Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Before asking the Leader to outline today's Order of Business, I welcome to the Public Gallery Mr. Brian Karlisch and his wife, Lisa, who are visiting from the United States of America. They are very welcome. I believe it is their first visit to Ireland. I thank them for being here and hope they enjoy the rest of their stay. Glaoim ar an Treoraí chun an tOrd Gnó a fhoilsiú.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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I also welcome our visitors.

The Order of Business today is No. 1., Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 – Second Stage, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to conclude at 2.15 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister to be given no less than ten minutes to reply to the debate; No. 2, Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024 – Committee Stage, to be taken at 2.30 p.m. and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 4.30 p.m. by the putting of one question from the Chair which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government; No. 3, Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Bill 2024 – Second Stage, to be taken at 5 p.m. and to conclude after 75 minutes, if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed seven minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, all other Senators not to exceed four minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister to be given no less than seven minutes to reply to the debate; No. 4., Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023 – Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 6.15 p.m. and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 4.30 p.m., by the putting of one question from the Chair which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government; and No. 5., Private Members' business, Health (Scoliosis Treatment Services) Bill 2024 – Second Stage, to be taken at 6.45 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Treoraí. Glaoim ar an Seanadóir Fiona O'Loughlin.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I support the Order of Business as outlined. I spoke yesterday about the bravery of Bláthnaid Raleigh. I have to mention her again because when I was driving in this morning, I heard her interview on RTÉ Radio One. It was a very compelling interview. I drove in and stayed in the car to listen to the end of it. I do not mind admitting that I shed tears listening to her. I commend her courage, bravery and generosity of spirit in terms of sharing her story and the impact of what happened, not just on her but also on her family. For example, her brothers had to move sports clubs but could not tell anybody why. To think that she had to wait for five years for justice, which was a quarter of her life because she was only 21 when this happened. A few things about it struck me. Every school in Ireland should play that interview to students. It makes for difficult listening, but it is important to listen. I also felt that Bláthnaid very eloquently spoke about revictimisation. That is something we need to take note of in terms of supporting victims of abuse, whatever type of abuse it is. She also spoke about the need for men to call out their peers. That is important. It is a strong message that should come from us, which is why I mention the matter. I wish her well in her journey. She has had so much to deal with on a physical and an emotional level.

Next Friday is Your Council Day. Some 949 councillors who have been elected or re-elected. I wish them all well. In the past week, we have elected new mayors and cathaoirligh. Councils have over 1,000 functions. It is really important to highlight those. They will be highlighted right across the country on Friday. To those who are listening in or who may listen in later, I say that it is important to see the excellent work that local authorities do.

I was at Mr. Charlie O'Connor's retirement party last night. He is an incredible man, who was first elected in 1991. I wish him well. He will stay involved in the community.

On graveyards, we have had extensions in Rathangan, Allen, Newbridge and Athy. In Milltown, the local committee under Mr. Gavin O'Connor has come together to raise funds. I wish the committee the best of luck. I know local authorities provide support grants. There is an issue about the maintenance of graveyards because in the past, community employment schemes were used. In a time of full employment, however, it is difficult to get people.Local authorities, with the support of the Department, will have to look at how they maintain our loved ones’ resting places. I would like to see a debate on that.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I join with the Senator in congratulating Charlie O’Connor on a lifetime of commitment in public service. He is one of life’s gentlemen and he transcends politics at every opportunity. He is wonderful person. I join with the Senator in wishing him well.

I welcome the guests of the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly. There is a group who are guests of the Minister, Deputy Foley; the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond; and Deputies Funchion, Ó Broin and Ó Cathasaigh. It is a combination of different groups. They are all very welcome to Leinster House. I thank them for being here.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I wish to raise issues around agriculture. First and foremost, I congratulate the Minister for agriculture and the Irish farming association organisations – the IFA, the ICMSA, Macra na Feirme, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society, ICOS, and a number of others – on the finalisation of the farm charter yesterday. It is a fundamental piece of work. The Minister also announced last night the appointment of the chair of the proposed monitoring committee. The farm charter is a significant document. It has been long coming. We extended the old one for two years. The Minister was very anxious. Those of us who are members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine discussed this at great length. This will map out terms of engagement and what farmers can expect with regard to payment schemes and the various processes. It is important. I congratulate the Minister and the officials in the Department of agriculture for their work on that.

