Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Before we move to the Order of Business, I welcome Stella O'Loughlin, niece of our Deputy Leader, Senator Fiona O'Loughlin, to the Chamber. She is in very capable company and I hope she enjoys her visit to Leinster House.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Leas-Cathaoirleach. First, I formally welcome Martin Hughes to the Chamber following his appointment to his new role. I look forward to working with him. We also send our best wishes to the outgoing Bridget Doody. She did an an incredible job while she stepped into the role in an acting capacity.

The Order of Business today is No. 47(1) on the Order Paper, motion regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, to be taken at 12.15 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I also extend a warm welcome to Stella O'Loughlin. She can see the inner workings of the Seanad at first hand. I begin with a tribute to Kevin Geraghty, a wonderful and warm Fianna Fáil stalwart from Collon, County Louth, who passed away recently. He was in his 90th year and was a member of the third generation of his family in Fianna Fáil in County Louth. His father Nicholas founded the first Fianna Fáil cumann in 1927, which will shortly be celebrating 100 years in existence. Sadly, he was predeceased by his brother Paddy only a matter of weeks ago and another almost-brother, Peter Murphy. The three of them assisted me greatly during my campaign last year in Collon. I wish his loved ones the very best, including his brother Larry and Larry's wife Carmel, who were also of great assistance to me.

One of the reasons I wanted to speak today was to raise the issue of school places. As we know, we are back at school but for many parents the summer was a time for uncertainty, particularly if you were a new arrival or had moved house. In Drogheda, County Louth, we buck the trend a little bit because we are building a lot of houses. I live in the north of the town and there will be 7,500 new houses fairly soon. We are talking about thousands of houses and, unfortunately, the school places are not tallying with those. I worked with five or six parents over the summer who had received or bought a house and automatically assumed they would receive a school place as well. We need a debate with the Minister for education on what co-ordination there should be between houses being built and where schools are being built in order to facilitate the children coming into our communities.

Lastly, I raise an issue that I have raised before but circumstances do change. It is probably timely to mention the second railway station for the north side of Drogheda as well. I mentioned all of the houses being built. The current railway station on the south side of the town is under sever pressure. People are almost not able to use it because of the lack of parking and not being able to cross the town in time to reach it. With the second part of the port access northern cross route confirmed to begin in January of next year, now is the time to really organise the third phase, which is where the railway station and the bridge for it needs to be built. The developers are there and more land is being rezoned for more housing. Drogheda United is also going to place its stadium there. The money will be coming in and a great deal of money would not be needed for that. My colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and I work strongly in east Meath. We need to look at a railway station for Bettystown as well. This is a national issue. In order to help our transport and our commuters, we need to be looking with the Minister for Transport, Darragh O'Brien, and debating whether these new stations are a possibility. They are a small amount of money for a big win.

Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)
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Ní raibh mé anseo ar an Máirt agus ní raibh deis agam comhghairdeas a dhéanamh le Martin Hughes. I was not here on Tuesday as I was in Brussels. I congratulate Martin and look forward to working with him over the next few years.

We had a very robust debate relating to the FAI's safeguarding issues at yesterday's sitting of the Oireachtas committee on sport. I will not get into that here, but I will just say the committee is not satisfied with the answers we received. Senator Comyn was also there. We have to call them back in again in relation to what transpired yesterday. One issue I did not have an opportunity to raise yesterday was in relation to governance. The FAI has called an EGM for 4 October. There is an agenda item on the EGM paper that relates to a special resolution on the articles of association. A deeper dive into the appendix shows that this is calling for the term limits of board members to be extended to reflect the proposed term limits of three years instead of two years and subsequent changes in rotation cycles.

