Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding arrangements for the address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Bertie Ahern, former Taoiseach, on Tuesday, 23 May 2023, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 2, motion regarding the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. Y) Regulations 2023, back from committee, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of No. 1; No. 3, motion regarding the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022, instruction to committee, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of No. 2; No. 4, Courts Bill 2023 - Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 12.45 p.m.; No. 5, motion regarding the earlier signature of the Courts Bill 2023, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of No. 4; No. 6, Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022 - Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 1.15 p.m. or on the conclusion of No. 5, whichever is the later, and to adjourn at 3 p.m. if not previously concluded; No. 128, motion 10, Private Members' business, regarding the disregard of certain criminal records of gay men, to be taken at 3 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours; and No. 7, Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022 - Report Stage (resumed) and Final Stage, to be taken at 5 p.m. or on the conclusion of No. 128, motion 10, whichever is the later, and to adjourn at 7 p.m. if not previously concluded.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome our colleague and friend, former Senator and now Deputy, Ivana Bacik, leader of the Labour Party. She is joined by neighbours and friends of mine. It shows how small the world is. I welcome Maria Desmond, Henrietta McKervey and Yvonne Buckley. I grew up with Henrietta and Maria in Bishopstown. We were neighbours and friends. I welcome them to Leinster House and hope they have a nice visit.

Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail)
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The House has previously discussed the issue of councillors and their security. It has been raised by Senator Boyhan and other Senators who are present. This morning, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, dealt with a Commencement matter on this important issue. Councillors deserve to be treated in the same fashion as Members of this House and the Lower House of the Oireachtas, particularly in the context of their security and security concerns. Following a Garda review, an allowance of €5,000 has been brought in for Oireachtas Members for cameras and various security systems. In fairness to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, he was here this morning to discuss the detail of the issue. There is a review ongoing. I hope the money will be found to roll the scheme out to councillors.

The Dáil will deal with Second Stage of the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill 2023 later today. After discussion on the Bill, a moratorium will be put on it to flesh out its financial consequences. That is a prudent step. There is more to this than meets the eye. We should not go into it blind. We need more discussion on the Bill to flesh it out. When other countries rolled out legislation similar to the Bill that is before the Dáil, they experienced pushback from American states that stated they will not deal with countries that bring in such legislation. Senator Gavan might know more about that than I do; I am just looking at it from the outside in. We need to know where we are going on this. As we all know, that corner of the world and its geopolitical history is not straightforward. We need to do the right thing on this issue. We should not go into it without due consideration.

Tom Clonan (Independent)
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I refer to the distressing images of rows of tents on Sandwith Street and around Mount Street. The practice of giving refugees, asylum seekers and people seeking international protection a voucher and then leaving them effectively homeless leaves them subject to hostile scrutiny. They are in a public space and gathering together for safety. It plays into the hands of xenophobic and right-wing groups. As a Parliament, we have to take action to stop this from developing into an international news story. I am also disturbed by the images and distressing news reports from Inch in County Clare. Basically, there are communities that have not been communicated with and had no consultation. It brings them out and they show fear. I heard some of the refugees speak very movingly this morning, saying that they are decent people. There is a gulf of misunderstanding created by the circumstances of not sufficiently providing for them. With that, I heard the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, yesterday on "Morning Ireland" under pressure. He is a decent man and his integrity shines through, but he needs support.

The Government distributed an emergency booklet to every house back in the noughties. It defines an emergency as something, whether it be man-made or natural, that overwhelms local resources. We are in a perfect storm at the moment. In respect of refugees, it is not a crisis; it is an emergency. It fits the Government’s own definition of such.

I want to be constructive. All round the country we have barracks. We have Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines and McKee Barracks on Blackhorse Avenue in Dublin 7, which are city-centre located. We have the same in Dún Uí Mhaoilíosa in Galway, Collins Barracks in Cork and Custume Barracks in Athlone. We could put hardstands in there for people to have their tents in safety and security. In addition to that security, in all of those barracks, there are dozens of accommodation blocks. They were designed for a rapid mobilisation and an increase in numbers. Instead of people being in tents on the street, where they are highly visible and subject to all this hostile scrutiny, they could be in the barracks. It would be easy to cordon a barracks off and keep it safe. They could have the dignity of being able to sleep in a tent in a secure environment. They could also go to the accommodation blocks in the mornings, have a shower, use the toilets and go out with dignity into a nearby town, city or wherever. Some of them will very shortly be able to seek employment.

We did this previously. In 1992, when there was a homeless crisis in Dublin and a harsh winter the Defence Forces took homeless people off the streets over the winter to alleviate the problem as a short-term measure. We did it during the crisis after the incidents in the early 1970s in Northern Ireland, where the Defence Forces took in hundreds of refugees from Northern Ireland as a temporary measure to alleviate the crisis. We could do that now in the summer without any real costs to the State. Those resources could be mobilised by the Defence Forces within seven to ten days. It could be a quick fix to alleviate the crisis. The agency, the national steering group, is the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The Department has a pre-existing national steering group and a secretariat to support the mobilisation of these resources.

