers. One third of the children who are in foster care do not have access to a social worker. This is also a concern that has been raised with me by a number of foster parents because they are obviously doing the best that they can for the children who are in their care. However, if difficulties arise, because some of these children are particularly vulnerable, they do need the support of a social worker.

The fact that there is now not just the anecdotal evidence from foster carers, but a report by HIQA to state that this is the case, is a matter of concern. We need an urgent debate. I ask that the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O’Gorman, liaise with Tusla on this issue and that he come before the House to assure us that if any child in foster care, not just in Waterford or Wexford, but right across the country, should need to have access to a social worker, this will be guaranteed. That is the very least we can guarantee for the most vulnerable children within our communities. It is also important to those foster parents that they know such support is available should they require it.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I want to begin by raising an issue that was brought up at the enterprise committee this morning and I am asking for debate on it, namely on the corporate sustainability and due diligence EU directive. It is an important directive that will help to establish human rights ethics in terms of supply chains in particular. There is an EU directive pending and I am concerned about the Government stance in relation to it. The Tánaiste was before the enterprise committee the previous week. To be frank, he was evasive. The line that came out was that it was early days in respect of the directive, but it is not. We heard this morning that we are on a third compromise draft. This is essential in order to ensure that we do our best throughout the EU to rule out child labour and exploitation and solve the horrendous abuse that we know goes on, such as in the form of attacks on trade unionists. This is an EU directive that we should all be able to get behind. In fairness, every party represented on the enterprise committee did get behind it this morning. However, there is an ominous silence from the Government. Can we get the new Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, who is a man I respect, to come in and have a debate on that topic in order that we can all get around it and ensure that Ireland takes the correct stance on this issue?

The second topic I wish to raise is in respect of a related human rights issue. This is an issue that does not get the attention it deserves. I refer to the tragedy in Yemen. As the Deputy Leader will know, the crisis has entered its seventh year. Almost 400,000 civilians have been killed. Some 16 million Yemeni are now on the edge of starvation. Hunger and malnutrition worsened this year. This country that has been ravaged by an illegal war waged by the Saudi regime. When we talk about regimes across the world, I find it hard to think of one worse than the Saudi regime in terms of how it treats women, how it treats its own population, the horrendous the degree of executions that take place and, of course, the horrendous oppression of the Yemeni people, which makes any other war pale into insignificance in the context of the horrific deaths, etc., that have occurred.

It is a matter of true shame that the Government has been silent in respect of Saudi Arabia. Worse than that, it sent the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, over there this year to pay a visit, not to call them out on human rights, not to call out the horrendous abuse of human beings and children across Saudi Arabia, but simply to tout for business. I have to ask the question as to how on earth anyone in this Chamber can talk about human rights and keep a straight face if they do not speak out clearly with regard to Saudi Arabia. Everyone knows that the regime there is horrendous. When I brought the Minister in a few months back, he would not even acknowledge that it is a dictatorship. That is what it is, however; it is a dictatorship. It is the most horrendous regime. My God, the stark contrast between the complete lack of action on Saudi Arabia and the correct actions that have been taken in respect of Russia is truly shameful.

I would like a debate on this issue. I want to call out the shameful silence of Government Senators and Deputies in respect of Saudi Arabia. If we cannot stand up for human rights in the context of Saudi Arabia, then we cannot stand up for human rights, full stop.

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Hear, hear.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have just come from a sobering EU affairs meeting on the energy crisis. We all thought that we had been heading into just one winter of challenges, but it seems that we can expect those challenges to last for a number of winters to come.

