Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Before I call the Deputy Leader, I welcome the multinational adult education group from Ukraine, Egypt and Nigeria. The members are all very welcome and I thank them for being here today. I hope they have a very enjoyable visit. As a former director of adult education, I stress the importance of returning to education, staying in education and, more importantly, adult education. I thank the group for being here today.

Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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The group is very welcome. The Order of Business is No. 1, the Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2023, referral to committee, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; and No. 2, the Finance Bill 2023 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 12.15 p.m.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Deputy Leader. I have raised on many occasions the status of the emergency department in University Hospital Galway, UHG. I welcome that there has been progress, albeit slow progress, of late. The strategic assessment report has been sanctioned by the Department of Health after a long time. Planning permission for the demolition of the old emergency department has been granted. The new temporary emergency department has been in place since last summer and is working well. There is more space. The old emergency department was used to provide ten additional beds last winter, which was of great assistance with the pressures that arose during that period. There is now some concern as to whether those beds will be available for the coming winter. Funding is in place. It is imperative that these additional beds are retained on campus in UHG. Saolta and the management of the hospital need to find space to ensure those additional beds are maintained.

As I said, I welcome the progress but the steps are too slow and too long. The public spending code process, although necessary, is very protracted. I know the Minister and the Department are looking at shortening the phases and steps that are necessary. That would be welcome as it would reduce the number of times that major projects have to go to Cabinet. As I understand it, the threshold at which projects need to go through the more rigorous evaluation has been raised from €100 million to €200 million. It is important that we debate with the Minister of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the issue of our capital plan as it relates to health, which I am talking about on this occasion, but also other areas and that we discuss his future plans to shorten the timeline for the delivery of projects within the capital plan. His new job title includes delivery of the national development plan. This is very important. We have seen construction inflation and everything that goes with it but the timelines that are manageable within the Department need to be looked at. There is a two-stage process. There is what can be sanctioned within the various Departments and then the rigours of the planning process. We need to tighten up the time it takes to deliver major capital infrastructure while continuing to focus on value for money and watching overspends. There are many projects around the country. We need to progress and fast-track many of them.

As I have said, the overall project for University Hospital Galway will include the new emergency department as well as maternity and paediatric facilities. We need to deliver that. We need to get the planning process started. You cannot get planning permission unless you apply for it. This has been the crux of the issue with regard to the public spending code all along.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome to the Public Gallery the students from Scoil Áine Naofa in Lucan, whom I had the pleasure of meeting on the way in. They are the pupils of rang 6 and are with Mr. Somers and Holly. They are all very welcome today. I hope they have a very enjoyable visit and wish them good luck in their new school next year. I hope they and Mr. Somers have a very pleasant and enjoyable end of term. I thank our visitors for being here today.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I too welcome our guests. It is very important that they get to see democracy in action here. The Deputy Leader will be aware that 9 May, which is next week, is Europe Day. We are celebrating 50 years of Ireland's membership of the European Union. Our EU membership has transformed this country socially and economically. We can all be very proud to say that we are both Irish and European. One of the most successful programmes in recent years has been the DiscoverEU programme, which every year allows approximately 30,000 18-year-olds in the EU and a number of Erasmus partner countries to obtain a travel pass allowing for free travel, under certain restrictions. More than 200,000 18-year-olds have benefited from it since 2018. We should look to be even more radical. We should look for everybody within the European Union or the EU's partner countries to be given a free travel pass for use on public transport throughout the European Union when they turn 18. In fact, there should even be negotiations with the airlines and ferry companies because, for those of us on an island, it is a little bit more challenging to use some of the rail services in Europe. We should be ambitious. This could be a way of celebrating the European Union because, while we can read about things and see things on screens, having the opportunity to travel and see other parts of our wonderful Continent can be transformative.