I ask my Fine Gael, Green Party and Fianna Fáil colleagues, please, at their parliamentary party meetings tonight, to suggest this to the people who can make those decisions. These young people who are coming here for protection deserve our protection and support.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the students from Davis College in Mallow and from St. Oliver's National School student council. I thank them for being there. I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House. I thank the student council members for their civic duty on behalf of their fellow students. Well done.

Vincent P Martin (Green Party)
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It was widely reported in the media yesterday that the Ulster Volunteer Force, UVF, provided answers to a family concerning a 1974 murder in Belfast. The late John Crawford, a father of nine, was shot dead in west Belfast in January 1974. Almost 50 years later, the family of the late Mr. Crawford was given a report by loyalist paramilitaries setting out the circumstances of the killing. His son Paul got the report from the UVF. It is important to point out that an investigation by the Historical Enquiries Team, HET, had confirmed his father’s innocence.

Mr. Paul Crawford began a seven-year communication with an intermediary to try to get some answers. Mr. Paul Crawford said it meant that the greatest degree of resolution possible has been obtained. It was reported in the media yesterday, including by RTÉ, that he said:

I do not believe in closure - my father was brutally and unjustifiably taken from us and that is a wound that will never heal - but as far as I am concerned this process has delivered absolutely full answers and full resolution of what I was seeking.

It does not undo the immense, irreversible hurt. However, that family got that crumb of comfort and it might be one of the last families to get it. Due to the decision of the British Government to proceed against the wishes of all parties in Northern Ireland, other parties will not have that level of explanation. Mr. Paul Crawford was at pains to point out that it is not closure.

Kieran McEvoy, a professor of law at Queen’s University, said that the fact that the British Government had now abandoned the terms of the agreement meant that the option of going through interlocutors was now lost to the families. Under controversial UK Government proposals currently working their way through Westminster, all civil and criminal options would effectively be shut down to families of the Troubles’ victims.

It is never too late. I know the House is more or less united in the point that we should use all our power of influence and persuasion as one island to speak and appeal to the British Government, which is out of step. It is unusual to get cross-party support in Northern Ireland. Everyone has bought into this. We will not have an authentic peace until we have properly healing, reconciliation and understanding. This is a step that people are being deprived of. I saw a positive light yesterday in the darkest chapter of our country, yet it may not happen for too much longer.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I will speak on a similar theme to that raised by my neighbour and friend, Senator Martin. Today marks the 49th anniversary of that terrible day when three bombs exploded in Dublin city centre and a fourth in Monaghan town. Of course, the Belturbet bombing is a different matter also, but it was a day of huge violence. It was the greatest loss of life in this part of the island and an awful, terrible day. Twenty-five years on from the Good Friday Agreement, and as part of that agreement, we should be acknowledging these cases and getting information on them. We need to know what happened and get the facts. We need to know about collusion and whatever else was involved. I ask the Leader to mark the anniversary of this tragedy by pursuing the matter again.

Through the good offices of my colleague, Senator Currie, I met the families of the disappeared last week. It behoves all of us, of all parties, in this House to come together in a non-dramatic and low-key fashion to work to resolve this matter in order that the relatives of the last remaining people among the disappeared find them, have the opportunity to bury them, know where they are and have family plots to visit, etc. This is important in Irish culture and indeed every culture.

We need to get the truth behind the events in Monaghan and Dublin on that day. We need to pursue that. I would like the Leader’s response. I will not be in person to hear it but I will read it in the blacks. I would also like her to respond on what we, as a collective of all parties and none, can do. That should be done in a low-key manner.It is not about grandstanding or about public pronouncements; it is about families and that we get something done there on the disappeared.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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I want to briefly respond to the two previous speakers and to commend every word they have said. I highlight the fact, particularly to my colleague on the Council of Europe, Senator O'Reilly, that I have sponsored a request for a report at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe into the threat to the human rights framework of the Good Friday Agreement posed by the current proposals in British legislation. It would be really important if we got cross-party support for that report so we can get it moving as quickly as possible. That will come up in the Council of Europe in the coming month. I very much appreciate the comments both Senators have made.

