Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I join with the Leas-Chathaoirleach in offering condolences to Bridget Doody on the sad passing of her brother, Patrick. I also extend our sympathies to his wife, his family and the extended family. Ar Dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilis. We will have a minute's silence at the end of the Order of Business.

The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 9(2)) (Amount of Financial Contribution) Order 2022, referral to committee, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, Private Members' business, the Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2022 - Second Stage, to be taken at 1.15 p.m. and to adjourn after one hour, if not previously concluded;and No. 3, Private Members’ business, No. 122, motion 4 regarding the review conducted by Dr. Geoffrey Shannon into allegations of sexual abuse at St. John Ambulance Ireland, to be taken at 2.30 p.m. or on conclusion of No. 1, whichever is later, and, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, to conclude after 60 minutes, with the opening remarks of the proposer and seconder not to exceed ten minutes, a contribution from the Minister not to exceed six minutes and all other Senators shall not exceed six minutes, which time may be shared, and the proposer shall be given two minutes to reply to the debate.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the young people from Pope John Paul II School in Malahide. I welcome their participation in our democratic system. I also welcome their teachers who are to be thanked for the leadership they are showing and for giving their time to bring them here. I hope they are impressed by something they hear.

Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail)
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On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, I extend our sincere sympathies to our friend and colleague, the Clerk-Assistant of the Seanad, Bridget Doody, on the death of her brother Patrick, and also to his family and extended family.

The proposed cancer centre at University Hospital Galway will cater for more than 1 million people in the west and north west. It is part of the national development plan and it needs to be prioritised by Government. As Members, and certainly the Acting Leader, will be aware, six and a half years ago a new accident and emergency department was promised for University Hospital Galway. That was urgently required then and unfortunately it is still required. It has been bogged down in bureaucracy since. Plans, reviews and appointments have all delayed this much-needed project. There is concern and anxiety that the new cancer centre will follow a similar path and someone will be here talking about it in 2028. We cannot afford to let that happen and it must not happen.

Senator Chambers and I visited University Hospital Galway last week and met Professor Michael Kerin and colleagues to discuss this matter. We saw at first hand how the current facilities are simply not fit for purpose. Professor Kerin outlined the impact these poor facilities have on morale and on the staff. The west and the north west have the most disadvantaged and geographically dispersed population with a higher age than average and a higher incidence of cancer overall. To put it into context, there is an 86% recovery from lung and breast cancer on the eastern seaboard, but on the western seaboard that figure is below 80%. Unfortunately, because of the inadequate facilities the worst outcomes for cancer are seen in the west.

Cancer care is currently competing with emergency and elective healthcare. Time-sensitive cancer surgeries are routinely cancelled. Problems abound, including access to rapid access clinics, bed occupancy rates, lack of theatre capacity, cancer surgery waiting lists, emergency theatres utilised for cancer surgery out of necessity and long waiting lists for cancer consultation.

The HSE is currently considering submitting three separate planning applications in respect of University Hospital Galway. None of these applications includes the cancer centre and three applications provide an increase of only 100 beds. In my opinion as a Member of the Oireachtas, this is utter madness and obviously contradicts the national development plan which is the Government plan. A single planning application for the entire model 4 hospital, including the cancer centre, should be filed and the hospital should be directed accordingly.

The new cancer centre must be a priority for the Department of Health and for Government. Delays due to red tape and bureaucracy must be avoided. It will save lives and will make an enormous difference to the entire west and north-west region. The Acting Leader, Senator Kyne, has raised this issue over many years. I plead with him to invite the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, to come to the House for an urgent debate on the priority of this issue.

Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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I begin by expressing my condolences to Bridget Doody on my behalf and on behalf of my Fine Gael colleagues.

I wish to raise two matters. On the day that I signed the roll for the Seanad, the Clerk of the Seanad gave me a copy of Bunreacht na hÉireann. Since then, I have been given a copy of the Standing Orders. That is to deal with the constitutional role of the Seanad and the role in our Standing Orders of Commencement matters. There has been a very disturbing trend over recent months that the Minister who comes in to respond to Commencement matters, which are brought by Members of this House representing the interests of people of this country, is not the line Minister who should be responding.

This morning as I sat in the Chair, four Commencement matters were brought forward. The Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, did an exceptional job even though he is not in the relevant Department for any of the four Commencement matters. That is an unacceptable position. We need engagement - that is the whole point of having Commencement matters. Some of the statements the Minister of State was given to read out this morning could be pulled from a website. It was a disgrace. Disgraceful contempt is shown to this House and its Members.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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When we ask a question and we need an answer to a Commencement matter from a Minister, it is reasonable to expect that the Minister is able to engage with the subject matter. I am not sure where the fault lies. I am not sure whether it is in Government, putting Ministers on a rota or whether it is within the Cathaoirleach's office in accepting who is being put forward. It needs to end. We need answers for the people who ask us to speak here.

Last weekend I opened the newspapers to hear the fantastic news that the amendments relating to international surrogacy are to be brought to Cabinet in the coming weeks. I am delighted to report that it caused great joy and relief among members of the surrogacy community in Ireland that at last there is a pathway to ensure we have security of relationship - lifelong relationship - between second parents and their children.

