Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business today is No. 1, Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023 - Committee and Remaining Stages to be taken at 11.45 a.m.; and No. 2, Private Members' Business, Protection of Private Residences (Against Targeted Picketing) Bill 2021 - Report and Final Stages to be taken at 12 noon or on the conclusion of No. 1, whichever is the later.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader.

First, I congratulate the Irish National Stud and Gardens, in my own county of Kildare, on being named in the top 10% of attractions in the world by Tripadvisor. For any Members who have not been there, I absolutely recommend it. It has a new horse experience which I visited and participated on. I will say "on" and leave the surprise for when people get to visit it. It is absolutely fantastic. It really is a wonderful place. I am thrilled for the staff and the management and I congratulate them.

In another good news story for County Kildare, I am delighted to see the sod being turned for the €200 million Diageo brewery. We had issues with planning etc., but thankfully we have got through all of them. It is a huge boost for the area and it is anticipated that the brewery will be operational by 2026. I have worked closely with the IDA and Kildare County Council on this. Those are two good news stories for Kildare this morning.

Yesterday, I got to meet Cara Darmody and her dad Mark, as I am sure many of my colleagues did as well. Cara and her dad raised the pertinent and important issue of assessment of needs. As we know, under the Disability Act 2005, the HSE is legally obliged to have a child's needs assessed within six months. I know from dealing with many constituents who are trying to get their child assessed that they simply cannot get it within six months. They are trying to get private appointments, which are hard to get and cost up to €2,000. It is simply not good enough. The HSE is constantly failing in its legal obligation to provide special needs services. It absolutely should reimburse parents who have to pay privately. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, has secured extra funding to enable assessment of needs through private providers, but that should be retrospective for families who were hard-pressed to be able to find the funds and had to borrow to do that. I call for a debate in the House on this.

The last thing I want to mention is maternity leave for Oireachtas Members. I have had a number of meetings with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman on this. I am not happy that it has not progressed and I say that as chair of the women's caucus. We have a situation where Deputy Holly Cairns has announced her pregnancy, and we wish her very well with that, but we absolutely want to have that legislation in place for the next mandate for women who will be coming in. Along with that, we need paternity leave. The Minister did say we needed to have the maternity leave in place first, which I agree with, and then he could look at paternity leave. However, it is beyond time. We need to get it resolved.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I agree with the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. Will the Leader ask Iarnród Éireann to clarify the position regarding the restoration of in-carriage services for light food and beverages?

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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It has said it will be restored to InterCity services but that does not clarify the position for other routes such as that from Heuston Station to Westport and Ballina. I congratulate Iarnród Éireann on the service it is running at the moment. We have six services from Mayo to Dublin on a daily basis. They are on time even though the time it takes now is nearly the same or maybe 20 minutes less than it took 100 years ago, but Iarnród Éireann is doing its best due to the single track for half the journey. However, on a number of occasions on a weekly basis, there are not enough carriages on the service and the train is overcrowded most of the time. It is great to see people using the train service throughout the country and a great service is being provided, as I have said. At the same time, there is a lot of overcrowding on our route from Heuston Station to Ballina and Westport. Particularly on a Monday, the 1.45 p.m. service may have only four carriages and it is not adequate to cover the number of people who want to travel.Many people go to conferences, concerts and other events in Dublin weekly and go home on Monday on a midday train but there are only four carriages and they are completely overcrowded. We need extra carriages on those routes and if something could be done to reduce the time it takes to get from Westport and Ballina to Dublin, it would be greatly appreciated. It is three hours from Castlebar, three hours 20 minutes from Ballina and three hours 15 minutes from Westport. That is a considerable length of time and could be shortened. Will the Leader seek clarification on the service being brought back to where it was a number of years ago?

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I agree with Senator Burke's intervention. It would be nice to get a hot roll on the rolling stock, I often think.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that item No. 7 be taken before No. 1. This is to enable the introduction of the protection of children (online verification) Bill. The Bill is in the interests of child protection and would require access to pornographic material on the Internet to be subject to age verification and provide for related matters. I spoke on this last week and hope to get a debate on it this coming week on Second Stage and would be grateful for the support of the House on it.

Last Friday, the Department of Health released the latest abortion figures, showing 10,033 abortions took place in Ireland in 2023. A few years ago, in 2019, after the abortion legislation, we heard the figure was 6,666. It is a massive rise on the 2022 figure of 8,156 as well. Since the law changed, we have seen a 250% increase. The life of one in six babies now ends in abortion. It is hard to believe we have reached this point as a country. This, sadly, is what the mantra of choice looks like when examined in broad daylight. To call all of this healthcare, as many now do, is unconscionable and utterly dishonest.