This cannot happen. In a very basic sense, the FAI wants to give permission to board directors to stay in position for nine years instead of eight and for the chair and vice-chair to stay in position for 12 years instead of eight. This is completely contradictory to the understanding the Government has with the FAI. There is a memorandum of understanding in place. It is utterly tied to funding. Sport Ireland has been a keeping a tracker of the governance review and of the memorandum of understanding. Item 64 of the review relates to term limits. It has been identified as having been completed. It says there should limits to the terms of office for board members, which are currently eight years in total, and that the limit for all members of the board should be eight years, comprising four years by two terms. The FAI wants to change that. It would, for example, allow a nine- or ten-year term. This is tied to Government funding. It was raised briefly at the end of the hearing yesterday and Sport Ireland was not aware that this AGM is due to happen next week. I wanted to put it on the record in this House to make sure that the Minister knows that the committee knows. As I said earlier, this memorandum of understanding is tied to Government funding. As of yesterday, the FAI is already in a little bit of hot water again in relation to its safeguarding but it is very important that we do not lose sight of overall governance. If this agenda goes through at the EGM next week, it will have to be raised with the Minister in terms of Government funding.

Joe Conway (Independent)
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Next month, on 25 October, we will celebrate a fairly significant event in the tourism and socioeconomic life of Ireland, namely, the 40th birthday of Ireland West Airport. In the media reports back in 1985, it was variously described by journalists as being an airport built on the top of a mountain or on a bog.It was completely deprecated by the media and by the omniscient people of the Pale. Of course, 40 years later Ireland West Airport Knock is celebrating success after success and is getting on towards its millionth passenger per annum. It is a wonderful success story for the airport and the operation there.

I say this because back then it was execrated as a project in the same way as successive Governments have execrated the prospect of a regional airport in Waterford, which is backed by three councils: Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford. This airport was operating quite successfully but to continue its development it needed an extended runway. That is really the crux of the matter at the moment. The councils are investing in it but we cannot get the Government to commit to funding the airport. Suffice to say, it is the only region in the country that does not have its own international airport. It is a real spancel to the economic development of the south east.

The next item I must treat with a certain amount of sensitivity because tá mé ag caint anois le mo theanga i mo phluc - a little bit tongue in cheek. I noticed in the last session of the Seanad that I was hearing the expression regularly, "I rise today to address" such and such a thing. Where is that coming from? I had never heard this when watching Oireachtas TV over the years. Then I twigged when I was listening to a report from the House of Commons when a Tory MP, Tom Tugendhat, was calling out Members of the Opposition and the Government for using "I rise today", which is a peculiarly American Congress expression developed back in the 1850s and since with Webster and Webb and other notable people then. It really does indicate that it is an American-based thing. I have strong suspicions, therefore, that it is being used due to AI or, more likely, ChatGPT. When we consider the notables who have addressed the Seanad such as Sir Horace Plunkett and William Butler Yeats, or in the latter years David Norris and Professor James Dooge, it would be terrible if the Members of this House were relying on AI to substantiate their contributions to the House. It is happening in another place as well.

Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
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I want to raise a serious issue that concerns the proposed battery energy storage system, BESS, in my constituency in Newmarket in Cork. The proposed site is right beside a sensitive ecological area. It drains into a watercourse that connects to the River Dalua and then onto the River Blackwater, both of which are designated special areas of conservation. These are habitats for species of European importance, including Atlantic salmon, yet the dangers posed by the lithium-ion batteries have not been adequately addressed. If a leak occurs, these batteries contain liquid electrolyte, which can react with moisture to form hydrofluoric acid. The potential consequences for the environment, drinking water and community safety are enormous. We have already seen in other countries the risks of fires and toxic contamination from BESS sites. Once such a facility is built the community bears a risk while large corporations reap in the profits. This raises a wider question around how energy infrastructure is being planned and where it is being placed. Rural Ireland is not a dumping ground for projects that would never be tolerated in urban areas. Communities deserve proper transparency, consultation and independent safety assessments before developments of this scale are considered. The voices of local residents, farmers and environmental group should be respected because we need clarity on safety protocols around these sites, the environmental safeguards and who will carry the responsibility if something does go wrong with one of these sites. This is not about being anti-renewable or anti-progress. Everybody wants the future to be robust. Communities like Newmarket want to play their part in that climate action but not at the expense of their health, their environment and their future. I ask that time be allocated in this House to properly debate the regulation of BESS developments to ensure safety, sustainability and community input are at the forefront.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail)
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Today I wish to raise the subject of the lack of public toilets nationally. A lot of councillors have been on to me on behalf of their constituents, members of the public have been on to me, and people who own bars throughout the country have been on to me. It is a no-brainer really that people should be able to relieve themselves when they want to and not have to go into the premises of hardworking publicans who have to pay to clean their bathrooms and clean their facilities. It is not fair. Often these people just wish to use the bathroom and not spend money, for various reasons. Maybe they do not have it on the day or maybe they do not feel like having a drink or a coffee or whatever. Publicans are finding it very hard to say "No", especially to the older generation. I would like to see a national campaign to increase the number of public toilets throughout the country. A lot of people just want to meet to have a walk around. Again, they may not wish to purchase a coffee and use the facilities in a coffee shop. In this day and age when there is so much talk about mental health, it is important that people can meet up for a walk, but the lack of facilities is stopping this throughout the country.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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I welcome Mr. Martin Hughes to his new role. Today I would like to speak about the importance of some vaccines that are now available. I will also speak about the HPV vaccine. Tremendous work is being done by the Department of Health under the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and the HSE in rolling out the RSV vaccine. The RSV immunisation programme will run throughout winter 2025-26. The immunisation will be offered in maternity hospitals to all babies born between 1 September 2025 and 28 February 2026. It will also be available to babies who are aged less than six months old on 1 September 2025 to offer them protection ahead of the seasonal upsurge in infection with RSV.

