Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding establishment of the Seanad Select Committee on Subsidiarity (European Union Legislative Scrutiny), to be taken without debate on conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 2, motion regarding the restoration of Bills to the Order Paper, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of No. 1; No. 3, motion regarding proposed approval by Seanad Éireann of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2025, to be taken at 12 noon 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 not less than ten minutes to reply to the debate. On the conclusion of business, the House will then adjourn until 2.30 p.m. next Tuesday.

Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)
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I raise an issue on behalf of Councillor Teddy O'Sullivan and Jean O'Sullivan in Kenmare regarding the lack of respite services in Kerry for the most vulnerable in our society. In the programme for Government, the Government is committed to advancing the rights and improving the lives of people with disabilities. St. Francis Special School in Beaufort, County Kerry, is committed to providing care and education to pupils with moderate and severe to profound intellectual disabilities. A key strength of the school is the strong peer community that has been fostered over the years. Pupils develop deep friendships and find a sense of belonging within the local community. This is a critical part of their overall development. As the students transition into adulthood, they face a significant gap in service provision. The disruption of their peer network can lead to distress and regression.

There is an urgent need for an adult day service and a respite service to be established on the grounds of St. Mary of the Angels in Beaufort, County Kerry. By implementing this initiative we can ensure, first, continuity of care in that St. Mary of the Angels would provide a familiar setting, reducing stress and enhancing the well-being of our young adults, while the community of peers built at the Saint Francis Special School would be maintained, fostering continued social integration and emotional support. Second, it would reduce the stress for their families, provide a guaranteed pathway from school to adult care, eliminate the need to find appropriate replacement care, while parents would have peace of mind knowing that their children would remain in the supportive and familiar environment. Third, it would make effective use of existing resources such as St. Mary of the Angels, which is centrally located in mid-Kerry, making it accessible where a transport network is already in place. Fourth is the long-term cost savings to the State in that a structured transition service would result in significant savings for the HSE and the State by establishing services within the existing campus, which would eliminate the need for costly adaptations to other facilities. The solutions being proposed by me today tick all the boxes for the students, their carers, their peers, especially for their families, for the HSE, the healthcare system and indeed the State. I invite the Minister, Deputy Naughton, to discuss this on the floor.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail)
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Tá áthas an domhain orm a bheith anseo ar an maidin álainn Mhárta seo. This is my first time leading off for Fianna Fáil on the Order of Business. As with the many other firsts I have experienced since being elected to the Upper House, I feel privileged and am delighted to be here.

I pay tribute to our county councillors throughout the country, both party members and non-party members, all 949 of them. It is a role that is often undervalued and underrated. Councillors are the front of house or the bread and butter of our political system. I was honoured to have been both a town councillor and a county councillor. Of all the political layers, councillors are probably the most in touch with the public. They are around towns, streets and villages all day, every day, meeting the people and getting a feel for what is happening and for what is needed. Under my watch I want more to be made of their role and for it to be appreciated more. Under my watch I am on a crusade to get them more appreciated. There is a lot of talk about their pensions, the need for envelopes and for secretarial staff, etc., which are all very valid but councillors need to be more valued and appreciated.

A week ago tomorrow, Heathrow Airport came to a standstill because of a fire at a substation. The airport shut down for 15 hours. About 1,000 flights were grounded and almost 300,000 passengers were disrupted. This made me wonder whether we have a plan B if that happened at one of our airports or big train stations, but especially airports. We are an island nation and, whether for pleasure or business, flights are always well planned, often saved up for and for people's plans to be disrupted is not on. I am wondering whether we, as a nation, have a plan B if something similar were to happen here.

Sunday is Mother's Day. I wish all mothers a happy Mother's Day. I am thinking of my own mother, God rest her, Teresa, who I miss and think of everyday. We have to be aware that it is not a happy day for everyone such as those who have lost their mothers through death or people who are not in touch with their mothers for many different reasons. Many women want to become mothers and it is just not working out for them. There are many mothers who are struggling through post-natal depression and struggling with life in general. It is not a happy day for everyone, and it is important that we think of those people as well while enjoying the day for many.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I give my best wishes to Aisling Hart, who is retiring this week from the Seanad Office. She has been extremely helpful to all Senators over the number of years I have been here, and I wish her well.

I want to address one of the most pressing issues in our country, which is housing. More important, I propose a solution. The debate on housing has been highly unproductive. It has followed a false binary where some advocate for deregulation and the reliance on the market while others believe the State can build infinite housing. More significantly, the debate has focused solely on supply, neglecting demand. The simple fact is that we cannot address housing without tackling the Government's open-door policy towards the purchase of residential property. It often seems like anyone from anywhere in the world is welcome to buy any amount of residential property here. This policy, or lack of it, applies to individuals and, more often, foreign corporations. In what other nation would it be acceptable for the biggest landlord to be a Canadian vulture fund? Given that members of our governing parties are often landlords themselves, and some have invested in vulture and cuckoo funds, it is hard to imagine this is not by design.