On Tuesday, a case relating to a surrogacy matter was adjourned in the High Court. In the context of that, Mr. Justice Jordan said that in all these cases with children involved, parents are dealing with the situation where every year counts. He quoted one of his colleagues who said in a judgment that parents have but a summer lease on the lives of their children. He said that it is completely wrong that the State uses up time and does not deal with these issues with the priority and expedition required because they are dealing with children and the parents of children.

Our former colleague, the former Minister Alan Shatter, wrote today in The Irish Timesabout his journey in trying to introduce legislation on surrogacy. His guidelines from 2012 are the ones still used today. They are fantastic for families who need to grow their families via surrogacy. In it he wrote:

Too many families and children born through surrogacy have been left in a legal limbo by the failure to date to enact a comprehensive surrogacy law. Such law is urgently required in the best interests of children to recognise on a sound legal footing parental and wider family relationships, to provide absolute clarity with regard to parental rights and for parents’ peace of mind.

I hope this issue will be resolved in the next while. I will have my eyes on those amendments. It is my understanding that they are comprehensive and very much reflect the work of the Joint Committee on International Surrogacy. We cannot have any delay. Those who make decisions on the allocation of time for the Select Committee on Health need to ensure they make space for this legislation to come through quickly. There are children with parents with serious illnesses who need that relationship with their parents. Where relationships have broken down children are being weaponised. Women and second fathers are being denied access to their children. We need this legislation now.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Seery Kearney for her remarks. This is only information and no reflection on anything she said. The Cathaoirleach's office has absolutely no role in what Minister comes to the House to respond to a Commencement matter. His office is only involved in selection of the matters.While I understand Senator Seery Kearney's sentiments and they are well made, it is a Minister's prerogative to come to the House or to delegate. The Leader may wish to convey the Senator's sentiments to the Cabinet by whatever method she sees fit, but that is as much as we can do.

Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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It is also our prerogative to raise issues and have them answered.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I and all Members of the Independent Group join in offering sympathies to Ms Doody. I have lost siblings and it is very difficult to live with. My heart goes out to her and I ask that this be conveyed to her.

On 29 May 1962, the LÉ Clíona, while participating in an annual exercise south of Roche's Point in County Cork and firing patterns of depth charges, suffered a premature explosion from a charge. The ship went on fire and able stoker Mr. William Mynes cut off the fuel supply in order to save the ship. Mr. Mynes suffered severe burns and had to be ordered to leave the fire. It was then tackled by Lieutenant Pat O'Mahony, or Ó Mathúna, and between the two of them, they saved the ship. They have received nothing, not so much as a "thank you". This is not a political issue but relates to the Defence Forces themselves. The time has come for the Chief of Staff to convene a board that will go back to 1922 and work forward, looking at every act that has ever taken place. The Niemba massacre was not honoured until 1998 after the Air Corps Dauphin helicopter crashed in Waterford. The men of Niemba were killed in 1960 and it took all that time to issue the military star. There was no question of distinguished service or military medals for gallantry. What kind of country cannot honour people who do things like this? The LÉ Clíona and the entire crew would have been lost but for those people.

This brings me on to another gentlemen who has given me permission to use his name, Mr. Seán O'Brien, a prison officer in Portlaoise Prison. During a prison escape, Mr. O'Brien was caught in crossfire. He contacted me and I could do very little for him so he prepared a protected disclosure which he sent to me. I sent it to the Office of the Taoiseach on 11 July 2019 and it has still not been dealt with. I have read some of the information Mr. O'Brien sent to me. I am in no position to adjudicate on who was right and who was wrong but the man is entitled to an answer. What it is about us that work on the basis that if we leave a matter long enough, people will die or go away and never get an answer? They are entitled to answers. They are citizens of this country. The coverage of the events on the LÉ Clíonathis morning breaks my heart. We have the cases of the LÉ Clíona, Niemba, the Jadotville issue, Dick O'Hanlon in Galway and his three colleagues and so on. Billy Kedian from Galway threw himself on a mortar bomb to save his colleagues and received not so much as a "thank you".

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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The Senator has made his point well.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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It is not good enough.

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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I join the Leas-Chathaoirleach and other colleagues in expressing my sympathy and that of my party colleagues to Ms Doody on the loss of her brother Patrick.

A number Senators were in London yesterday and the day before with the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. We engaged with both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and with a range of political parties in London. Everyone will acknowledge and appreciate the change in mood music around the issue of the protocol and that is welcome. I support and encourage it and wish it well because we all know we need to get any issues around the protocol resolved satisfactorily. I have to say, however, that our trip was the most encouraging. I will touch on some of the issues raised before making a request of Seanad colleagues.

The change in mood music around the protocol is welcome although, as I said, no issues are resolved yet. In tandem with the issue of the protocol, we have the issue of the so-called legacy Bill, the fall-out from the Nationality and Borders Act, which the House debated and expressed unanimous opposition to, and the continued denial of democracy and government to citizens in the North. We need to look at these issues much more in the round. Colleagues we met in Westminster, who have some degree of knowledge of Ireland, the North and the Good Friday Agreement, encouraged all of us to up our game in parliamentarian-to-parliamentarian engagement, speak to colleagues in Westminster, both the House of Commons and House of Lords, and ensure, as we come to the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, that there is a good understanding of what the agreement is about and what it does and also of the universal opposition across every political party in Ireland to the attempts to drive the legacy Bill through and the negative impact that will have. Colleagues who live along the Border will be aware of the potential threat posed by the Nationality and Borders Act to communities, the economy and society and its implications. Having spent the past day and a half in London with Senators Blaney and Currie and colleagues from the Dáil and Westminster, I ask Senators who have contacts in London to redouble their efforts because it will be necessary. I am sure they will have already conveyed their dismay and experiences. That message comes from people who were involved in negotiating the Good Friday Agreement and in the early days of its implementation and who are still there and know the consequences of the regressive political moves that are being made. I encourage everyone to maintain the solidarity we have shown in the Oireachtas and ensure the message is heard loud and clear from these institutions.