I wish to draw to the attention of Members the agriculture statement of strategy 2023-26. It will be discussed tonight at the joint committee on agriculture. I again acknowledge the significant work the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine does. This is a particularly important strategy. Of course, there is the caveat that we do not know when there will be a general election, and the Minister clearly indicated that it will be the prerogative of the new Minister whenever that happens in the next six months and whomever it may be. The new regime that will be in the Department will clearly be able to review that strategy.

In the last minute and a half I have, I raise the issue of “RTÉ Investigates”. We heard that the Department of agriculture has an investigative unit and was going to investigate issues around Shannonside Foods Limited. We saw the horrific carry-on of the horse slaughtering plant in Straffan, County Kildare. I am conscious there are legal issues around that, so I will not go into great detail. However, I can confirm that Interpol and the international food agencies are now involved. There have been a number of food alerts related to Irish horse meat, particularly in France but in other jurisdictions. This has gone to a very senior level internationally. It is about animal welfare – equine welfare in this case – and the food chain, so this is significant. What am I saying? There is a need for an independent, external investigation into these matters if we are to instil confidence in the public at large. There is outrage. The fact that an internal unit within the Department of agriculture is acting as judge and jury in its own cause is unacceptable. The message I want to go out from Seanad Éireann in my name is that we need a full independent external review of what happened in the Shannonside Foods plant and the role, or lack of role, and responsibility by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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Well said. I raise a concerning case from Limerick that highlights fundamental flaws in the workings of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman’s office. It concerns a family who lost their husband in very tragic circumstances, only to discover that the pension provision he had made for himself and his family through his long employment with Analog Devices would be withheld from them. A sum in the region of €670,000 belonging to this individual had been accumulated in Analog’s pension plan in his name but, to date, has never been handed over to the family, who were plunged into financial crisis by the sudden death of their husband and father. Instead, the trustees of the pension fund made a decision to pay this money to the employer in 2017.

This serious issue was appealed to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman. It took two years for the FSPO to come to a decision but, in 2019, it decided not to uphold the appeal made by the family. There then followed a High Court case whereby the widow appealed the FSPO decision on a point of law. It took two more years before the High Court upheld this appeal in late 2021 and vitiated the FSPO decision on the basis that the FSPO had erred in law in the approach taken to making this decision. The High Court only has statutory power to vitiate the FSPO decision rather than substitute its own decision. Therefore, in effect, the High Court handed the process of appeal back to the FSPO with an instruction to take a fresh decision, taking into account that it erred in law in its original approach. Unbelievably, in late 2023, the FSPO made a preliminary decision based on the same error in law that it made in its first decision. To describe the FSPO’s dealings with this family as grossly incompetent would be an understatement. They have been handed from pillar to post, with changing personnel at every turn. They now face a denial of their appeal that actually ignores an earlier High Court ruling that was issued on the same case.

I cannot begin to describe the upset and trauma this has caused the entire family who have been through seven years of hell and now face having to take a second case to the High Court. Effectively, they are in Groundhog Day. They cannot move forward. They already got one decision and they will get the same decision again from the High Court after having to spends tens of thousands of more money, and it goes back to the FSPO again. It is entirely unsatisfactory. It is not good enough because when families like this one are let down in the worst way regarding their pension entitlements, they are entirely dependent on the FSPO to stand up for them and their rights, and this is not happening. It is clear that the FSPO is under-resourced, underfunded and undermanaged. I am calling for an urgent debate on this issue. I also appeal to the Analog Devices trustees to take a fresh look at this case, which is well known to them and remains a source of fundamental injustice.

Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail)
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I also join with my colleagues in tributes to Charlie O’Connor. He was a great friend of mine and my family for many years. He is an absolute gentleman. I am delighted to have him as a member of Fianna Fáil. He is a very warm person and he has a lovely family. I wish him all the best in his retirement.