RSV is the most common cause of hospital admissions due to acute respiratory illnesses in children aged under five years. This year's programme was developed following an evaluation of the first pathfinder programme, which ran successfully during the 2024-25 RSV season. The vaccine actually helped to reduce hospital rates by over 65%. I will give an example. My baby daughter was ten days old when she got the RSV virus. We spent ten days being looked after by the incredible staff in Crumlin hospital. Four out of every 100 babies will be hospitalised with this. She was very sick and it was so hard to get her oxygen levels up. At one stage she went completely blue in my arms. Savannah was lucky she survived it eventually. It is something I would not wish on any family. I urge the Department of Health to really push this out and to advertise it. I encourage parents to get that vaccine for their babies as it could prevent RSV, which can lead to pneumonia.

I would also like to encourage people to get the chicken pox vaccine, which has just become available. Nobody wants to see their children covered with all the little spots and scars, and it can lead to those who are in pregnancy and older people becoming very sick.

I thank the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, for making these vaccines available but, as someone who has had pre-cancerous cells myself following a smear, I would ask where we are with the HPV vaccine. Can I get the information on what the take-up is for the HPV vaccine in Meath?

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I raise the issue of the report of the Commission of Generational Renewal in Farming. This was a key message that was delivered by Macra na Feirme, the IFA, the ICMSA and other farm organisations, particularly down at the Tullamore show in the summer and again at the National Ploughing Championships. This is one of the key elements. I welcome the Government's proposals on it but we need more. The Deputy Leader will know this as she represents both urban areas and amazing and fantastic rural areas. One of the key issues is about this generational renewal in agriculture and how we can pass the baton on. It has to be financially viable for families to release their homesteads, their home places that they have worked and earned. Land, farming and the homestead are at the very core of people in agriculture.I understand that, as will many here in this room. There are the issues of pension funding and favourable taxation, but if we want to pass on our land and ensure we have food security and viable, sustainable rural and regional communities, the generational renewal plan is key, as are rural housing and the right of families to maintain and stay in their homesteads, on the land they were born on. Some will inherit and others will not, but there are more jobs in agriculture than direct ones. There are artisan enterprises and there are people who can work remotely from the homestead and do part-time work. We have to stand firmly with rural communities to ensure they are sustainable, viable and supported. I am aware there is to be Private Members’ business debate on agriculture next week during which I will have an opportunity to raise this matter with the Minister. I ask that we set time aside, maybe as part of that, to have a debate on this matter of importance to Irish agriculture and rural communities.

Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)
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I, too, wish to be associated with the best wishes to Martin Hughes.