Marie Sherlock (Labour)
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On behalf of the Labour Party group, I express heartfelt sympathies to Bridget Doody and her family on the passing of her brother.

I will speak about the announcement yesterday that the Government's living wage plan has been agreed and approved by the Cabinet. What is the point of launching a plan to improve wages and then doing nothing about it? The Government says it wants to see an increase in the national minimum wage to 60% of median earnings in the next four years. That is great. It is very much to be welcomed, but we are seeing zero progress towards meeting the minimum wage target next year. In 2022, the national minimum wage was 51.8% of expected median earnings. In 2023, the national minimum wage will be 51.8% of expected median earnings. These are not my projections but the Government's projections. Some would say that must be a joke if we are serious about the minimum wage becoming a living wage in the next four years. To add insult to injury for low wage workers, there is nothing in the Government's plan that was published yesterday to fix the sub-minimum rate issue. Young workers aged 18 and 19 who are deemed to be adults in law are treated like children in the context of the payment of the national minimum wage and that is wrong. A number of us are already quite sceptical of the Government's living wage plan because it stretches beyond the lifetime of this Government into 2026. What is effectively happening now is that the Government has decided it will hand the heavy lifting involved in meeting this plan to the next Government. There is an onus on the Government of the day to bring minimum wages to 60% of median earnings because an EU directive on the issue was approved by EU leaders in October. The EU directive on adequate minimum wages stipulates that countries must bring their minimum wage to 60% of median earnings. There is an irony in yesterday's publication. If it was doing something about improving the minimum wage that would be positive but it takes place in the context that we still have 16,000 security workers in this country who had a pay deal negotiated with their employers. The Minister was injuncted in August and we still have the State doing nothing substantive to try to ensure that this winter and into next year those security workers have a pay increase. The court case was in for hearing on Tuesday of this week and it has been put back to some unknown date. That is not right for these are low-wage workers. We spent so much of the pandemic lauding low-wage workers and their contributions and yet this Government is not standing by them when it matters in terms of pay increases.

Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party)
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I rise to talk about Galway and transport. We all know the difficulties in getting a ring road after 20 years of Galway City Council and Galway County Council trying to push this through. We also know we have different opinions on it among the Senators from Galway. It is beyond time for Galway City Council and Galway County Council to look at an alternative because too many hopes have been pinned on this road and it was unfair to the people of Galway to keep them on this promise for the last 20 years.

Light rail is something I feel passionate about for Galway. We have an ideal opportunity and we have it in the programme for Government that we would do a feasibility study on light rail, which has been planned for next year. Along with light rail, let us push forward with BusConnects and get active cycling and pedestrian ways across the city, particularly to alleviate some of the congestion problems. I live in the west of the city and I know about those congestion problems like everybody else. If we can move people from their cars onto public transport and active transport that is the best way to deal with the congestion. The ring road was not going to see any movement from people out of their cars and onto buses and bicycles. The statistics that were presented by the group that was looking at advancing the ring road showed as much. I look forward to the Acting Leader's response.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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From the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, I expect.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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That puts the Acting Leader in a nice fix.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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It is okay. He can kick it over to the Minister.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I would like to join the Leas-Chathaoirleach in passing my sympathies to Bridget on the death of her brother. May he rest in peace. On 26 November, which is just a little over a week away, the people of Ukraine and Ukrainians throughout the world commemorate 90 years since the beginning of the Holodomor of 1932 and 1933. This was a man-made famine which was enforced by the deliberate policies of the totalitarian Stalinist regime and took away millions of innocent lives. For decades this appalling act of inhumanity and immense national tragedy had been kept secret by the Soviet Union, vehemently denied and largely unknown to the world. To date, the research of archives and other documents collected by historians produced the figure of over 6 million Ukrainians who within two years were starved to death by the policies of Stalin's regime which sought submission to Soviet rule and ultimate resolution of the so-called Ukrainian issue.

Ukrainians identify this thoroughly planned and pedantically executed artificial famine as Holodomor, which means inflicting death by starvation in Ukrainian. Deprivation of food was used as a weapon to ethnically cleanse the Ukrainian territories. Not only grain, but all food supplies were taken away from villages by force. People trying to hide even small amounts of food were shot dead or deported and peasants attempting to move to cities and other places in search of food were barred from leaving their villages. At the height of Holodomor, Ukrainians died at a rate of 25,000 per day. Nearly a quarter of rural Ukrainians perished and more than 3 million children born in 1932 and 1933 died of starvation. In the same two years, the Soviet Union sold 1.7 million tonnes of grain on western markets, something we are familiar with here because of what happened during our Famine.