The Department of Health released the latest figures after 7 p.m. last Friday in an obvious attempt to kill the story. Maybe it realised if the public were informed about the full extent of the loss of life, they would question senior politicians about how people were effectively lied to before the referendum in 2018, when it was promised abortion would be rare if people voted for repeal. The sad reality is we cannot even talk now and the Government has no interest in a policy to reduce the number of abortions. That is a human scandal. We should at least be able to agree in this House and across the Oireachtas, even if there was no change in the law, that we could have public policy directly aimed at discouraging and reducing abortions. Each time it happens, a life is lost. It is a tragedy for many of the women involved as well, if not all of them, and many suffer.

I spoke yesterday about the accountability we need from our national broadcaster. I and others made complaints about the recent partisan "RTÉ Investigates" programmes. We have not even got the response you are supposed to get when you make a complaint. Accountability at RTÉ is about how it spends the taxpayer money it gets but is also about whether it is committed to a culture of impartiality. There seems to be a woke new generation of journalists who say "Error has no rights" and there are stories where they feel no obligation to present the other side. Abortion and the huge increase in the number of abortions constitute one of them. The lack of public debate about encouraging positive alternatives to abortion is not getting airtime from our public sector media. That is also a scandal.

I know we will not get a debate on these matters this side of the recess, but I would be grateful if, in the public interest, we could have a debate on the tragic massive rise in abortion figures and the implications it has for the public debate on abortion.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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On 4 July it is important for this House to recall that the Biden Administration has sent huge numbers of munitions to Israel, including more than 10,000 highly destructive 2,000 lb bombs and thousands of Hellfire missiles, since the start of the genocide in Gaza. Between the commencement of the genocide last October and recent weeks, the United States transferred at least 14,000 MK-84 2,000 lb bombs, 6,500 500 lb bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, 1,000 bunker buster bombs, 2,600 air-dropped small diameter bombs and a host of other munitions. These US bombs and munitions are being used to blow up men, women and children in hospitals, schools, refugee camps, family homes, apartments, nurseries, playgrounds and places of worship. They have resulted in the deaths of at least 38,000 Palestinians, including 15,000 children and 10,000 women – all innocent, all slaughtered with US munitions and bombs.

I want to give a small insight into what it is like to be on the receiving end of these bombs. This is a quote from Hanan Saleh, who lost five of her seven children in the bombing of her apartment building last November:

I was on the balcony with my two grandchildren, Julia and Majd. The rest of the family were inside, getting ready for lunch. Suddenly, I felt my body flying through the air, and then I fell on the floor. Julia and Majd crashed to the floor, too, and there was dust and debris everywhere. There was a lot of smoke too, and I could smell fire. My shoulder felt dislocated, and I couldn’t move or get up on my feet. Then I started feeling like the building was collapsing underneath me, until the third floor became the first floor.

The following is from Shadi Fatayer:

[W]e heard a loud explosion and the roof of the building and its pillars collapsed on us. Everything was dark and full of dust. Hanan was still holding my hand when a block of concrete fell on her, and I couldn’t move. I screamed out to the children and only Ibrahim answered. He said, “Dad, I’m going to die.” [...] I shouted for help, hoping someone would hear me and save my wife and children. I called out to Hanan, but she didn’t respond.

Those are two small insights into the horrors that continue to be inflicted on the people of Palestine.

I know we are due to finish up but I ask for an urgent debate because, unfortunately, the genocide will continue through the summer months. I call on the Leader, and I do not think it should cause her any difficulty, to call on the US to stop supplying arms and bombs to the apartheid Israeli state. Surely we can all agree on that, given the horrors we know are happening every day.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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One of the big changes in Irish society is we are living much longer and will continue living longer. Estimates are that a teenager today has a one in five chance of living to the age of 100. Significant changes are happening in our demographics but just because we are living longer does not mean we are living healthier lives. On current trends, 80% of the population in their 40s or 50s will be overweight or obese by the end of the decade. That has major health implications.

All the evidence is that, rather than placing emphasis on the cure, we should encourage prevention by encouraging people to get active. Evidence shows if we increase our physical activity by 20 minutes per day, that will lead to a 30% reduction across all forms of morbidity, including cancer and heart disease. It will lead to a reduction in the threat of death, but also in some serious and chronic diseases.

