Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the extension of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, motion regarding the Government commitments on offshore renewable energy, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to conclude no later than 2.15 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed six minutes, all Senators not to exceed six minutes, and the Minister to be given no less than six minutes to reply to the debate; No. 3, statements on the Garda Reserve, to be taken at 2.30 p.m. and to conclude no later than 3.30 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the opening contribution of the Minister not to exceed six minutes, all Senators not to exceed six minutes, and the Minister to be given no less than six minutes to reply to the debate; No. 4, Private Members' business, Non-Fatal Offences against the Person (Amendment) (Spiking) Bill 2023 - Second Stage, to be taken at 4 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours; and No. 5, Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022 - Committee Stage (Resumed), to be taken at 6 p.m. and to adjourn at 8 p.m., if not previously concluded.

John Cummins (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the decision made by the Government yesterday to award the new search and rescue services contract. The contract has received much debate in this House and further afield. The important thing for me is that the contract maintains the four bases of Waterford, Shannon, Sligo and Dublin. A new operator will take over this very significant contract worth €670 million. It is important we recognise the work done by the current contract operator, CHC Ireland. I thank all the men and women who have served the Irish Coast Guard over the last 20 years with that company, and the Air Corps before that.

The contract contains a provision that allows for a fixed-wing element and that it can transfer to the Air Corps after a period of five years, which is welcome. There are many people in this House and outside of it who cast doubt over whether the four bases would be maintained. It is a very welcome decision by the Government to include that as a pre-condition of the contract process last year when this issue arose. The most important thing is that we have the most reliable and quality service provided to the people of Ireland for the next ten years, with a possible extension of a further three years.

I put on record my thanks to the men and women who work every single day of the week, 24-7 and 365 days a year to provide an unbelievable service to keep all of us safe in our waters and lakes and on our mountains and land. It is a remarkable service and exceptional value for money. It is extremely important the services are maintained and continued. Again, I welcome the Government's decision as it puts to bed any doubt about the retention of four bases, which I really welcome.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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Initially, I want to mention Private Seán Rooney, who lost his life so tragically in Lebanon in December while serving our country overseas. I understand that the United Nations is to award Private Rooney a medal to honour his memory and his sacrifice. This will be a very bittersweet but proud moment for his mum Natasha and his fiancée Holly. I just wanted to say this today and that we here in the Seanad have absolutely not forgotten the sacrifice of Private Rooney. We know the lengths to which our Defence Forces personnel go in order to serve the State. I salute him and them.

The long-awaited census results have finally been released. It is always interesting to be able to trawl through and spot quirky bits of information and data such as the fact we have 10,000 new Irish speakers in Kildare, which is really good. The census is a real treasure trove for data lovers. As expected, Kildare's growth has outpaced the national average. Growth there increased by 11%, which is significant. Of course, population growth and population density are of particular interest to Members in both Houses, especially as we await the report of the Electoral Commission. The fact that Kildare's population has gone up by 11% really leads to the call for extra investment and extra resources. When we see that Kildare County Council serves two Dáil constituencies, it is obvious that we need more resources for our county officials. We also need to have investment in leisure and amenities, which is very important.

The number of people aged 65 and over continues to grow in Kildare, and has increased by 35%. Again, this is significant in the context of putting in place measures for people as they age and grow older. This is why I am particularly happy to be able to help deliver Alzheimer Society of Ireland day care centre in Kildangan, which will open in the coming weeks.

In Kildare, 35% of people work from home at least one day a week. This leads to an increase in business in our local shops. That is welcome, and I have certainly noticed it when I am out canvassing. It is also important to consider this in the context of a flexibility of service when it comes to commuter travel. It also shows that we need to have not just weekly, monthly and annual tickets, we need also to have blocks of tickets.

Thanks to Sinéad Lucey Brennan, I see that 14% of people in Ireland are neurodivergent and 8% have long-term disabilities. We can see too that 53% of our carers are unpaid. That is significant. We obviously need to have the increase in support to them.

The water quality debacle continues in south Kildare, with musty and mossy-smelling water. I have requested a meeting with the Uisce Éireann, because the very least we can expect is that water should be odourless and transparent, with no taste.