Foreign vulture funds and property speculators are not the only pressures on housing. We must also consider migration. Increasing housing demand without expecting stable rents is unrealistic. No State policy or housing market can keep pace with the mass immigration we have seen in the past 20 years. Many migrants in Ireland are employed by large multinationals at much higher wages than the rest of the population. We consequently see numerous examples of newly built housing estates in areas like Lucan and Citywest, where as few as 9% of residents and owners are Irish.

It is high time we introduced new laws to restrict the purchase and ownership of residential property by foreign corporations and non-EU nationals. Many countries have similar restrictions, such as Denmark, Switzerland, Canada and Hungary. In our own country, we already allow restrictions in the Gaeltacht areas. We have precedents and best practice to draw on, and it is of the utmost importance that the Government, especially the Minister for housing, look into this.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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I want to raise the ongoing dismantling of Irish neutrality and the attempt to get rid of the triple lock, which it should be noted is being supported by many in the media. The reality is that the only people who will benefit from war and the ending of our neutrality are those in the armaments industry. That industrial complex makes billions of euro. It accounts for a tiny fraction of the population, yet it makes vast amounts of money. A quote that resonated with me was "a rich man's war drenched in the poor man's blood". For me, that sums up the futility of war and what happens in war, because when you look at the front lines in the Russian army and the Ukrainian army, you realise it is not the affluent there. It is the working communities and inner city communities. It is the disadvantaged people who are going there out of economic necessity. That is the futility of war. We seem to be rushing into the belief that we can just empty our disadvantaged communities into a war and somehow it is noble. There is nothing noble about war.

Ireland's peacekeeping missions are second to none. They have given us huge credibility internationally, and the idea that would all effectively be done away with by joining a military alliance makes no sense. I have spoken to many who have been on peacekeeping duty. They do not go because they want to go. They mostly go out of economic necessity, and it makes a difference. It gives them an opportunity to pay bills or maybe to buy a house. Irish Army personnel are not paid enough. We have to defend our neutrality because we can be sure that it will not be the children of The Irish Times readers on the front line. It will not be the children of Ministers on the front line in any war. It will be ordinary working class communities who are being pushed into war out of economic necessity, and like I say, the only people who will benefit from that are those in the armaments industry.

Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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Last week, The Ditch reported that an Irish academic had a connection to a lobbyist group for the defence industry. The lobbying group in question, The Irish Defence and Security Association, represents international arms manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin, Saab and KNDS. It regularly appears in the lobbying register meeting with the Department of Defence, including most recently last December. While the academic is involved in this lobbying group, that individual also appears regularly in the media advocating for ending our neutrality. However, this connection to the lobbying group is rarely mentioned as part of the person's media contributions.

As many people in this room will know, I disagree with the stance on neutrality, but it is legitimate to put forward the argument that we should end our neutrality. It is not one that I favour, but there is room for debate. What is concerning is that, when the public hear this advocacy, they may not be aware that the viewpoint coming from this individual is not entirely academic. Given the person's connections to a lobbying group that represents defence companies, the end of neutrality or any significant increase in defence spending entails a conflict of interest and I believe that needs to be declared. Transparency in the public sphere is essential for our democracy, democratic principles and ensuring that citizens are well informed about the influences shaping national politics and discourse. I firmly believe that the failure to disclose these links publicly significantly undermines, within public discourse, the idea of transparency and open discourse. How can we trust what commentators are contributing to the public debate if we do not know what their links are to various companies and lobbying groups? We live in a time of mistrust in the public and political spheres with how we see misinformation and disinformation in the online space. People do not know what is and is not true. That is why this element of transparency and openness are so important for us to maintain. This is not just an issue for individuals but for media organisations more generally. If commentators have loyalties and links, whether to lobbying groups, industries or political parties, those should be declared. The public should not be in the dark about that.

These revelations in The Ditch have sparked a debate about transparency and governmental interactions with the arms manufacturers. The convergence of academic, governmental and industrial interests necessitates greater transparency in policy discussions affecting national neutrality. While private engagements can facilitate informed policymaking, it is the public's right to be informed about those influences and how they are shaping defence and foreign policy interests. I would welcome a debate on the issue of transparency and lobbying in public commentary. I do not believe we can build public trust in public discourse without this transparency.