Yesterday at a meeting of the health committee, my esteemed colleague Deputy Martin Daly brought up the issue of Portiuncula hospital. Bernard Gloster brought complete clarity on the months of speculation as to whether the recommendations of the Walker report were implemented fully or partially, or not implemented. The CEO confirmed that they were not implemented. It is on that basis that I raise the issue of safe, high-quality services in Portiuncula, with access. High-risk maternity cases are to be removed from the hospital. If you are from the Athlone side, you will have to go to Dublin, and if you are from around Portiuncula or Ballinasloe, you will have to go to Galway. This is on the basis that the Walker report’s recommendations have not been implemented. It was produced in 2018. Professor Coulter-Smith has said that to have a safe service, we need to have it fully funded and to have full implementation. We have not fully implemented recommendations that we should have. This needs to be funded. We need to give the women of the Portiuncula area and the midlands every opportunity to have safe access to services in their locality. Anybody who lives in Galway knows that it takes an hour and a half on a good day to get to Galway city, never mind trying to travel to Dublin.

The Minister has been really supportive and it is important for me to acknowledge the work she has done, but I really believe we now need laser focus. Maybe she could bring clarity to communication for the GPs and funding to deliver on the recommendations in the Walker report. What is being put in place for high-risk patients as we stand here today?

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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Last week, I met two lovely families with children with special needs in Carndonagh, County Donegal. As the Deputy Leader knows, sending a child to a certain school is a big decision. The nearest school to the children had no classrooms available. The families decided to move the children to Clonmanny National School, which they say is top-class. The children are so happy there and well looked after, and the staff are so engaging, but there is a problem with the school transport. The families were told the children could go to Clonmanny, that the school bus would be sorted and that there would be no problem. That has not happened. One child has to travel 200 metres onto the busy main road to get the school bus. I went down and watched it. It is totally wrong. A child with special needs should not have to get onto a school bus on the side of a busy road.

The other child has to take a round trip of 12 km every day. That child does not get on the bus and is brought to school by the parents. The parents are going through enough; they really are. The children have special needs. Their two mothers and their fathers look after them so well. The children are their parents’ world; they really are. Here we have a problem that could easily be sorted. I cannot understand for the life of me why, in light of health and safety principles, a child with special needs would be loaded onto a bus at the side of a busy main road. I emailed the Minister about this. I ask that he come to the House to talk about it, or to ring me to see whether we can get something done about it. At the end of the day, safety comes first. Even with my children going to school, it is safety first. From what I have been told, the bus driver has no problem with turning into the avenue where the family lives to collect the child safely. This would cause no stress or hassle to anybody. I ask the Deputy Leader to determine whether she can get the Minister to look into this matter in particular. It really is urgent up in Carndonagh.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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A motion moved yesterday in the Dáil by the Labour Party called on the Government to take immediate action to address child poverty and child homelessness. The latest ESRI report states child poverty has reached unthinkable levels in Ireland. One in five children is living below the poverty line, and this is when housing costs are factored in. These children are not statistics. We all know there are children below the poverty line going hungry every day and children living in families with a genuine fear of eviction. There are families who feel genuine despair over their future. Over 5,000 children are homeless in Ireland at present. Every day in politics, we have a choice to make. Our motion yesterday offered the Government a genuine opportunity to choose to relieve child poverty and homelessness.

I urge Senators to rethink the untargeted VAT cut in the budget that benefits giant hospitality chains, which will cost €630 million. We know hospitality chains and food giants are going to benefit from the measure. The measure should be targeted and the money needs to be invested in public services designed to lift children out of poverty and to provide them with the support they urgently need.

When Labour moved the motion yesterday, the Government spokesperson claimed child poverty was being addressed through hot school meals. These are really welcome but, unfortunately, there are many areas across rural Ireland, particularly mine, in which the scheme not been rolled out, meaning children are still receiving cold meals.

None of us here believes any child should be evicted into homelessness. We tabled a motion yesterday whose recommendations, if implemented, would ban the eviction of families with children into homelessness. I urge all Senators present to make the choice in question and encourage Government TDs to accept the measures outlined in the motion and stop evicting children.

Ollie Crowe (Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate Martin Hughes on being appointed as Clerk of Seanad Eireann and wish him well.