Related to that issue, I am very happy to talk about a twinning that has been arranged between the Gymnázium Bilíkova school in Bratislava and Gorey Educate Together Secondary School. This is the first time that a school in Ireland has been twinned with a school in Slovakia and it will allow opportunities for students and staff in Slovakia to come here to Ireland and for students from Gorey and north Wexford to travel out there. I will put on record my thanks to the ambassador here, Andrej Droba, and to the staff at the Slovak Embassy. For us to establish these kinds of links, we need to encourage them and build on them further.

Finally, I will make reference to and very strongly welcome the speech by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs at the Royal Irish Academy this week in which he set out Ireland's relationship with China. While we want to engage and do trade with China, the Tánaiste set out very clearly that we cannot turn a blind eye to human rights. I very much welcome this approach on the part of the Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs. The speech was welcome and I hope that we might have an opportunity to address the Tánaiste on Ireland's relationship with China in the near future.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Yesterday morning, the Women of Honour were interviewed on RTÉ's "Morning Ireland" and very clear set out their opposition to what is going on with respect to the drafting of terms of reference for an investigation into the allegations - I stress the word "allegations" - that were brought forward by the independent review group.It appears we have a woke culture of civil servants and politicians coming together to ensure they get an inquiry that delivers the outcome they want, rather than the outcome that is required. The cowardly act yesterday by the former two-time Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney, was unforgivable. He was coming out talking about the culture of the Defence Forces and the need for radical change, when he was Minister twice and responsible for the appointment of an assistant secretary in the Department of Defence for human resources. What policy was brought forward by the person being paid €146,000 per annum during his term in that role? He is now gone. What policy did he bring forward? What policy have the Defence Forces ever refused to implement?

We are in the middle of a lynching party. I come from County Galway; I know what lynching is about. To hell with the evidence. We had a Senator, a criminal lawyer, say here last week that he accepted, without question, the report of the independent review group. Nobody should accept without question something that has not been tested in a sworn inquiry. That is what the Women of Honour and I want and every decent citizen in this country wants. However, it is much easier to stand up and throw rocks at people who cannot defend themselves. It is widely known the Defence Forces cannot speak publicly on anything that is said about them. We have people who are very angry and have no right of reply and politicians coming together with civil servants to deny the appropriate type of investigation. The Department of Defence sat on protected disclosures and the cultural issues that were highlighted by Senator Clonan's report and it stood down the independent monitoring group. Did the Minister, Deputy Coveney, when he was Minister for Defence, ask why the independent monitoring group, which was doing good work, had been stood down?

I find it very difficult that nobody in this House is willing to stand up to say we should have the statutory inquiry and then put those who are to blame front and centre and make them pay for what they did. Standing up and having a go at the entire organisation is brutally unfair. I reject it. Yesterday, at Arbour Hill, a number of people thanked me saying at least one person had spoken out in their favour. I served with decent, honest and hardworking people in the Defence Forces. I did not serve with women. I have no idea what happened when women came in, but I will not sit quietly and allow Ministers to come out and make statements, without any proof to back them up.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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I must again mention the crisis in University Hospital Limerick, UHL. The figure yesterday, when there were 124 patients on trolleys, set a new record. It is shocking to think that here we are in summer and the hospital is still hitting a new record of shame with regard to patients on trolleys. As the Leader will be aware, this is an issue that a number of people, not only I, have been raising for years now. The issue continues to get worse. The figures, just in the first four months of this year, show that more than 6,000 people have spent time on a trolley in UHL. We are on target, as things stand, to exceed the dreadful total of more than 18,000 patients on trolleys last year.

A couple of things need to be said about the crisis. First, the 96-bed unit, which has long been promised and has been built, will only deliver 48 beds and will still leave us with a deficit of 200 beds. After 12 years in government, Fine Gael really needs to come up with more answers than that. The fact is there has not been sufficient planning and resources with regard to our hospital for many years. Second, the crisis is being compounded by staff who, through no fault of their own, are choosing to leave. I am getting calls from nurses and healthcare assistants, one of whom left to become a bus driver. He just could not cope with the crisis and struggle going on in the hospital. The crisis is being compounded and the Government is not listening to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, with regard to actions it could take to try to retain nurses and assist with the issue of housing for nurses. These issues have to be tackled.