I want to raise the visit of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, to Washington DC, in his role as president of the Eurogroup, to oversee a meeting of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, which happened alongside meetings of the World Bank and multiple G7 meetings. At this meeting, the IMF managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, clarified that her outlook for 2023 is that things will get worse before they improve. Her words were “The worst is yet to come”. I would like for the Minister for Finance to come before the House and provide an answer or some thoughts on one of the big questions that arises on foot of that meeting, namely, how we, as a country, are going to navigate our way through global market volatility in light of the IMF’s warnings regarding the risk of a global recession. The IMF stated that colliding pressures from inflation, war-driven energy and food crises and higher interest rates are pushing the world to the brink of recession. Countries representing a third of the world’s economic output could be in recession next year. The three largest economies, the United States, China and the Euro area, will continue to stall according to the IMF's chief economist. In short, the worst is yet to come. For many people, 2023 will feel like a recession.

Will our Government be pleading at that point that the writing was not on the wall? World stocks slipped to a near two-year low last week. The UK Government’s borrowing costs hit a 20-year high. Germany's consumer prices were 10.9% higher year on year in September. The International Energy Agency has warned that OPEC's decision to cut oil production could push prices to levels that tip the world economy to recession. The people in the know are saying that we are headed for stormy waters. If policymakers globally get it wrong and mishandle the fight against inflation, the subsequent recession will be harsh and worldwide. What is this Government’s plan to assist in mitigating a global recession and to insulate Ireland against the worst effects of one? The Minister must come into this Chamber and answer these questions.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I want to show Members picture from yesterday’s edition of The Irish Timesand for everybody to understand what the people of Lough Funshinagh in County Roscommon are going through. It should be a national story. I thank Marese McDonagh and Ciara O’Loughlin for bringing us the article and the photograph yesterday. This used to be a turlough. Since 2016, it has not drained. I do not know why Senator Gavan is smiling. This is a serious issue. The result of what is happening is that the residence shown in the article is being dismantled.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Members will be aware that there is long-standing practice of not putting images on display in the Chamber. However, I understand the Senator's motivation. I have seen the photograph. It is quite disturbing.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have no problem with that. I was just reacting to the article. There have been many meetings and conversations since 2016. A plan was drawn up by Roscommon County Council to drain or siphon off water from the turlough. Unfortunately, a challenge was taken by Mr. Tony Lowes from Cork on behalf of the Friends of the Irish Environment. The High Court order was granted, so now the site cannot be touched. One can see the rain falling today. I can only try to explain to the House how challenged and sad the people in the affected area, particularly when one resident's house is in the process of being demolished. One person described it as being like a funeral. There is such sadness in the area. Rather than complicate matters, I ask that the Deputy Leader write to the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works and ask him to come before the House in order that we can have a debate on this matter. It is a really sad situation. It needs national coverage every single day and a solution is required.needs a solution.

John Cummins (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Further to Senator Moynihan’s comments on HAP tenants in situ, we have a window of opportunity in that space. To be clear, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage has instructed local authorities to purchase properties where there are HAP tenants in situ. In fact, at a meeting of the joint committee yesterday, Cork City Council said it has 50 such applications under consideration and Galway City Council indicated that it has 36. If we multiplied that out across our local authorities and if we can get those properties in place over the next number of months, it would go a long way towards helping with the challenges we face. One thing I would like to reference today is the positive news on the public service obligation, PSO, route to replace the Suirway bus service in Waterford that Brian Lynch and his family have operated since 1899. Unfortunately, the company is now going out of business, but on a positive note, Bus Éireann and Local Link will be taking over that service from 1 November. There will not be a loss of service for communities in Dunmore East, Kilmeaden and Portlaw. There will even be an expansion of that service into Carrick-on-Suir, Fiddown and Piltown, which will mean those areas will be connected to University Hospital Waterford for the first time. Obviously, there will be additional services in that capacity from Dunmore East. There is a silver lining to the unfortunate news that the Suirway bus company has gone out of business. It is very heartening news for the communities in those areas that there will be no loss of service from 1 November onwards.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I raise two issues, the first being driving tests and the long waiting times for tests. Recently, I was contacted by a person who is dependent on the use of a car for their job. They had a mishap on their first test and failed it, yet they had to wait 12 weeks for a second test. That meant three months of someone having to drive them to and from working and being on call to drive them to places to do with their job. I believe a 12-week wait is too long. Extra examiners and test centre staff were taken on. Perhaps somebody needs to go in there and see what the issue is, but 12 weeks is too long.