I have put forward a motion, along with the deputy convenor of the Ukrainian friendship group, Senator Craughwell, which will be circulated to all Members of the Oireachtas today. I ask Members to put their names to it so we can commemorate this atrocity in one week's time.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I am sure that will be well received. We are moving on to Senator Buttimer.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I want to be associated with the votes of sympathy to Bridget Doody and her family on the passing of her late brother. It is a difficult time for their family.

I rise to support Senator Seery Kearney on her contribution during Commencement matters. It is something I would ask the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight to look at. I respect the Leas-Chathaoirleach's opening remarks that the Cathaoirleach has no role in it but it is our engagement given that we have no parliamentary questions as Members of the House. We should consider looking at how that exchange takes place.

I ask that the Minister for Transport would come to the House to discuss the decision to again raise toll charges to their maximum level from 1 January. It is a difficult time for everybody but we are seeing motorists, who already have to pay exorbitant fuel costs, being asked to pay further for tolls. I accept that we are doing a modal shift to the train and public transport, and we support BusConnects in Cork. However, I am disappointed that the 8.6% rise in the toll from 21 August 2021 to 2022 is continuing again with this maximum increase by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, on 1 January. I ask that we have a debate, presumably with the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Naughton, in the context of transport and the decision of TII to raise its toll charges to the maximum level on an already hard-pressed motoring industry and travelling public. I ask for that to be done as a matter of urgency.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I would like to join with previous Senators who have spoken on the Commencement matters. It is important that there are mechanisms for us as Senators to bring topical issues to the House. How and ever, I cannot help but think that these are Government Ministers or delegates and representatives of Government who come and take these Commencements and it is their right to delegate that function. We accept that and that is the correct manner. The delivery of the Commencement is not an issue; that is a matter for the Ministers and we must respect that.

The issue of the content of the delivery is another one. I am an Independent, I do not sit in any parliamentary party and I am not going up and down on a Wednesday with a platform to articulate views and issues of concern about the parliamentary business of these Houses. Many of the Senators on the other side of the Chamber are and I ask that this opportunity would be explored if it has not already been so. We must remember that there are Government Whips in this House and that there are leaders of particular groups. The Government Senators have many opportunities to raise those concerns but that is not to take away from the legitimacy of those concerns because I share them with Senators. That issue is important for the democratic process in this House, particularly as we do not, as Senator Buttimer said, have parliamentary questions. I suggest that through the Leader we would convene a meeting next week of the leaders and whips of all the groups in this House and perhaps other people who are relevant to all of this so we can have a discussion on it. We need to progress it and address the anomalies and shortcomings of the system.

I would like to call for a debate on the 10,000 children who the HSE confirmed today are on the children's mental health treatment waiting list. What an indictment that is of any Administration. RTÉ has a breaking story that 10,000 children are waiting for mental health treatment and we should have a debate in this House about that matter.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I would like to be associated with the votes of sympathy to Bridget on the passing of her brother, Patrick. May he rest in peace. Our thoughts are with Bridget and her family at this sad time.

I thank the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, for listening to the concerns of the Sheehy family and Tracey Tully in terms of her decision to rescind the sanctioning of transferring Logan Jackson back to the UK, who was responsible for the mowing down of her son, Kevin Sheehy, in Limerick, more than 12 months ago. The Minister and the Department decided that they were going to send the gentleman back to the UK to serve out his term over there. However, the Minister, after listening to representatives from Limerick, such as myself and others, and the family, took the decision yesterday to rescind that. I thank the Minister for that because it is the right decision. The Tully and Sheehy families certainly put forward a very strong case. The boxing fraternity in Limerick also came out to support them fully. Certainly, they ran a very respectful campaign. I thank the Minister.

I would like to congratulate Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. It ran a youth science fest, working with primary schools on the STEM subjects in the past couple of days. It very important for that connectivity between primary schools and third level education in terms of showing students what the STEM subjects mean, how many openings there are in perhaps jobs down the road or standard of education. That connectivity is to be commended by all.

Mark Wall (Labour)
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I want to be associated with the votes of sympathy to Bridget and her family on the passing of her brother.

I also welcome the approval by Cabinet of the Gambling Regulation Bill. In particular, I want to again thank the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, for his considerable work on this. Along with colleagues and the Leas-Cathaoirleach, a number of us in this House have raised gambling addiction over the past two years. This is a very positive step forward. I look forward to this House debating that particular Bill in the coming weeks and participating on it. It is a good day for those many people who have fallen to addiction and indeed their families and communities.

The last issue I would like to raise is the lack of school places in Kildare South. It is something that I have raised previously in this House. Oireachtas Members had a meeting with the Minister for Education approximately 12 months ago. However, we are in the same situation again, where we have parents ringing up in a very desperate state, saying that their child is number 40, 50 or 60 on a list for a secondary school place. I am aware that a 1,000-pupil school has been sanctioned for Kildare town and it is about to go to the tender stage. The problem we have is for September 2023 and indeed probably for September 2024. Something needs to happen in relation to this. I would ask that we get the Minister for Education back in again or that a meeting be convened with the Oireachtas Members in Kildare South. The desperate phone calls that I have taken over the past week from parents and journalists who are querying this issue have got to stop. It is an issue that has been prevalent in Kildare South for a number of years. The announcement of the school, as I said, is to be welcomed. However, we are left in a situation as to what parents may have to do for September of next year. In addition, parents in Newbridge are asking how they will get their children to a school in Kildare town when that school is eventually built. I would ask that the Minister comes to the House or that a special meeting is convened with Oireachtas Members again. It is a serious problem for many people at the moment.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I join with others to pass my sympathies to Bridget on the sad passing of Pat. It is difficult for her and it is a difficult time coming up to Christmas as well. Our thoughts are with her.