The best way to get around it is physical activity. Gym membership is to be encouraged. All the evidence points towards it. The Irish Physical Activity Alliance, which represents gyms and others involved in the space, as well as the new cathaoirleach of Galway County Council, Albert Dolan, have been raising, as have I, the question of incentives for people to join gyms and get active in that space. That includes a med 1 tax relief for gym membership. I hope we can have a debate in the House on obesity and the problems associated with it and on increasing physical activity.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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I extend my congratulations to the people who run the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park House. They have just been given a Traveller's Choice award by Tripadvisor, which is the world's largest travel guidance platform. When we consider that the top 10% of attractions globally receive these awards based on reviews from the previous year, this represents a huge recognition for the museum. It will make it a more important attraction. I suggested previously that the Cathaoirleach should visit. Perhaps he will take me up on that in the autumn. The museum commemorates such an important part of our history.

The second issue I raise is not as pleasant as the first. A difficult situation recently arose concerning the ambulance service in County Roscommon. The people providing the service do incredible work. I am not laying any blame for this problem at their door. They are under pressure. On 6 June, an elderly woman in her 80s fell in her garden. The first call for an ambulance was made at 5.30 p.m. When nothing happened, a second call was made at 5.56 p.m. Again, nothing happened. The next call was made at 6.53 p.m. When nothing happened again, another call was made at 7.26 p.m., followed by a fifth call at 8.02 p.m. When the woman got through to the service, she was told there was no ambulance available. In addition to the five telephone calls she made, the woman's daughter, who does not live locally, made two calls. That made a total of seven calls. From 5.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m., which was three hours, the woman lay in her garden without medical attention. It is absolutely shocking. Ironically, her home is only five minutes away from Roscommon University Hospital. I acknowledge the hospital cannot take cases like this. The issue is that there was no ambulance available. I reiterate that this was not the fault of the ambulance service staff. However, it is not good enough. There are excellent fire services in our counties. The Civil Defence has an ambulance. It is really important to have linkages between the services to ensure, in a situation like this, that there is someone to go out and look after people. The woman is still recovering in hospital.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Go raibh maith agat, a Sheanadóir.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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I second Senator Mullen's amendment to the Order of Business. We need to have a discussion on that important legislation.

I ask the Leader to write to the Minister about the important case I have raised and that we have a discussion about it.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I gave the Senator a good amount of time.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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You did, a Chathaoirligh.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senators who contributed to the Order of Business. Senator O'Loughlin congratulated the Irish National Stud and Gardens in County Kildare on being named one of the top 10% of attractions in the world by Tripadvisor. It is a fantastic accolade for the stud. I have no doubt it will attract increasing numbers of visitors over the summer and beyond. Well done to those involved. The Senator also acknowledged the turning of the first sod at the €200 million investment by Diageo at a brewery in Kildare. The project involves a huge investment in jobs in the area.

Senator O'Loughlin referred to the ongoing advocacy work being done by Cara Dermody, whom I have had the pleasure of meeting with her father. Young Cara is advocating on behalf of her two brothers and other children awaiting an assessment of needs. The Senator rightly acknowledged the work of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, who is making great inroads on this issue. The challenge is finding qualified people to do the assessments. The waiting time is very long. In these matters, early intervention is key. The longer a child is left waiting for assessment, the greater the chance of a reduced impact from any treatments.

The Senator also highlighted that, remarkably, we have yet to pass legislation to facilitate maternity leave for Oireachtas Members. We have done great work across the board on improving maternity and parental leave for workers but we have yet to get our own house in order. Action is long overdue. I wish Deputy Cairns and her partner well and congratulate her on her fantastic news. We need to address this issue. My understanding is that there are constitutional issues because we are seeking to facilitate not just maternity leave but also cover for voting and attendance at committees. Apparently, that requires constitutional change. If so, let us do it. We must have that debate. The conversation has been rolling on for years but we have yet to see any progress. Bespoke solutions have been put in place for Ministers, and rightly so. Consequently, however, there is a view among the public that the issue has been sorted. In fact, it has not been sorted for other Members. That is the challenge. The issue looks as if it has been fixed but that is not the case. I absolutely agree it needs to be addressed.