Second, I welcome the fact that the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, visited University Hospital Limerick last Thursday and turned the sod on the new 98-bed development. It is a very welcome move. The Minister also opened the new oncology unit. The staff do fantastic work under a lot of pressure. However, this morning 36 people were waiting on trolleys, and the hospital has advised the people not to go to the emergency department today because there are a number of very ill people there who are waiting for beds. It is a chicken-and-egg or catch-22 situation. We have moved a bit of the way towards resolving the issue at University Hospital Limerick, but I am calling for the Minister to come to the House to discuss it. I am always looking for a debate around it. It is an issue that needs to be addressed not only for Limerick but for the mid-west as well, because there are many people who are concerned about it.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Credit where credit is due, the Minister, Deputy Harris, as the Minister in charge of further and higher education, has done more for those sectors than any Minister I can recall in my time.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is a brand new Department. He is the first Minister in the Department.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Let us not get too touchy about it now.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is just for the purposes of the record.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The bottom line is that it is a new Department but other Ministers had responsibility in that area and we never saw the movement we are seeing now. Credit where credit is due. I am just back from Tallinn, where I was involved in the Tallinn Digital Summit. One of the issues I am concerned about is the overemphasis on academic qualifications in the area of cybersecurity. We need to develop skills-based programmes at a lower level. That is something I am hoping to see the further education sector develop over the coming years. It is extremely important we have people with skills. Coming out of college with an academic qualification does not necessarily mean you have the skills to actually do the job. There needs to be a two-pronged approach. I would like a debate in the near future in this House on cybersecurity and cyber defence.

One final point that affects all of us in this Chamber is the issue of local authority members who work mainly in the public sector not being provided with time off to attend council meetings. A democratically elected position is something that should be cherished. My colleague Deputy Berry and I discussed the matter earlier and I know the Deputy will be raising the issue in the Dáil today. It is simply not right that those who are elected to local authorities are being impeded from attending meetings or having to make alternative arrangements to attend meetings. It is an issue we should debate in this House and we should look at the legislation with respect to how local authority members are treated by their employers.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Craughwell on the issue of local authority members who, in many cases, have to use their leave to attend local authority meetings. In this day and age, it is not good enough. People who are working in the public service or Civil Service, in particular, should get time off to attend meetings, especially when they are elected by the public.

I also support the calls today for a debate on forestry. Forestry is a very important issue in County Mayo and in many other counties. We have seen huge improvements in forestry over recent years, both in the growing and harvesting of products and byproducts. It is a growing industry in this country. Above all, we need to grow somewhere in the region of 18,000 ha per annum to have 18% forest cover by 2050. We need that to meet our carbon emissions targets, to be carbon neutral and to help in that respect. However, it all needs planning. Farmers and landowners need to grow trees and have to make decisions. The old plan is expiring at the end of this year, so we need a new plan. It needs to be delivered quickly. I ask that we have a debate with the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, who is a Member of this House. It is a very important issue at this time. We have seen new and better products coming on stream over recent years, so we need a debate in the area. I hope the Deputy Leader can arrange for that.

Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Craughwell's remarks about local authority members. I spent 11 years on Longford County Council, and I have seen the difficulties members encounter in attending the large number of meetings, not just at council level but also at local level. I support the calls for a debate.

I also support Senator Burke's calls for a debate on forestry. A number of us were at a meeting earlier with the Social, Economic Environmental Forestry Association of Ireland, SEEFA, to highlight the concerns within that industry. To me, it is a win-win to support the industry with regard to our carbon emissions targets. There seems to be a logjam somewhere in the Department. It would be important for the Minister of State to come to the House to address the concerns of Members and to try to find a solution to the various issues, whether they are at the planning end of it or whatever. It is an issue that needs to be highlighted and addressed.

