Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the proposed approval by Seanad Éireann of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending EU Regulation 2024/1348 as regards the establishment of a list of safe countries of origin at Union level; No. 2, motion regarding the proposed approval by Seanad Éireann of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending EU Regulation 2024/1348 as regards the application of the "safe third country" concept; and No. 3, motion regarding the proposed approval by Seanad Éireann of a Council recommendation on a co-ordinated approach to the transition out of temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine, to be taken at 11.45 a.m. and to be completed at 1.15 p.m., if not previously concluded, with he three motions to be discussed together, the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, those of group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes, those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, time may be shared, and the Minister is to be given not less than eight minutes to reply to the debate.

Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)
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The compulsory purchase order, CPO, system is there to support development. I wish to raise a road that was developed in Galway, the N63. When a local authority serves a notice to treat, that is when it has entered into an arrangement, on behalf of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, or the National Transport Authority, NTA, to purchase land to develop it. In this instance, the notice to treat was served in 2014 but, to date, the landowners have not got paid. They have made numerous representations regarding what they perceive to be the value of the land and the loss of sites but, regrettably, the local authority has not made an offer to date. The landowners have made a freedom of information request, which, unfortunately, was initially refused. It is hard to believe it was refused. That landowner has incurred serious stress and upset over ten years.

I raise this today because we have just completed submissions for a national development plan. We all talk about wanting to invest in, develop and improve our infrastructure but there has to be an element of trust in the process. All those in the process have to be good actors. That is how you bring people to the table and ensure development can happen at pace. Is the case I am raising an outlier? I have not mentioned the local authority or any individuals. I would love the Minister for local government to tell me how many notices to treat are in excess of the 12-month period where the landowner is waiting for payment. That is important information. We want to go forward and there is a lot of development happening but where landowners have been waiting more than ten years for a payment, there is something radically wrong.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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It was brought to my attention by Councillors Martin Harley, Jimmy Kavanagh and Michael Boyle that the funding for the apprenticeship programme for education and training boards, ETBs, nationally will be cut by €40 million this year. This means a large number of apprentices will not be in a position to go from phase 4 to phase 6. This is ridiculous at a time when the country has a massive shortage of skilled people. We need to address it quickly, even before the summer recess, because it means apprenticeships will not be fit to go forward in September. Will the Deputy Leader try to find out where this sits? This is crucial. Our apprenticeships and our ETBs are working very well. This is something we need to get behind and back. There is a massive shortage of trained personnel out there. We are taking people in from other countries. Our own people want to do it. Will the Deputy Leader please find out where this stands?

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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I voice concern on behalf of Irish businesses facing complete uncertainty regarding the US Administration revisiting tariffs and potentially imposing tariffs as high as 10%. They are to be imposed on all EU imports within days. From dairy farmers to distillers, vital sectors of the Irish community are bracing themselves for impact without any clarity as to what is coming. The recent Government trade forum regrettably yielded more heat than light. It shows we need actionable diplomacy rather than reactive dialogue. We must ensure that seasoned negotiators, not just diplomats, represent Ireland in these trade agreements. It has been said in this House before that we should focus on what we can control. That is diversifying our export markets, investing in supply chains and supporting the affected industries. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, has noted that economic growth is still expected but we feel it is not at the pace the Irish people deserve. Ireland cannot afford to be passive in this. We have to act swiftly and with a sense of togetherness. Tariff uncertainty must not paralyse the policies we already have or were planned. Yesterday, I received a briefing from the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland. It painted a stark and deeply concerning picture of our housing structure. In 2008, we built 78,000 units of housing, backed by €41 billion in capital. However, today we are managing to build just 38,000 units, backed by €13 billion in capital. Investment in apartment construction has collapsed. I listened to the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, on the news on the way in and he admitted that apartments are an area of consideration. It seems private capital flow has more or less stopped. The implications are stark. We are not only questioning our housing targets; we are missing them. At the root of this problem, as I have brought up at the housing committee, is a planning system that is riddled with uncertainties and infrastructure that fails to adapt to the urgent reality. We really need to start treating this as an emergency, with local authorities receiving the allocations that were promised on 16 May.