I also want to respond to my colleague and, indeed, friend, Senator Davitt, on the issue of Palestine which I was going to raise today anyway. I was going to raise this issue, not least because last Monday was the anniversary of the Nakba when 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced and 15,000 were massacred back in 1948, but also to reflect on current horrors there. Senators will be aware in the last few days we have seen Israeli warplanes carry out a whole host of air strikes and we know that latest aggression killed 33 Palestinians, including seven children, four women and a doctor. The number of Palestinians killed this year to date is now 148, which includes 26 children and six women. The statistics do not really tell the story. I do not know whether all Members get these postcards from Sadaqa that detail and picture these poor innocent children who have been murdered by Israeli occupation forces. Omar Awadin was riding his bicycle in front of his parent's shop when he was gunned down. Just a couple of weeks back, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy named Mohammad Farid Mohammad Haj Ahmad was fired on as he stood with several other Palestinian civilians sheltering between a mosque and a clinic. This is the reality. These young children were murdered and gunned down by the Israeli occupation forces.

It is really important to recognise that Israel is an apartheid state. Amnesty International has declared this, as have Human Rights Watch. More than 450 separate NGOs have recognised that Israel is an apartheid state and that makes a fundamental difference in terms of how we should deal with it. That is why I was very frustrated that the Government took a decision to postpone Deputy Brady's excellent Bill. Surely we can all agree that Irish taxpayers' money should not be going to fund companies that are operating illegally in the occupied territories of Palestine. This simple Bill would simply have stopped that from happening. We did not need to postpone it for nine months. How many more children are going to die in the coming nine months? We could have simply dealt with it on Committee Stage. It is a very solid Bill which has widespread support internationally. I appeal to both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. I know from speaking to some of the Members, so many agree that what is happening in Palestine is fundamentally wrong and that we need to do more. I ask that they please have a discussion in their own parliamentary parties, revisit this topic, and give Deputy Brady's Bill the support it deserves so that we can do something tangible. Words are not enough when it comes to Palestine. We need actions that stand up for human rights.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the students from Moyne Community School who are in the Public Gallery and also the students from Scoil Naomh Bríd, Ballycastle. They are all very welcome and I hope they have a very good visit to Leinster House. I thank them for being here.

Annie Hoey (Labour)
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Today is International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, or IDAHOBIT, which rolls nicely off the tongue. I am very lucky that I can stand up as a bisexual queer Member of our national Parliament and know there will only be a few knuckle-draggers going on about it online. However, I have a really great filter and will probably not see most of it, so they are really screaming into the void. I am really lucky that I can stand up here and I am really proud to be able to do that. We have a rainbow caucus.

Ireland has led the way in terms of LGBTQ rights, whether it comes to marriage equality, gender recognition, and all of these things we really pride ourselves on. I do not think we can fool and convince ourselves that all is well in the world. Only today, there is a video flying around online of a young secondary school student getting quite viciously beaten up by a group. It is presumed it is because he is a member of the LGBT community. The facts have yet to be fully established but that is what is believed. The school is very easily identifiable online and I hope that the full force of the school's disciple system is utilised. I hope that An Garda Síochána takes this attack extremely seriously because it was really very vicious.

It is extremely upsetting to know that today in 2023 in Ireland and on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, we still have young, out, visibly queer students being beaten up for who they are. It is really upsetting. The whole point of this day is to draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by the LGBT community. We know only in the past year that we had the double murder, potentially motivated by homophobia, of Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee. We know we still need to do more on conversion therapy, parental rights, and societal change, which is one of the really big things when we look at what happened potentially to that young boy who was beaten up.

We have to recognise the LGBT community, which is my community and that of friends and family, is under global attack. We cannot pretend it is not also happening here. This roll-back is being targeted or pushed by the far right, by media, and by an increasingly radicalised cohort hell-bent on demonising the trans community who simply want to be able to live their authentic lives and truth. It is really important on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia that, whether a person is trans, cis, straight or queer, it is up to every person to speak up against hate. The fight for equality is not over globally but it is certainly also not over in Ireland.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I start by echoing the comments of Senator Hoey on the disgraceful attack on that student. It should not have taken place anyway but the fact that it seems to be motivated by homophobia, makes it even worse. I certainly hope the school concerned and An Garda Síochána will take strong action.

This Government has a very proud record with regard to support for the arts. We have seen a significant increase in Arts Council funding and the introduction of the basic income scheme for artists. There are commitments towards very significant developments in the national cultural institutions, at the National Concert Hall and, indeed, at the Abbey Theatre. I would go so far as to say that the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, will be shown to be perhaps the greatest Minister for the arts in modern times because of what she has achieved. For us, we all know the importance of cultural tourism and the importance of the arts within our own communities. I raised this at the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media last week. We need to look at developing an arts capital programme along the same lines as the sports capital programme. To be able to develop our arts infrastructure in our communities, such as our theatres, music venues, and other facilities, this is crucial. We all know the joy and the experiences the arts, music and drama bring to our communities. The next step, beyond those national levels of investment and the support that is given to professional arts organisations, is to further support community arts and, indeed, arts through our local authorities. I would like a debate on the future of the arts in Irish society with the Minister.