I agree with Senator Seery Kearney and others on Commencement matters. Senator Boyhan was correct in saying that it is more about the content than the people. He is correct because there are some Cabinet Ministers who are very good to come in here. There are other Cabinet Ministers who I suspect would nearly need directions to find the Seanad if they wanted to come in for Commencement matters. However, it is the content that is the most important thing. I tabled a Commencement matter yesterday on Golden National School. The Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, was not there and her Department gave a response. Almost the whole first page of it was a copy and paste of the homepage of Golden National School’s Facebook page. That is not the response it needs. The response it needs is detail on what it is asking, not information it has put up on its Facebook page.

Not to advise the acting Leader, because he is a much more experienced politician than I am and at a much higher level, but from my experience with the Minister, Deputy Ryan, if one keeps shouting long enough, he will come to sense and change his mind. I found that with the N24. Therefore, the acting Leader should keep pushing on that ring road. It affects more people than only those in Galway, because I know that when people in Tipperary make decisions about going to Galway, one of the factors that deters them sometimes is the traffic going in. That is a serious point; I do not make that jokingly.

With 20 seconds left, I will get the point that I wanted to speak on, which is a very serious one. There are an awful lot of local authorities at the moment that are being put under severe pressure by their chief executives and officials to raise rates on businesses because of the lack of income or the challenges they have in relation to costs throughout the year. I am not denying councils have rising costs and things such as that. Some councils have raised property tax and some have not. Now chief executives are telling councillors to raise rates. Everyone is affected by the cost of living. No one is more affected by the cost of living than businesses. In the business sector, no one is affected by the cost of living more than small businesses. It is madness to raise rates on businesses-----

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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The point is well made.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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-----when they are going through the worst period they have ever gone through in 100 years. Chief executives and councils had a meeting recently, and it seems they came home from it with this idea. It should not be about-----

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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The Senator made the point succinctly in a short space of time.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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Like others, I was very sorry to hear about the passing of Bridget’s brother, Pat. I absolutely want to pass on my sympathies to Bridget in this very difficult time for her and her family.

I thank everybody who attended the briefing that I organised on Digital Day on the whole issue of digital accessibility for people with print disabilities, dyslexia, people who are blind and visually impaired and so on. More than 40 Members of the Oireachtas attended the briefing. I believe that people got a lot out of it. The comparison to a public building not being accessible to somebody with mobility impairment would horrify people at this day in age. Yet, most public websites, which are used by many to carry out their business, whether it is taxing cars, ordering passports, renewing driver licences and all sorts of things, are not accessible. Therefore, there is no equality in that. However, they can be made accessible very easily by just reconfiguring elements of the website. I commend organisations such as An Post, the Central Statistics Office, CSO, gov.ieand others that have made their websites accessible. I call on all other public bodies to adhere to the law and make their websites accessible.

In addition, I have spoken many times on the need on a fairer fare structure on trains and buses in this country. I have often used the example of going from Maynooth to Dublin and that being 40% cheaper than going from Ennis to Galway. There is no reason in the wide earthly world that there should be a differential in fares between Galway and Ennis and Ennis and Limerick compared with somewhere like Leixlip and Maynooth into Dublin. We need to have a debate here at some stage with the Minister for Transport on a fairer fare structure that would be fair to everybody. What is more is it would encourage people to use public transport. Given all of the good things that have happened in terms of the 20% fare reduction and 50% fare reduction for students, it is something that needs to be looked at.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate Senator Conway on that extraordinarily good briefing yesterday on the lack of digital access for people with certain disabilities. It was very informative and well presented. Senator Conway’s contribution was of extraordinary quality and I congratulate him on that.Before Senator Boylan speaks, I welcome the second group from Pope John Paul II National School in Malahide, their teachers and pupils.

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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I wanted to raise last Friday's Supreme Court judgment on CETA. I commend Deputy Costello for taking that case despite the fact that the Tánaiste had threatened to pursue legal costs had the Deputy lost. It is interesting that in the last couple of days we have seen the arrogance of both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste who were out of the traps very quickly to say that it would be a simple fix: just amend the Arbitration Act 2010 but their gallop seems to have slowed. Those who were at the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meeting will have heard how much more complicated it is to amend the Arbitration Act 2010 because that may involve renegotiating parts of CETA with other member states.

That the deal was found to be unconstitutional is a very welcome decision. It shows how reckless the Government was in trying to rush this, with the advice of the Attorney General, it has to be said, in a 55-minute debate in the Dáil in December 2021. It also has echoes of how we got ourselves tied up in the Energy Charter Treaty in 1994. Again, that was a rushed debate. It was done by a caretaker Government. The Energy Charter Treaty has put billions of euro of public money on the hook to be paid to fossil fuel companies. Even the mere threat of investor-state dispute settlement, ISDS, and investor courts has led to governments changing position. In Ireland, the smoky coal ban was delayed when we were threatened with tribunals and there was a threat from the Corrib gas field against the Government. That was not public but one can find it on investor websites.