Tom Clonan (Independent)
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I echo Senator O'Loughlin's remarks about Private Seán Rooney. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. I am thinking of his family at the moment. It is a very tough time for them. I would also like to remind the House of Private Billy Kedian who was killed in Lebanon on this day 24 years ago. I was there that year as a staff officer bringing journalists out. I am always mindful of the sacrifice our men and women have made overseas. I am also mindful of the precedent set by the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, who, since his appointment a number of years ago, has been very proactive in recognising valour and courage displayed by deceased members of An Garda Síochána, still serving members and members who have retired. Doing so is the action a mature, self-confident organisation. Unfortunately, the Defence Forces Óglaigh na hÉireann is not in the habit of recognising the service and valour of its members. That is a pity, and perhaps they should take a leaf from the book of An Garda Síochána. This is especially relevant in the context of the Jadotville veterans. While they are still alive, it is important that those men be given the recognition they and their families richly deserve.

This morning, I wish to raise the consultative forum on neutrality and Ireland's defence. I really welcome this consultative forum, but I am sorry to say that it is shrouded in secrecy.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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Hear. Hear.

Tom Clonan (Independent)
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The four consultative forums are scheduled to take place in a number of weeks but we have no idea who will be speaking at them. We know there is a Chair, someone who has been very a vocal proponent of US foreign policy and who would be very supportive of Ireland becoming a member of NATO. While this is not problematic in and of itself, it does lead to the perception of an inherent bias before the consultative process even kicks off. Neutrality is such an important part of our foreign policy history over the years. I absolutely and firmly believe that Ireland would not benefit from joining NATO. What we need to do is invest properly in our air, maritime, ground and cyber defences. Who will speak at this consultative forum? Which academics will be involved? I rather suspect that I know the academics who may be asked to speak at this. We have a number of very hawkish and conservative academics who are very pro-NATO. I want to know by what mechanism are people and experts invited to speak. A journalist just announced in the Sunday Timesthat he will be speaking at it. By what mechanism and by what process can interested parties submit an expression of interest in making a contribution? As of today, the portal on the Department of Foreign Affairs website for submissions is dead. It is a dead link. People cannot make submissions. Can we get some clarity on this? It is really important debate, but I hope it does not get off to a bad start because of opacity. It needs to be transparent and we need to know how people are being invited to speak.

Róisín Garvey (Green Party)
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Inniu tá mé ag iarraidh labhairt faoi ábhar sláinte. I want to speak today about health and how prevention is better than cure. Yesterday was world Multiple Sclerosis Day. We had an amazing group of people into the House, including doctors and people who live with MS. One of the big takeaways for me was the need for neurophysiotherapists, not just for people with MS but also for people with Parkinson's, stroke victims and those who are neurodivergent. As Senator O'Loughlin said, 14% of people in Ireland are neurodivergent. We need such neurophysiotherapists. I raised this issue with the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, who has said that he is looking at getting one for every community health organisation, CHO, in Ireland. This is a very important issue. I worked with older people. I started an older people's group in my village that meets monthly. They are doing chair yoga now but such people must keep moving because if they do not use it, they lose it. This is literally what happens with ageing, as well as with these other physical disabilities that people get, such as MS, stroke and acquired brain injury. Neurophysiotherapists are experts in this field. Physiotherapists are one thing, but neurophysiotherapists play a whole different role because they understand challenges that are coming from the brain. This is why MS Ireland are calling for it. If we get neurophysiotherapists in every CHO they will benefit different people with different challenges such as stroke, Parkinson's and acquired been brain injury.

It is important to remind people that physical mobility is huge. If we get these physiotherapists and people do what they are told by the physiotherapist - I have not always been good myself - we find that balance is everything and it actually reduces hospital waiting lists. It also reduces hugely the risks of falling, which is a huge setback for any older person, regardless of whether he or she has a neurotypical disease. When a person falls, it can often lead to early entry into a home for the elderly.

This matter is so important that I thought it was worth raising it today. I ask for the support of the House to ensure we support the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, in his mission to bring neurophysiotherapists to every CHO in Ireland. Prevention is always better than cure. So many people are waiting on trolleys, so many people are awaiting operations and need surgery, and the nursing homes are a huge issue as well. We must look at why so many people need to be in nursing homes and why so many people need to go to accident and emergency departments. This is a huge part of prevention. If we have good physiotherapy and if a person has good balance, it prevents falls, it reduces hospital admissions and it reduces the early need for nursing homes. The House should support the aim to get neurophysiotherapists into every CHO in Ireland. I ask for the support of all Senators here, and that we would keep reminding the Minister of his mission to do this.

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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Today I want to raise the RTB figures for eviction notices whereby 4,753 households have received an eviction notice. The worst is yet to come, the tsunami of people who are facing homelessness because of the lifting of the eviction ban. I want to put on the record once again that Sinn Féin is calling on the Government to see sense and reinstate the eviction ban to give people security until we get the housing supply in place. The knock-on impacts of homelessness are well documented. We are seeing children who are walking later and who are suffering from nutritional issues because their families cannot cook in emergency accommodation. There are huge knock-on impacts for us as society with this level of homelessness.