Ahead of budget 2026, I want to raise the challenges facing pubs across the country and the scheme that the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland has proposed that would go some way towards addressing those challenges. As Members will be aware, 2,000 pubs across the country have closed their doors in the past 20 years. Outside Dublin, the number of bars has fallen by 25% in that period. I am referring not just to the closures of small family businesses but also to a loss to communities, small towns and villages across the country, which have one less venue to come together in to host events.

I have spoken to publicans across the country this year and they have told me the trend is going to accelerate in the years ahead. Insurance costs have gone through the roof and energy costs have rocketed along with payroll costs and commercial rates, so small pubs are simply not sustainable. The Government must address this as part of budget 2026. The VFI has proposed a draft rebate scheme. The scheme, with a rebate cap of a maximum of €20,000 per pub, would return 40% of the excise duty on draft beer, at an annual cost of €73 million. As the VFI has shown, the majority of funds would flow directly to the smaller traditional pubs that form the backbone of community life across rural Ireland.

Members will recall that I previously offered the example of France, where so many rural bars closed that the French Government is now offering incentives to revive them, recognising their cultural and economic value. We do not want the trend to reach that stage in Ireland, but will do so in the absence of action. Thousands of small family businesses across the country in the sector needs support and cannot wait any longer. Ireland has the second highest excise rate on alcohol in Europe, with taxes accounting for almost 30% of the price of a pint. It is clear these taxes are unsustainable. Not taking some measures to address them will lead to even more closures in the months and years ahead. I ask the Deputy Leader to raise the matter with the relevant Ministers.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise an issue that came up at one of the committee meetings yesterday regarding Oireachtas enquiry lines. I was trying to highlight with the witness a delay in getting responses. Following a bit of research, I found it is a much bigger issue across a lot more of the boards and agencies that we have access to. We as public representatives should not have to go back to members of the public with excuses as to why we have not received an answer within a specific time. I did some research. For State agencies and bodies, the rules are set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 25/2016. It requires every State body to provide and maintain a dedicated email address for Oireachtas Members and meet target response times of acknowledgement within three days with a contact point and a substantive response within 15 working days. I call for a debate on whether that is enforced so that we are able to provide the service we are expected to.

Linda Nelson Murray (Fine Gael)
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Hear, hear.

Shane Curley (Fianna Fail)
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The Gort area small schools pilot project in south Galway has been such a success that the cluster administration officer in that role has been name-checked and highlighted as a shining light of what can be rolled out across the country for small schools. The role allows one day of administrative relief per school per week. It is a genius idea. It has been such a success for the schools that have been involved in the pilot in south Galway that it should be rolled out more nationally. We need to see that more aggressively rolled out in the coming months in the rural parts of east Galway. I urge the Minister to include that in the budget this year to allow for the finance to be provided. It has been costed at only €6 million per year. It is a lot of money in one way, but it is a small drop in the ocean regarding overall national budget.

With regards to the capitation grant, the €229 per student at primary level at the moment is not sustainable. We need to get that up to €299 or €300 that is being asked by the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO. That is critical at this stage in that what used to be voluntary contributions by parents are basically now involuntary contributions in the sense that if they are not given, the schools cannot pay their electricity bills. We need to move forward on that. We also have the largest average class sizes in the EU.

From an agricultural point of view, I met representatives of the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, yesterday. One thing that struck me as alarming is that the CAP is where LEADER is knitted in. LEADER funding for rural representatives is absolutely critical. It has kept us going in small communities in rural areas like Galway East. The rural regeneration and development fund, RGRD, is under stress at the moment such that if LEADER is not knitted into the next CAP and if the Minister does not get this right, there could be serious issues in funding in rural areas in the months and years ahead. We need to take a serious look at that. I ask that we invite the Minister, Deputy Heydon, to the House if he has time to talk about this in advance of the budget because he has to get this right. It is just timing that it has landed on him, but we must get this right.