I also congratulate all those who won in the Young Social Innovators competition. Many of us in this House would be aware of the great work that young social innovators do. I mention two Wexford schools that were particularly successful in the programme. The students of Creagh College, Gorey, won the Fun-Raising award with their project Fash-Back, which looked at ways of fundraising to combat the problems surrounding fast fashion. There was also was the project by the students of Meánscoil Gharman, Inis Córthaidh, entitled Mannie Unmasks Masculinity, where they talked about the importance of men showing emotions. These are two very worthy and important projects and we send our congratulations to all involved in Young Social Innovators.

Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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I concur with the comments of Senator Byrne with regard to an arts capital programme to add to the work that has been done by the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin. I second that fantastic proposal. There has been significant investment in the arts but a programme like that would allow us to increase the infrastructure throughout the country. I support that call.

Also, with regard to the Young Social Innovators, I send congratulations to the students of Ballymahon Vocational School in Longford who were one of the winners at the awards last week.I also welcome three transition year students from Moyne Community School in County Longford, Orla McCann, Rebecca Moorhead and Saoirse O'Toole. They are here today to look behind the scenes a little in Leinster House.

While we are speaking about schools, the social media companies were invited to appear before the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, of which I am a member, to discuss the large numbers of young people using social media. Two refused and one did not even show the committee the courtesy of giving an answer. We need a discussion on this matter.

A project on mobile phones has been rolled out in a primary school in County Wicklow whereby all parents agree that no child will get a mobile telephone or iPhone prior to leaving the school and going into secondary school. I thought this was an excellent idea. I have young children who are at that age. My 11-year-old is the only child in his class who does not have a mobile telephone and is not on Instagram or Snapchat. We need to look at this issue. It is important to have a discussion in the House.

Senators will have seen recently in the media that I had issues with threats to my home. I welcome an email from the Cathaoirleach today regarding a scheme that is being brought in for Oireachtas Members based on getting a report from the Garda, which I have done. I support a call for a similar type of scheme to be made accessible to local government representatives. Many of our colleagues have offices in their local areas or in their homes. I ask that this scheme be extended to enable them to access funds to put proper security measures in place at their offices.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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The Ombudsman for Children has raised serious concerns about the 3,472 children who are living in emergency homeless accommodation. I join him in doing so. We often talk about protecting children's rights. Yesterday, the House debated past issues regarding the protection of children. We are aware of the work of the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth or, shall we say, its recommendations and considerations. It has yet to be seen how much of that action goes into central policy.

Today, however, I want to stay focused on what the Ombudsman for Children is asking because I believe it is the right thing to do. The ombudsman has asked that the Taoiseach's children's unit, which was established by the Taoiseach in December, take responsibility for and drive and be central to addressing family homelessness and supporting vulnerable children and their families around that. These are issues today in 2023. As I said, the unit was established by the Taoiseach in December. He gave extensive media briefings on it, which I read this morning, in which he is very clear. I am delighted and very much support the Taoiseach's drive and ambition in this area.

To set the context, 11,898 people are living in emergency accommodation, of whom 1,639 are families and the latest published figures tell us there are 3,472 children among them. Many Senators have children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces. I ask them to think of the vulnerability of those children who are left in emergency accommodation.

I salute the Taoiseach on his ambition but action is needed faster. I support the Ombudsman for Children's announcements this week. I ask for a debate soon on the issue of children in emergency accommodation so that we can endeavour to give them critical and essential wrap-around supports.

Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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I wish to acknowledge the disgusting and shocking video circulating on social media. The image of a young person crawling, having been beaten up, is just horrific. While a motive may still have to be established - although I think Senator Hoey is correct in that regard - and that is a matter for the Garda and school authorities, it is horrific that someone egged this on, filmed it and then put it up on social media. We need to have statements on that and discuss the use of social media and what more the Seanad and Legislature can do to protect young people. I know we have hate crime legislation coming through.

Yesterday marked 49 years since the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. On that day, 33 people and an unborn child - one woman was nine months pregnant - were killed and 258 people were injured. One of those injured was a very close friend of mine who suffered hearing loss as a consequence. It is now 49 years since that day. People have since died who were clamouring for truth and justice for relatives killed on that day. They still do not have it. We still do not have clarity on what occurred. I will respect the House and not release the information I have. However, information as to who was behind it and supported it is well known, yet the families have never had truth and justice. That warrants statements in the House. The Minister for Justice, Deputy Harris, issued a press release today and called for same. We need to hear about it because this is a long-running sore and source of pain to the families in question. I want to particularly remember the entire O'Brien family who were wiped out on that day. John O'Brien was 24, Anne O'Brien was 22, Jacqueline O'Brien was 16 and a half months and Anne Marie O'Brien was four and a half months. Truth and justice have never been heard for them and all the other people who were killed and injured on that day.