I also want to talk about an issue that does not get noticed much but that I have raised repeatedly in this House in the context of evictions and the rental crisis, that is, the issue of pet ownership. Private landlords, some management companies in apartment blocks and some housing bodies are refusing tenants permission to keep pets. It is not just about dogs but about cats and other pets as well. Children growing up in those households should be like any other child and have access to knowing what it is to have a pet and learning the empathy that having a pet brings. Those households facing eviction who are desperately trying to find somewhere else to live are also now faced with the awful decision of having to relinquish a pet. Those of us who have pets know they are like part of the family. All of the animal welfare organisations are screaming at this point because they are completely overwhelmed by the number of dogs in particular being surrendered, as well as other pets. They do not have the capacity to house them. They do not have the resources to house them. There is nowhere for these animals to go. They have waiting lists for surrenders.

I am raising this on the Order of Business because I have tried to raise it as a Commencement matter repeatedly but the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage refuses to acknowledge that there is any role whatsoever for him in addressing this. It is just not true. We need change to the residential tenancies agreements. We only have to look across the water. Last week Britain introduced legislation that would make it a legal right for private renters or renters in social accommodation to have their pet live with them. If I cannot get a debate through a Commencement matter, I ask that we have a debate in this House about the knock-on impacts on society of all of those eviction notices, particularly around pet ownership.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne to the Public Gallery with her guests. I also welcome the students from Claremorris in County Mayo. There must be a big exodus from Mayo to Leinster House today because this is the second school from Mayo to visit us. President Biden said, “Mayo for Sam” but I will say, “No homework tonight and tomorrow night.” I thank the teachers for all their work and hope they enjoy their visit to our Oireachtas. The other school was going to Croke Park. The students here tell me they are going there too. It might be their only visit to Croke Park this year but I do not think so. Senators Burke and Chambers might have other ideas.

Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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Even Dublin would be happy to concede for Mayo to get Sam this year.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I do not think Senator Boylan would be too impressed.

Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein)
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Not the Dublin GAA fans anyway.

Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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I am a Mayo woman at home in my own house. I rise today to bring to the attention of the House something I have spoken about again and again. Last Sunday we saw the horrific scenes all over social media of a fire in an apartment complex in Blanchardstown. That set absolute fear and panic among apartment and duplex owners in complexes where there are known construction defects and fire defects in particular. For months now I have been asking for a statement in this House. We need clarity. We need to raise issues with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. We need clarity and a clear timeline of when homeowners will have money in their hands.

Last January the Government made a monumental decision to fund up to €2.5 billion in remediation works throughout the country in all of these apartment complexes. However, the process of getting money into the hands of apartment owners like those in Park West, who are facing a bill of €68,500 each, so the remediation works can be done in those complexes, seems to involve establishing committee after committee with no end in sight. That needs to end. We need clear direction and clear information. I am asking the Leader to urgently schedule statements in this House so that we can interact with the Minister. There are constructive things that need to be ventilated with him and we need to hear from him. I have no doubt that he is doing a great amount of work around this but we need it urgently.

Today at 1 p.m. the Not Our Fault campaign, which represents homeowners and is led by Sam and Odette Doran from Park West, will be at the gate as they are every Wednesday. I ask Senators to go out and engage with them, support them, hear their plight and listen to them. Let us get this done. The decision for the money has already been made. Now let us get the money into their hands and let people live in their safe homes.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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It is lovely to have the children here with us this afternoon. It is not often I get up to thank the Government on anything.

John Cummins (Fine Gael)
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Oh God.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I have to thank the Government this morning. The Minister, Deputy Norma Foley, announced a pilot project for counselling for our children in primary schools. It is absolutely fantastic. The children will get eight one-to-one sessions for every little worry they have. It is only a pilot project. It is running in Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Monaghan, Mayo and Tipperary. They get free one-to-one sessions with a counsellor. Obviously there is a surplus of counsellors within those counties that they are able to provide that facility here and now for the children. It is great news. Early intervention, when things are worrying children, is so important. I fully support this and we need to roll it out nationwide.