Senator Burke asked for clarification from Iarnród Éireann regarding the in-carriage services on some of its lines. I agree with him that such services are not provided on the Westport route, which also serves Ballina, and some other routes across the country. The company certainly is dragging its feet in sorting out this matter. It is a very poor service if people are on a train for more than three hours without being able to get a cup of tea or a bottle of water. This is particularly so for passengers on the 5.30 a.m. service from Castlebar, which I am sure the Senator has used, as have I. There are no shops open at that hour of the morning. It is not really possible for passengers to purchase anything to take with them on the train. In this day and age, I am not sure why it is taking so long to address this issue. When we met representatives of Irish Rail more than a year ago, they told us they were looking to contract the service but were finding the prices being quoted quite expensive. Time has passed and the company really needs to sort out this problem. It is not acceptable in this day and age that there is a service on some routes and not on others. People travelling from Dublin to Cork, for example, enjoy a fantastic service. Passengers going from Dublin to Mayo, however, cannot avail of an in-carriage service. It is neither fair nor acceptable for those passengers, who are paying for their tickets the same as everybody else.

I take on board the Senator's point regarding overcrowding on trains. More carriages are needed. I welcome the provision of some additional services on the route he mentioned. However, people are still having to wait around for three hours for a train. There is a gap in the service. We need to be ambitious. The vision should be to have an hourly service from those parts of the country to our capital city. That needs to be progressed.

Senator Mullen has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 7 be taken before No. 1. His proposal was seconded by Senator Murphy. I am happy to accept the amendment. I commend Senator Mullen on his work on the Bill in question. I look forward to the debate on this important legislation next Thursday. It is unfortunate that we have to legislate to get online operators and companies to do the right thing. They could use the existing age verification technology to prevent young people from accessing what is extremely damaging material. They choose not to do so. It is left to us as legislators to try to protect children and make sure that verification process is put in place. I look forward to the debate next week.

I take on board Senator Mullen's comments regarding the increase in the number of abortions taking place in this country. Regardless of the topic, I will always support the call that media should report on everything, even if it makes some people uncomfortable. That is important in a democracy. I was a member of the Oireachtas committee on the eighth amendment. One of our recommendations was that an effort be made to help women with the challenges arising from a crisis pregnancy. We spoke about looking to reduce the number who want to go down the abortion route while, of course, facilitating choice. Senator Mullen does not agree with facilitating that choice. Ensuring women have choices was a key recommendation of the committee. There is a good deal of work still to be done to identify what we can do to support women who feel they cannot progress with a pregnancy, for whatever reason. The statistics show that single parents, who predominantly are women, are at greater risk of poverty. There are financial aspects to consider. The State can and should do more to address those issues. There is still a stigma around being a single parent in some quarters. That also needs to be addressed.

Senator Gavan spoke about the ongoing conflict in Gaza. There are very few words left to describe the appalling nature of the humanitarian crisis there. I am proud of the position Ireland continues to take. We have been very strong supporters of the Palestinian people. We have advocated for peace and continued aid and financial support for Palestine. We need a ceasefire. Supplying munitions to Israel is just wrong.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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Well said.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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The killing needs to stop. I do not know what else I can say. We must continue to keep the issue on the agenda. It is unlikely we will be able to debate it next week because the schedule is fairly well set.We can only hope there will be a ceasefire soon.

Senator Malcolm Byrne highlighted that we are continuing to live longer into older age, which is very positive. He made the point it is important to be as healthy and fit as possible and referred to the need to increase activity and exercise, and I certainly agree with that. He requested a debate on the issue in the context of morbidity and obesity and pointed out we should facilitate people in being active and look at a tax relief for gym membership, which I support. The Senator has raised this matter previously in the House. We will seek a debate on it in the new term.

Senator Murphy acknowledged the fantastic accolade given to Strokestown Park House, a travellers' choice award from Trip Advisor. It is fantastic visitor centre in Strokestown, Roscommon, and I have no doubt it will draw more visitors to the area. I would love for Senators to visit Strokestown because it is part of our culture, history and heritage and it is a fantastic visitor attraction.

I concur with the Senator’s remarks regarding that poor woman who was left for three hours without an ambulance coming to get her. Most of the time, an ambulance is available, but there are times when there is a pinch in service. Sometimes, ambulances are dispatched to very distant areas where they probably have no prospect of getting there in time, but they meet the dispatch time. That is causing problems where no ambulance is available locally. A good deal of work has been done in that space but no matter what age you are, you should not be left for three hours waiting for an ambulance service to bring you to hospital. I wish the lady in question the very best and a speedy recovery. It is an important issue to raise on the floor of the House.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Leader. I welcome the guests of Deputy O'Dowd, led by the colleague and friend of many of us here Deaglán de Bréadún. The members of the tour group are travelling throughout the country, visiting different institutions. They are very welcome and I hope they will have a very positive and engaging visit to Leinster House. Céad míle fáilte roimh go léir.