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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Many Senators may not be aware that more than 1,275 students are not required to go to school in Ireland in 2025. Maria Delaney. a journalist working with The Journal Investigates, has published a concerning report about how 1,275 students are on a reduced timetable. These children are not expected to go to school. It is unfortunate that these are children who have autism, children from the Traveller community and Roma children.I urge Senators to read the report by Maria Delaney. It is very concerning. One young person is quoted in the report as saying, "School makes me feel slow". Anne Burke from the Cork Traveller Education Unit spoke about how these children were excluded from school because of behaviour. That is my opinion, Anne's opinion and that of other activists quoted in the article. Adam Harris is quoted in the article as saying that schools are not able to meet the needs of autistic children. There is a serious discussion we need to have in this country about children who are already disadvantaged being more excluded from our education system. This should not happen under our watch, and definitely not under my watch as a legislator who wants to do better by all children. This is concerning for us all. I will table a Commencement matter but it is also a discussion we all need to have. There is inequality for these children. It is a proper scandal. In ten or 20 years down the line, we will look back and say how much we have failed more than 1,000 children.

In my last few seconds, I thank Aisling Hart, a clerk who has worked in and given service to Leinster House for the past 37 years. I first met Aisling in my first week here and I remember how friendly she was. She is a lovely person. She works with the Cathaoirleach of the Seanad. She is always making sure everyone is okay. I am sure other Senators will also extend warm thanks to Aisling. Not only are we losing a great clerk, but I am losing a good friend in here. She is the lovely friendly face who cares for us all. While we speak publicly, it is the clerks behind the scenes who do a lot of the work. I thank Aisling for all her service to Leinster House and wish her well in her retirement.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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This morning, I share the great news with the House that Drumcondra is the first village in Ireland to receive the prestigious autism friendly award. The award celebrates communities across Ireland that have demonstrated a strong commitment to fostering autism inclusion and understanding. It is awarded by AsIAm, the autism campaigning organisation. The autism friendly project in Drumcondra has been driven by an amazing young woman, who is a mother, Lucy Crean, and others. In a voluntary capacity, they worked with stakeholders in the village and engaged more than 20 organisations and businesses, including the great GAA club, Na Fianna. Senators will all be familiar with its hurling prowess and success this year. Other businesses and organisations have also come on board, including the Drumcondra Triangle Residents Association, along with Dublin City University, DCU, other big stakeholders and some businesses in Drumcondra. It is a huge achievement and a great signal and it sends out a strong message of inclusion and understanding of diversity in our village of Drumcondra and our capital more widely. I thank everyone who supported the initiative and congratulate everyone on the prestigious achievement of making Drumcondra a village and community that is autism friendly and a place where everyone can feel included, supported and understood.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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Retail businesses on streets all over our towns have been dramatically affected by parking spots being taken away. I raised this among my colleagues yesterday evening and I was not surprised by how many said that the same was happening in their towns. This morning, I will use my town of Navan, County Meath, as a prime example. Navan is going through its plan of Navan 2030, the introduction of which says:

Navan is an attractive town, with historic streetscapes ... and a rich cultural and landscape heritage on its surrounds. Navan has a large population, and substantial growth is forecast in the coming years.

I do not think any person or business disagrees with our plans for Navan and as someone who has proudly lived all her life there, I have to say that our town is looking really well. However, I am worried about the cost. On our main street, we have lost many car parking spaces that have been replaced with trees and landscaping. Would the town not have been better served by providing even age-friendly or disabled parking spaces? Our historic Fair Green, which will again look fantastic, will lose 12 spaces alone and that does not take into account the spaces we will lose around the Fair Green. One business from Trimgate Street in Navan stated:

The readjustment of road layouts and finally the removal of parking has lost us 40% of business over the last four years. I have a couple who every week for 20 years have been coming ... in to buy their weekly magazine who have now cancelled that subscription telling me they cannot find parking close to my shop anymore.

On top of this, buses are coming through the town which backs up traffic. Not a week goes by where traffic in Navan is not brought up on social media and you can only imagine what it is like at school times. A journey that would have taken five minutes in the past is now taking 40 minutes. We all want to see people using buses, helping our environment and our towns becoming more attractive. However, does it have to be at the cost of car parking spaces, turning people away from shopping?

I raised this argument before as a councillor and the response I got was that many people had moved online, but I cannot get this hair highlighted online, I cannot buy fresh fish online, I cannot have a nice lunch in a café online and I cannot get clothes dry-cleaned online. There are many services we need to protect in our towns and I strongly feel that, when we look at future plans for our towns, we should think outside the box and not always look to reducing car parking spaces as a first resort. We need to increase parking spaces, including disabled parking spaces, in many towns that have seen dramatic population growth. I call for this to be looked at as a matter of urgency so that businesses in our towns will not continue failing. I ask that the Minister for local government look at this and come to the House to discuss the situation.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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Tomorrow is Daffodil Day and I will reflect on the stories of courage, resilience and hope that define this wonderful initiative led by the Irish Cancer Society, which was with us here yesterday. This day is more than an annual fundraiser. It is a symbol of unity and determination in the fight against cancer, as well as a celebration of the incredible human spirit. There are stories close to me. I have neighbours and good friends, James and Kate Doyle. They are siblings whose journeys epitomise the highs and lows of battling childhood cancer. James was diagnosed with cancer at two and a half years of age and his family had four and a half years of treatment in St. John's Ward in Crumlin hospital. Thank God, he came out in remission. A decade later, lightning struck the same family twice when his six-year-old sibling, Kate, was diagnosed with the exact same cancer.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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As a little word of caution, unless the Senator has permission from people outside the House, it is better not to name them.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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Yes, I have permission.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Thank you.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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It is a good news story. Today, James is a vibrant 20-year-old lad in Naas, pursuing his passions and dreams like any other young guy, and Kate has also thrived. She is a 16-year-old girl, plays rugby and has a passion for sports and enthusiasm for life.