The other issue I want to raise is something the children in the Gallery might not like. It is to do with wildlife and the culling of deer. I understand the figures were up 24% in 2021, which is a step in the right direction. There is a serious issue of out-of-control deer numbers in the counties of Wicklow and Donegal. While we must of course ensure the continued health and welfare of the overall deer population, the lack of natural predators outside of humans leads to an overabundance of deer in specific locations which causes adverse impacts such as over-grazing, ecological damage and an increasing risk of road accidents. Independent Donegal County Council member, Michael McClafferty, said the issue in that part of the county is extremely serious and warns that the animals are causing smashes and are damaging property.The council believes that at least 600 deer must be taken out of the equation in order to keep the population under control and improve safety on roads.

The Wicklow Uplands Council recommended that the focus on deer management plans in County Wicklow should be to reduce the adverse impacts associated with deer, increase the culling of female deer and promote venison as a healthy and sustainable product. I note that particularly in County Wicklow, the control and licensed culling of deer is simply not keeping the population in check. We would be worse off were not for poachers because there is much poaching going on. Obviously, we do not want to rely on people breaking the law to address the issue. Therefore, we need an increase in culling figures. Perhaps the Leader could address that with the Minister.

Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Leader for a debate on the cost of living with the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, specifically in the context of the cost of electricity. The truth is that bills continue to rise while input costs are decreasing. We have the highest prices in all of Europe. Something is seriously wrong when our energy market is 60% above the EU average, and that is before taxes. Whether that is due to anti-competitive behaviour, inefficiencies in generating electricity or a combination of many things, one thing we know for sure is that we need the Minister, Deputy EamonRyan, to come to this House and outline what his Department is doing for families who are falling into poverty. They cannot afford to pay their bills because of the inefficient market we have in this country.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I am a bit late to welcome the teachers and students from Claremorris. I wish to raise an issue this morning with the Croí Cónaithe scheme through which a person can get a grant of €50,000 to do up an old or derelict house and get a €20,000 top-up. There is an anomaly in that scheme in that if somebody is applying for a loan, there is a stand-off at the moment with the local authorities that are implementing the scheme and grant on behalf of the Government and the financial institutions. It is a shame that things are being held up. At least two people whose applications are being held up have contacted me. They try to get contractors or workers and tradespeople in place to carry out the work and do not know where they are going. The problem with the scheme is that the Department and banking institutions have not reached agreement on how it will operate. Seemingly, there is a claw back on the grant if a person sells the property before ten years have passed. It is maybe 50% after five years and a percentage every year after that until the ten-year period is up. The Minister will have to intervene in this regard. I have no doubt that the Minister does not know anything about what is happening with this aspect of the scheme. He brought forward the scheme in good faith, and it is a great scheme. It should be a priority for local authorities and the Department to reach agreement with the financial institutions because there are hard-pressed people out there.

I would have no problem at all with people selling the house. After all, when the house has been done up and completed, it does not matter whether it is sold on and somebody else lives in it. I would not have any great problem with that. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister to intervene in this with the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland, the Department and the local authorities that are implementing this.

Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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Yesterday, I referred to the difficulties that firefighters who are attached to our local authorities are having and the impending strike action they announced. I hope that the resolution to their difficulties will be found.

Today, I want to talk about the concerns of other local authority employees who are being transferred to Irish Water. I raised this issue a number of months ago when there were concerns about the terms and conditions of those workers who are working on behalf of Irish Water and who are attached to our local authorities. I was delighted that following negotiations with the Workplace Relations Commission and all the relevant parties, it did appear that an agreement was reached to which all parties could sign up. Unfortunately, however, an issue has now arisen with theLocal Government Management Agency regarding how the terms and conditions of local authority workers who want to remain with the local authority but still carry out work for Irish Water are going to be met.