I stand today to mention ASD school places. We are doing great. Huge kudos to the Department because it has opened many schools. It is not for want of trying. However, there are schools, especially in the south part of Dublin, in Dublin 6, 6W and 4, that are just not making the proper efforts to open schools. Even Gaelscoileanna in these areas and around Dublin seem to think they do not have ASD children in their classrooms or in their communities. It is wrong. More needs to be done to ensure we open ASD classes around the country. We especially need to look at second level ASD classes. We are doing okay when it comes to primary ASD classes. However, as night follows day, people go on to second and third level education. We need to ensure we have the proper places in ASD classes in secondary schools around the country. We all need to be talking about opening up ASD classes in secondary schools around the country because it will be a huge issue in three or four years. It will be a crisis. I would appreciate if we could have a debate in this House about ASD school places. We have much work to do. We have started it, but there is still much more to do.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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A few days ago, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Deputy Micheál Martin, said those serving in the Defence Forces must be held to a higher standard because they are part of a force that is meant to protect society. That statement was backed up by Lieutenant General Clancy. I am sorry to say, I felt he should have spoken up for the honourable people in the Defence Forces rather than the people who were dishonourable.

Kathy Sheridan had a go at me and my colleague, Deputy Cathal Berry, in The Irish Times today for our defence of the Defence Forces, again outlining zero tolerance within the Defence Forces. Are we to have two different sets of standards? For example, in the Prison Service, a senior prison manager called a female colleague into his office, undressed himself and asked her to perform oral sex on him. She gets compensation of €100,000, and what happens to him?He was transferred. What about the psychiatrist in child and adolescent mental health services who sexually assaulted his 16-year-old client?

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I am sorry, Senator, could I just ask that-----

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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These are reported matters.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I am not trying to stop you; I am trying to help you.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Okay.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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In case this is before the courts-----

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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No, it is not.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I am just saying be careful with what you are saying in-----

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Including historical-----

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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-----identifying individuals. We are not here to-----

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I will not name anybody. The bottom line on it is-----

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Even referring to people leads to-----

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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We have allegations of sexual harassment and abuse in the National Ambulance Service. In such circumstances, where do we strike a balance when it comes to zero tolerance? My belief is that zero tolerance should be the approach in every organisation in the country and that we should not tolerate any of that sort of behaviour. However, we cannot now single out the Defence Forces because they happen to be the whipping boys this week. Let us go through the entire public service. The Defence Forces have been put under more scrutiny that any other organisation in this country. I wonder how the Irish Prison Service would fair in this regard. I have sufficient stuff on my desk about the Irish Prison Service, including complaints of bullying and harassment. I have contacted the Minister in respect of the matter. I have written to a prison governor about the horrendous treatment rained down on one of his staff. It is simply not good enough to start trying to set two sets of standards, namely one for the Defence Forces and one for everybody else. If people are working in this country - I do not care if it is the public service or private sector or if they are in uniform or not in uniform - there should be a standard of decent behaviour that we should all aspire to reach and whereby those who see something going wrong should speak out at the time and put a stop to it.

John McGahon (Fine Gael)
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One of the issues I want to discuss is the deposit return scheme, of which I am hugely supportive. It is a scheme I have not personally been involved in. As a member of the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action and as the climate action spokesperson, however, it is something I have been following very closely for the past two years. It is an excellent scheme. The greatest thing an individual can do is to recycle. As with everything relating to climate action, the scheme makes recycling easy. It also gives people an incentive to recycle.

I have an issue with the scheme.issue I have with scheme. I would like to be able to bring it to the attention of and resolve it with the Minister at some stage in this House. I refer to the fact that when people deposit plastic bottles in particular shops, they get paper receipts in return and have to use them in those shops. I do not think that is a great way to make it as easy as possible for people to recycle. A far easier way to do it would be with a simple app on people's phones whereby they could go to any vending machine anywhere in the country and recycle right there and then. The money in their accounts would be topped up on their phones and people could use the app to be spend it at any stage in any other shops involved in the scheme. I do not think it is viable that because a person recycles one bottle in a shop, they then have to spend the 15 cent they receive in return in that particular shop. This is about making the scheme as accessible and as viable as possible. The idea that people have to go around with paper receipts for €2, €4 or €5 here and there and then try to add them all up when they go back to the till in the place where they recycled just does not make sense.

It is a great scheme. I am really proud to see the scheme working well. I am glad to see so many people taking part in it, but there are ways in which we could make it better with a few tweaks. I would appreciate a debate about the scheme and on the importance of recycling at some point.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I want to raise the case of Mr. Neno Dolmajian. As the Leader will be aware, Mr. Dolmajian was visiting from Montreal. A day after Canada Day and ten days after a vicious assault in our nation's capital, he sadly passed away. His father and sister travelled over from Canada to be with him. This House and this country should express solidarity with his family after this horrific act. Unfortunately, this is not the first case in which a tourist has been assaulted in our capital city. This goes back again to an issue we have raised in this House previous, namely the importance of making sure our capital's streets are safe. This is a really serious issue. It is one that warrants the Minister for Justice coming before this House to talk about how we can ensure that not just tourists but also our own citizens should be able to feel safe on the streets of Dublin and right around the country. I ask that we have a debate around this issue. It has become far too serious, and it is happening now far too often. We really need to address it.