Yesterday, the Joint Committee on Autism met with senior officials from the HSE to discuss the severe lack of staff within the 91 children's disability network teams, CDNTs, throughout the country. It is important to ask the Minister for Health to come to the House to discuss it. There is a serious issue somewhere within the human resources section of the HSE with employing the staff we need to provide the services to which children are entitled. There are more than 834 positions funded by Government. The Government has put the funding in place for the CDNTs throughout the country, yet none of the positions are filled because there is no availability in the workforce.The conversation has not taken place between the universities and the HSE. They must forward plan in order to ensure that we have a sufficient number of professionals joining the system in order to be able to fill these positions. We need a debate on adding these professions to the critical skills list, and on going abroad, targeting and bringing people into this country to fill these positions until we have a sufficient number of people graduating from our third level institutions. The situation has reached crisis point and if we do not deal with it then children will suffer.

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the following and put it with all of the things energy-related this morning. My first query relates to what happened yesterday at a private meeting of the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action as 15 minutes before we went into session we were informed by a letter from the relevant Minister requesting that we wave pre-legislative scrutiny of a Bill for emergency generation. Nobody wants to see the lights go off but this Bill disapplies the Planning Act and environmental impact assessments and 15 minutes is not ample enough time for us to scrutinise all that. The officials who attended the briefing did not give us a commitment that we would have adequate time in the Seanad and the Dáil. I request that we do have time to tease some concerns with the Minister and that the debate will not be guillotined next week. We understand the urgency of this legislation but, if anything, we have learned from the Derrybrien situation that environmental impact assessments are very important, as is the planning system.

The Energy Charter Treaty is an issue that I have raised here on numerous occasions. The treaty has locked us in to fossil fuel infrastructure and will put citizens on the hook for the stranded assets of the fossil-fuel industries. Italy made a decision to leave the treaty in 2016. On numerous occasions I have asked this Government why it persists with trying to reform something that even the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, has indicated is clearly not in line and incompatible with the Paris Agreement. The treaty is a barrier to climate action. In the last number of weeks, Poland has walked away from the treaty, the Spanish Government has announced that it will leave the treaty and yesterday the Dutch Government announced that it will leave the treaty. We are supposed to have a Green Minister in the Government yet we cannot get a commitment that Ireland will show true leadership and walk away from what is a dinosaur treaty that will leave citizens in this country on the hook if we try to phase out fossil fuel infrastructure because they will take us to court in the investor-state dispute settlement court system. We know that the public does not get a say in those courts because everything is done behind closed doors by vested interests, and countries are left billions of euro in debt in order to protect the fossil-fuel interests.

I ask the Deputy Leader to arrange either a debate on the Energy Charter Treaty or some discussion on why Ireland persists in remaining in it.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Well said.

Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I ask the Deputy Leader to arrange a debate on the future of the Irish sheep sector.

As we all know, sheep are synonymous with our landscape, heritage and tourism. In 2020, only 7% of sheep farmers were under the age of 35. The average age of a sheep farmer is 56 years of age. We are not encouraging young people to get into a really important agricultural sector.

I wish to highlight the huge prejudice against sheep farming in the new Common Agricultural Policy scheme as at present 15 cows equals 100 sheep as a livestock unit. Therefore, a farmer will receive €3,350 for 15 cows whereas a farmer with 100 ewes will only receive €1,200. Sheep farming is hugely intensive, is mainly done by older people and traditional farming methods are used. Between dipping, dagging, dosing and clipping, being a sheep farmer involves a lot of manual work and this work can only be done by using manual labour.

I firmly believe that the sheep sector needs to be protected so an action plan is very necessary as it will attract young farmers to the sector. Everyone in the sheep sector awaits the introduction of a wool council and such a council is badly needed.