We also need immediate intervention in the housing supply pipeline, which should support builders that build 50 units or fewer with not only mentoring but also improved access to capital. The approved housing bodies need to make sure their limited supply of capital is enhanced. That will empower housing delivery. Words and targets are not enough. We need decisive action and long-term commitment. Our people deserve better.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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Last week, it was announced that Penneys was making 100 of its Dublin staff redundant as part of a plan to outsource many of its roles to India. This decision was taken not out of necessity but out of a desire to maximise profits for the bosses and shareholders. Penneys is not a company that is struggling and it has been expanding rapidly across Europe, North America and Asia. Penneys made record profits last year as a result of the hard work of the underpaid staff and now many of these workers will find themselves unemployed and on the streets. It is very disappointing that an Irish company would do this to its own workers and be so callous about their careers and lives. Unfortunately, this is not a new development in Ireland. The reality of a globalised economy is that corporations can pick up and move operations to wherever has the lowest labour costs and the State offers very few protections to workers who are out of employment due to overseas outsourcing.

There are no protections for workers made redundant due to foreign outsourcing. Currently, only workers affected by domestic outsourcing are protected and that needs to be examined. It is very important that these workers who are made redundant are supported by the State and are not abandoned like the Debenhams workers who bravely fought for their rights for more than 400 days. I hope the Minister for enterprise is treating the issue very seriously and is actively looking for a way to assist these unemployed workers. Likewise, I believe it is very important for us in this House to have a debate on workers' rights and employment protections.

Teresa Costello (Fianna Fail)
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This week, I attended the Irish Cancer Society pre-budget launch. As always, I had the privilege of speaking to cancer survivors and listening to their lived experiences. One issue that was raised with me, not for the first time, was the lack of adequate supports for women who have had breast cancer and are now facing menopause. For many of these women, menopause is not just a natural transition; it is a really difficult side effect of a life-saving treatment. Hormone replacement therapy, HRT, is often not an option due to the hormone-sensitive nature of their cancer. Ireland has made real progress in recent years with the roll-out of menopause clinics and the availability of free HRT, but for women who cannot use HRT the options remain far too limited. This gap in care must be addressed.

That is why I want to highlight Veoza, a non-hormonal medication that targets neurokinin 3 receptors in the brain to manage moderate to severe menopause symptoms. It became available in Ireland in late 2023 and is under review for inclusion in the drugs payment scheme. That was confirmed in a reply to a parliamentary question in March 2025. As of July 2025, it is only available privately at a cost of approximately €70 per month. For women who have survived breast cancer and cannot take HRT, Veoza would be life-changing but right now, cost is a real barrier for people. It is vital that we make Veoza accessible and affordable. We need to make sure no one is left behind when it comes to menopause care.

Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)
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I ask for an opportunity to have a debate in this House about the sportsperson’s tax rebate. On retirement, Irish athletes who have lived and trained in Ireland are entitled to claim tax back on 40% of their earnings from their sport. The then Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy, first introduced sportsperson's tax relief in 2002 and, at the time, said the measures were being introduced as a reward for the contribution our sports stars make, as an acknowledgement for their relatively short careers and as an encouragement for them to stay in Ireland. It was and continues to be a welcome addition to the suite of supports available to Irish athletes.

However, I want to highlight an anomaly. If a 100 m sprinter, for example, who has been chasing the Olympic dream probably from the age of 17 or 18 is talented and lucky enough to be awarded Sport Ireland funding and remains on that funding until retirement at the age of about 30, he or she will be on a grant and will not be an employee or PAYE or PRSI worker, so tax credits do not accrue. The maximum annual grant available to our highest achieving athletes is €40,000 per annum.

By contrast, a rugby player might play at an academy, which is a different model. It is a contract model through the province or the IRFU. The sprinter gets a grant from Sport Ireland, while the rugby player, soccer player or jockey is on a wage. Golfers also benefit because prize money is included in the rebate, but what is not included in the rebate is sponsorship money. Sponsorship, unfortunately, is often the only way for our Olympic or Paralympic athletes to make a good living from their sport and they have to pay tax on sponsorship earnings during their careers, which also incurs bookkeeping costs. What has happened, by accident rather than by design, is that in the male-dominated sports such as rugby, soccer, golf, motorsports and horseracing, retired athletes fare significantly better than our swimmers and sailors, who have been sustaining themselves on Sport Ireland funding and sponsorship. This has also inadvertently affected female athletes negatively. Think of national treasures such as Rhasidat Adeleke, Ciara Mageean, Mona McSharry, Kellie Harrington, Ellen Keane or Annalise Murphy. None of those global superstars can claim the tax rebate on sponsorship earnings even though they can claim the rebate on prize money, but the prize money in those sports is far less than the prize money in racing or golf. I would love to have a debate on this. It is an anomaly and it could be discussed at greater length.