On a more positive note, as the Leader will know, we have often discussed the wonderful role of women on sport in this House. I am sure the Leader will join with me in congratulating Ms Kayleigh Byrne who brought home the first ever international medal for Gorey Boxing Club when she won bronze for Ireland at the 2024 European junior championships in Sarajevo. This young woman is an inspiration to other young women. As the Leader knows, we rightly celebrate the role of women in sport in this House. I would like to extend my congratulations to Kayleigh.

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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I understand that we are coming to the end of this term. However, I, along with its other members, would love the opportunity to discuss in this House the pre-budget submission that the Joint Committee on Disability Matters has worked on. We talk about the rights of people with disabilities, which needs to be represented in the media but which gets very little representation either in the media or, unfortunately, the Houses. Yesterday, Dr. Niall Muldoon, the Ombudsman for Children, said that very little has changed in the past ten years. He is looking for a stand-alone mental health budget for people with disabilities, especially children. Transport is a big problem for people with disabilities. I do not think anybody in this House would disagree with me when I say that we need to have the discussion. I spoke to the chairperson the of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters. He would love the opportunity to come in and present our pre-budget submission to the Seanad if the Leader could organise that. I understand that it is only two weeks before the recess, but it would be an absolutely crucial debate.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I want to second what my friend and colleague Senator Malcolm Byrne said. I extend my sympathies to the family involved and, indeed, to the Canadian people. It is a scandal that this happened on our premier street. With the 250th anniversary of Daniel O'Connell's birth coming up next year, unless something is done, the best way we could honour him as things stand would be by taking his name of that street. This is an appalling state of affairs. We need a debate about the state of our country and what is going on with violence in particular.

I do not mean to be facetious when I quote from today's edition of The Spectator. I came across a rhyme with which the Leader will be somewhat familiar: "Joe and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Joe fell down and broke his crown and Jill said, 'No, he didn't'". What we are seeing, apart from the personal tragedy of the President of the Unites States, is the highest profile and highest level case of elder abuse in living memory. It used to be said of Soviet regimes that there would be mass cover-up at the demise of one of their leaders. However, what we have seen and now what everybody knows about over the past few years is a huge amount of dishonesty, not just within the US Administration but among the media and even in our own country. Only last Friday, I heard a senior Irish diplomat try to talk this way by talking about the President of the US not being good at sound bites. That might be putting on the green jersey, but you cannot put on the green jersey by pulling the wool over people's eyes.

Why is this significant? We need to be able to trust media internationally and in Ireland. They have not been trustworthy. In that context, and I note what Mr. Kevin Bakhurst, the director general of RTÉ, as he presented RTÉ'e five-year plan, had to say about the need for a strong and independent public service media. However, it also needs to be impartial. We have seen poor standards in our media when it comes to the impartial and unflinching reporting of all aspects of different issues. That has to change before people are going to trust RTÉ with their licence. I recall the fawning coverage of the Biden visit to this country last year, and it was not good public service media. Therefore, I want to see change before I entrust my euro to RTÉ and before we entrust Government money to RTÉ. We need serious moves to scrutinise not just responsibility in financial matters-----

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Go raibh maith agat.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach. This is my final sentence. When it comes to public service broadcasting, responsibility is not just about the way you use money; it is about the way you deal with matters and about whether the public can trust you to offer impartial and unflinching scrutiny, regardless of whether it is comfortable or not for people to hear.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I remind Members that we should be careful in the language we use in the House and the person referred to is a retired diplomat.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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What did I say?

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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The Senator said "diplomat".

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I apologise. I did mean to say "retired" in fact.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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It is just to be careful

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I appreciate that.

Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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As the media spokesperson for the party on the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, along with Senator Malcolm Byrne, we have engaged with a lot of media in Ireland over the past four years. I totally disagree with Senator Mullen's comments. Our main public service broadcasting companies, our local radio stations and our national radio stations are trusted in my view. Social media is where the distrust is. We would all acknowledge that. I am fully supportive of whatever mechanism of funding is put in place to make sure that we do continue to fund proper and honest public service broadcasting in this country into the future, which we have had in the past with our main broadcasters be it RTÉ or others such as Newstalk, Virgin and local stations.