I also have a good friend who is well known and has given her permission to be named. She is Jess Colivet. Her breast cancer diagnosis in 2014 devastated all her friends and family, but it became a catalyst for a remarkable journey of reinvention. Despite the life-altering challenges of treatment, Jess found her strength, pursued new passions and built a global career in styling and fashion. Anyone who is on Instagram will know Jess Colivet from Kildare. Through her work with Breast Cancer Ireland, she has empowered others, raised awareness and shown that there is life beyond cancer.

These stories remind us why Daffodil Day is so vital and the funds raised are for pioneering cancer research and advocacy. I urge everyone to support Daffodil Day tomorrow, whether through volunteering, donations or simply wearing a daffodil. Together we can provide hope to those with cancer.

Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I join Senators Keogan and Flynn in acknowledging that today is the final day at work in this House of Aisling Hart. Aisling Hart is well known to all of us for her dedication and commitment to this House. It is important we acknowledge today her 45 years of public service, 38 years of which were spent in Leinster House.Aisling worked in various areas of these Houses, from the committees and human resource management to interparliamentary matters and most especially as private secretary to six Seanad Cathaoirligh, namely, Rory Kiely, Pat Moylan, Paddy Burke, Denis O'Donvan, Jerry Buttimer and Mark Daly. That is a unique achievement for any person. She served with dedication and commitment and, like all her colleagues here, this House could not function without her. I refer to the clerks, everyone who works in the Seanad Office, the ushers and all the other staff. We should acknowledge that.

Aisling is taking a few weeks off on holidays but I would like the Deputy Leader to invite her back so that we can pay proper tribute to her on a full sitting of this House. I wish her well. She will have more time now to spend with her father, her sister, who she is devoted to, and the other members of her family.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I would like to be associated with the comments about Aisling Hart and wish her well on her retirement. Her years of service have been incredible and she has played a key role in the functioning of this House and this building. Her service to Leinster House and the country is undeniable. I wish her well on her retirement.

I was going to speak on issues relating to work permits but I cannot help but respond to Senator Andrews's comments on foreign policy, defence and our Defence Forces. I say that respectfully. We have an opportunity next week, when the Tánaiste comes to the Seanad to speak on international relations, trade and future policies, to discuss those matters but we need to be honest about what we are discussing. We will potentially be discussing the triple lock, which is related to peacekeeping missions and not to going into war or sending people into war. We can all come from different viewpoints, which is totally respectful, but we have to be credible in what we are saying. Senator Andrews spoke about our losing our neutrality and possibly joining NATO, but I do not think anyone here is suggesting that.

There was innuendo that, somehow, people in this House make decisions more easily because it might not be their family members or kids. I come from Clonmel. We used to have an awful lot of former Army people who worked in Kickham Barracks, as we still do. They are very proud of the work they do. They do not go into it for financial reasons but because they want to play a role in this country and this State. When the Senator says something to the effect that these decisions are made because people do not have family members in the Defence Forces, it is important to point out that there are two people in this Chamber who are former members of the Defence Forces and one Member in the other Chamber, namely, Deputy Callaghan, who worked as a peacekeeper abroad. The Senator might not have been aware that there are Members of these Houses with family members who are active or former members of the Defence Forces. What he said is not true, and putting forward a case that certain decisions are being made here because we do not have family members in the Defence Forces is not wrong.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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Last week, I raised the proposed move of Donegal Education Centre from Donegal town to Letterkenny. Unfortunately, it looks as though this imminent move is still to happen. I urge the Minister for Education to intervene. Last night, an AGM was held in Donegal town, and the board of management is still refusing to properly engage with public representatives and the six employees, whose jobs will be moved from Donegal town to Letterkenny. The decision to move Donegal Education Centre is important not only for the six women employees, whose whole lives are built around Donegal town, but also for footfall in the town itself. Donegal town, like any other rural town, relies on people coming into it, visitors and people working there to support the local economy. Letterkenny is a much bigger town. Donegal Education Centre needs to stay in Donegal town.