Imelda Goldsboro (Fianna Fail)
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I ask that the Minister for education, Deputy McEntee, come before the Seanad to address the issues of class sizes and the capitation grant. We have heard from Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, and principals are frustrated in numerous schools in my constituency with regard to having an update on this. They need proper investment. They are underfunded and operational costs have increased significantly over the past number of years. It is causing great frustration for so many principals, staff and management in schools and must also be for the parents of the students. It is a priority. I know there has been an increase that will come into effect but it is not enough, unfortunately. We need to make this sustainable for all primary schools and our principals need to know this is a priority of the Government and the Minister.

Maria McCormack (Sinn Fein)
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There is a lack of GPs in Laois. We have had a large population growth but do not have services, especially GPs, to match this. The national average GP ratio is 1:1,000 but in Laois at the moment the ratio is about 1:1,600. There are large areas in Laois that have no GP. To use the town of Ballickmoyler as an example, it has a population of approximately 1,100 people and hundreds of new houses have been built there. Surrounding areas also feed into it, but there is no GP there. There is no GP in Doonane, Crettyard or The Swan. Large areas of the county are without a GP. Where there are GPs, there are large wait times and extra pressure on our hospitals and out-of-hours services. I call on this House to have a debate about more GPs for County Laois, especially public GPs and not just private GPs.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I wish to bring up an issue that I am sure is relevant for every Member of this House. It is also a timely intervention at the moment as it is with regard to school transport. I call for a debate in this House on school transport. Like many of the Members of this House, I have regularly used the representatives at Bus Éireann's email address to try to raise issues about routes school buses are taking and capacity. The timely manner of responses is totally inadequate. At this time of year, it is important that we are seen to ask for these things.

An example I wish to raise is Glenamaddy Community School in Galway. Since March, I have been contacting Bus Éireann with regard to this issue. We are not looking for increased funding for a bus route there, but for a more efficient route that would take in a much wider proportion of the population and the additional village of Ballymoe. It is timely that we have a conversation such as this. The very fact that we are not looking for money and are talking about efficiencies, which is what we are here to do, is important. I hope the House can facilitate a conversation on this in the near future.

Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail)
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This morning I raise the issue of vaping, especially the growth in vaping we have seen among young people in recent years. The proportion of young people in Ireland using vapes and other tobacco products has increased significantly, rising from under 20% in 2015 to 30% in less than ten years, according to research from the Irish National Cancer Registry. Many of us have sort of believed vaping to be more or less safe, but as Paul Kavanagh, chair of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland clinical advisory group on smoking and e-cigarettes, pointed out, when commenting on this research, that the reality is it will be another ten or 20 years before we know the full health effects of e-cigarettes. Dr. Kavanagh also emphasised that nicotine is a toxic and addictive substance and that e-cigarettes can deliver it in unpredictable and inconsistent doses.

There is also significant concern about e-cigarettes being a gateway to cigarettes. The steady decline in traditional smoking has slowed considerably, which lends credibility to that suggestion. Basically, people are starting out on e-cigarettes and then moving on to cigarettes. According to the experts, three in ten of all teenagers are using these products, we still do not know the health effects and we will not know them for years to come. I do not think I am on the only one in this House reflecting that we do not know the health effects of e-cigarettes and hoping this does not end with a similar story to cigarettes. These statistics are very alarming. We need to have more discussion on it in this House. I ask that the matter be raised with the Minister for Health and request that she joins us in the coming weeks.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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Retailers are the lifeblood of all our communities, sponsoring virtually everything and creating local jobs, particularly for students during the summer holidays, etc. We should support our small retailers in every way possible. One of the biggest threats to them is smuggling of illicit goods and selling them outside the normal retail chain. The biggest example of this is in the tobacco sector.

Separate to the retailers and their losses, approximately €540 million is lost to the Exchequer every year from contraband cigarettes being sold. In 2024, the total seizure of related goods was worth €128 million, which is to be welcomed. This was double the value of the total value of illegal cigarettes seized in 2023. The Revenue officers and the cross-Border agency task force work on this constantly, but there is a need for more staffing here. There is a shortage and they would pay for themselves, if you like. There could be possible redeployment.