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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I will not take long as I have only one question of the Department of Justice. Where is the Department? Where is its statement on what took place on Sunday on the streets of Dublin when homeless refugees' tents were burned? This used to happen years ago to members of my community. Back then, I never saw Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil come out and support the community. I know the Taoiseach made a statement but I am looking for leadership from the Department of Justice. I understand the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has a lot to deal with at the moment. In my opinion, there is no support. Looking in from the outside, I do not see what support the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is getting from the Department of Justice. It is really about showing solidarity and compassion for people. The overall responsibility, whether the Government likes it or not, lies with the Department of Justice. I would like to hear a statement from the Minister and the Department of Justice on what happened last Sunday on our streets. It is not good enough to have one Government Minister say there are enough gardaí on our streets and another Minister say there are not. These are people's lives and homes. Being a member of the Traveller community, I know people who years ago lived in camps and tents. These are people's homes and property we are talking about. I am interested in hearing a statement from the Department of Justice on this matter.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Míle buíochas. I must explain to Members that there is actually a running order of speakers. If people want to verify the list in terms of the sequencing, I am happy to show it to them. I will give Senator Keogan the floor next.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach very much. I strongly condemn that act of violence on that young child in Navan yesterday. It was absolutely horrendous to watch it online. We must do anything we can as legislators to stop that happening in the future. The school officials need to look at this very strongly and see what they can do to educate their children on being a little more inclusive to others in life. I will be talking to the Garda later today about the incident.

I thank Senators Davitt and Carrigy for bringing up the issue of security for our representatives at local government level. When I was in local government I fell victim to an attack. I know it does not only happen to people in these Houses; it can happen to people in local government as well. I would like the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to come to the Chamber to discuss this important issue because there is a massive disparity with regard to councillors' training expenses throughout the country. I did not know about this until I started doing a little research on it. Some councils have unlimited resources. We all know the importance of training councillors because there is no way a county councillor can know everything about planning, housing, transportation, infrastructure and all the other things they do at local level. That shows how important this training is.Certain counties have a limit on that training which is wrong. There should be no limit for any councillor training in the various local authorities. In some cases, the limit is €1,000, which would be fully consumed by two events. It is simply not good enough that the councillors are not being treated equally with regard to the training that is being afforded to them in different local authorities. I ask the Leader to bring the Minister to the House. We need to discuss security and other issues affecting our local councillors and how best we can support them to do their job better.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome Sam O'Reilly and Shane Whelan, students from Naas CBS Secondary School who are guests of Senator Martin.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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For the past 25 years we have been trying to get a relief road in Bandon. There was a public consultation in July 2022. However, Transport Infrastructure Ireland has not adhered to the timelines it put in place in July. I wrote to the Minister for Transport on the issue. I pointed out what Bandon has done in the past ten years, including flood relief schemes and mains drainage. The Minister has not come to Cork South-West since he became Minister for Transport. I asked him to come to Cork South-West and look at the issue in Bandon. Let us see if we can get TII to move forward with its own timelines. He will not even come down to Cork South-West. Ministers need to attend to every constituency and not just the ones in which they are elected. It is appalling that we have a Minister who has never once put a foot in Cork South-West in his role as Minister. He will come there on holidays, but he will not come down there to look at road infrastructure projects or anything else. Ministers will rotate around Dublin because it suits them. Ministers should be required to attend every constituency every year and not just cherry-pick the ones they want to attend. The frustration over this project not being moved ahead is frightening.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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That is not a matter for the Leader on the Order of Business. It is a matter for Departments.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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It is about making sure that Departments give the service due to all constituencies in the State and not just the ones they want to attend to. I respectfully suggest that the Leader write to the Minister and ask him to attend this hearing here. She should discuss his activities and make sure he attends every constituency, not just the ones that he wants to.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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I commend the members of the Garda Síochána in my county of Roscommon in the Roscommon-Galway region on their quick action recently. The activities of suspect characters offering to do work for vulnerable people in rural areas was halted. While I cannot say much more at the moment because I do not know of any charges having been brought, it shows once again if communities act with the Garda Síochána, the quick action of both can ensure that people who cause great fear and distress to older people in particular are dealt with. At a time when there is much talk about the morale in the Garda Síochána, I want to praise its members for their quick action in our county recently. As I said, they probably prevented something happening to people in the locality. I reiterate the importance of communities working with the Garda Síochána.

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Justice to come in here and make a statement about morale in the Garda Síochána. We need to show our support for gardaí. On numerous occasions in recent times, I have highlighted incidents where gardaí have been really badly treated. We, as the politicians who lead the country, must show leadership and ensure we give our support to the Garda Síochána. There are other cases which I will not mention today. Very disturbing incidents are happening to gardaí trying to carry out their duty. In trying to save the public, they could end up in the courts. I will say no more about that today.