Everyone was under the impression that the matter was all sorted, but now this has cropped up and negotiations seem to have run out of road. On behalf of the workers, SIPTU announced that there will be two days of strike action starting on 7 and 8 June. It is very unfortunate that matters have reached this stage. I respectfully request that we ask the Minister to come to the House in order that we can debate this issue so that perhaps a pathway can be found to find a settlement to this dispute. The last thing we want is for these people to go on strike. They feel as though that is their last option, however. When an agreement is made, it should be binding to all parties. It is very disappointing that we are even having this discussion. It is an important issue, however, and we need to get the Minister into the House to address it.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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Last week, I rose to highlight the ridiculous issue we had in west Cork regarding Garretstown beach, which adjoins Garrylucas beach. Both beaches had blue flag status for a number of years. Unfortunately, Garretstown lost its blue flag because the recycling area was not close enough to the beach. I am delighted to report to the House that progress has been made on this issue. An Taisce has seen logic and sense and has again granted blue flag status to this beach. I want to compliment the local council. I also want to compliment Councillor Marie O'Sullivan and Councillor Kevin Murphy for their good work in making sure logic was brought to bear in dealing with this issue, which is really important for those of us who live in west Cork. Our beaches are a part of our identity in so many ways. They are really prime locations and the blue flag status for these two beaches in Ballinspittle was something we needed to protect. We are now open for business. Having the blue flags gives us the opportunity to market this part of the world so that everyone can come and enjoy the beautiful bathing water, which, I must say, was never under threat. The blue flag status was lost because of the recycling area not being within 20 m of the beach. The water quality was never in doubt. I am delighted that there has been progress. It is an important step forward. Hopefully, we can move on from this now and make sure we can regain the other blue flag beaches that have been lost around the country.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I intervened last week to thank Senator Lombard for this. I also commend Councillors Murphy and O'Sullivan. I was bemused by the loss of the blue flag status. I use that beach every week in winter, summer, spring and autumn. Members who have not been in west Cork should please visit Garretstown. It is one of the most idyllic spots in the country. That week did more damage to the tourism industry than anything else. I know I should not make comments as Chair but I want to commend Senator Lombard and Councillors Murphy and O'Sullivan on the work they did. I am glad that common sense prevailed. I would encourage all Members to come and visit Garretstown beach because it is a gorgeous place to be.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Garretstown is a beautiful beach; I have been there.

The Department of Transport has set out its preferred tenderer for the search and rescue contract and that is Bristow Ireland, which I congratulate on the job. I am not one bit sorry to see that CHC has not gotten over the line. However, the people who worked for CHC are brave, solid heroes in my view who put their lives on the line on a daily basis to save lives both inland and on the seas around Ireland. I would like Bristow to now make a statement that it will start to consider a transfer of undertaking to keep those people working. There will be people today in CHC who are concerned about their futures. They are all family people. They deserve some sort of guarantee as to where they will go with their futures. From our point of view, this House and committee did much work that influenced the way this contract went. It was a good day for Ireland that we did what we did. As we go on now, Bristow needs to know that we will be watching from this House. However, we also need to be sure that there is oversight of everything by the Department of Transport from day one so that we do not ever again find ourselves in a situation like that which led to the report relating to Rescue 116.From that point of view, I wish the best of luck toBristow and we will see how it goes from there. I hope we see the Air Corps involved at some stage in the not-too-distant future. I want to find out, as regards the fixed-wing element, whether that aircraft will be stationed in Ireland. It should be stationed here. I suggest that Waterford Airport would be an ideal place for it. It could cover both the south and west coasts, but also the east coast. I do not want to hear we have a fixed-wing element somewhere in the UK because those fixed-wing aircraft carry specialised equipment and we do not want a foreign aircraft scanning Irish coasts.

On the consultative forum, my colleague Senator Clonan is 100% correct. We have no idea who is speaking-----

Tom Clonan (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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-----or the qualifications they bring. We need clarity urgently.

Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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I support the comments made by Senator Gallagher in regard to the situation with the transfer of staff from the local authorities to Uisce Éireann. This should not be happening. Discussions have been ongoing for a number of years about this. Whatever it takes, we should not see staff go on strike. The Minister needs to intervene with the unions to call off the strike and sit around the table again to make sure we get this resolved.

I thank the Cathaoirleach. As he knows, I am Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Autism, which will finalise its report tomorrow and launch it on 14 June. I thank the Members who have undertaken the training that has been put in place by the training unit in the Houses of the Oireachtas. I see the Cathaoirleach was on the training himself last week. I urge other Members please to sign up and take part in it. We have a target that, before the end of the year, Leinster House will be designated an autism-friendly Parliament. It will be one of the first parliaments in the world to achieve that. It means that all staff, Oireachtas Members and so on have taken part in the training. I urge people to do that.