The increase in the number of illicit products seized is not due to increased resources as there was minimal allocation of resources here. There has been a 25% increase in passenger arrivals into Irish airports and a 14.6% decrease in Revenue's staff from 630 people to 540 people. That is not to be welcomed. I want the Deputy Leader to bring to the Government the fact we need to have more people policing this and finding the contraband. A total of 37% of all cigarettes coming into the country are illegal cigarettes. That is how bad it is. We need to up the staffing. We are possibly at a level where we do not need to increase the price of cigarettes any more from a health perspective. It has reached a very high pinnacle. Whatever about pricing, we certainly need to increase staffing and stop the contraband cigarettes from every perspective. We should be supporting our retailers. The whole community depends on them.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I raise the issue of home care hours for older and disabled people. I am regularly contacted by families of older and disabled people regarding home care hours. Where hours are sanctioned, carers are possibly not turning up for their shifts, or when two carers are required, only one turns up. This happens regularly at weekends. Where needs have changed and a person requires more care, the HSE will say the hours are sanctioned but that it cannot identify carers to provide the slot.

On the other hand, I hear from carers whose client may possibly be in hospital and whose hours are banked by the HSE. Therefore, the carers have been paid but are not filling those hours and they are not being allocated to others. Even as a temporary measure, it would make such a difference to the family carers looking after older or disabled people. Another carer told me one of her clients had passed away. She worked for a HSE-contracted agency, but waited weeks to be assigned to new people and was down money as a result. She was there, willing, able and trained up to provide care, people require it, yet she was not assigned to provide that care. There seems to be an issue that those with the most need are often not prioritised over those with less need. That is something that needs to be looked at as well.

I would love to see a debate on this issue looking at the whole system because something in it seems to be broken where hours are available but are not being assigned. We also need to look at ways of trying to employ more carers and making sure that we can hold on to them for long time. Pay and conditions are key issues in this regard.

Pat Casey (Fianna Fail)
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For the information of the House, while Wicklow can be considered the youngest county or the last county to be created in 1606, when it comes to the investment in public transport infrastructure, we are definitely the last county to be considered. I look on with a bit of jealousy as the Deputy Leader sits there, because when it comes to the national rail review, I hear discussions about four-track services, increases to treble-track or double-track services and new stations in counties around Dublin, while in Wicklow, nothing is done to the single-track service it has today. We were promised that the DART service to Wicklow town would be in place by 2023-24, which then became 2028 and has lately become 2030.

In the meantime, we are looking at M11 congestion that happens every evening and morning, and while a major plan had been put in place for the upgrade from junction 4 to junction 14, which had gone to the preferred route stage, that was then pulled by the Minister in previous Government and replaced by the N11-M11 bus priority corridor, which is causing untold concerns, specifically in Bray with regard to the closure of the Herbert Road junction, but which will serve no purpose for the long-term future of transportation to Wicklow. For the information of the House, Wicklow has the last single carriageway coming into Dublin city centre, which is the N81.Proposals to improve that have been shelved. When it comes to the bus service, we will not even go there. There is no capacity on some buses. We have a completely unreliable service. Wicklow has been forgotten when it comes to investment in transport. We need to address that deficit if we are going to grow in a sustainable manner.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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I want to raise the ongoing debacle and farcical situation regarding the placement of a surgical hub in the north west. I live in Sligo. We were assured that a surgical hub would be provided in Sligo University Hospital. We were assured by the Minister of State, Deputy Marian Harkin, that part of the deal of going in with the Lowry group was that the surgical hub would be based in Sligo.

At a HSE regional health forum meeting in April, it was stated that plans were progressing and Sligo would be the base for the hub. I will in no way try to pit Donegal against Sligo. We need a surgical hub in both areas. I know Senator Manus Boyle has raised this significant issue, as have GPs, consultants and patients in Letterkenny. There has been a really good lobbying campaign for a surgical hub in Sligo.

We were assured that a business case was made for the surgical hub to be based in Sligo. My colleague, Deputy Alan Kelly, asked a parliamentary question in the Dáil on 24 June about what was part of the Lowry deal. He was assured that no deals were done with the Lowry Independents regarding HSE infrastructure. The Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Caroll MacNeill, said she has not received any business case for the surgical hub to be based in Sligo. Can we find out who is telling the truth and where the surgical hub will be based? We should not have a Dublin-centric model. It seems that we are cut off, from Galway up to the north west.