I wish to note that today, RTÉ Junior launched a programme called "Lámh Signs", which is the first ever television programme that uses lámh signs. Lámh is a unique Irish method for neurodivergent children and families to communicate. Many children with neurodivergence use lámh signs and it is great see to see the national broadcaster dedicate an entire programme to using lámh signs. That means that lámh signs will be highlighted every single day and a few times a day as the programme shows little children using lámh signs.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I ask for a debate on Irish Water to be arranged and for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to be invited to attend. I do not think we have had a debate on Irish Water for quite some time.

In Clonmel, which is in my own county of Tipperary, we have waited years for a new water treatment plant and expected that it would arrive at some point. However, on a weekly basis the local water supply must be turned off because of adverse weather conditions and that situation will only worsen over the coming months. The situation has reached the point where people no longer have a water supply in their homes and businesses must close down. Last week, crèches in Clonmel discovered at 8.55 a.m. one morning that they would have no water for a week and the crèche staff had to inform parents as they arrived with their children that nothing could be done and there was no option but to return home. As a result, families had to re-arrange their whole schedules based on that news.

A lack of a water supply infuriates the people who live in Clonmel and the surrounding area. There has been a lack of water in other areas and in the town of Tipperary. On a weekly basis people receive a warning not to use the water and are told there will be no supply for two or three days but within 24 hours of its return the supply is gone again yet there is no accountability. I know that councillors are frustrated at the fact that there is no accountability in terms of Irish Water at public county council meetings. Irish Water receives public funding yet it is not accountable at a public meeting. Irish Water facilitates private meetings but in my view the company needs to be accountable at public council meetings.

I wish to mention more issues that need to be discussed in this House. I refer to connecting houses to wastewater treatment plants. We have a growing disconnect between Irish Water and local authorities. The people who need to be appointed to positions in water services in local authorities are not being appointed by the local authorities because it is not their role to employ them and the same for Irish Water because the company does not want to spend the money on employing these people. In local authorities across the country water services are not being managed because the resources do not exist as neither Irish Water nor local authorities can agree on who actually employs these people.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I join with colleagues in asking for a debate on the forestry sector. This morning, we had an important briefing which gave a very good insight into where we are going with the huge issue of forestry in Ireland. There is a real need for a debate on forestry because the new forestry programme, which was supposed to be announced and enacted in January, has not come forward yet. People expected an announcement to be made at the National Ploughing Championships. Advisers need to plan yet no programme has been announced. It has been said that the new date for the actual launch of the plan will be next March or April. That shows that the date has not even been decided.

A briefing was held this morning. One individual attending informed us that he employs 85 people at his tree nursery. He said that he will have to destroy millions of plants because there is no forward planning and nobody knows when the forestry programme will be rolled out.

We have an issue with the amount of land to be planted. It is a scar on society in so many ways because we have failed to get farmers involved at such a primary level and they do not have the confidence to plant land. There is no confidence in the forestry sector now because there is no plan. Unless we have a robust debate with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine then, unfortunately, no real planting will be done over the next six months minimum because the plans need to be drafted and the work needs to be contracted out. People go on about having a low but continuous amount of planting for the next six or eight months. The Minister needs to come to this Chamber in the next few days to explain why the plan has not been rolled out and to give us a date for when it will be rolled out.

Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy Leader will be aware that the Westdoc service covers her area as it covers counties Galway, Roscommon and Mayo. We have raised this issue, along with our public representatives here, and I know that Senator Murphy had a meeting with the Minister for Health last week. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Rabbitte, is fighting for this and is very engaged. We have 15,000 families who live in south-east Galway and south County Roscommon that are not currently covered by the Westdoc service. However, Westdoc receives €4 million in funding and the Government states that this funds counties Galway, Roscommon and Mayo. I know that Westdoc does not cover the whole of County Galway. What will the HSE do about the situation? My colleagues and I call for urgent action to be taken. We are urgently looking at the €10 million that has been allocated for GP out-of-hours services in the winter service plan.Second, following on from Senator Murphy's point on Lough Funshinagh, it was positive that we had a group and a committee that came to visit us in July of this year with the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, along with officials from the Office of Public Works and public representatives. I am aware that the Minister of State is engaging with the Office of Public Works and with the local group in Lough Funshinagh about updates here.