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Last night, I met with representatives of Wexford IFA. I was particularly struck by their words about the tillage sector, which in my rural county of Wexford delivers so much income and employment. One of the issues they highlighted is the unsustainable prices that are currently being achieved in the tillage sector. They described how this is the worst year for tillage in a generation. I support their call for a €250 per hectare income delivery by the Minister for agriculture as part of the upcoming budget. The reality is that across the country almost 40% of our farmers are now over 65, with less than 7% being under 35. If young people do not see farming, including tillage farming, as a sustainable way of earning a living and bringing up a family, there simply will not be a tillage sector. If we look across the country at what is happening at the moment, there are no farmers and no food. I urge the Minister for agriculture to support the IFA's call and deliver the €250 incentive for the tillage sector in the budget.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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I am concerned regarding the recent published special needs assistant, SNA, review process guidelines by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. Reading through the document, it feels like the focus is all wrong. Like many parents and teachers, I was disappointed to see an emphasis on limiting supports instead of increasing them. I have been contacted by a lot of people who are so frustrated seeing the needs of our children constantly put on the back burner. There is no point in talking about prioritising children and additional educational needs and then supporting guidelines that pull back that support. These new guidelines propose a narrowing of criteria, the unification of mainstream and special class allocations and a restrictive definition of "complex needs". I ask the Minister to please listen to parents and teachers and put a pause on these guidelines until there is proper consultation. I ask her to come into this Chamber for a debate on the issue. We need to amplify the voices of SNAs, schools and parents. We cannot allow educational guidelines to be implemented that do not tend to the needs of children or prioritise their welfare. I would appreciate if the Minister will engage with these concerns and pay attention to those directly working with children.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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We started this morning with Senator Comyn and I share her tribute to Kevin Geraghty from Collon. Having people in one's life who are stalwarts, as the Senator described Kevin, is so important. As every single one of us know in this Chamber and in the other Chamber, putting your name up to run for election can be a lonely business no matter whether you are a member of a party or running as an Independent. Having these good people in your life is so important. We send our condolences to Kevin's family.

The Senator also spoke about a problem with school places in Drogheda. It is important that we build sustainable communities. We need houses, and we have a housing crisis, but there absolutely has to be a matrix of forward planning with every single local authority to ensure that there are adequate childcare places and school places. I agree there needs to be a debate on the co-ordination of that. We will ask for that debate. We need to speak to the Minister of State with responsibility for planning and local government because it is important those two areas work well together.

The third issue she raised was a second railway station. Public transport is absolutely key to all that we do. Drogheda is certainly of a size now and the Senator referred to the soccer team moving over to that area. With regard to planning, the bridge and the second station should be part of the third phase. Bettystown should be looked at. We have to look at more stations where we have railway lines going through towns and villages. It keeps people off the roads. It stops all that traffic at key times.

Senator Ní Chuilinn spoke about the FAI and the committee meeting yesterday about safeguarding issues. She rightly raised the issue of the proposals coming before an EGM next week calling for term limits to be extended. Good governance is absolutely key. I would have thought that the FAI would have learned a lot of lessons over the past few years, but it is clear it has not. I recall when the Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, had responsibility for sport and the FAI was not adhering to the gender balance on boards, he was clear that funding would be pulled. At the very last minute, the FAI capitulated, and the funding was secured. It is important that the same action would be used at this point in time. Funding is tied to good governance. That is the way that it should be. We certainly support the Senator in her call. We will speak with the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue, in relation to same.

Senator Conway spoke about 25 October being the 40th birthday of Ireland West Airport. We all think of Monsignor Horan and the incredible he did on ensuring that what was then called Knock airport was put in place. It is quite incredible to think we are getting close to a stage where all almost 1 million passengers per year use Ireland West Airport. He made the point that similar funding and support needs to go to Waterford Regional Airport, which is supported by three local authorities.The Senator spoke about a second item - unfortunately, he is no longer here - which was the use of the phrase "I rise to speak". I see no issue whatsoever. When any of us stand to make a point or a speech, or to raise an issue, we can and should open whatever way we choose. I believe in no way that it is AI-generated. The Senator and I disagree on that point.

Senator Nicole Ryan spoke about battery storage in a sensitive area of biodiversity and said there are local concerns. I do not know whether it is at planning stage or has received planning permission. Consultation is obviously key in relation to the local area. We need clarity around why the area was chosen. To be fair, the Senator raised a fair point about the general criteria in respect of battery storage and the regulation of same. We will look to have a debate on that issue.