I second the proposal by Senator Eileen Flynn that the Committee on Disability Matters might address the House with regard to pre-budget discussions. We held a joint meeting last week with the all-party parliamentary group on autism, the Committee on Disability Matters, and the Minister of State with responsibility for special education and inclusion, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton.

I also wish to speak about coach parking. I have family that have a coach business and I have also spoken with Willie Martin. I am aware that Senator McGahon is also familiar with the coach industry. In recent times there has been no 24-hour coach park in Dublin. Coaches are parked out on the streets. Only in the last 24 hours two coach companies, Furey's and Logan's, have had more than €7,000 or €8,000 worth of damage done to their buses when they were parked along the street. The windows had been put in.

We welcome the cycle lanes that were put in the streets but now we do not actually have places where buses can pull in if they are bringing tours around our capital city. I ask that we would engage with Dublin City Council so that a proper 24-hour bus parking area is put in place to make sure that not just the buses, but also the belongings of the people on the bus, can be kept safe. Perhaps this request could be forwarded to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, and to Dublin City Council.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise the five-year strategic plan brought forward by RTÉ and how it proposes to move the organisation forward. On reading it I found very little reference to the GAAGO issue, where the GAA is tied into RTÉ. There is a significant issue that needs to be addressed around what is the long-term strategic plan for RTÉ working with the likes of GAAGO, which is just broadcasting a certain number of games on a paywall system. This is creating great fury at the moment. I believe the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, needs to come to the Chamber to discuss her strategy on where the strategic plan is going and more importantly how the GAAGO entity that is tied in with the GAA and RTÉ fits into that five-year strategic plan. I fundamentally believe that what is happening here is wrong and the general public is 100% against the proposals as they are happening. We saw it again during the weekend where, amazingly, the best game of football that we potentially had this year was on GAAGO, when the Galway-Dublin game was tied away. Do they just pick the matches that are actually going to be entertaining? We saw it with a Cork-Limerick match a few weeks ago as well. It has been a complete disaster. It does not have regulatory approval. We still have no real outcome for how we will look at this scenario regarding the five-year strategic plan brought forward by RTÉ. We need have the Minister come to the Chamber to address this issue. It has been ongoing - to say the least - and we need to have some major movement.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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It is a good job the Senator spoke after Senator Carrigy.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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Absolutely.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Active Retirement group from Tower in Cork. The ladies are very welcome. I hope the person who nearly tumbled there did not get too hurt. The group is very welcome to Leinster House.

I now invite the Leader of the House to reply to the Order of Business.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach. I also thank Members who contributed to the Order of Business today.

The first Senator to speak was Senator Fiona O'Loughlin, who again raised the case of Bláthnaid Raleigh who this morning spoke again on Radio One. Senator O'Loughlin spoke about how moved she was by the young woman's interview this morning and that it would be a good interview for everyone to listen to. Certainly the case sent shivers up the backs of anybody who listened to the details of it. It was an horrific attack. I am particularly struck by the five years it took for her to get her case heard and to get justice. I was struck by her comments where she said that she lived in isolation and basically was removed from society for those five years while her attacker carried on as normal. It was very poignant of her to say that while the custodial sentence was a strong sentence, as in her own words, the fact that people would know what he did and what he was hiding for those five years was most important to her in her community. It must have been extremely difficult for her family. Her brother was playing in the same rugby club and had to move because of it. It is just an horrific case. I feel there is regular commentary now in these Houses around the issue of violence against women and numerous cases coming forward. We need to really tackle this and show that we are taking a zero-tolerance approach. This has to mean that we improve the judicial system, that cases are heard quicker, that justice is done and seen to be done, and that people and victims are not waiting around languishing for years waiting for their day in court.

Senator O'Loughlin also drew our attention to this coming Friday, which is know your council day where we will learn more and citizens will learn more about the role and the powers of their local authority members. Senators O'Loughlin and Ardagh wished former councillor Charlie O'Connor very well after his farewell do last night. Charlie was a fantastic councillor. He is a lovely man, a lovely individual, a great colleague, a great friend and is known right across these Houses. We will still be seeing lots of Charlie around the Houses. It was fantastic for him to have his night last night where he was acknowledged for his years in public service as a councillor and for working as part of other teams as well.