Finally, on forestry, I attended that meeting this morning. It is urgent that we ask the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, under the ambit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, for an update around the timelines. There is huge concern. I am aware there has been an increase in the number of licences that have been granted and awarded. The Department has really focused on that in the past two years but we need to understand what are the hold-ups in this regard and why it is having such an impact, as we have heard from industry representatives this morning.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy Leader. I welcome the Government's decision to re-designate four voluntary hospice providers from section 39 organisations to section 38 organisations. This will be hugely important for these centres, including Galway Hospice, St. Francis Hospice, Milford Care Centre, and Marymount Care Centre. The section 38 designation will now provide a defined level of service on behalf of the HSE for these hospices.

Hospices do such tremendous work. The hospice in Galway certainly has been supported by the families of people who have benefited from the services the hospice provides, both in their final days in the hospice or by having hospice care at home. The whole area of dying is so important and obviously will affect every family at some stage. The hospices provide such excellent care. I certainly welcome the decision of the Government and of the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, to allow that re-designation to put these hospices on a firmer financial footing so they will now be regarded as HSE facilities in the context of finance and staffing. This will ensure that these providers of adult specialist palliative care services can continue their vital work. I welcome the decision. It will be a game changer for the sustainability and viability of these hospices in the future.

Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Today I want to talk about facilities provided for postnatal care for women in Ireland. I was contacted yesterday by a lady in my area who has a young infant and who has found it most difficult in the aftermath of the birth to have a social activity available to her or social circle of people in a similar situation. I am aware programmes in other European countries where they set up groups of women coming from the same maternity hospital and who live in the same area. They are connected in together so they can socialise together, they can share their experiences and they can rely on one another. They can have the benefit of on another's experiences, both positive and negative.

I am aware of a similar scheme in the UK. My sister had her babies there and she was involved in the National Childbirth Trust. They just connect women in a postnatal environment to allow them a social outlet. It connects them in to people who are in the same situation in the same area. I am not aware of any such scheme in this country. As was brought to my attention yesterday, the difficulty for young parents and new parents coming out with perhaps a first child is that it can be quite isolating for them when their partner, if they have one, is not in the house all day.

There was a real opportunity there for the HSE and the Minister for Health to put in place a scheme that facilitates just such a group as those that exist in other European jurisdictions. Perhaps we could consider bringing the Minister into the House to examine if such a scheme could be put in place. I do not believe it would be terribly costly: it is organisational rather than resource intensive. It would provide for new parents in that space an outlet that would be very encouraging for them and facilitative of them.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank all Members who contributed to the Order of Business today. Senator O'Loughlin spoke this morning and congratulated Noeline Blackwell on her recent award for her work in campaigning for victims of domestic violence, and for all of the good work that she has done. I concur with the Senator's remarks. They were also concurred with by Senator Dooley. I wish Ms Blackwell the very best.

Senator O'Loughlin also alerted members to an Bainne Beatha briefing at 4 p.m. I assume it is in the audiovisual room. This will look at maternity and breastfeeding rates. The Senator also welcomed the €1,000 discount for the third level student contribution and asked that it could be extended to those doing PhDs and postgraduate courses.

Senator Boyhan spoke this morning, as did other Members, on the area of forestry. We have requests from Senators Buttimer, Burke, Lombard and Dolan, among others, to ask for a debate in the House on forestry. The request has gone to the Minister of State, Senator Hackett. We hope to have the Minister of State into the House next week if we can schedule it for next Wednesday evening. If that does not happen next week it will likely be after the recess. We will get that debate as quickly as we can.