Senator Murphy O'Mahony spoke about the lack of public toilets nationally and about the difficulty, particularly for those in the hospitality sector in some of our tourist towns. I support her call. I have a particular gripe about public toilets not being available in railway stations, which is ridiculous. In many cases, there are toilet facilities but they are locked and commuters are unable to use them. People may be commuting quite a distance to a train station. Trains may be delayed. People may be going to medical appointments, etc., and are unable to use the bathroom. I have raised the issue numerous times with Iarnród Éireann and I make that call publicly.

Senator Murphy O'Mahony is right to say that people do not necessarily gather in a place that has a public convenience and that we tend to go for more leisure and recreational meet-ups. We need public toilets. The biggest issue we had in the past related to cleaning those facilities. Unfortunately, we have people who are not civic-minded when it comes to such public facilities. They have no respect for the facilities or for those who must come in and clean them. There are good examples, particularly on the Continent, of paying for toilets with a €1 coin. None of us object to that if we are taken short. Those facilities are self-cleaning. I believe we need to look at that issue and I support what the Senator has said.

Senator Nelson Murray spoke about the RSV vaccine and the importance of its roll-out. She said we need to highlight it. It is good to hear that Savannah is thriving. It is a very difficult time for parents when their young babies end up in hospital. I imagine it was a very difficult ten days for the Senator. She was right to point out that with the RSV vaccine, hospital stays are reduced by 65%. When we think of our busy hospitals, that is important.

I would like to add something to that. Approximately two weeks ago, Pfizer provided a briefing in Buswell's Hotel. It was chaired by Joe Duffy. Its representatives talked about the importance of the RSV vaccine for our older generation. The vaccination schedule for babies and young children is very good although I know we can go further. However, there is no vaccination schedule for older people. That is a matter we should discuss with the Minister.

Senator Nelson Murray also mentioned the chicken pox and HPV vaccines. I would add shingles to the list. That vaccine must be included. Perhaps we should look for a debate with the Minister on vaccines in general. They save lives, no matter what.

Senator Boyhan spoke about rural communities and the need for all of us to stand with them. Every Member of this House would agree. Generational renewal for farmers is a key issue. I was in Brussels with the Joint Committee on European Affairs for the past two days. We met representatives of the IFA. We had approximately 16 meetings over the two days. We met our MEPs and the permanent representative about preparations for the EU Presidency. We have insisted that agriculture and generational farming will be a key part of that. The statistics are frightening if we look at food security. We need to preserve our rural communities and the rural way of life. We also need to support those who are interested in farming but do not have a farm to inherit. One of the key concerns relates to the number of farms that are looking for planning permission for solar energy, etc. Italy has introduced legislation to specify that good farming or stud land will not get planning permission for solar energy. It needs to be land that is suitable. Those are important areas.

We yesterday met the former CEO of Irish Rural Link, Mr. Séamus Boland, who many Senators will have met, in Brussels. He is the first Irish person to take the presidency of the EESC. He will have the presidency for two and a half years. The role is concerned with civil societies and rural communities across Europe. He will have a key role at European level. We need to co-ordinate policy. I said to him that it would be good to get a briefing from him on all these areas for all Oireachtas Members in the audiovisual room.

Senator Rabbitte spoke about Portiuncula hospital, which provides a terrific service for people in Ballinasloe and right around the area. She spoke about the need for clarity, which was finally given at the health committee yesterday, in respect of the Walker report. Sadly, the clarity was that the recommendations were not implemented. That is wrong. The Senator's call is for availability and access to high-quality services. There are no maternity services for the women who live in those areas between Galway and Dublin. That is simply wrong. Emergencies happen, even with the best will in the world, and women and their partners need to know that they have timely access to interventions that are needed. I fully support the Senator in that regard. We need fully implemented and funded services with safe access. We need the Walker report to be implemented and we will send that message to the Minister. We will ask her to address the House.