For some time now, Deputy Quinlivan and I have been calling for change at the top of the hospital management structure. I do not understand why Government representatives are not recognising there is a fundamental problem. This is not all about money. UHL consistently has a far worse record than any other hospital in the country. Responsibility for that has to rest in the hands of management. It is also not helpful when we have a Minister who is in denial. If he is told about the 124 patients on trolleys, he will cite the TrolleyGAR figure of 41. He has done so twice in this Chamber. TrolleyGAR figures are calculated differently but the calculation does not explain how, at 8 a.m., there were apparently 41 patients on trolleys and an hour and a half later, we were up to 124. The Minister is in denial and that does not help in any way. I call for an urgent debate. I want to see the Minister in here. He is ultimately responsible for this crisis, which is getting worse rather than better. We need accountability and action.

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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My contribution will lead on to a point I am trying to make around racism and discrimination. I love working here. I have met friends who I would have thought were enemies, if you like, before I came in. I have a good relationship with the majority of other Members. I genuinely feel I am an equal Member in this House who is able to vote and get up and have my say. Last night, I got a taxi home from town. The taxi driver refused to take me into my house on a halting site. If I went on to be the President of Ireland, a top surgeon or whatever I may wish to be, no matter what or who I am, to many people I am still just a member of the Traveller community. I am still just a pikey and a knacker; somebody who came from absolutely nothing. I felt that right to the gut of my stomach last night. I thought, "My God, I will never be good enough in society, no matter what I do."

I tried to speak to the driver and tell him I was a public representative and would not lose my job because of this fear. He refused and I said to myself I would not take this. I told the driver I would not pay him if he would not take me to my destination. To make a long story short, he told me he would ring the Garda. I told him, "No", I would be the one to ring the Garda because he was the one committing the crime rather than me. I called the Garda and the operator told me this was a waste of Garda time. I told the operator I understood that but a crime was going on, in that the driver was not bringing me to where I needed to be brought and I was not going to pay him the money. I explained I was a public representative and would not let any harm come to the taxi driver. The taxi driver told me he would take me in if the operator stayed on the phone. I had to go through all of that.

I welcome the hate crime legislation that will be brought before this House in the coming weeks. We have some small amendments to make to that Bill and I hope they will be accepted. I also welcome the €1 million from the national action plan against racism to tackle racism in this country. We have a long way to go before we tackle racism in this country. I was not brought in to where I needed to go and judged on the basis of everybody in the community. We do not judge settled people. We do not say that the gangs we are seeing nowadays are all the same but, unfortunately, a member of the Traveller community in 2023, no matter if the person is a Senator or anything else, will experience racism and discrimination. We need to do more than tackle it; we need to protect people and put good legislation in place.

I wished to share that story with colleagues this morning and encourage people to do what I did last night, that is, call the Garda. People in those situations are not wasting Garda time. They are not committing the crime. The person who is refusing to bring them home is committing the crime.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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I agree with the Order of Business. I welcome the ongoing work on pensions, in particular for younger people, the move to an auto-enrolment system and the current debate on the age at which people should be auto-enrolled.There was a debate on radio yesterday. I put some stuff out on social media and asked what age people should be auto-enrolled at and asked to pay into their pensions. I got various responses. Some said that 16 made sense. They understood that it was 16 because once one starts working and pays from the beginning, one will never miss the money. That is the idea behind it. We probably need to explain why we may be asking people to pay into pensions at the age of 16 when they cannot vote, drive or enter a bar and buy a drink at that age. It might confuse some members of the public but the rationale behind it makes sense. Many others gave random ages like 20, 21 or 23. One person said 55, which is a bit ambitious if they want to retire at a reasonable age. There is a debate to be had. It would be good to get the Minister for Social Protection to come before the House at some opportunity to speak to us about the whole system of pension auto-enrolment, what the plans are, and how we intend to implement the system. It is long overdue. Ultimately, it is about protecting people in old age in order that they are able to maintain the lifestyle that they had when they were working and can pay for things.

