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Seanad Éireann Vol. 224 Wednesday, No. 8 3 July 2013 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Insert Date Here Business of Seanad 614 Order of Business 615 Parental Leave Bill 2013: First Stage 633 Further Education and Training Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages 634 An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Dara Céim (Atógáil) 637 Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Re- sumed) 637 Food Provenance Bill 2013: Second Stage 668 Adjournment Debate 690 03/07/2013QQ00600Sunbed Usage 690 03/07/2013RR00600Hospital Services 693 03/07/2013SS00200Tobacco Control Measures 694 SEANAD ÉIREANN Dé Céadaoin, 03 Iúil 2013 Wednesday, 03 July 2013 Chuaigh an Cathaoirleach i gceannas ar 1030 am Machnamh agus Paidir. Reflection and Prayer. Business of Seanad 03/07/2013A00200An Cathaoirleach: I have received notice from Senator John Crown that, on the motion for the Adjournment of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter: Recognising the commitment of the Government to initiate legislation to regulate the use of sunbeds and recognising the strong link between sunbed use and skin cancer, the most common cause of cancer in Ireland, the urgent need for the Minister for Health to draft legislation regulating sunbed use I have also received notice from Senator Jimmy Harte of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to outline the future for community hospitals in County Donegal, in particular, those in Dungloe and Carndonagh and St Joseph’s in Stra- norlar I have also received notice from Senator Martin Conway of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to regulate the tobacco industry by banning the sale of packs of 25 and 23 cigarettes at promotional prices I have also received notice from Senator Lorraine Higgins of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to indicate when funding will be made available from his Department for the construction of a roundabout in County Galway (details supplied) in the interests of the health and safety of the people utilising it on a daily basis I have also received notice from Senator John Whelan of the following matter: The plans the Minister for Justice and Equality has to relocate Portlaoise Courthouse to a 614 3 July 2013 new and more appropriate premises and location as its current position on Main Street is no longer appropriate or fit for purpose and is completely disruptive on the main thoroughfare of the county town I have also received notice from Senator Paschal Mooney of the following matter: The need for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to consider requesting local authorities to adopt a public light system developed by an Irish company which claims it could save local authorities up to €14 million a year I regard the matters raised by Senators Martin Conway, John Crown, Jimmy Harte, Lorraine Higgins and John Whelan as suitable for discussion on the Adjournment I have selected the matters raised by Senators John Crown, Jimmy Harte, Martin Conway and Lorraine Higgins and they will be taken at the conclusion of business I regret that I have to rule out of order the matter raised by Senator Paschal Mooney as the Minister has no official responsibility in the matter Senator John Whelan may give notice on another day of the matter he wishes to raise Order of Business 03/07/2013A00400Senator Maurice Cummins: The Order of Business is No 1, Further Education and Train- ing Bill 2013 - Committee Stage, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business and conclude not later than 130 pm; as no amendments have been submitted to the Bill, I pro- pose we deal with Committee and Remaining Stages today, if Members agree; No 2, Thirty- second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013 - Second Stage (resumed), to be taken at 130 pm and adjourned not later than 4 pm; and No 4, Private Members’ business, Food Provenance Bill 2013 - Second Stage, to be taken at 430 pm and conclude not later than 630 pm 03/07/2013A00500Senator Marc MacSharry: We will not oppose that aspect of the Order of Business, but some colleagues may have an amendment to propose The Taoiseach and the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, are elsewhere in Europe today to consider the issue of youth unemployment and the moneys that will be made available Europe-wide for that purpose That is welcome and hope it will lead to tangible action on the ground in job creation here, as opposed to some wooly policy that will not deliver on the ground It is extremely worrying to see Europe-wide the level of youth unemployment as high as it is Sadly, yesterday we had further bad news with Ulster Bank announcing it would close a fur- ther 40 branches. The Irish Bank Officials Association, IBOA, has stated up to 1,850 jobs are at risk, although the bank has denied this The IBOA said up to 1,850 jobs were at risk although that has been denied by the bank. In any event, it is a significant blow. Further redundancies to take place in Hewlett-Packard meant that yesterday was quite a dark day The Leader of the Opposition referred to the mortgage arrears crisis in the House yesterday The Leader of the Seanad mentioned that the Central Bank legislation presented an ideal oppor- tunity to raise such issues but I take issue with that This is a silent crisis and requires a debate It requires a rolling debate because what I predicted in 2009 when on the other side of the House and what was predicted at the time by Fine Gael Members, including Senator Healy Eames, is 615 Seanad Éireann now bringing itself to bear The Dunne judgment, which found a loophole in the conveyancing and land Acts that prevented repossessions, will now be undone by the Government The chief risk officer for Ulster Bank implied that the bank intends to plough ahead with repossessions as a matter of urgency, and he estimated that up to 35% of defaulters are strategic defaulters I do not believe the Leader believes that those families throughout the country who are struggling at present are strategic defaulters I regret very much that the code of conduct will strengthen the hand of the banks and weaken that of struggling families The code of conduct prevents the po- tential for success of aspects of the insolvency legislation introduced by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter We must have a meaningful debate on this issue and introduce tangible measures that will give real relief to people We must not leave the fox in charge of the henhouse The banks cannot be trusted and this has been proven time and again We have heard tapes in recent weeks and now the banks cannot be trusted to put the people first. They always put themselves first and it is our responsibility to face up to that and do something about it. 03/07/2013B00200Senator Ivana Bacik: I join Senator MacSharry in expressing great regret over the an- nouncements yesterday of job losses in Ulster Bank and Hewlett-Packard This is most disap- pointing and regrettable However, we are hearing positive news today in terms of the vote that we hope MEPs will support the EU budget, the seven-year budget worth €690 million The negotiations on this were led by the Tánaiste, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, who is in Strasbourg today to be present for the vote Critical to the vote on the budget is the emphasis on the youth guarantee As others stated, this is important across the European Union, which has appalling levels of youth unemployment The guarantee, which was pioneered by Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, will be very specific. What we are seeing is a front-loading of €6 billion in the EU youth employment initiative It is to be spent in 2014 and 2015 to ensure the guarantee can be given. The intention is to guarantee those who do not find a job within four months of leaving school further education, a training place or employment under the pro- grammes It is vital that the budget be passed so we can give effect to the guarantee There is another vote in Europe that is of great interest to us here, namely, the vote on the European Ombudsman I wish Ms Emily O’Reilly luck with that vote She is the favourite to succeed and would be a really excellent European Ombudsman I welcome the passage of Second Stage in the Dáil yesterday of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill It was an historic day, 21 years after the X case judgment, in that the Oireachtas finally took responsibility for passing legislation to give effect to the Supreme Court judgment I look forward to the debate in this House In due course, we will be debating in this House the whistleblower legislation, the Protected Disclosures in the Public Interest Bill, which the Minister for Public Expenditure
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