We need two surgical hubs. I hope it is not a case of divide and conquer. We need clarity. We need to find out who is telling the truth and when the information will be released. Patients and families are waiting. We are all getting fed up of the divide and conquer attitude towards the north west.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome Deputy Connolly, his brother Dave and another guest, William. You are very welcome. I hope you enjoy your visit to Leinster House today.

Dee Ryan (Fianna Fail)
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I request that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage come before the House to outline the policies and procedures that govern how local authorities receive gifts such as buildings or other assets from philanthropists. Too often, generous offers to give back to a town, village or county are met with red tape and a lack of clarity. We need a clear and supportive framework to ensure that where someone wishes to gift something of value to their home community that gesture can be accepted and put to meaningful use.

Right up and down the country, our main streets are challenged - ask any retailer or Tidy Towns activist. When a gift which could be used as a community, arts or recreational space is offered, it can be transformative. It can provide opportunities for children to learn or play, young people to gather safely and creatively and entire communities to thrive and connect, thereby combating loneliness. In an era where we have multiple competing demands on the public purse, we should enable and encourage such acts of generosity and not create obstacles. Let us ensure that communities across the country can fully benefit when someone steps forward with a gift intended to give back.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Before I move to the next speaker, I welcome H.E. Georgios Stilianopoulos, ambassador of Greece to Ireland. He is a guest of Senator Keogan. You are very welcome, ambassador. I hope you enjoy your visit to Leinster House today.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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On 30 June, the Irish Independent published the result of its investigation into the regulation of how sick certs are issued. There are serious limitations to telemedicine and areas where it can be exploited. The newspaper revealed that in some cases sick certs were issued without having any phone or video consultation with the patient. It has correctly been described as a bit of a wild west.

There are serious issues with the practice of telemedicine as it relates to Irish abortion policy. Since its introduction in 2020, it has been possible to acquire abortion pills which are then self-administered without a patient needing to be physically examined by a doctor. What struck me in the investigation carried out by the Irish Independent is that the Department of Social Protection will not accept online sick certs for social welfare schemes. The telemedicine system is not robust enough for the Department when it pertains to finances, but when it comes to the healthcare and treatment of women it sees no issue.

This is particularly concerning in cases of potential coercion and abuse. Meeting the women in person increases the likelihood of a provider identifying any coercion or domestic abuse. Aontú submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister for Health, Deputy Caroll MacNeill, to ask whether independent research had been undertaken into the impact and effect of telemedicine abortion since its introduction in 2020. The Minister cited the 2021 review and stated that no serious adverse events had been reported to the HSE related to remote consultations for the termination of pregnancy.

I ask the Minister to conduct new independent research, given that in October 2022 the Irish Examiner revealed how an underage girl had been locked in a room and forced to ingest abortion pills. While telemedicine can provide convenience, it also risks being exploited. This is particularly alarming in the case of telemedicine abortion which poses a distinct risk to vulnerable women who may face the danger of domestic abuse and coercion.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Rabbitte raised the issue of CPOs, in particular those relating to the N63 road. I was quite shocked to hear the details that an arrangement was apparently made in 2014, but a landlord has not been paid since. That raises a lot of questions because the individual has suffered a loss of income. As the Senator said, that has caused a lot of stress. We need clarity on CPOs. They are, of course, not just used for roads, bypasses, etc. but also for derelict buildings in our towns. I am conscious of an ongoing issue in Newbridge. CPOs are used in order to put buildings to good use. It is important that there is absolute clarity for the owners, trustees or whatever the case may be. There should be very clear guidelines on timelines and compensation which is generally agreed to be fair. There is a process in place to carry out valuations. As the Senator said, there has to be an element of trust. She asked if the House was aware of any similar situations going on for more than 12 months. I am not, but I will leave that open to the House and anybody outside the House. It is a fair point. We should ask the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to come before the House and speak about CPOs. There will probably be more of them in the future, in particular given the housing situation. I am happy to agree to look for that.