Last night, I had a meeting with parents of children in Longford schools in regard to services. One issue that came up was that schools and temporary modular builds being put in place for classrooms or an autism spectrum disorder, ASD, class are running into delays with planning permission. Where a school is taking on additional classes, it should not be held up from putting them in place by a planning logjam. I ask that the Minister consider introducing some sort of exemption for such cases to make sure we get those classes in place for September rather than have kids at home, waiting a number of months for that build to be put in place.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I commend Senator Carrigy on the training that I undertook with the Ceann Comhairle last Friday.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I ask Members of the different groupings in Leinster House to encourage their members to sign up to the training. It is a wonderful hour and a half. As Senator Carrigy said, we are aspiring to be the first autism-friendly Parliament. I ask Members of different groups to persuade their members and staff to engage in the process. It would be much appreciated. The Ceann Comhairle and I have done the training. It is both educational and informative.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I want to plug two events today. Bloom is taking place tomorrow. It is now an international horticultural event. Thousands of people will flock there over the next few days. It is a showcase for Irish horticulture, landscape and garden design and also supports the commercial growers in this industry. I ask the Leader to have a debate around at an appropriate time on the horticultural industry, particularly in regard to food. We are importing food worth millions of euro. It is a shame when we have a wonderful climate for growing produce. I also acknowledge the work of An Bord Bia and the Office of Public Works, OPW. I hope Senators can get to Bloom, which is an amazing show. This promises to be a particularly fantastic one. Hopefully many people can get there. To be fair to the Fianna Fáil leader, he makes it an annual event to attend, as does the Fine Gael leader. Every year, I meet the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, at the event and secure a photograph with him. He is a particularly keen person, as is the current Taoiseach. Many Ministers will flock to Bloom and meet their people from around the country.

I also mention the Ronald McDonald House charity. The Cathaoirleach is supportive of the organisation. Its members spoke in glowing terms about him when I met them in Buswells Hotel 20 minutes ago. I ask Senators to make their way over to the hotel where there is an impressive set-up promoting the charity's work. When I asked them what their ask was, they said they had no ask and they just wanted to say "Thank you" to the people of Ireland who support the cause. There is a map showing how the charity has impacted on people here county by county. I ask that Senators make their way over there at some point and meet the team from Ronald McDonald House, which supports children who really need support and are ill. They are my two plugs today.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Boyhan. On that point, 980 families from Cork have benefited from Ronald McDonald House. It has a wonderful map of the country that shows how every county in Ireland has benefited from the house. One other statistic is that one family from Armagh visited. It is interesting. I thank Senator Boyhan. It is a wonderful charity.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I also compliment Senator Carrigy on the work he has done in trying to get this to become the first autism-friendly Parliament. I too took the course. It is very informative and I encourage everyone to do that.

I also acknowledge Senator Lombard on the blue flag awarded to Garretstown beach. I use the beach regularly over the summer months. It is a wonderful beach. There is a lovely restaurant beside it that overlooks the coast. It is beautiful there.

I ask that we have a debate with the Minister for Finance in regard to flat-rate expenses. I raised this issue almost a year ago. I was happy to see that Charlie Weston had a piece on it in the Irish Independent yesterday. Flat-rate expenses are essentially payments that are given to people in jobs where they incur extra expenditure because of the work they do. There are more than 100 professions, including nurses and teachers, where flat-rate expenses can be claimed. It can be backdated for four years if it has not been claimed already. People can get back a significant amount of money. The reason I ask for a debate on it is that the scheme has not been updated or reviewed in a long time. There are discrepancies in it that need to be changed. To give some examples, teachers can claim flat-rate expenses where they can claim back a couple of hundred euro a year over the previous four years. Special needs assistants cannot do it. Nurses can do it but nurse assistants cannot. Firefighters can do it but gardaí cannot. Childcare workers cannot apply for it at all. Many other professions now exist that were not in place when this scheme was set up. This is the time to review it to see what professions can be included. We need to get word out about it. Most people are not aware of it. I put it up on social media about ten months ago and got an unbelievable response, particularly on TikTok, funnily enough. People were not aware of it and when they applied they could not believe the amount of money they got back on it. I urge that we have a debate and try to update the eligible professions as soon as possible.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate Munster Rugby on the great win last weekend, becoming the United Rugby Championship, URC, champions. There was a great homecoming in Limerick last Monday evening. I compliment and congratulate the team because to go all the way to South Africa and come back as victors was something else.

We have discussed Women’s Sheds previously. The Women’s Shed in Limerick is a growing organisation. More than 400 people attended its inaugural meeting. It is having a launch this Friday to explain what it is about. I invite everybody to Mungret St. Paul’s GAA club where RTÉ’s “Ray D’Arcy Show” will broadcast for the afternoon. It will prove to be a very fruitful afternoon. It will bring out the best in people. Certainly, having worked with the group in the Women’s Shed, Limerick, and seeing the different activities in which it is involved, from talks to yoga to trips, I know it has been a support for people. There are women of all ages. I wish the members the best of luck with their launch on Friday.

The other matter I raise is also related to expenses.The Minister for Health made a statement a while back that student nurses were to receive a €500 payment towards their lunch or whatever else they could use it for because they do not receive the full rate of pay. They have not yet received that payment. Will the Leader follow up to find out when they will receive it?

Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael)
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Investment in Portiuncula University Hospital is a major priority for me. I was delighted and honoured to bring the Taoiseach to meet the assistant general manager, Ms Marguerite Dooley, the director of nursing, Ms Mary Mahon, and the senior clinical management team in the hospital when he visited Ballinasloe last February. The Taoiseach had an opportunity to open a new CT scan facility and meet the radiology team and healthcare teams all over the hospital. It is incredible to see there are nearly 200 more staff working there. We have close to 1,000 healthcare professionals in teams working in the hospital. The Taoiseach also visited the emergency department, ED, and was shown the tight spaces available, people on trolleys and the dire situation. He listened to concerns of the ED staff and heard of the urgent need for additional treatment bays.

I am delighted, following this visit, that we are seeing some progress. I gave my full support to a priority proposal from the Saolta University Health Care Group for a modular build of ten new additional treatment bays for Portiuncula hospital and submitted a letter of support to the Minister for Health. I received confirmation this week, in the HSE capital plan announced with the Minister, of the addition of appraisal stage for the expansion of the ED at the hospital. People can see change happening in our hospital. There are cranes everywhere. Some €20 million was allocated this week to the hospital, €15 million of which is for the 50-bed ward block to see it completed and hopefully opened for next year.

Even more crucially, this winter the hospital will be under considerable pressure. The hospital team took the initiative to move the outpatient department to a build on the grounds. Eight single beds and another two double units will open, delivering 12 beds. This is crucial because we have 13 single rooms in the hospital. The hospital dates back to the 1940s with multi-bed ward blocks. Dealing with infection control is impossible when working in these tight spaces. The opening of these beds will make a huge difference. This capital plan is crucial in delivering €4 million for those beds to open, hopefully in the next couple of months.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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I thank all Members who contributed to the Order of Business. Senator Cummins spoke on search and rescue, as did Senator Craughwell, and on the awarding of the contract and the bases it will cover. It is an important service for the State.

Senator O'Loughlin acknowledged and remembered Private Seán Rooney, as did Senator Clonan. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. Our thoughts are with his family. Senator O'Loughlin also spoke about the census results, details of which are on the front pages of the newspapers today. She pointed to some interesting figures for County Kildare, including 10,000 new Irish speakers; an increase of 35% in the elderly population and the need to provide services in that area; and the general increase of 11% in the population of the county, which is above the national average, and the need to provide amenities and services for those additional persons.

Senator Clonan asked about the consultative forum announced by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence to look at security, defence and foreign policy. It will meet across three locations on four dates, once each in Cork and Galway and on two days in Dublin. I have just made the Senator aware that details of all speakers will be out today on the Department of Foreign Affairs website. An opportunity to contribute to the forum will also be available on the website. All Oireachtas Members received an invitation today to register for the event and are invited to attend any or all of the four days. It is fully transparent and open to all. The forum is about listening to the views of the public and those who want to contribute. The speakers' details will be available for all to peruse.

Senator Garvey spoke of the need to prevent health issues. She zoned in on the area of neuro-physiotherapists and the lack thereof. She asked that more facilities and services be made available in this area because it has a knock-on impact, particularly on elderly people.

Senator Boylan spoke of the number of eviction notices served and asked for a reinstatement of the eviction ban. I point out to the Senator that Sinn Féin only wanted the eviction ban in place until January next, did not have any plans in place after that and had initially asked for the ban to end at Christmastime, which I am not sure would have served any good purpose. It has been well documented and discussed that it would have been easy, and probably quite popular at that point, to extend it but we know from the advice we have been given that it would have a detrimental impact on the rental sector in the medium to long term. That is why the decision was taken to lift the ban, which was intended to be temporary in nature. The Senator also spoke of animal welfare and stated many rental properties do not accept pets. I acknowledge that is a challenge. There are rights on both sides. It is the right of property owners to protect their property and they may feel a pet would cause damage. I have a dog and have huge sympathy for anybody who may have to give up their pet when moving. Perhaps there is scope to do something in this area. The Senator pointed to new legislation, which I am not familiar with, in the UK which gives tenants a right to a pet in the house. The Senator might want to bring similar legislation to the House.