Senator O'Loughlin also raised concerns around the maintenance of graveyards and the need for a fund and support to maintain graveyards on an ongoing basis.

Senator Boyhan welcomed the finalisation of the farm charter with all of the different organisations. The Senator commended the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, on finalising that project of work. The Senator also spoke about the recent "Prime Time" story around equine welfare and horse slaughter in a particular location in Kildare, how this has now gone to a more international level working with international organisations, and how it is also affecting the food supply chain .

Senator Gavan raised a particular issue around a case with the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman in relation to a family in Limerick. I am not up to speed with the full details of that case. I take the points the Senator has raised. The length of time it is taking to deal with these cases is the problem. Decisions can be taken and mistakes do get made but the issue is about how quickly they are resolved. I do hope that this will be the final point where this case is put to bed once and for all. Time appears to be the issue there. Hopefully the system can kick into action at a faster pace.

Senator Ardagh asked for a debate on the provision of autism spectrum disorder, ASD, school places and commended the work on developing ASD classrooms at primary school level. The Senator pointed out that there will be a demand at second level naturally, which has yet to be addressed. We will request that debate most likely in the new term.

Senator Craughwell raised again the issue of the Defence Forces and the ongoing commentary and criticism of the organisation. I have previously supported the Senator on his comments in relation to it. I do believe there is a lot of criticism of the Defence Forces without due acknowledgment of the many exemplary and decent serving members, men and women, of that organisation and also former serving members. This is notwithstanding the terrible situation relating to the Crotty case and others as well, which are being dealt with. There are a lot of sensitivities around that but it is important to acknowledge that there are many fine and decent serving members and former serving members that are equally finding this a very distressing time for their organisation and the Defence Forces where they serve. They take their jobs very seriously. Senator Craughwell asked where a zero-tolerance approach applies. It applies to all levels of society and all organisations when it comes to violence against women.

Senator McGahon raised a point about the deposit return scheme. I take on board the Senator's comments on simplifying the scheme.

Senator Malcolm Byrne has expressed his condolences to the family of the Canadian citizen who died, Mr. Neno Dolmajian. I extend my condolences to his family and to his community on his sad passing. I concur with Senator Mullen's remarks. It is a sad indictment on our capital city that again we have another case of a tourist here visiting our country who was brutally assaulted and attacked and has now lost his life. It is something we need to get to grips with. Increased resources have been put into An Garda Síochána.There has been an increased presence of gardaí on our streets in the capital city but clearly more needs to be done. At this point in time O'Connell Street is not seen as a safe place to be at certain times of the day and this needs to be addressed. It is fixable but it needs to be tackled. Senator Malcolm Byrne also congratulated Kayleigh Byrne on her recent victory for Gorey Boxing Club and we congratulate her.

Senator Flynn asked for a debate on the prebudget submission of the disability matters committee. It will not be possible to do this before the summer recess. We would not usually have a debate on a prebudget submission. Certainly a debate on disability issues more widely would be appropriate. It would give Members an opportunity to raise budget issues as well as other matters. We will seek to have that debate in the new term when we get back. We will try to have it before the budget at the earliest opportunity.

I think I have addressed Senator Mullen's comments on violence on our streets. I take on board the points he made on the ongoing presidential campaign in the US and the many issues it throws up. It does have an impact globally. It impacts Ireland. This is why we take such an interest in these matters. There are grave concerns about what the outcome of the election might be. Senator Mullen made very valid points on the need for the media to be impartial even where it is uncomfortable. There are times when we are in the majority view in our opinions and we feel very comfortable in pressing them. There are also times when we hold minority views and they are equally deserving of a platform. It can turn and flip very quickly and easily. We need to make sure everybody feels safe and supported in making their points in a democracy and in a republic. The media have a role to play in making sure things are reported in a balanced and impartial way.

I have responded to one of the issues raised by Senator Carrigy. He also raised concerns about coach parking. It might be worth tabling a Commencement matter to ask the Minister for Transport the plans for this. It is probably more of a matter for Dublin City Council to deal with at its level.

Senator Lombard spoke about the RTÉ five-year plan and the ongoing issues with GAAGO. I share his concerns about GAAGO. It is our national game and people should have access to watching matches. These concerns have been well aired by the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and senior Ministers. The GAA is very well aware of the concerns expressed by Members in both Houses. I take on board the comments made by Senator Lombard in this regard.