Senator Boyle spoke about two families with special needs in Donegal. They are going to Clonmanny National School. The Senator spoke eloquently and compassionately about the challenges that families face when they have children with special needs. I speak as such a family member. The Senator rightly said that the unconditional love you have for that family member is unsurpassed and unmatched, and you want to do everything that you can. In terms of the specifics he raised about children having to access transport on the side of a busy road, I do not know the minutiae. I know that, this year, 23,000 bus tickets and the access to transport were provided to those with special needs, which was an increase of 4% from last year. The Minister will be in the House for a scheduled debate on school transport next week so there will be an opportunity. Perhaps we need a bit more detail but if there is any support I can give, I am happy to do so.

Senator Cosgrove spoke about child poverty and homelessness. No matter which side of the House we are on, we all want to do our best to eradicate poverty, particularly child poverty, and homelessness. One of the reasons the Government decided to provide free schoolbooks was in order that families would not be under pressure coming up to September. That has now been extended right through the primary and secondary cycle. There is also the hot school meals programme. I appreciate that there may be technical issues in respect of the roll-out in some places so perhaps the hot meals have not been provided. The important thing is that those children have a meal. I know that the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, are working together to have the best nutritional and dietary advice to those who are providing the meals, and rightly so.We want to make sure that those children are getting the proper nutrients. Many of us had the opportunity to meet representatives from the Simon Communities earlier. Simon does a lot of work to support these families for which it should be commended.

Senator Crowe spoke about the challenges facing vintners and those in the hospitality sector. On the flight last night, I met Adrian Cummins. He had been over meeting some of his European counterparts. We discussed the demise of the pub, which is a social spot, particularly in our rural communities. For many, it is the one spot where they go to have a chat and share the issues of the day and not be judged. As a society, we would lose so much if we were to lose those community and social spots. The Vintners' Federation of Ireland, VFI, has made recommendations. We hope that its members' social and cultural role would be appreciated and supports would be put in place.

Senator Scahill spoke about the delay in getting responses from boards and agencies. He is 100% correct in what he said. It is most frustrating to receive holding answers and there is no follow-up and people end up having to, in the midst of everything else, chase up answers. Obviously, the timelines are being broken and enforcement is needed. I suggest that we ask members of our own political parties and none, who are members of the commission, to raise this. We will write to the Clerk of the Dáil and the Clerk of the Seanad and we will bring it up at Cabinet level as well to make sure there is action on it. The point is very well made and we will support it.

Senator Curley spoke about Gort being an area where small schools have teaching principals who have been in the pilot project where they are released for one day and how well that is working. Those pilot days are working right across the country. I do not know how teaching principals do their job. They are incredible people. We have to ensure that we give them all the support we can. We support that this pilot scheme would be rolled out next year. I think the plans are there to roll it out. The Senator also raised the issue of the capitation grant. We are still not back, even though, in the past two years, the capitation has increased by 22%, to where we were at in 2011. That is what is completely wrong. Every year we support it and we hope that, in the budget, it will be there.

Senator Curley also raised the point about the IFA and CAP being tied to LEADER funding. This funding is so important, particularly for the rural communities that we represent. We will ask the Minister to come in to talk about this. The CAP came up in every single meeting we had in Brussels over the past two days. I know that, apart from the Minister for agriculture, at Cabinet level, there is support and concern. The plans in the next MFF are for the EU budget to increase by 60%, but where it is going is changing because the key priorities in Europe are defence. Many of the countries on the eastern side of Europe are trebling and quadrupling their defence budgets. Their MEPs are applying pressure in Brussels in relation to that funding.

Senator Cathal Byrne spoke about the tillage sector. Tillage is a critical part of our country in terms of bedding and feed. While beef farmers are doing well now, tillage farmers are not. We fully support the Senator's call for the interventions that need to be made to support tillage farmers.

Senator O'Reilly spoke about the NCSE and supporting SNAs. She noted that the new guidelines seem to be limiting. To be honest, I have not read through them so I do not know. Certainly, there should be proper consultation. We will ask the Minister of State with responsibility for special education to look at this and to come here to talk to us. He is passionate about doing the right thing for the sector and for the children and students who need the support.