EU countries are leaving the Energy Charter Treaty every single week. The most recent are France and Germany. At a time countries are trying to remove themselves from arbitration and investor courts, it is absolutely bizarre that this Government is trying to get us tied up in even more of them. We will see how complicated it is to try to amend the Arbitration Act 2010.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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Well said.

Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael)
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I also offer my condolences to Bridget Doody on her loss. I want to thank the students who have joined us. I hope that they are enjoying their day in Leinster House. It is great to see.

It is great to see that we are engaging with some of the businesses in our communities. The Minister of State, Deputy English, attended a public meeting on businesses to highlight supports in the budget for businesses under the temporary business energy support scheme. I look forward to meeting Ministers on the potential cycleway in Ballinasloe. I hope that the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, will visit there tomorrow to meet with the project team and hear progress on the cycleway into Ballinasloe in the coming years. The cycleway project from Galway to Dublin is a major piece of infrastructure. It will really change the quality of life of communities all around the west. It will highlight what we have, increase tourism and bring new jobs into the area. We are grateful that this happens with landowner consensus. There is public land that can be used the whole way from Athlone to Dublin but from Athlone to Galway city is private land. We are grateful to private landowners who understand, appreciate and engage and who will give back to local communities in this regard.

Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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I commend the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, on the publication of the Gambling Regulation Bill. I sincerely hope that it is the beginning of our laws and regulations catching up with what has become the normalisation of gambling and its intrusiveness. We are probably all aware of the families in our communities and our friends who have been affected by gambling addiction.

Gambling is a €6 billion to €10 billion industry which has used every tactic imaginable to grow the industry. I say that as someone who has worked in advertising and understands that the nature of advertising and marketing is to grow your customer base and the value of that. We need laws and regulations that are as agile and responsive as marketing can be. I do not underestimate the challenge but I think this Bill is a very positive step to challenge it. I am especially interested in the social impact fund that is part of the Bill.

I want to mention people like the family of Lewis Keogh. His parents, Sadie and Pete, have been part of an organisation called Gambling with Lives since they lost their son, Lewis, because of gambling addiction. They have started a pilot education programme in the North for children of 11 years and over. I have seen their videos and material and it is impactful and effective. That programme or one like it should be part of our renewed social, personal and health education programme. I would ask that it be included in our debates on this Bill. It is vital that we tackle this from a young age.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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I agree with the last speaker on the importance of the gambling Bill. I hope that Members of this House will think very carefully before accepting the hospitality of Paddy Power in the future.

Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein)
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Hear, hear.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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This morning I raise the 88 patients on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick today and the harrowing letter by 72 non-consultant hospital doctors based there. Think about that figure: there are 72 doctors highlighting the fact that patients are being lost in the acute unit and that sometimes patients wait for days before they are seen by a doctor. They apologise to patients. They say that when they issued warnings in the past, those warnings were ignored by hospital management. It gets even worse than that. They said that following the last letter by medical registrars in the hospital last year, management conducted an internal witch hunt to find out who was responsible. Think about that: rather than being concerned about the great issues in the hospital being highlighted by their own doctors, the response of management was to conduct an internal witch hunt to find out who wrote the letter.

I, among others, have been saying for a considerable time that there is a fundamental problem with University Hospital Limerick at management level. Yes, there are key funding resource issues. We have been consistent in highlighting that. We are still 200 beds short in the mid-west. However, beyond that there is a management culture there that is compounding the situation, day in, day out; week in, week out. When 72 of your own doctors stand up to say "we have a major problem, we are being ignored" and a witch hunt is conducted against anyone who highlights the problem then surely to God it is time for the Minister and the Government to act.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I raise the ongoing development of Rosslare Europort. It has been one of the success stories of Brexit and there are very few of those. We have seen an increase in freight trade to continental Europe from Rosslare of up to 450% on pre-Brexit annual turnaround. One of the challenges, however, is that the M11 that links Dublin with Rosslare Europort is a great road as far as the village of Oylegate.At that point, though, it forces all of the traffic through the village. The road infrastructure linking the port is not adequate. I have raised this issue previously, including as a Commencement matter. It is referred to in the national development plan, but if we are serious about developing our ports further, particularly our links to continental Europe - there are now enhanced routes to France and Spain from Rosslare - then we have to have good quality road infrastructure to link them. I call for a series of statements on road projects under the national development plan. Will the Acting Leader ask the Minister for Transport to provide us with an update on this critical piece of infrastructure?

Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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I concur with Senator Malcolm Byrne's comments and second his proposal for a meeting with the Minister for Transport on road projects from 2023 onwards. The specific issue I wish to raise is that of the N4. It was mentioned in the House last year when it was removed from the funding plans for 2022, which would have paid to find a preferred route and ended the situation of a significant number of landowners along a 52 km stretch who have had their lands and houses locked since 2006. It is important infrastructure for the midlands and north west, not just my local area of Longford. It affects Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, Sligo and Donegal. As a Government, we have prioritised balanced regional development, but we are not getting balanced regional development because we do not have proper access to our capital, ports and airports. The funding needs to be kept in place to ensure that the ongoing work brings the route to the planning permission stage so that, whenever significant capital funding is in place, the project can go ahead instead of returning to the beginning, as it did recently, which meant millions of euro had to be spent on redoing work. Let us bring the project to the planning permission stage. If it stalls there because of finance, so be it, but at least it could recommence when finance became available.