Nobody can deny the comments made about housing here. Senator Boyhan spoke very passionately about it. We have never had more schemes to offer help. We have a Minister who is working really hard. The Government will turn the corner on this situation, which was neglected for years. All of us on every side want to ensure people have a roof over their heads and I am confident that will happen.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I have organised briefing on hemochromatosis this afternoon in the audiovisual room. The former Deputy, Senator and Seanad Leader, Maurice Manning, who has hemochromatosis, will speak. This is important because many people have the condition. It would much be much appreciated if Senators could attend or arrange for a member of their staff to attend. I think it will be very informative

I welcome to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery, Niamh Kilcawley. She featured on the "Prime Time" programme a couple of weeks ago on which I was on the panel. She spoke about reasonable accommodation and the lack of cop-on when it comes to providing reasonable accommodation to blind and visually impaired and other people with print disabilities. The ten minutes an hour allotted for State examinations is the same as when I was in school in the mid-1990s. It has not moved on even though technology has moved on, ambitions have moved on and circumstances have moved on.

I am calling for a debate on education for people with print disabilities, people who are visually impaired, people who have dyslexia and people who are blind. We should have an open and frank discussion on modernising their reasonable accommodation, bringing it up to the digital age. Niamh was very courageous for sharing her story on national television. She is doing her transition-year work experience in my office today and I sincerely hope she enjoys it. Even though she is very young, she is a very effective advocate. I have no doubt that when she moves on to college, she will be a very formidable force in Irish life.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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Well said.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I also welcome Niamh to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery and thank her for her advocacy. I wish her well.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I also welcome Niamh to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery.

I welcome the decision by the credit unions to offer mortgages. We have been fighting for that for many years. Credit unions are community based and I have no doubt that they will do a wonderful job in serving the people and providing very good value for money. About ten or 12 years ago, when new lenders entered the money markets, it was welcomed with open arms. At the time there were about 15 places in Castlebar where people could get finance and I am sure it was the same for equivalent-sized towns throughout the country. However, then we had the financial crisis and the upheaval of the financial markets. Now we might only have about six places where people can get finance with the result that some of the main lenders have increased their prices and are not giving good value for money, which is affecting hard-pressed people trying to buy a home.

I welcome the decision by the credit unions and I hope they go from strength to strength. I hope they can take a big share of the 90% that is in play for the major banks at the moment. While a number of financial institutions, such as Ulster Bank, Irish Nationwide Building Society, Irish Permanent, ACC and KBC, have left the market, it is welcome that the credit unions are back. At some stage, the Leader might arrange a debate here as to who is in the market and what value is being provided by financial institutions to hard-pressed people who are trying to buy a house and get a mortgage.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I also welcome the news that credit unions will be allowed to offer mortgages. This is a significant development. It is very important for communities right across the country, including my community in Tipperary. Our own credit union in Clonmel will be celebrating 60 years in existence on 1 June. The Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, will be coming down for the occasion. She met a stakeholder of the credit unions approximately two or three months ago. She had a really good engagement about the kind of work credit unions do. Being able to offer mortgages will allow them to expand on that work.

I ask the Leader for a debate with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on opportunities in the workforce for people with disabilities. I acknowledge my colleague, Senator Conway, who just raised this issue. We have been working together over the past number of weeks. We visited the National Learning Network in Tallaght, whose representatives outlined the opportunities for people with disabilities to go into the workforce. They say that more could be done. Earlier, the committee of which I am a member had a very interesting meeting with the National Council for the Blind of Ireland and the Open Doors Initiative about the sorts of schemes that need to be put in place. One simple measure they spoke about, which is particularly for people who are visually impaired, is the legal requirement for jobs that are advertised on publicjobs.ie and irishjobs.ie to be digitally visual. There should not be pop-up screens that will make it very difficult for someone who is visually impaired to view information. Those companies have not adhered to the legal requirements that are in place. There are approximately 600 other organisations and companies that advertise jobs but that make it very difficult for people with disabilities, especially those who are visually impaired, to access the information relating to those job opportunities.