Senator Manus Boyle spoke about apprenticeship programmes and a decrease in funding. I am not aware of that. I had reason to speak to the Minister, Deputy Lawless, the week before last regarding a craft apprenticeship in Ballyfermot school of music. He assured me at that point that absolutely no apprenticeship programme would end. We are at a time when we need to invest in our apprenticeship programmes and show parity of esteem to young people who are leaving school. They can earn as they learn and apprenticeships are the way forward. We will certainly ask about that possibility. I am not aware of it but we will look for clarity and for the Minister, Deputy James Lawless, to come to the House to talk about the apprenticeship programme, in general. Senator McCarthy spoke about Irish business concerns regarding proposed tariffs. There has been an intensification of EU trade negotiations in recent weeks. The Tánaiste was in Brussels for one such meeting on 26 June. The Tánaiste is in close contact with the EU trade Commissioner, Maroš Šefovi, whose name I always pronounce incorrectly, so excuse me for that. The trade forum is ongoing. We cannot afford to be passive and we need to show business owners, particularly those in the SME sector, that we are supporting them. We are also looking for new markets. The Taoiseach has been in Japan this week. The development of new trade links is hugely important. We have an action plan on market diversification. The Senator also mentioned the banking industry and concerns about the housing situation. We are all concerned about the housing situation but I know that many developers are finding it hard to get access to credit from the banks. Maybe banks could improve their lending rules.

Senator Andrews spoke about the 150 redundancies at Penneys. It is a very difficult time for the workers and their families. I recall that there was a statement from the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Dara Calleary, in relation to this. He said that it was a Government priority to support the workers. He has deployed a team to deal with the 150 people. They have been offered supports and income. Under the new rules, they can have income of up to €450 per week. The team is also looking at education and training supports. The Senator also called for a debate on workers' rights. We will look for this, as it is an important issue.

Senator Teresa Costello spoke about a briefing she received on adequate supports for cancer survivors facing menopause. For these women, HRT is not an option. We are all thankful to the former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, for leading a revolution in women's health, particularly in the context of menopause supports. The Senator spoke about a new drug which is under review and, as she rightly said, no one should be left behind. We hope that this new drug will be considered and the women who need it will get access to it.

Senator Ní Chuilinn spoke about the sportsperson's tax rebate. There was no one like Charlie McCreevy to find ways to support niche industries. He really did the State incredible service. At the time, I am sure it was just something that came out of the blue, but I know the man and I know the way his mind works. He is quite an incredible person. It was an important thing to do. Senator Ní Chuilinn spoke about the anomaly for different sports. She made the very fair point that sponsorships were not included. We need to bring this to the attention to the Minister for sport and the Minister for Finance.

Senator Goldsboro spoke about class sizes and the need for proper capitation grants. The Senator is right, the schools we represent in our areas are to the pin of their collar at this time, with rising prices. I acknowledge that the capitation grants will increase in September, from €200 to €224 per student for primary schools and from €345 to €386 per student for post-primary schools. I agree that this is still not enough. There is an anomaly with regard to what primary schools and secondary schools get. This should be equalised. If anything, younger children need more supports. There is a special unit in the Department of Education, the financial support services unit, that deals with financial supports for schools that find themselves in a very difficult situation. School principals need certainty. Regarding investment in schools, there has been a 20% increase in capitation over the past three years, but we are still not back to where we were in 2011. Considering how costs have risen, to think that we are back at pre-2011 levels is wrong. Principals need certainty and they need more middle-management administrative supports. There needs to be more deputy principals. In a primary school I know with more than 1,000 pupils, there is only one deputy principal. They are finding it difficult to manage. We will look for the Minister for education to come to the Seanad. We will try to get her before the recess and if not, immediately once we resume.

Senator McCormack spoke about GP services in Laois. He mentioned that the national average is one GP per 1,000 people but in Laois the figure is one GP per 1,600 people. This is an issue in counties such as Laois where the population is growing. The Senator is correct to say that it puts extra pressure on hospitals and out-of-hours GP clinics. This issue did not begin overnight, it has been ongoing for some time and it has been highlighted by many GPs. There are some issues in the system. We will look for the Minister for Health to come here to address this particular issue. If we are focusing on primary care, as we are doing as part of Sláintecare, we need to ensure that we have a good GP service.

Senator Scahill spoke about school transport. As the Senator knows, the Minister of State at the Department of education, Deputy Michael Moynihan, had a briefing in the audiovisual room. It was great that he was able to bring in Oireachtas Members and representatives of Bus Éireann and the NTA to answer questions. I know there is a big review going on but the Senator mentioned the timely responses that every one of us should get. It is completely wrong that the Senator is not getting answers within an adequate time. No matter their party, everyone should be able to use the service that is there to get responses through the Oireachtas line. The Senator spoke about Glenamaddy Community School and the need to have a more efficient route put in place there. The Senator could possibly put in a Commencement matter next week. She is right to raise the general issue of getting responses.