One final matter that I want to raise is the ongoing situation with regard to holiday and tourist accommodation in many parts of the country that is currently being used to house those seeking international protection and refugees. We needed to house people. My request, which I have made to the Minister, is that we start thinking about next year and the year after, and the tourist seasons that will come in the following years. Ultimately, in rural areas in particular, many people pay the bills and put food on the table whose livelihoods are made from the hospitality sector, whether it is a small souvenir shop, a coffee shop, a pub or a restaurant. If tourists are not coming into the accommodation in an area, it will have a knock-on impact on smaller businesses. We need to hear about the plans the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, has for the tourist sector for next year and the year after. We appreciate that we need to do our best this year and help people, but we also need to see a plan in place for future years to ensure that the businesses to which I refer are protected.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate Senator Flynn on raising the matter to which she referred. I am delighted that she had a platform to raise it. She is an equal Member of this House. I also congratulate my colleague from Mayo, Senator Chambers, on her recent marriage to Councillor Jarleth Munnelly. I wish them well and hope they have a long, happy life together.

I would like to raise an issue regarding the €50,000 grant and the €20,000 top-up grant. There is some ambiguity about the draw-down of the €70,000. There is confusion between the banks and local authorities. A local authority has to have a secondary charge on a property. In some cases, a bank will have a problem with this. The secondary charge is in order that people who avail of the €70,000 grant and do up their home do not sell it for a period of ten years. This is causing problems for people who are in a position to buy one of the properties in question and do it up as their principal primary residence. It is causing problems with the draw-down of their loans or mortgages. I ask the Deputy Leader to bring this matter to the attention of the Minister and for the Minister and the banks or the banking associations' representatives to come together to iron this out so that there is no hold-up with the draw-down of the €70,000. As we know, a bridging loan will probably be taken out before the €70,000 is obtained. This will cause hardship and eat up some of the loan for those hard-pressed people who are trying to get homes for themselves.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I draw the House's attention to the fact that the National Transport Authority, NTA, has submitted a planning application for DART south west to connect the Kildare line and upgrade it to a DART-like service to run through the Phoenix Park Tunnel at Heuston, through Cabra, Glasnevin and on to Connolly. This is a welcome development. Increased provision of reliable and affordable public transportation is obviously a key priority for all of us. One element that is disappointing in this railway order application is that despite the upgraded service running through Cabra, there is no proposal for a stop there. I understand the NTA has provided funding to Irish Rail to develop a station. There is an ideal spot in Cabra at Carnlough Road. It is an old cement silo site. Train tracks already run through the site and there is a siding. I ask the Deputy Leader to engage with the Minister for Transport and ask him to use his offices and those of his Department to get Irish Rail to bring forward its proposal, with the funding it has been provided, to deliver a stop for DART south west in Cabra at the time of that service going live.

Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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I pay tribute to Senator Flynn on her comments here this morning. Congratulations to our colleague, Senator Lisa Chambers, and her husband, Jarleth Munnelly, on their recent nuptials.

I remind Members of the autism training that I mentioned yesterday. The first session of the training will take place in the audiovisual room on Thursday next. I ask Members to log on and register to take part in the session. It is important that we have a full complement on that day in order that we can start as we mean to go on.

Part of the recent report on the Defence Forces dealt with the question of new headquarters for the latter. The report recommends that these headquarters should be centrally located, with subcommands providing an adequate national disposition. It also recommends that the future structures should be regionally balanced. I want to put forward the location of Custume Barracks in Athlone, which is located right in the middle of the country. There is a fantastic site there. In addition, there is sufficient land to expand on what is already in place. I ask that this be looked at as a matter of priority. It is in line with the recommendation of the commission for the headquarters to be centrally located, since it is right in the heart of Ireland. I suggest that Athlone should be chosen in this regard.