We speak about the low numbers of people with disabilities in the workforce. Ireland ranks the lowest in Europe in this regard. Ireland's rate is 32%, which is lower than the average of over 50%. Our rank is particularly low when it comes to people who are visually impaired. If we cannot even give them the opportunity to see what jobs are available on their computers - it is a legal requirement for the companies to which I refer to do so - then we are not tackling the issue in the way that we should. I request a debate with the Minister on this matter.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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I thank Members who contributed to the Order of Business today. The first to do so was Senator Davitt, who spoke about the security of councillors and the news that a security grant will be made available to Members of the Oireachtas to assist with the costs of the CCTV and other security measures where An Garda Síochána deems that to be appropriate. I agree that there are many councillors across the country who face the same challenges that many of us do. That should be given due consideration. If the scheme is to be reviewed, I caution against the fact that the grant that is now available to all of us is only a partial grant that covers 50% of the costs. That will act as a deterrent-----

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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Hear, hear.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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-----in circumstances where Members may need the grant but may choose not to avail of it. I ask the commission to re-examine that. The grant should be made available up to a certain amount. If someone wants to go above that amount, that will be absolutely fine. Many Members will not avail of the grant in any event. We should not deter people from availing of it, however, especially when one considers of grant all the talk we have had about the security of Members in recent months. Let us not fall at the final hurdle.

The call regarding the security of councillors was supported by Senators Carrigy and Keogan. Senator Keogan recounted her own difficulties as a councillor when she experienced an attack. She is right that it is not just limited to just us in these Houses. All public representatives face the same challenges. Many citizens do not distinguish between councillors, Senators or Deputies. We are all public representatives and they treat us the same. Many of us have served in different Houses or at local authority level. We know the representatives come in the same as they do, no matter what role you have in your community.

Senator Dolan spoke about the refugee crisis. I agree that it is verging on being an emergency. What the Senator cited could be interpreted differently, and I am not sure that the Government have taken that approach on it. However, significant attention and resources have been put into dealing with this issue. It is with regret that we saw the scenes that played out on Pearse Street and Sandwith Street and in Clare. However, we have to be careful not to vilify those communities, particularly in Clare where, in fairness, the Department did give assurances that there would be consultation in advance. That did not happen. When you do not do what you say you are going to do, there will be challenges. This is not the first community to raise concerns and it will not be the last. Let us not tell them how to think. Given that the Minister will be meeting with local representatives in the area today and that the community will be involved, I am of the view that we should give them the time and space to deal with that locally as opposed to all of us on the sidelines and from far afield chiming in and telling them how they should run their own area. I am sure a resolution will be found. I also want to acknowledge that it is very difficult for any person who is coming here from a war-torn country or whatever to seek refuge. The Senator made a very valid point about Army barracks. I am sure that matter has been explored but I will raise it with the Minister.

We must bear in mind that we also have an accommodation shortage for certain personnel, which was an issue that was raised this week. We are trying to provide accommodation for members of the Defence Forces. We do not want the two issues to clash. We need to house Defence Forces personnel who are on duty or who are on training courses. The idea of pitching tents in secure areas should certainly be examined because there is plenty of space in some barracks. We do need to bear in mind as well that they are working barracks, that people work there and they are using those facilities. There are some barracks across the country, such as in my own town, where the buildings are not safe to inhabit. People put into such buildings would be in danger. The accommodation also needs to be appropriate when we are housing people. Certainly, anything is better than a tent in an alleyway in the city centre, particularly as, unfortunately, the person in that tent is vulnerable.

Senator Martin spoke about the UVF and John Crawford. He made a very important point about reconciliation, understanding and getting to the truth. Without that, we will not have peace. It is important that we always remember that while the passage of time can make memories fade, those memories do not fade for those who have been victims of those crimes. It is important that they continue to have our support in trying to get to the bottom of those issues and to get the truth.

Senators Joe O'Reilly and Seery Kearney spoke about the 49th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. Senator O'Reilly made a point about families needing to get the truth and access to justice. He spoke about meetings he, along with Senator Currie, has had with families of the disappeared.

Senator Gavan spoke about the British legislation. There has been a lot of cross-party work on that issue. It is one of the few issues on the island on which every single politician is in agreement. It is rare that you will find that. On numerous occasions in this House, we have condemned the legislation that is moving through the British process, which sets out to not allow prosecutions to take place where they should be taking place and wiping off any sort of legacy issues. We do not agree with that in this House and it is great to see that the issue is being raised at a Council of Europe level on a cross-party basis. Any platform or opportunity we have to raise those issues, we should use to make our voices heard. I think the message has been received, and I would be hopeful that the legislation in question will not be finalised. However, it is something we have to keep working together on.

I take on board the Senator's points regarding Palestine. It is an issue that the Senator and others from various parties have raised many times. There are challenges there. The Minister obviously feels the nine-month pause to further examine the impact of the legislation on our own country. It is a relatively short period of time in terms of the legislative process, as we all know, but I appreciate the points the Senator has made in that it can seem like a long period when looking from the outside in.