Senator Boyhan also spoke about the thalidomide issue and the request for compensation and an appropriate medical package. I agree and concur with the Senator's remarks

Senator Buttimer spoke about forestry and has asked for a debate on the junior certificate exams, the national State examination board, and how we can reimagine and rework that for future years. That request has gone in.

Senator Dooley has asked for a debate on the revaluation of commercial rates and the impact it is having on some businesses, with some businesses seeing a significant increase in their rates bill. The Senator highlighted a particular business in Ennis whose bill went from €9,000 per annum to €50,000 per annum, which potentially could put that business out of business.

Senator Moynihan spoke about the eviction ban and has welcomed it. I believe that every Member will concur with that. I am glad that it is in place. The Senator spoke about the tenant in situscheme. Senator Cummins pointed out that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has directed local authorities to purchase properties where there is a tenant in situand the tenant is in receipt of housing assistance payment. HAP. That is actively happening but that is not going to solve the housing crisis because one is purchasing stock that already exists in an environment where stock is limited. That is where the problem lies. I have looked at the Labour Party housing policy. It is very light on detail. It says that it would build homes and build back fairer but it does not detail how the homes would be built and it does not detail how they would deal with the shortages in construction workers, the supply chain issues and all of the other factors that are impacting on the cost of building homes and getting homes under construction. A bit more detail and solutions from other parties around housing would be very welcome because we all want to get this issue resolved.

Senator Malcolm Byrne spoke about foster care and a particular issue in Wexford and Waterford that was highlighted where HIQA had found that one third of those in foster care in those two counties are without a social care worker. The Senator has asked for a debate on this. That has been requested.

On Senator Gavan's contribution, I will make that request to the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary. Will the Senator forward on the name of the directive?

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I will, no problem.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am just not aware of the debate this morning at the committee. We will make that debate request to the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, at the earliest opportunity. I take on board Senator Gavan's comments. In this House in particular, we are very good at debating human rights issues across the globe. Last week we had a motion on Iran, which I tabled. It received cross-party support. Nobody is suggesting that there is not a problem in Yemen. There is a massive crisis there. We know of the numbers of people who have lost their lives and will continue to lose their lives without proper support. There is a shared vision in this House to address human rights abuses across the globe. That is evidenced by the many debates that we have in this House on issues. We debate not just Ukraine but also issues around Afghanistan and Iran. There have been other debates happening in the House. I welcome the tabling of a motion, perhaps from the Senator himself, about Yemen and I would look forward to debating that in this House at the earliest opportunity.

Senator Keogan spoke about the energy prices. I was at that committee meeting this morning. It was sobering and a very clear message that this is not going to be a short-term issue. We will be dealing with colossal energy prices because of the global issues that every country is facing. It is predominantly because of the reduction in gas supplies from Russia, about which we learned this morning that the European Union imports 40% of its gas from Russia and we are now just getting 9%. The numbers are just not stacking up. Particular solutions were put on the table this morning by our two witnesses around ensuring that we have proper gas supplies, that we look at increasing the use of renewables and the really important message that we try to reduce our consumption because that is the thing we can do best in the short term. It would be difficult but it is doable, as one of our witnesses pointed out this morning. I take on board the Senator's comments about the rising prices across economies and where we are heading. Thankfully, because Ireland's economy has been well managed in recent years, we are in a position to weather that storm and we are doing quite well on that front. That does not mean that we will not have challenges. The recent budget package put forward by the Ministers for Finance and for Public Expenditure and Reform, and the significant support across all sectors of society, including business and citizens, show that we are doing a good job on that front. We only have to look at to our very close neighbours to see what can happen when an economy is mismanaged and how quickly things can deteriorate.I hope people recognise that a good job is being done by those in government on that front.