Two young men from my neck of the woods in Longford, Patrick McGivney and Robert Higgins, have produced a new film that is being released tomorrow. It is called "Lakelands". It has won numerous national and international awards. When people are thinking of something to do over the next couple of weeks, I ask them to consider going to see the film. It is not too often that Irish films go on to release nationally. They are two young lads in their 20s. It was shot on location in Granard, County Longford, and is well worth seeing. I ask people to keep an eye out for it.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Senator Carrigy might email Members in advance of the training next week. It is important that we support him. The Ceann Comhairle and I have committed to that.

Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail)
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I fully support my Donegal colleague, Senator Flynn. The way she was treated last night was atrocious. I congratulate her for using her power this morning to highlight it. She is absolutely an equal Member of this House.

I want to talk about the A5 route. With the N2, this is part of the Dublin-Derry route. There is an ongoing saga regarding the A5. It is the last route in Ireland of its stature that does not have motorway status. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern announced plans and funding for it in 2007. Sixteen years on, we do not even have planning for the project. There were three more deaths on the route last week. It is an awful tragedy. This was the third occasion on which three people have died in accidents on the route in past 16 months. There have been 47 deaths on it since the general election. This is absolutely the worst road in the country. Given the stop-start nature of Stormont, which has failed politically, last night, I wrote to Rishi Sunak. I copied the message to the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Transport. I asked Mr. Sunak to invoke his powers and grant planning permission. He has done that for other political matters relating Northern Ireland. It is within his remit to do that. Enough time has passed and enough lives have been lost. The whole north-west region, including Donegal, Derry and Tyrone, comprises a destination with city status. Some 350,000 people are served by this road. It is time for the political messing to stop. I ask the Deputy Leader to write to the Government and to those who I mentioned to ask them to back this approach and ensure this project starts right away.

Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
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This week we saw what has been described as a protest by legal aid practitioners in courts throughout the country. It was done with the minimum of disruption but it was a very strong and well-attended statement by those who work in the criminal courts, solicitors and barristers. Their pay has not been restored and they are the only sector whose pay was cut at the time of the crash and who have not got it back. It is leading to major problems within the criminal bar. We also saw in the last few days that a case could not go on because there was no senior counsel available to do it. People are not willing to do those cases any more. I do not understand what the blockage is but there was a very clear statement of intent by practitioners this week. I want to call out in particular Darren Lalor and Luigi Rea who co-ordinated it. There is very strong feeling there and it is time the Minister took action. It is about time that we paid people what they deserve. People do not seem to understand that it is not just defence practitioners. This affects prosecutors as well. For those who think defence practitioners are the only ones affected, as we have discussed in this House on a number of occasions, it affects the ability to prosecute offences against people who have committed serious crimes. It is time we did something about it.

There are upgrades going on around the country in terms of electricity and other services. When that happens, businesses have their electricity cut off, usually for the day. It is welcome that we are improving the network and the facilities that are available to people. However, there must be greater consultation with businesses and more notice given. It is not okay to say to a retail business today that its power is going to be cut off on Monday. That is not enough time for them to prepare. There are other instances I am aware of where they were told it was to happen, they closed the business for the day and then the work did not take place. They closed the business for no good reason. We need to build on communication with businesses to minimise disruption and loss to them.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the pupils and teachers from St. Cronan's national school in Swords who are in the Gallery today. They are very welcome to Leinster House and I hope they have a very enjoyable visit. They are here for our Order of Business where Members can raise issues to the Leader of the House.

Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail)
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I also want to mention the auto-enrolment scheme. When the Deputy Leader was Minister for Social Protection it was something she was working on. Ultimately 750,000 are possibly holding off getting a private pension because they are waiting on the auto-enrolment scheme. It is great to see the Oireachtas committee working on it but we have been waiting on it a long time. I hope that finally there is a good push to ensure that it is brought in without delay, as soon as possible.

I was very disappointed to read a report that experts are advising people who are in nursing homes not to rent out their homes. The Government has given fantastic income tax exemptions for people who do rent out their home. The issue here, and we have to stand up to it, is the Residential Tenancies Board, RTB. It is not acting fast enough in legitimate situations where people are over-holding. It is an issue. People are looking at this when they or their parents are going into nursing homes. It is important that we get it right. The vast majority of people going into nursing homes are not renting out their homes. Any negativity in respect of this will reduce the supply. We need to face up to the challenges as to why people are not doing this. Some of it lies at the feet of the RTB. They may need a lot more resources but at the moment they are not working efficiently. They are not supporting people who are trying to increase the supply in the market.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I ask that we have a debate with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney, on businesses that are still trading with Russia. We had news last week that Pernod Ricard restarted selling Jameson whiskey in Russia since last September. Sean Pollock from the Sunday Independent had a very revealing story. Since September, Jameson has sold almost €16 million of product into Russia while the war is going on. Pernod Ricard made a big announcement. This was a decision made in a board room in France, it was not made by anyone here in Ireland and would never have been made by anyone in Ireland. It is important to state that when it announced over a year ago that it was ceasing trade with Russia, it still had product in Russia that was circulating and being sold internally, which is fine. The ironic thing, which is not coincidental at all, is that all of the Jameson product was finished in September. It then restarted selling Jameson in September. Essentially, Pernod Ricard has never ceased selling Jameson in Russia while the war has been going on. It put out a statement last week where it was very adamant in its opposition to the war but not enough that it is willing to cease trading with Russia. This is really detrimental to it as a business but also to us as a nation. There are very few brands in Ireland that are so recognisable around the world as an Irish product. There are loads of Irish businesses but very few with the international stature that Jameson has. This has a detrimental impact on us and how we are perceived. We already have a Ukrainian MP, Lesia Vasylenko, who was in Strasbourg last Friday talking to a group of MPs in the European Union, asking that the 1,200 companies that are selling into Russia be stopped immediately by the European Union. She named Jameson as one of those companies. This is going way beyond us. I would also ask that we find out what other companies in Ireland are still selling into Russia. It is utterly unacceptable and cannot be justified in any way.

Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Deputy Leader if we could get the Minister for Transport to come to the House sometime soon for a debate on the entire transport system in Ireland, particularly provincial and rural bus and train services. The main emphasis of the debate should be on the payment methods on our bus services. Frequency and regularity aside, in the year 2023 in what is practically a cashless society people cannot pay on a bus using contactless payment. Dublin is probably one of the only cities left in the world where the Leap card or its equivalent cannot be loaded onto our phones so that we can tap our phones to pay the fare. On a lot of Dublin Bus services, the only form of payment other than by Leap card is by coins only with no ability to give change if people do not have the exact coins. Since we are practically in a cashless society, more and more people are jumping on a bus and then realising they do not have any coins.

It is quite similar down the country. I take the bus as often as I can but if I do not book online, I have to pay by cash. When I book online, I find it frustrating in the year we are in that when I get on, the bus driver is there with a clip folder and a list of names and he is ticking off my name. It is 2023. When we book online, our booking should go into our wallet apps on our phones. It should be possible to get on and tap something and let the driver drive the bus, not be going through a ream of paperwork and asking for names to tick off. I know there are some pilots coming out but it is way beyond the time for pilots. All these systems should be contactless. We should be able to download our Leap cards onto our phones. We should be providing a service like that. It is easily accessible and convenient for people and does not require them to carry cash just for the purpose of the bus. If we do not provide it, I do not know how we are going to encourage people to use public transport. That is probably the nub of my argument.

Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
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Yesterday there were calls for a debate in the House on the Arab-Israeli conflict. I want to support those calls. It is time that we have a reasoned, logical discussion in the Chamber about the ongoing war between Palestine and Israel. It is fair to say that the narrative on this conflict has been almost entirely one-sided, pro-Palestinian, in these Houses and in this House, particularly from the opposite benches, where it is seen that there is only one good side and one bad side. If we in Ireland have learned anything over the years, surely we have learned that conflict is never going to be resolved by people who have that mentality.The call comes on foot of the death of Khader Adnan, who was on hunger strike, the day before yesterday. Khader Adnan is presented as a martyr. Any man who is prepared to die for his principles must be admired to a certain extent, but I wish to point out that Khader Adnan was a man with a long history of terrorist and incitement to activity. He was a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the EU. There are documented videos of him calling on, and urging, Palestinian people to strap explosives around their bodies and to go into crowed areas in Israel to indiscriminately kill people. I am not saying that the Israelis are angels. There are never any angels on the side of any conflict but people are entitled to a fair hearing.

I saw on Facebook the other day a big banner - I think it was outside these Houses - saying "LGBT Stand with Palestine". Hamas and Hezbollah would, if they could, wipe out the LGBT community.

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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Would the Senator say the same about Russia and Ukraine?

Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
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I cannot hear what the Senator is saying.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator. Tá taim caite.

Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)
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It amazes me how people on the left associate so much with Palestine, an area where there is no tolerance whatsoever of divergence in opinion, whether it is sexual, social or otherwise. I believe deep down that there is a strain of anti-Semitism involved. We saw that recently again in the British Labour Party and it is a reminder of the bad days of Jeremy Corbyn when Jewish people were constantly being harassed by so-called left-wing liberal people. A debate is long overdue, which I hope will be balanced and logical.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I hope people will show an awareness for the time in future contributions on the Order of Business. Before I call the Deputy Leader, I would like to express to Senator Flynn that I was disappointed to hear her contribution this morning and of the incident last night. She is an equal, valued Member of this House and accepted by all of us. I am glad Members have expressed their support for her in the Chamber this morning. We will stand with her in the elimination of racism and discrimination, which have no place in our society. I am happy to talk to her further about the matter, if she wants.

Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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With the indulgence of colleagues, I will start by addressing our colleague and friend, Eileen. I know how difficult it must have been for the Senator to raise this matter this morning. I want to acknowledge her courage and bravery because if we do not call these things out, they keep perpetuating and it becomes nearly a part of accepted society. I am really sorry that she had to deal with this matter last night. She is definitely not the first and unless we do something, she will not be the last. I think she has started us doing something this morning. The thing that probably struck me the most other than the event last night was what the Senator said this morning, that she came from nothing. She absolutely did not come from nothing. Not only is the Senator an equal Member of this House, she has done so much to highlight the issues on behalf of her community that maybe most of us do not even recognise. What she has done is really important. Her star is rising and will continue to rise. I thank the Senator for her contribution this morning. It is incumbent on all of us to make sure that we not only support the Senator but recognise the difficulties experienced by her community and do something about that.

Senator O'Sullivan called for a debate on the Arab-Israeli conflict. I have asked for the debate on a number of occasions, as I am sure the Leader, Senator Chambers, has. We will ask again and to see if we can have a debate because it would be a worthwhile. There are some misconceptions about what goes on. It is easy to find yourself in a block, not knowing all of the information so it would be valuable for us to hear all of the information and make an informed decision.

Senator Paul Daly sought a debate on provincial transport services and particularly on the fact that in this day and age we still have to take euro or coins out of our pockets to pay for transport when all of us have phones practically stuck to our hands all day, everyday. I will arrange the debate.

Senator Garret Ahearn sought a debate with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Simon Coveney, on the businesses that continue, quite shamefully, to trade with Russia. I will arrange a debate as quickly as I can.