The organisation, which is fully funded by the Department of Education, has instructed these six women to move their place of employment to Letterkenny, which is 53 km away. If these six women were treated as public servants, which they are in all but name, they could not be compelled to move their place of work by more than 45 km. The Minister for Education has repeatedly asserted that these six women are not State employees or public servants despite being funded by the State to deliver an important service to others who are directly funded by the State, such as teachers and special needs assistants, and they do not enjoy the protections and employment benefits enjoyed by public service employees.

This raises a wider issue of the many individuals who are working in voluntary and community sectors, that is, sections 39 and 56 workers, who deliver vital public services on behalf of the State but do not enjoy the same employment protection rights. It is not good enough for us to keep talking about this. I urge the Minister for Education to please listen to the people on the ground and ensure that the board of management will engage properly with all the stakeholders. There is a lot of concern and there is cross-party support.

Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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I raise my grave concerns about the lack of adequate ambulance services in County Monaghan. This week, 16 12-hour shifts in the county will not be covered by local personnel, while next week, an estimated 19 12-hour shifts will not be covered by local personnel in Monaghan. Until now, we have had about 22 fully rostered staff in the county, located in both Monaghan and Castleblaney. There have for some time been four vacancies, which the National Ambulance Service has been unsuccessful in filling. The four vacant shifts were being filled by the local crews who were on overtime to cover them.

Now, management at national level has made a very strange decision that that will no longer be the case and that these shifts will be covered by crews coming from as far away as Finglas, County Dublin, and Dundalk. That might be well and dandy were those crews available, but the likelihood is that those crews might be called out to incidents in their own areas and as a result Monaghan would not be covered by any ambulance crew. That is not good enough. I ask the Deputy Leader to arrange, as a matter of urgency, for the Minister for Health to come to the Chamber so that we can discuss this serious and alarming development, which cannot be allowed continue. Until such time as that happens, I appeal to the National Ambulance Service management at national level to revert to the existing arrangement, whereby local staff kindly facilitated filling those shifts by way of overtime so that the people of Monaghan could have an adequate ambulance service, which they richly deserve, like every other county in the State.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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I raise an opportunity in County Mayo. I have spoken regularly on the regeneration of our market towns, bringing life, energy and families back into towns and villages across Ireland, including in my county, Mayo. At the weekend, I attended the launch of the community futures plan for the Killasser-Callow community. There was brilliant energy and vibrancy about community-led proposals for improving the community. It is very much a grassroots-led approach.

There is a swimming pool in Swinford, in the periphery of Killasser and Callow, that is owned by the HSE and located on the substantial Áras Attracta site. It was enjoyed as a swimming pool by the community and was used by those with disabilities. It was heated to a few degrees warmer than a traditional amenity pool.It is now lying vacant. There is a great opportunity for the State to invest in and re-energise this incredible facility and asset for the people of Swinford and the general area. It could then be used as a facility for those with disabilities and those who want to use swimming for physical and mental health improvement. I ask that we request the Minister for Health to come in to discuss the Áras Attracta site in Swinford. It is not being used to its full potential at the moment. There are amenities on site. Working alongside Mayo County Council and the community on the ground, this could be a great opportunity to create additional amenities that were there in the past for Swinford, which could also stimulate town centre regeneration and get life and light back into the derelict and vacant properties there.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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It is Daffodil Day. My beautiful daughter, at the age of 19, found a mouth ulcer under her tongue that simply would not go away. Being young, getting her to go to the doctor was quite a problem, but eventually she went. Long story short, she had a diagnosis of cancer of the tongue. I remember the day we brought her to theatre. I remember her consultant telling us to speak to her for the few days she would be at home before the surgery because she may never speak again, and that she may never eat again. We brought her in and I remember bringing her to theatre at 8 a.m. We were told to ring at midday. We rang at midday and we were told to ring back at 6 p.m. We rang at 6 p.m. and they said ring back at 9 p.m. At 9 p.m., we had had enough, as there was still no news, so we decided to go in. At 3 a.m. in the morning, she was wheeled out of theatre. To lose half your tongue at 19 is horrendous. Cancer never ever forgets that it had hold of you.

My beautiful daughter has survived, thank God. She has half a tongue and talks more than I do, which Members can appreciate is an awful lot of talk. However, she suffers chronic health issues and I have two points to raise on this. The first is the inability of our health system to provide a medical card continuously to somebody who is a survivor of cancer. My daughter used to have to fight every year to get her medical card. She now has it. She had horrendous health issues. Every time she has to go to a hospital, she has to go into accident and emergency and sit there with people who are drunk and people who are drug addicts. The same applies to people with other sorts of illnesses.

The other point is one or two of her supervisors have asked her how many times she thinks she will be out sick next year. How bloody heartless is that? When we hear of cancer, always remember it is the entire family who suffer and the individual who survives is left with chronic issues for the rest of their life, so let us look after Daffodil Day.

Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)
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I raise an issue of great concern for a sport I am heavily involved in, that is, the horse racing industry, the Irish draught horse and horse sport in general. Passports are an identification. Every equine animal must have a chip, a passport and some sort of identification for export for the racing industry or people in general to know exactly where that animal was brought and reared. There is a huge delay in the issuing of passports to the Irish draught horse foals association. We have horses and foals that last year went for sale without passports. When they were sold at registered sales, the passports were to be sent to the relevant buyers. I was one of those buyers. This is unacceptable in the industry. We are all aware of the horsemeat scandal that affected our beef industry in the past and this is not acceptable in today's market. If we have learned anything, it must be that people must be capable of doing their jobs. When a passport is sent in and acquired, a chip goes into every animal. There is a vet's certificate for that chip and a marking up code that states all the animal's markings. It is unacceptable people must wait for seven to nine months in some cases for these to be issued. It is a growing concern that is coming up locally and nationally and it needs to be addressed by our Minister.

Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)
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When I first spoke in this House, I raised dual diagnosis and how I wanted to increase awareness of it and highlight it further in the coming weeks and months. Since then, I have had some conversations with healthcare workers on an ad hoc basis. A particular healthcare worker got in touch with me to say that, in her community, there was a plan and some funding in place to have a clinical nurse specialist dealing specifically in dual diagnosis. When she was ready to go for the job and had the qualifications for it, the funding was pulled. It is something I want to look into. We should have funding available for clinical nurse specialists, especially in dual diagnosis, in communities countrywide. There is a misconception sometimes that this is an urban problem, a city problem and a Dublin problem, but it is not. There are issues with mental health and addiction in communities all over Ireland and we must look at how we can fund clinical nurse specialist positions. There are people who want to do these jobs, are qualified to do them and want to help people but they are sitting and waiting. I would like the Minister to be invited in for a discussion on that topic.

Also on dual diagnosis, we lose many people to suicide, unfortunately. It happened in my family. I lost my brother. Today, tomorrow and on Sunday, which is Mother's Day, I think of the mothers who have lost their children to suicide.

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I raise the issue of roads funding for my county of Wexford. It was confirmed in the budget that Wexford would receive an allocation of approximately €23 million, including €12 million for restoration and improvement, €1.5 million for maintenance and €520,000 for safety improvement measures. I appreciate we had a debate on road safety matters in the House this week. Wexford has approximately 3,500 km of roads. Owing to the good agricultural land in Wexford, we have more roads than would be typical for our population. There are approximately 163,000 people living in Wexford. Unfortunately, while we have an equal amount of people living in Donegal or Tipperary, those counties are receiving quite a substantial increase above the roads allocation for Wexford. I am especially conscious that Wexford County Council recently confirmed, through the director of services for roads, that we had the third-worst roads in Ireland when secondary and tertiary roads were compared. The programme for Government commits us to allowing a catch-up fund for counties that have roads in poor repair. I encourage the Government to commit to funding Wexford as part of that, given we have the third-worst roads in Ireland.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Before I call the Deputy Leader, I too thank Aisling Hart for her contribution to the Senate over many years. I have known Aisling since I was first elected her in 2016 and she has been absolutely exemplary in her role. I wish her all the very best in her retirement. She will be back for a day in a couple of weeks and we wish her all the best in the coming weeks. I call the Deputy Leader to respond to the Order of Business.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I totally endorse all the comments that have been made about Aisling and I absolutely approve of the suggestion by Senator Wilson that we invite Aisling back for a day to give us the opportunity to acknowledge her and show that we value and appreciate all the work she has done.

Senator Kennelly spoke about the lack of respite care in Kerry and about St. Francis school in Beaufort and the gap in service provision there. He also said it would seem that there possibly could be some work done with St. Mary of the Angels that would alleviate the problems that exist. The Senator is right to raise this matter. Right across the country, there is a problem regarding the fact that there is a gap between people with additional and special needs leaving school and having some type of roadmap to ensure they have value in their lives. This is something I feel strongly about. We absolutely need to put a great deal of focus on this area. As the Senator indicated, we need a structured transitional service to cater for those moving from school to the world of work or further education. We will look for a debate with the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, on the matter.

Senator Murphy O'Mahony paid tribute to councillors all 941 throughout the country. The Senator spoke about the fact that the role they play is often under-appreciated and undervalued and has given a commitment to try to ensure that the role will be enhanced. The Senator spoke about her commitment and experience as both a town and county councillor. I also have that commitment and experience. Certainly, starting at the town level, you learn so much about local government.