Senators Hoey, Malcolm Byrne and Seery Kearney spoke about the scenes that Senator Keogan identified as having taken place in Navan. It was an awful video to see. It really was. That poor child. I can only hope that the school is taking the matter extremely seriously. My heart goes out to his parents, community, family and friends. It was a horrible scene to witness. Thankfully, these occurrences are rare enough, but this does not mean that it is not still an issue. We have come a long way in this country. The country has become unrecognisable to what it was over the past two decades. However, that is a horrible scene to have witnessed. Certainly, discipline and repercussions for those involved are hugely important. I wish the child well and I hope he is okay.

Senator Malcolm Byrne spoke about support for the arts and he made a very interesting suggestion that there should be a capital programme for arts projects across the country. This is a really good suggestion, and it was supported by Senator Carrigy. I believe it was raised at the Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht as well. He also acknowledged the success of two schools, one of which is in Gorey and the other is in Enniscorthy, in the Young Social Innovators competition. Senator Carrigy spoke about a school in Longford as well. I wish the students there well.

Senator Boyhan spoke about the report from the Ombudsman for Children's Office, which made for very bleak reading. I take on board the Senator's comments in relation to child homelessness. He spoke about the child poverty unit in the Department of the Taoiseach. A request has already gone to the Taoiseach to come before the House to discuss that matter. It may well be towards the end of year. If we can get him before the summer recess, that would be great. However, it may be September by the time we see him.It would be good to hear from the Taoiseach about the work that unit is doing, particularly around child homelessness and child poverty.

Senator Seery Kearney spoke about the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, and the need for justice and truth. She spoke about working on social media and the impact that can have in relation to the attack on that child in school.

Senator Flynn asked for the Department of Justice to come forward and show leadership in terms of the issues surrounding the refugee crisis. She has asked if there is any support available between the Department of Justice and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Obviously, there is collective Cabinet responsibility and all Ministers work together on a collective basis. Integration is a particularly challenging brief, but I think the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has got the support of his Cabinet colleagues in doing that very important work.

Senator Keogan requested a debate on local government. I will get that request sent in to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, who has responsibility for that in the Department. We will try to get the Minister of State into the Chamber at the earliest opportunity.

Senator Lombard spoke about a localised issue in Bandon. I might suggest that he submits a Commencement matter on the issue. He has asked that the Minister for Transport visit all constituencies. I am not sure it is feasible for every Cabinet Minister to visit every constituency, but I know that Ministers make an effort to get around the country, bearing in mind the workload they have to address and do.

Senator Murphy spoke about the Garda in Roscommon and the work that has been done in protecting vulnerable people against fake tradespeople who are trying to pull a fast one. He briefly mentioned, in a more general sense, how gardaí are serving the community and doing fantastic work. Then we see stories of gardaí being prosecuted for certain things. I think Senator Murphy's reaction to that is shared by many people across the board. We are trying to attract people into the force. Those types of stories do not do that particular job of work any service. The Senator also remarked that we are turning the corner in terms of housing. There has been significant investment and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is doing his very best and working very hard to get the numbers in the right direction.

Senator Conway alerted Members to his briefing this afternoon with former Senator Maurice Manning on hemochromatosis, which I believe it is at 3 p.m. in the audiovisual room. He has urged Members to attend or to send a staff member to the briefing. He welcomed Niamh Kilcawley to the Visitors Gallery. She is very welcome. I commend her on her advocacy work for students like herself and others. It makes a big difference and it is always fantastic for us, as Members, to hear about the work and the direct experiences of people with those types of issues.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Hear, hear.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome Niamh to the Seanad and wish her well in her work experience with Senator Conway. She will find no better Senator to work with in advocating for those issues. The two will form a formidable team, no doubt, while Niamh is working here. I also wish her well in her studies. I take on board the points raised by Senator Conway around reasonable accommodations and how nothing has changed. We will certainly request a debate with the Minister around how we can modernise the way things are done today. There should be some changes made. It is remarkable to think that it has not moved on that much since the Senator was going through school. There clearly needs to be an updating of processes there.

Senator Burke spoke about the credit unions offering mortgages. I commend the credit unions on showing fantastic leadership in this area. They are now offering mortgage rates of 2.95%, which is the lowest rate you will find of any lender. They are certainly outperforming the three main banks. It is about time somebody took on the banks in that regard, because the rates they are charging people are extortionate. They are taking full advantage of the lack of competition in the market. It is welcome to see the credit unions stepping up their operations in mortgages. I believe their lending to mortgage holders increased by 27% last year. It is getting out to the public, and the public knows that those mortgages are available. The credit unions are getting a sizeable share of the market, which I am sure will only increase if they continue to do the work they are doing. It is great. They are the most trusted lender in the country and the public trusts them. They have our full support in providing value for money for mortgage holders. They will help people get their homes.

Senator Ahearn also welcomed the credit unions offering mortgages. He asked for a debate with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment around employment opportunities for people with disabilities, which was supported by Senator Conway as well. We will request that debate at the earliest opportunity.