Vol. 211 Tuesday, No. 10 22 November 2011 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Dé Máirt, 22 Samhain 2011. Business of Seanad ………………………………563 Order of Business …………………………………563 Recommendation of Committee on Procedure and Privileges: Motion ………………585 Infrastructure and Capital Investment: Statements, Questions and Answers ……………585 Adjournment Matter Telecommunications Services …………………………620 SEANAD ÉIREANN ———— Dé Máirt, 22 Samhain 2011. Tuesday, 22 November 2011. ———— Chuaigh an Cathaoirleach i gceannas ar 12.30 p.m. ———— Paidir. Prayer. ———— Business of Seanad An Leas-Chathaoirleach: I have notice from Senator Deirdre Clune that, on the motion for the Adjournment of the House today, she proposes to raise the following matter: The need for the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to avail of the opportunity to provide tier 1 international connectivity to the south of the country by ensuring a connection is made to the Hibernia Express cable that is being laid from the UK to the USA. I regard the matter raised by the Senator as suitable for discussion on the Adjournment and it will be taken at the conclusion of business. Order of Business Senator Maurice Cummins: The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re arrangements for the address to Seanad Éireann by Dr. Mary Robinson on Thursday, 24 November 2011, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of the Order of Business; and No. 2, statements on infrastructure and capital investment, to be taken at 3.30 p.m. and to conclude no later than 5.30 p.m., with the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes, followed by questions from the floor not to exceed two minutes. There will be a sos on the conclusion of No. 1. An Leas-Chathaoirleach: I am confining the Order of Business today to 55 minutes. Some Members may not get in but I was criticised on the previous day by some of my own people for allowing it to go on and, therefore, I will have to stick to the rules. If everybody plays by the rules and keeps to their time, many Members will get an opportunity to speak. Senator Darragh O’Brien: The clock starts now. First, I want to correct the record of the House. Last week I raised the matter of student fees and the fact that Labour Youth and Labour Party Members were not at the march. I am happy to correct the record of House in that the national chairperson of Labour Youth contacted me to tell me that there were some members of Labour Youth at the march. I commend them for taking that stance in opposition to their own party. It is a difficult thing to do. He was also able to confirm that there was only one member of the Labour Party Parliamentary Party at the march, the newly elected Member, 563 Order of 22 November 2011. Business. [Senator Darragh O’Brien.] Deputy Patrick Nulty. I am happy to correct the record of the House and the Labour Party Members might reflect on the reason they let down their youth movement so badly. Second, and most importantly, regarding the mortgage arrears implementation strategy, we had a very good debate here some weeks ago with the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes. All of us agreed that the Minister of State was very forthcoming. In response to questions from myself and a Senator on the Government side of the House he stated: [We] will not be obliged to wait until the budget is introduced in order to discover what the Government proposes to do. It is the Government’s intention — as set out by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan — to put in place a full implementation strategy in advance of the budget. This will mean that no one will be obliged to wait until the first week of December to discover what are the Government’s proposals. He also stated: It is the responsibility of [...] Members of this House to ensure that we deliver on what we have proposed. That is what holding a Government to account involves. I intend to hold the Government to account here today because last Tuesday the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, in response to my colleague in the other House, stated: I am planning to make an announcement before Christmas [not before the budget] but whether that is before or after the budget I cannot say. It is more likely to be in those weeks between the budget and the Christmas recess. The Government has had the Keane report for almost nine weeks. The Minister of State came into this House and stated on the record, which I welcomed at the time, that we will have a full implementation strategy on mortgage arrears published in advance of the budget but his boss, the Minister, Deputy Noonan, has stated that we will not. I do not believe the Minister, Deputy Noonan, when he states the strategy will be published before Christmas. We saw the figures last week. Almost 10% of mortgages in this country are in distress and the Government is doing nothing about it. The Government side has defeated a family home Bill already in this House, so what is it doing on mortgages? The Minister of State or the Minister for Finance should return to the House and tell us why we are obliged to wait until after the budget to hear the Government’s proposals. Only three weeks ago we were told they would be published in advance of the budget but the Government has reneged on that promise. Hopefully Members on the Government side will take up that issue. Turning to what I may call “Joan’s 12 Steps to Economic Recovery”, which was published by the current Minister for Social Protection in advance of the election in February, the seventh step states that she will protect child benefit. I hope she does and I hope the Government is not flying a kite and causing grave concern to thousands of families by suggesting a €10 cut in child benefit. This will be fought tooth and nail by my party. Nowhere in any agreement does it state that child benefit will be cut. I remind Members opposite——- An Leas-Chathaoirleach: You are not entitled to display emblems in the House. Senator Darragh O’Brien: ——that the Labour Party leader, Deputy Gilmore, and the leader of the Labour Party group in the Seanad, Senator Bacik, on 19 February 2011 promised that the Labour Party would not agree to a child benefit cut. 564 Order of 22 November 2011. Business. An Leas-Chathaoirleach: You cannot display photographs in the House. Senator Darragh O’Brien: We can paper the walls with all these promises they have made. What is the position on child benefit? Will the Leader confirm that the Government will not cut child benefit to hard-pressed families? An Leas-Chathaoirleach: Your time is up. Senator Darragh O’Brien: I wish to move an amendment to the Order of Business, to call on the Minister for Health to attend the House today to tell us what the Government is doing in respect of the 120 State run community nursing homes, including the home in Abbeyleix and St. Brigid’s in Dublin. I want him to confirm that it is not Government policy to close all these community run beds for the elderly. There should be a debate on the very important service given to our elderly by the community nursing homes. I agree with Senator John Whelan of the Labour Party, who said this was a bridge too far for him. I hope the Members opposite support this amendment. Senator Susan O’Keeffe: I am sure if I went to my local hardware store I would probably find wallpaper with a design called “Fianna Fáil promises”. I would like to wish the Cabinet well in its discussions on the budget. In the midst of all the rumour, innuendoes and suggestions, protocol always is that the budget will be announced when it is announced. I would like to see some sort of decency maintained in that respect. Senator Thomas Byrne: The Senator should say that to the Ministers. An Leas-Chathaoirleach: Allow Senator O’Keeffe speak. Senator Susan O’Keeffe: On a different matter, I would like to commend a model which is coming to the Button Factory in Dublin on Thursday. It is the “Leitrim Equation 2” model of musical delight, which is about more than music. It is about bringing older and younger people together in a spirit of co-operation to discover the sort of traditions and the cultural richness of Leitrim. I would like to commend that as a model for the way in which communities can come together and find things in common when times are difficult. I would like to ask the Leader if the authorities can find as a matter of urgency a way of responding to the increase in the numbers sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin. This is a problem that is particularly acute in Dublin, although there are people sleeping rough in Cork, Galway and Limerick. The number of those in Dublin has gone from 60 in 2009 to 70 in 2010 to 87 as of 9 November 2011.If there needs to be an emergency intervention when the weather gets colder, the authorities need to ensure that we do not find people literally on the streets. This problem occurs every year at this time, but it is particularly difficult this year because there is a shortage of beds to cover the increased numbers.