Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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The issue of security was raised at the Seanad Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight. While people are entitled to protest outside the Parliament, it was asked that the permanent problem we have in relation to protests be addressed in a permanent manner because we have rolling security measures whereby security barriers are brought in and then taken away because there is no crowd and no protest and this represents an enormous cost to taxpayer. We have asked the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission to report back to the House and to make sure that this issue, which has been ongoing for a long time, is addressed in order that Members of the Oireachtas and members of the public who are visiting can come and go safely and that people who are protesting outside can also do so safely. There is too much traffic on the road outside and there is always the danger that someone is going to step off the footpath into the way of a cyclist or an oncoming bus. We have asked for that to be addressed.

We have also had input into the strategic plan being adopted this week on foot of suggestions from the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight that a Members' feedback committee would be established to look at security, facilities and all other issues Members come across. The feedback committee would be a vehicle through which Members could raise those issues for them to be passed on to the commission to be addressed. I thank Members for their input in relation to the strategic plan. Their concerns are on track to be addressed, particularly those around safety and the use of taxpayers' money on days like yesterday.

I welcome a former Member, the former Senator Gerry Horkan, to Seanad Éireann. I thank him for coming in today.