Senator Murphy raised a specific issue relating to Roscommon. I send my best wishes to that community and those people and thank the Senator for raising the matter. I do not have an answer for him with regard of the restrictions there but it is important that it is raised in this House. It might be an appropriate subject for a Commencement matter because it is quite specific. We can then take the issue on after that and see what we can do with it.

Senator Cummins spoke about the tenant in situscheme and a bus service in Waterford operated by the Lynch family and welcomed the fact that Bus Éireann and Local Link are taking over that service and there will be no loss of service to the community there. Senator Maria Byrne spoke about the waiting list for driving tests. She welcomed the sod-turning by the Minister for Health of the 98-bed facility at University Hospital Limerick but said there was still a challenge there in terms of numbers on trolleys. Thankfully, the number does appear to be coming but it still needs to be addressed.

Senator Craughwell commended highly the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and agreed that he has done good work. He is the first Minister to hold that office so there is probably nobody to compare him to directly but it is worth noting that it was Fianna Fáil that brought in free second-level education in 1967. Because of that, the money was no longer needed for scholarships. That money was then redirected into the higher education grants we now have. Higher education grants through local authorities were introduced by Brian Lenihan Snr. in 1968. This opened up third level education to thousands of people across the country. Free second level education and third level grants really assisted people in getting into third level education. It was a transformative period in education and one not to be forgotten. I commend the good work currently happening.

Senator Burke requested a debate on forestry. He agreed with the suggestion that time should be allocated to elected members of local authorities to take time off from work where they do not have to use their annual leave. I think lots of people would agree with that. It is easy to implement in the public sector but difficult to implement in the private sector. We do not want a two-tier system so it is definitely one for the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Peter Burke, to consider.

Senator Carrigy raised the lack of services for children with additional needs and the difficulty faced by the HSE in hiring staff. Senator Boylan spoke about the emergency powers Bill that will be going through next week. It was requested that pre-legislative scrutiny be waived at committee. We will have those Bills next week. I do not have the schedule but there will be a group leaders meeting on Thursday to discuss next week's schedule so we might be able to discuss that. I take on board the Senator's issue around the treaty. Perhaps we could have a debate on this in the House. That request could be submitted to the Leader's office and we could try to get it scheduled.

Senator McGreehan spoke about the sheep sector and requested a debate on the future of the sector. She also congratulated RTÉjr for the Lámh signs included in its broadcasting. Senator Ahearn requested a debate on Irish Water with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, which we will request. The Minister will be in the House next Thursday to deal with the residential tenancies Bill and a more general debate, so that may be an appropriate time to raise that issue with him. Senator Lombard asked for a debate on forestry, specifically questions around why the plan has not been rolled out. Senator Dolan spoke about Westdoc. I am aware of the challenges there. I would even question what kind of service those included in the service are getting because during any of my interactions with it, I have been told to go to accident and emergency, so there are challenges there. There is a huge limit on what it can do. If you have one or two certain symptoms, straight away it will not deal with you, so it is a limited service depending on where you are even if you are included in that bracket. Senator Kyne welcomed the redesignation of the four hospices from section 39 to section 38 organisations. This move was also welcomed yesterday. It is fantastic news so well done to the Minister for Health and the HSE.

Senator Ward spoke about socialising opportunities for new mothers. I concur with his remarks. I know from personal experience that public health nurses tend to get involved in that space. It is quite ad hocand is not uniform across the country. There are mother and baby or toddler groups. The public health nurse would usually direct new mothers as to where to go to get information. I find family resource centres tend to provide that information but, again, I am not aware of what the situation in Dún Laoghaire is like. It probably relates to the lack of uniformity. It depends on the public health nurse and the information they have. There have been significant difficulties over the past couple of years where those groups were not operating, particularly during Covid, and lots of mothers missed out. Because of that, there were many resulting mental health issues, isolation and trauma. These groups are hugely important and having a more standardised and uniform scheme implemented through the hospital system would be really good. This would be a good subject for a Commencement matter to get the ball rolling on the debate.