Senator Catherine Ardagh and the Leader, Senator Lisa Chambers, raised the welcome debate on auto-enrolment. I hope I do not sound a tad bold about it but Séamus Brennan was the first person to bring the idea of auto-enrolment to Departments 22 or 23 years ago. For the couple of years I was privileged to be in the Department, we did a roadshow that travelled around the country to try to elicit ideas and get a critique of what was on offer. We are still doing that but it is five years on. The one thing that struck me was that at one of the roadshows we did in Galway, one of the youngest people - and this refers to what Senator Chambers said - who arrived was a 16-year-old young man who took over the morning with his views and it was so impressive. Senator Chambers is right, in that even if it is only a small amount, people should start saving from the time they start working, whether it is at 16 or 17 years of age or whatever. I welcome the debate and I appreciate it being raised this morning.

Senator Ardagh raised concerns raised in the media this morning about people's frustrations or fears about renting out their houses while availing the fair deal scheme. I think we need to have a campaign to try to avoid that. It is very much needed.

Senator Ward sought greater consultation between businesses and EirGrid or ESB Networks with regard to cutting off access to electricity for upgrades, and I commend that call. In Skerries, during Christmas week, businesses were cut off for two full days which seemed totally illogical but the provider still went ahead and did it, so greater consultation is definitely needed.

Senator Ward also raised the very bizarre issue where legal aid practitioners is the only ones not have their FEMPI restrictions unravelled over the years. That is long overdue and I thank the Senator for raising the issue.

Senator Blaney spoke about the absolute need to progress the A5 route from Dublin to Derry and mentioned the deficit in the north-west region. It is not just in the north-west region. I am always baffled when I leave Ashbourne, which is located so close to Dublin city, that it is the only route - we have the N1 and N2 - where we do not have a motorway. It is absolutely bizarre. I will certainly write a letter seeking progress on the Senator's behalf and on behalf of all of us.

Senator Carrigy reminded us about the autism training next Thursday. I ask him to please remind us next week because it is something we should all do but life is busy around here and sometimes people get sidetracked. The Senator also advocated for Custume Barracks in Athlone to be the designated new headquarters for Army services.

Senator Fitzpatrick asked me to write to the Minister for Transport to ensure Cabra has a station and a stop included in the planning permission for the new DART south west, which is fabulous. Senator Burke asked for a letter to be written to the Minister to highlight the difficulties between local authorities and banks regarding those people who wish to avail of grant of €70,000 to upgrade their houses.

Senator Chambers welcomed the ongoing work on auto-enrolment. She also sought a roadmap and a plan to protect tourism in every county in Ireland where people rely on tourism to make a living. We will write to the Minister on that.

Unfortunately, Senator Gavan had to raise University Hospital Limerick again. It is baffling. I think it may only lead to the conclusion at which he arrived at the end of his speech whereby it is not necessarily the money but it is the implementation of the plans by people which needs to be highlighted. I will ask for this debate again.

Senator Craughwell raised an issue, and I agree with him on reading the response by the Women of Honour yesterday. There is a well-known phrase, which not only relates to women but to anybody who seeks legislative action. That phrase is, "Nothing about us without us". It seems bizarre that we have continued to draft terms of reference for the women who were brave enough to bring their experiences to us. I think I would support them in seeking a tribunal. I acknowledge what Senator Craughwell said.

Senator Malcolm Byrne spoke about the twinning of a school in Bratislava and a school in Gorey, which is amazing. Perhaps we should be doing more of that. It is a lovely idea.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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Yes.

Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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Senator Malcolm Byrne highlighted the fact that 9 May is May day in the European Union. Senator Kyne opened proceedings by calling for a debate on the capital health spending plan.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Speaking of May day, I remind all Members that Commissioner McGuinness will be here next Tuesday at 12 o'clock. I encourage Members and those in their political groupings to attend because it is important we celebrate May day in this Chamber with an address by an Irish Commissioner.