I wish to pass on my sympathies to the Kiernan family in Longford on the death of the former councillor, Victor Kiernan. I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for attending his funeral. He was a lifelong supporter to all of us involved in politics in Longford, particularly those of us who ran for Fine Gael, from the blacksmith and general, Seán Mac Eoin, right up to myself. He served on Longford County Council for more than 20 years. Councillor Gerry Hagan stated that he was an ordinary and an extraordinary man. That summed up who Victor was. The Leas-Chathaoirleach knew him well.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I concur with the Senator. We want to send our sympathies to the Kiernan family. He was truly a great man who made a huge contribution to public service.

I welcome our colleague, Deputy Dillon, and his guests to the Gallery.

Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail)
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I wish to discuss the Probate Office. Each year, €50 million is held up in probate. That is a great deal of money that could be in the economy. The delay is due to there only being two official probate officers administering estates. The Probate Office is doing its best, but it just does not have the resources. There is no customer service whatsoever and there is no means of getting an update for solicitors or lay applicants. This issue needs to be examined. If the Acting Leader brought it to the Minister, I would be obliged.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator. Brevity has a great quality sometimes. I call the Acting Leader to respond.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank Senators for their contributions.

My colleague, Senator Crowe, raised the important issue of cancer care at University Hospital Galway, UHG. He and the Deputy Leader, Senator Chambers, visited the hospital recently. There is a meeting on this important matter tonight in Salthill, which we and Senator Pauline O'Reilly will be attending. We will await what Professor Michael Kerin has to say, but it is clear that there is an acute bed shortage in Galway. UHG has been identified as the preferred site for its redevelopment as a model 4 hospital. I agree that there has been a great deal of wasted time. There has been talk of options, appraisals and so on for many years, which has only muddied the waters when we should have been progressing a major development on the grounds of UHG.

Senators Seery Kearney, Boyhan, Buttimer and Ahearn raised the issue of Commencement debates and the disgraceful contempt for the House. While I agree with them, there is also a responsibility within parties to address this with their Ministers. The majority of Departments have a Minister and a Minister of State. The Minister might not be able to attend due to a busy diary, but he or she should make an effort to attend the Seanad. If that is not possible, then the Minister of State should attend. What is happening is not acceptable. We have all seen it. On one of my first days in my previous role as a Minister of State, I was handed a script with only five minutes' notice and told to go into the Dáil and read it out even though I did not have a clue what it was about. That was not good. It is important that Ministers treat questions in the form of Commencement or Topical Issue matters with respect. I will raise this matter with the leader of Fine Gael - I ask that the Fianna Fáil Senators raise it with the Taoiseach and that Senator Pauline O'Reilly raise it with the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan - so that we can see more Ministers and relevant Ministers of State in the House and, importantly, the content of the replies is considered.

Senator Seery Kearney also spoke about the welcome amendments to the international surrogacy Bill. I recently listened to "Morning Ireland" or "Today with Claire Byrne" where this matter was discussed. I thank the Senator and others for their advocacy. It is welcome news that amendments are proposed. I heard Mr. Justice John Jordan's comments about the State's failure to provide information during the court case on how it was making progress on amendments to the legislation.

Senator Craughwell discussed apologies or recognition within the Defence Forces and other bodies regarding individuals who have saved lives through their acts of valour. He mentioned Mr. William Mynes of 31 Annaly Road, Cabra, and the then Lieutenant Patrick A. O'Mahony of Tralee, who lost their lives on 29 May 1962 on board the LÉ Clíonawhen a fire broke out. Both men acted heroically, but there has been no recognition from the Defence Forces. I will raise the issue with the Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney. It is a matter for the Defence Forces and the Senator raised valid points. He also raised the issue of protected disclosures. I have dealt with important issues in my own area involving people whose lives are on hold and who have suffered great stresses and difficulties because they made protected disclosures.

Senator Ó Donnghaile discussed the protocol. I agree that there has been a welcome change in the mood music, but there is still a long way to go. I acknowledge that Senators Ó Donnghaile, Blaney and Currie travelled to London to engage with parties and representatives there. We could have statements in the House some day soon on matters relating to Northern Ireland and the protocol.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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Hear, hear.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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We could have a further in-depth debate on the matter.

Senator Sherlock raised the issue of the living wage. I am not sure whether she welcomed yesterday's great announcement by the Government. I appreciate that it may not have been all that she had hoped for or that it is not happening as quickly as she might hope, but it is a welcome progression. I am told that extensive research and consultation has taken place, including with employer and worker representative groups, unions and the public in order to ensure that the living wage is introduced in a way that benefits workers while also being manageable for businesses. That last point is an important point of which we cannot lose sight. There are business people within the Chamber and elsewhere, and we have heard how every progressive change for workers is another cost for business. This must be recognised. However, it has been agreed by the Government that the national living wage will be set at 60% of hourly median wages in line with the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission and will be introduced over a four-year period. The national living wage will be the floor and will be mandatory for all employers from 2026 onwards. This is welcome news.