The Senator also spoke about Heathrow coming to a standstill a week ago. My sister and her family were involved in that and had to drive to Manchester to get a flight on Saturday. A closure lasting 15 hours for a large airport like that causes major chaos. The Senator is right to ask if we have a plan B in Ireland, particularly in the context of Dublin Airport. We will look for a debate with the Minister for Transport in relation to aviation policy, because we need to support our regional airports around the country and, obviously, to look at Dublin as well. There are issues there. The programme for Government states that the cap will be lifted, but a full debate on that matter is certainly warranted. As stated, we will look for that debate.

Senator Murphy O'Mahony referred to the fact that Mother's Day, which falls on Sunday, is not always a happy day for everybody, namely for mothers who have lost and for those who want to be mothers but cannot. On behalf of all of us, I wish all mothers out there a happy Mother's Day.

Senator Keogan also spoke about Aisling Hart and wished her well, as did Senator Flynn. Senator Keogan asked about a debate around housing policy. We will have the Minister for housing in the House next Wednesday. We will be having a debate then, but just to make the point to the Senator that she spoke about people who are not Irish and who are earning a lot of money and buying houses. If they are earning large amounts of money here, then they are paying very high taxes. Obviously, they are also making PRSI contributions and are contributing to local economies.

Senator Andrews spoke about the futility of war. The Senator is absolutely right. It is shocking that when we wake up every day and look at our screens or newspapers and we see the ongoing events in Gaza, Ukraine and many other places around the world. The situation in Sudan is also particularly bad at present. The Senator referred to the possibility of losing our neutrality and the situation in terms of dismantling the triple lock. I agree that there is a need for a debate. I do not think it has been foreseen by anyone in government that we would forgo our neutrality, but is only fair that we have a debate in both Houses in relation to it. We certainly will. The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs will be coming in next Thursday. There will be an opportunity to raise the matter at that point. However, like Senator Ahearn, I wish to make a particular point. Coming from Kildare, I obviously know many Army families. I know families who take huge pride in their traditions. Sometimes, it is a generational tradition where people I would know are the third and fourth generation serving and they take massive pride in what they do, particularly in terms of peacekeeping duties. I accept that it is a way of earning a good deposit for a house, etc., but certainly I know many who take huge pride in it. It is more than just an economic necessity for them.

Senator Stephenson spoke about a conflict of interests in relation to an individual who is an influencer and who, it is clear on the lobbying register, has a conflict of interests in terms of what they are saying. The Senator spoke about the importance of transparency. That is absolutely correct. We can all fall foul of looking at social media and thinking that something is the case when, actually, that does not prove to be the case when we did deeper. It was a welcome development last week when a decision was made in respect of two influencers regarding the fact that it was not clear that they were being sponsored commercially by organisations which had a lot to gain by those influencers being able to speak for them. That matter was called to national attention last week. That is a good thing. Transparency is important, particularly in a democracy. In terms of looking for a debate, it could be part of a wider debate on democracy. We certainly will look for that.

Senator Flynn spoke about 1,275 students who are not fully attending school because they are on reduced timetables. These are generally children with additional needs or who come from different ethnic backgrounds. This is a concern. I commend Maria Delaney on the work she has done. We certainly do not want any child to be excluded from the education system. There can sometimes be difficulties involved, and there can be problems for teachers and other children. We have to find a solution. The education committee, during the term before last, brought forward legislation in relation to this matter. That legislation was on schools' admissions policies. We introduced an amendment to say that only in the most severe cases and in circumstances where parents agreed would there be reduced timetables and that such a timetable could not be foisted on any student. That certainly seemed to gain traction but, I suppose, as things happen, things sometimes slip a little. We will look for a debate with the Minister for Education on the matter.

Senator Fitzpatrick spoke about Drumcondra being the first village in Dublin, and, I think, the country, that has received a prestigious award from AsIAm because it has become an autism-friendly village. That is a huge achievement. Well done to Lucy Crean and her team. They worked with 20 different organisations to make that happen. I offer our thanks and congratulations to Lucy, and also to all of the stakeholders involved. It is a wonderful tribute. We should all try to follow suit with our own communities and towns.

Senator Nelson Murray spoke about the problems for retail outlets with parking spots being taken. This is something that, unfortunately, we are seeing right around the country. The Senator is right. It is causing a major problem for retailers because, while it is important to have our town centres seen as consumer friendly and to have, as the Senator stated in the context of Navan, the necessary public spaces, public paving, trees, etc., there are many people who will not stop if they cannot find a handy parking spot. Retail outlets lose out as a result. The Senator was talking about how one individual indicated that they felt they lost 40% of their business. That is massive at a time when retail is struggling. There are concerns about online shopping, and I certainly share them. I rarely buy anything online. I was concerned last week when there was much hype about Amazon.ie being launched. That cannot be good for our retail industry. We will certainly look for a debate with the Minister for local government. There must be a balance. We need to ensure that retail does not lose out because consumers lose out as well if they cannot park in location and go in and support local retail outlets.