Senator Malcolm Byrne spoke of the memorandum the Minister for Health brought to Cabinet yesterday to ban e-cigarettes and vapes for sale to under-18s. I believe it is World No Tobacco Day today. Lots of people are not aware that many of the tobacco companies are also vape companies that sell those products. If a vape product is pink and bubblegum flavoured, who is being targeted? In my view, it is children. That needs to stop. I take on board what the Senator said about the regulations coming out to ban the sale of e-cigarettes and vape products to under-18s but not yet extending to flavours and packaging. Work is taking place at EU level. The Minister has said he expects that work to conclude by next year and hopes for an EU-wide ban of certain packaging and flavouring of vape products. He has said if the EU does not move at that pace, Ireland will go on its own path and do it anyway. That provides reassurance. I would have loved to see that ban today. If there are flavours and fancy packaging, it is there to target children. There is a reason the companies are doing that. It is regrettable that many young people in primary school are vaping. It flies in the face of all public health initiatives to try to ban smoking. It seems many tobacco companies have pivoted to a new product to maintain profits.

Senator Seery Kearney asked for an update on the defective apartment blocks scheme. I might speak to the Senator privately about that and see if we can get some more details on it. It has been raised with the Minister. He is very aware of the pressures there. There is a scheme and funding in place but there appears to be a delay in getting that process moving at the pace apartment owners would like.

Senator Keogan welcomed the announcement that the Government is running a pilot scheme across seven counties to provide counselling services through NEPS, working with schools at primary age. It is important and comes on foot of work done following the Covid pandemic and the impact that had on young people and children. The Senator is right about getting in early where children have worries and providing support. Schools working with NEPS will identify children most in need. I welcome that the pilot scheme will include primary school students across my county of Mayo, as well as Leitrim, Longford, Cavan, Monaghan and Laois. It is a fantastic initiative. I have no doubt it will be a success and we will see it rolled out across the country. The pilot scheme is to provide an evidential basis to justify the expansion of the scheme. That is the Minister’s intention.

Senator McGreehan asked for a debate on the cost of living, particularly electricity costs. We will request that debate at the earliest opportunity.

Senator Burke raised the Croí Cónaithe grant and the clawback that exists for those who sell the property within ten years. The clawback is 100% if the property is sold within five years and 75% if it is sold after between five and ten years, with no clawback after ten years. I was under the impression, having spoken to a number of people, that the issue had been resolved with the banks but clearly it has not. If it cannot be resolved with the banks, the scheme will not be operational. That needs to be resolved. The Minister has been made aware of it. Changes were made to the scheme. The grant has gone from €30,000 and €50,000 to €50,000 and €70,000. Those who vacate the property can rent it and there is no clawback in those circumstances. That was a significant change but the other issue needs to be dealt with. Senator Gallagher spoke about the firefighters attached to local authorities and the proposed strike action. He also highlighted concerns around the moving of staff from local authorities to Irish Water. Those views were supported by Senator Carrigy as well.

Senator Lombard spoke about the blue flag for Garretstown Beach and the Cathaoirleach made comments on it as well. I am not familiar with the area, but I acknowledge the importance of the blue flag status. We have many blue flag beaches in Mayo also and any question mark over a flag causes reputational damage to an area. There must be great caution when removing a flag from an area because it really knocks the reputation of the area.

Senator Craughwell spoke about the Department of Transport's tender process for search and rescue and welcomed the awarding of the contract to Bristow and the fact CHC did not get over the line, as he put it.

Senator Carrigy spoke about his work on autism and many Senators have congratulated him over many weeks. There was the autism training to provided to Members of this House. A fantastic body of work has been conducted by the Senator and the autism committee.

Senator Boyhan has asked we all make it a priority to try to get to Bloom this year and has congratulated all those working on it, as well as commending Bord Bia on its work. He raised the need for a debate on horticulture and food security in Ireland and mentioned how we import so much food and have the ability to produce much more.

Senator Ahearn spoke about flat-rate expenses. He wants a debate on that issue and the need to expand the eligibility criteria for such expenses to encompass all professions.

Senator Maria Byrne congratulated Munster Rugby and I, too, congratulate the team on a fantastic win. I also wish the women's shed well. It is a fantastic initiative for women across the country and has been hugely successful. It is in every corner of the country now and is providing so many things to so many people. It is a real social outlet. It might be prudent to put down a Commencement matter on the €500, but I will ask the Minister for Health when that payment will be forthcoming.

Last of all, Senator Dolan spoke about the HSE capital plan. There was significant funding across the country. It is an investment in health infrastructure countrywide. She spoke in particular about Portiuncula hospital, which is a really important facility. It is great to see. We have significant money available. It cannot be spent on certain things, but capital expenditure is where we want to see it going. The health capital plan will make a real difference to the lives of so many people, chiefly our patients and healthcare staff. There was significant funding. We saw €7 million in County Mayo as well, with most of it going into Mayo University Hospital. It is great to see that money. I commend the Government and the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, on that funding for our health services.