Vol. 180 Wednesday, No. 5 27 April 2005 DI´OSPO´ IREACHTAI´ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD E´ IREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIU´ IL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Wednesday, 27 April 2005. Business of Seanad ………………………………321 Order of Business …………………………………322 Health and Social Care Professionals Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages ……………335 International Interests in Mobile Equipment (Cape Town Convention) Bill 2005: Order for Second Stage ……………………………369 Second Stage …………………………………369 Road Safety: Motion ………………………………392 Adjournment Matters: Citizenship Applications ……………………………427 Schools Refurbishment ……………………………429 Schools Building Projects ……………………………430 321 322 SEANAD E´ IREANN The need for the Minister for Education and Science to report on the steps taken to tackle ———— health and safety issues and class size problems at St. Brigid’s national school, Beechpark, De´ Ce´adaoin, 27 Aibrea´n 2005. Castleknock. Wednesday, 27 April 2005. I have also received notice from Senator Dooley of the following matter: ———— The need for the Minister for the Envir- Chuaigh an Cathaoirleach i gceannas ar onment, Heritage and Local Government to 10.30 a.m. provide adequate reassurances to the people of Shannon town that the EPA decision to allow ———— Schwartz Pharma to recommence operations will not impact on their health and safety. Paidir. Prayer. I regard the matters raised by Senators Feighan, Morrissey, McHugh, Coghlan, Browne and Terry ———— as suitable for discussion on the Adjournment. I have selected the matters raised by Senators Feighan, Morrissey and McHugh and they will be Business of Seanad. taken at the conclusion of business. Senators An Cathaoirleach: I have received notice from Coghlan, Browne and Terry may give notice of Senator Feighan that, on the motion for the the matters they wish to raise on another day. I Adjournment of the House today, he proposes to regret that I have had to rule out of order the raise the following matter: matter raised by Senator Dooley as the Minister The need for the Minister for Justice, for the Environment, Heritage and Local Equality and Law Reform to intervene in the Government has no official responsibility in the case of a person (details supplied) in County matter. Roscommon who has been refused permission to remain in the State. Order of Business. I have also received notice from Senator Ms O’Rourke: The Order of Business is No. 1, Morrissey of the following matter: Health and Social Care Professionals Bill 2004 — The need for the Minister for Education and Report and Final Stages, to be taken on the con- Science to report on the major capital works clusion of the Order of Business until 1.30 p.m.; application made by St. Brigid’s national No. 2, International Interests in Mobile Equip- school, Castleknock. ment (Cape Town Convention) Bill 2005 — Order for Second Stage and Second Stage, to be I have also received notice from Senator McHugh taken at 2.30 p.m. and to conclude not later than of the following matter: 5 p.m., with the contributions of spokespersons The need for the Minister for Education and not to exceed 15 minutes and those of other Science to indicate when the extension to Scoil Senators not to exceed ten minutes and the Mini- Eoin Baiste, Carrigart, County Donegal, which ster to be called upon to reply not later than ten was approved by the Department in 1969, will minutes before the conclusion of Second Stage; be started. and No. 17, motion 13 re road safety, to be taken at 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. There will be a sos from I have also received notice from Senator Coghlan 1.30 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. of the following matter: The need for the Minister for the Envir- Mr. Finucane: The European Court of Justice onment, Heritage and Local Government to made a ruling yesterday on Ireland’s flouting of ensure that full and proper deer counts of the laws on waste disposal as a result of 12 complaints sika and native red species are organised, con- to the European Union registered between 1997 ducted and taken into account before any final and 2000. In 1999 and 2001, Ireland was given decision is taken on a deer cull in Killarney warnings on the matter which the Government National Park or the vicinity thereof. failed to heed with the result that the court has I have also received notice from Senator Browne rapped us on the knuckles. We have lived with a of the following matter: great many complaints over the past few years about landfills in Wicklow and other locations. The need for the Minister for Education and The Government has up to three months to Science to outline the positions in the schools address the matter and I hope the Minister for building programme of scoil na´isiu´ nta Binn an the Environment, Heritage and Local Govern- Choire, Bennekerry, and scoil na´isiu´ nta Mhuire ment, Deputy Roche, will take action. While gan Sma´l, Green Lane, Carlow. many of the problems involved preceded his min- I have also received notice from Senator Terry of isterial appointment, the Government was aware the following matter: of them. 323 Order of 27 April 2005. Business 324 [Mr. Finucane.] energy in importing kiwi fruit from New Zealand That the ruling is significant is evidenced by the to Europe. Let us compare that with the amount fine of \20,000 per day levied on the Greek of energy we are wasting sending our dirt to Government due to an illegal landfill site on China to pollute and damage the health of ordi- Crete, which amounted to \18 million over the nary people there. We should cry “Stop” on this two and a half years it took to act. That was just one. one site, whereas we have complaints about 12 locations. I stress the urgent need to take action Mr. Ryan: It is hard to add to what has just to avoid hefty financial consequences. been said. I am not an authority on this but I The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law know a little about these matters. There is no Reform and his officials have been involved in reason for a rich country to have a waste crisis. prolonged discussions with prison officers. These There is no reason for a city like Dublin to have discussions appear to have foundered with the a waste water treatment plant which stinks. There recent rejection of the Minister’s terms by the is no reason for Senator Dooley to have to raise officers. The Minister’s extremely aggressive and the matter. confrontational remarks on radio this morning to the effect that he would use the Garda and the An Cathaoirleach: Senator Dooley did not Army to run the prisons and win indicate that open his mouth yet. quiet diplomacy has stopped. Prison wardens are carrying out this service at present. I do not know Mr. Ryan: He attempted to raise the matter on if the Minister thinks this type of belligerent the Adjournment. There is no reason pharma- behaviour will work. A far more diplomatic ceutical plants should smell. If they do, it is approach should be taken to this problem because they are badly run. If a waste water treat- because that type of attitude will not bear fruit ment plant smells, it is because it is badly run. and could lead to the type of action we might If we are pretending to recycle waste by simply long regret. shipping it off to China, that is because we will not do it properly. All of those problems are sol- Mr. O’Toole: I also wish to raise the matter of uble. There are countries richer than ours that waste. This issue has been in the news a great have no waste crisis or no smell crisis. It is our deal recently. A large section was devoted to it in own fault. The Irish Times yesterday, and there was a dis- If we must have incineration in this country we cussion this morning on “Morning Ireland” need leadership. I would be pleased to hear the regarding the decision of the European Court of Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Justice. Local Government say he would be happy to One aspect of this matter has not been referred have an incinerator in County Wicklow, which is to in any publication I have seen in the past week what he has opposed up to now. That is the way despite all the discussion on it. I do not know if to give leadership, not to tell the rest of us what people realise that hundreds and thousands of we should do. I hope we have now been forced tonnes of waste are being exported from Ireland by the European Union to deal with our waste and England every week more than half way problem like all the other civilised countries of around the world to China where it is burnt and Europe do. disposed of to the detriment of the people living The problem of the increasing incidence of in those areas. While we have nice European suicide is continually raised. Last week a report Union regulations about the disposal of waste was published in Scotland showing that a multi- and while the Green lobby and others are happy disciplinary approach had produced a dramatic for us not to deal with incineration, landfills or reduction of about 12% in suicides. I am aware such like, we are washing our hands in a Pontius that an interdepartmental body is working on this Pilate fashion, sending our waste to underdevel- problem. There is ample evidence of what can be oped parts of China where ordinary people are done, not to eliminate but to reduce suicide.