Senator McCarthy spoke about Daffodil Day and stories of hope and compassion. The Senator spoke about James and Kate Doyle and Jess Colivet and the fact that as well as being a fundraising day, it is a time and symbol of unity.We have all had people in our lives who, sadly, did not come through cancer but we also have people in our lives who have done so, and who have survived and thrived. In speaking to some of those survivors, they feel it has changed them for the better in terms of the way they look at and celebrate life now.

Senator Wilson spoke in glowing terms about Aisling Hart and she deserves all of those glowing terms. She has been very dedicated and committed to this House and we look forward to honouring her here.

Senator Ahearn, in his response to Senator Andrews, spoke about his pride in Clonmel and Kickham Barracks. He thanked all the people who served there. He rightly pointed out that we had former members in both Houses and we also have people who have family members who are members - I know Senator Wilson's son is a proud serving member also.

Senator Cosgrove spoke about the proposed move of the Donegal Education Centre from Donegal town to Letterkenny, which is a significant distance of 53 km. I feel for the six employees in this situation and also for those who use the services. I do not know the service but I presume it concerns further education. Such centres play a very important role in the lives of the full community. Has the Senator put down a Commencement matter?

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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I have.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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If that has not come up yet, I would suggest that she puts it down again. It is clear that engagement with the stakeholders is needed. We will write to the Minister for Education to say that.

Senator Gallagher raised his grave concern about the ambulance service in Monaghan. He explained how, this week, 16 12-hour shifts were not covered and it will possibly be 19 next week. There is concern about the four vacancies given these have been found to be difficult to fill. As the Senator said, the solution is certainly not to take away overtime from those who are currently working and to look for shifts to be covered by personnel from Dublin and Louth. As the Senator rightly said, such personnel may be called out to different things that are happening and priority will be given to their own counties. There needs to be agreement at management level in relation to the long-term future. In the interim, we should look for overtime. We will ask the Minister for Health to come to the House to discuss the ambulance service in general, along with the accident and emergency situation, to which Senator Craughwell referred.

Senator Duffy spoke about the regeneration of our towns. He noted the excitement regarding the community futures scheme for Killasser and Callow, and how the grassroots of the community had come together to ensure they could do that with their town, which is great. He also mentioned the Swinford swimming pool at Áras Attracta. I am familiar with a similar model at Moore Abbey in Monasterevin, where there was a swimming pool for those with intellectual disabilities who used the services, but it was also open to the community. It is always a huge loss when that happens. The fact there is a swimming pool that is not being used is a crying shame. Last August, the then Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Deputy Thomas Byrne, launched a national swimming strategy to make sure that access would be given to every individual in the country so people would have the opportunity to swim. At the moment, only 28% of primary school children have opportunities to swim and we want to get that to at least 40%. Ireland does very well in swimming at the Olympics, the Paralympics and the Special Olympics and, as a nation, we really value swimming. I totally agree. I support the call for the Department of sport to work with Mayo County Council and the community that owns Áras Attracta to try to have that. It could possibly go in as a Commencement matter and we will certainly support that.

Senator Craughwell spoke very movingly about his daughter, who had cancer at the age of 19. It is wonderful that she has survived. He makes a very valid point about her chronic health situation and the fact she has to go to accident and emergency all of the time and wait there. Certainly, anybody who has had cancer and has ongoing problems should have a medical card. We will look for a debate with the Minister for Health.

Senator Brady spoke about the horse racing industry, with which I am quite familiar, being from Kildare. He referred to the issue of chip passports and identification. He noted that there was now a long delay with passports being issued for the Irish draught horse industry and that horses were being sold without passports. That is a problem. We will look for a debate with the Minister for agriculture. There was a debate with the Minister on CAP last week but I do not know whether the Senator had the opportunity to raise this with him. I accept it is an important issue. That needs to happen.

Senator Ní Chuilinn raised the issue of dual diagnosis and the concern about funding for health workers being pulled. We will certainly look for a debate with the Minister in that regard. The Senator made the valid point that we were coming up to Mother’s Day and it was a very difficult time for mothers who had lost children, especially to suicide. We are thinking of them.

Senator Byrne spoke about roads funding in Wexford, a county I am very familiar with. He said that, while the county received €23 million, which would seem like a lot of money, it is not receiving pro rata funding in comparison to other counties that have a similar population. The programme for Government allows for catch-up funds for roads in poor repair and the Senator noted that Wexford had the third-worst roads in Ireland, although I think Kildare is fairly close to it. We will look for a debate. The last time I gave a response on this issue, I made the point that we should have specific funding for footpaths and bridges. We will look for a debate with the Minister on those issues and we can talk about the funding element as well.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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On a point of order, in case there is any suggestion that I am not, I want to clarify that I am very proud of Irish Army personnel. The point I was making is that the vast majority of those fighting on the front line come from working families. I am very proud of the peacekeeping tradition and of Irish Army personnel.