Senator Ollie Crowe spoke about vaping and the number of young people who are vaping all the time. The Senator is correct, it has increased very significantly. The fact that three out of ten teenagers are vaping is an alarming statistic. Earlier this week, I happened to hear on the radio a young person talking about the impact vaping had on them and that it provoked a psychotic episode. There is a lot of evidence on this and we should have a session on vaping and get all the information and research.

Senator Joe O'Reilly spoke about retailers being the lifeblood of our communities - which we all agree on - and the effect on retailers of illicit goods. Apart from what is being lost to shops, particularly those close to the Border, €540 million is lost to the Exchequer. This could be very significant funding going into communities. I did not know that 37% of all cigarettes consumed here are smuggled. We need more people policing this issue, between Customs and Excise and An Garda Síochána. It would be worthwhile getting a briefing on how the matter is policed.

Senator Tully spoke about home care hours, particularly for older and disabled people. It is a quagmire and it is complex. In certain areas it is hard to be identify carers and that is why we need to have more courses on social care and we need to show school leavers that social care is such a worthy thing to do. We should provide the appropriate PLCs and apprenticeships.Senator Tully spoke specifically about the possibility of carers not turning up. That is most regrettable. In situations like that, I assume the agency must deal with those issues. Most of the carers I have come across have been excellent in terms of their care, attention and love they provide to those for whom they care. The Senator also said that some carers are available but are not being allocated work. Again, this is an administrative error that needs to be cut down on. It is certainly something we will raise with the Minister.

Senator Casey comes from the youngest county. I am sorry it is the last county to be thought of in terms of public transport. I am glad that one of its train stations got the fair fares, which is something we all fought for. The Senator is right in what he said about the services the county was promised such as the DART. So many people have moved to the county because of the cost of housing in Dublin, so it is a commuter belt area and Wicklow should have a far better service. We have looked for a debate on the NDP before recess so that might be a place to raise it. We will look to the Minister for Transport to come to the House to talk about that as well.

Senator Cosgrove spoke about surgical hubs and where one would be based in the north west. She spoke very eloquently about it and the fact it is not a Donegal versus Sligo debate. We just need clarity on it. I know Councillor Edel McSharry has been in touch with a number of us about the issue. The Senator also mentioned the deal that the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, made. I have no idea about the deal. I would love to know the details so the Senator can pass them on. I hope that clarity is provided very soon and that work can start. It would be ideal if both counties got it but we just need a decision so that people would know. It is probably worth putting down a Commencement matter to get the specific details about it.

In response to Senator Dee Ryan, reading the newspapers, I can appreciate what has happened in Limerick over the past few weeks and why this is a really important issue. I wish we had that problem in Kildare. We all wish we had that problem of benefactors who want to be able to give supports. It is not about giving it to the local authority; it is about giving it to the people so communities can be transformed and they can be enabled to thrive. The issue here concerns what happens when a philanthropist wants to gift land or a building to a local authority. A case involved Magee Barracks in Kildare many years ago. It was to be gifted to the local authority, which did not want to take it. A developer bought it and the Department of education had to buy that piece of land for a school, so we need clarity. We also need a system that is not tied up in red tape. If a generous benefactor wants to give a gift with no strings attached and it is decided that this should be done through the local authority, which is generally the best way in terms of transparency, we should enable it. Again, we will look for the Minister for local government to come to the House, so we are looking for him to come to the House to discuss two different issues.

Senator Sarah O'Reilly spoke about a shocking situation of which she was aware. We all feel huge compassion for that individual. She spoke about sick certificates being issued without any consultation. A tele-consultation is still a consultation and I know it has worked if someone cannot get to a GP physically. I have not used it but I did see one in operation and it seemed to work well and is a consultation. The important thing is that it is a consultation. The article in the newspaper showed that there was no consultation and people could buy a medical certificate. This is completely wrong. I understand that it is down to the Medical Council to regulate that. There does not seem to be a specific regulation but I think one should be brought in. Perhaps that is something we can ask the Government to do.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I would like to acknowledge that we had a tour group here, the North Wexford Historical Society, who were the guests of Deputy Malcolm Byrne. I welcome Bríd and Gráinne Shaughnessy and Thomas and Samuel Reilly, who are guests of Senator Brady. I am sure they are enjoying their visit to Leinster House today.