My good friend and colleague, Senator Pauline O'Reilly, raised the issue of the Galway city ring road and other transport issues in Galway. We can agree on one point, namely, that there are difficulties with traffic in Galway. Senator Ahearn alluded to them. They are stymying development, putting pressure on families and individuals, bad for the environment and mental health and, unfortunately, giving a bad name to Galway city.The Senator talked about the promise of 20 years. I would argue that if her party and others had not objected to the original Galway bypass all those years ago, it would have been built by now and we could be talking about investment in all the issues that are needed with regard to public transportation in Galway.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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That said, the Senator called for a feasibility study on light rail and I agree. If she wants me to sign a letter, I will certainly do so. As I understand it, the rail group in Galway is seeking funding from the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, for a feasibility study. I am not sure whether it has to come from the local authority or whether the Minister can advocate and provide for it. I would certainly support that. The initial stages of BusConnects projects regarding the cross-city link are going through the process as well.

Senator Wilson spoke about the Ukrainian famine of 1932 and 1933 of which, I must say, I was not aware. I believe there is a motion to come at some stage. We will look forward to and perhaps have a debate on that as well.

Senator Buttimer raised the issue of increased toll charges and sought a debate with the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, in that regard. I will certainly arrange for the Minister of State to come into the Chamber to talk about the increase and costs for motorists.

Senator Boyhan also spoke about issues concerning Commencement matters in the Seanad, and called for a debate regarding the 10,000 children who are waiting for mental health treatment. I will certainly raise that with the Minister.

Senator Maria Byrne welcomed the peace of mind afforded to the Tully and Sheehy families by the decision by the Minister of Justice, Deputy McEntee, to rescind the decision to allow the individual charged with the murder of Kevin Sheehy from seeing out his time in the United Kingdom. I certainly welcome that decision being rescinded.

Senators Wall and Currie welcomed the proposals for the new gambling regulation Bill. They acknowledged the work of the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, with which I concur, while also commending the work of the previous Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, who put in a Trojan effort, as did all members of the Joint Committee on Justice in that regard. It is a long process for complex legislation to get through. I agree that it is a good day for all those who have suffered shattered lives from gambling addiction. Senator Wall also spoke about the lack of school places in Kildare South. I can certainly contact the Minister or the Ceann Comhairle will be able to perhaps arrange a meeting with her regarding Kildare South.

Senator Ahearn talked about local authorities and rates increases. These are difficult decisions. Obviously, decisions on rates and local property tax are a matter for the local authority members. It is fair to say the majority of CEOs, and this was certainly the case during my time in a local authority, will always advocate for an increase in rates as a way of balancing the books. Councillors have to balance that versus the pressures businesses are under. There has been a considerable increase in funding for local authorities this year, which was absolutely needed because of the increase in energy costs. Funding has also been provided to allow for the increases in pay arising from the Building Momentum pay agreement. Local authorities are under pressure; some more than others. That is a decision for the councillors, however.

I congratulate Senator Conway on the well-attended briefing on digital accessibility yesterday, which I attended and at which very valid points were raised. The Senator said 40 Members of the Oireachtas attended. He made some very important points. Accessibility is hugely important in buildings. One issue is obviously that physical work needs to take place. Sometimes there are undue delays with regard to protected structures and all that goes with that. Issues need to be gotten over, however. There is really no excuse now for State websites that are not accessible. Certainly, it is something that should be taken up with all Government Ministers. Senator Conway is advocating for them to take charge with regard to State agencies and their own Departments and also to provide supports for SMEs.

Senator Boylan talked about the CETA agreement. The Government remains committed to ratifying the CETA agreement in full. The Government will reflect on the wider decision and consider its implications. The initial assessment is that a referendum is not required and that some changes may be required to domestic law. I am sure we will hear more about that over the coming months and years.

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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Good luck renegotiating with the EU.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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Senator Dolan raised issues in Ballinasloe town in County Galway for which she has always been a very strong advocate. I acknowledge the former Senator and councillor, our good friend, Mr. Michael Mullins, who was in the House yesterday. Senator Dolan will continue that advocacy on behalf of Ballinasloe.

Senator Gavan talked about issues at University Hospital Limerick, UHL, which is a very valid concern. A special meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health was held a number of months ago with the management of UHL, which I am sure Senator Gavan and others attended. This issue was also raised yesterday by Senator Maria Byrne, who called for a debate with the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. I will advocate for that on Senator Gavan's behalf. It is a very important issue for Limerick.

Senator Malcolm Byrne raised the issues of Rosslare Europort and infrastructure around Oylegate. As well as providing relief for motorists to reach their destinations, bypasses are so valuable for communities up and down this country. I am sure the people of Oylegate would very much welcome a bypass and further development of the infrastructure around that town. I will, therefore, call for a debate on road and transport matters with the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, or the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan.

Senator Carrigy also talked about balanced regional development. As the Senator is very well aware, if we look at where the motorways are on a map of Ireland, there is a big gap in the north west. Clearly, additional infrastructure is needed in those areas. The Senator also paid tribute to former councillor, Mr. Victor Kiernan. I also wish to send my condolences to the Kiernan family.

Senator Ardagh raised issues with the probate office around the lack of customer service, delays and moneys being tied up. Having tried to deal with cases, it is very difficult and frustrating for people. I will certainly contact the probate office on her behalf.