Vol. 234 Tuesday, No. 3 23 September 2014 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Insert Date Here 23/09/2014A00100Business of Seanad 132 23/09/2014B00100Order of Business 132 23/09/2014W00100Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage 151 23/09/2014GG00400Business of Seanad 164 23/09/2014GG00700Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) �������������������������������������������������164 23/09/2014MM01100Appointments to Board of Irish Museum of Modern Art: Statements 172 23/09/2014RR00100Adjournment Matters ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������183 23/09/2014RR00150VAT Rate Application 183 SEANAD ÉIREANN Dé Máirt, 23 Meán Fómhair 2014 Tuesday, 23 September 2014 Chuaigh an Cathaoirleach i gceannas ar 230 pm Machnamh agus Paidir. Reflection and Prayer. 23/09/2014A00100Business of Seanad 23/09/2014A00200An Cathaoirleach: I have received notice from Senator Martin Conway that, on the motion for the Adjournment of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter: The need for the Minister for Finance to comment on the VAT rate applicable to Irish dancing classes and whether it may be reduced in the upcoming budget 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 23/09/2014B00100Order of Business 23/09/2014B00200Senator Maurice Cummins: The Order of Business is No 1, Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 - Committee Stage, to be taken after the Order of Business 23/09/2014B00300Senator Darragh O’Brien: I await with interest the answer to the Adjournment debate involving Senator Conway Was it on Joe Duffy’s radio show yesterday? On a number of occasions, Senators on both sides of the House, including Senator Gilroy in particular, have raised the issue of early intervention for children with special needs who need speech and language therapy I assume most Members saw the Inclusion Ireland report last week which highlighted the fact that 15,000 children in the country are languishing on waiting lists and cannot access any services Kids with special needs need help to set them in the right direction and ensure they reach their maximum potential and get support In all parts of the country things are at crisis point, and this is more acute on the east coast and in Dublin, where there are no early intervention teams The Government closed the waiting list from June 2012 in the north city and county area of Dublin Children cannot be added to a waiting list to access 132 23 September 2014 speech and language therapy No one on the Government benches agrees that this is acceptable It is unacceptable that we must continue to talk about this I have raised the matter on numerous occasions, as have Members on all sides, but we are getting nowhere and nothing is being done This matter lies with the Department of Health, and it is too serious to let the situation continue We cannot raise this today and then talk about it in a few weeks’ time when another report is issued We are lucky because we have the ability to speak about this and put across our points Many of the children who are waiting for initial assessment for speech and language therapy are unable to do what I am doing What I am doing this afternoon is speaking on their behalf If we are serious about building a fair society even in the toughest times, surely urgent funding can be put in place to resource the teams In the north Dublin area, 2,258 children have been waiting since June 2012 to get an initial assessment, and no one has been added to the waiting list since then Of the 15,000 children countrywide, God knows what is the real figure. I am not tabling an amendment to Order of Business by way of confrontation but to insist that the Minister for Health come to the House to outline the Government’s plans in this regard and to explain how we will tackle the waiting lists Irish people are inherently fair, and if we said we would need €30 million or €40 million to properly resource the teams and put a specific emphasis on reducing waiting lists, people would not have a problem saying that we could not do such and such another thing because the money was needed to resource these teams It can- not be allowed to continue I have met parents who were being funded by charities to pay the initial fee for the occupational therapy report They cannot afford it If we are serious about this, let us agree that if the Leader will not accept the amendment to the Order of Business, he will set aside specific time next week to get the Minister into the House to hear our case and outline his case in a non-confrontational manner We should work on this together It has been raised in the House on numerous occasions All of us want to see this situation improved upon It is so urgent that we cannot simply continue to talk about it 23/09/2014C00200Senator Ivana Bacik: I welcome the positive economic figures that have been published in recent weeks In particular I welcome the comments of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, make this morning before the Cabinet meeting to the effect that this is the best pre-budget position the country has been in for six years. For the first time in a long time we are seeing positive indicators going into a budget I hope this means the health, educa- tion and social welfare budgets will be protected and that we will not see cuts in those services The Leader will respond to Senator O’Brien’s amendment call, but I share his concern, as does everyone in the House Senator O’Brien has fairly referred to the long delays and the In- clusion Ireland report about the lack of access to speech and language therapists It is appalling It is not new in the sense that we have seen such delays in the system We have seen a lack of recruitment as well One key issue is simply a shortage of skilled personnel who are able to carry out the assessments and provide the appointments We need to see urgent action taken on this matter I absolutely agree with Senator O’Brien on this - I imagine everyone in the House would agree on it I would like to see us having an early debate on the matter, even if it cannot be facilitated today On a lighter note, I wish all those involved in the ploughing championships this week well It is expected that 200,000 people will visit the championships It is an important showcase for Irish agriculture, agribusiness, the food business and artisan food producers as well It is a 133 Seanad Éireann positive event this week Will the Leader consider arranging an early debate on climate change following the meeting that has been convened by the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, in New York today? It is a meeting of world leaders to look at trying to break through the obstacles prevent- ing the taking of serious action on climate change It is a welcome initiative He has broken out of the normal structures of UN meetings on climate change to call this one-off meeting and seek commitments from leaders of all countries on how they will reduce their emissions and stick to targets We need to keep climate change at the top of our political priorities and I am pleased to see that the Government has committed to introducing the legislation I hope we will see it become law in 2015 It has long been promised I know there is support from all sides of the House for climate change legislation but the last Government could not get it through It is really important that we get it through in the term of this Government 23/09/2014C00300Senator Katherine Zappone: In light of the unfolding controversy about the abortion guidelines published by the Department of Health last Friday as well as the HSE’s report on Ms Y’s case, made public by RTE’s “Prime Time” last night, I have some questions for the Minis- ter for Health As responsible law makers no doubt we all have questions for the Minister for Health It is imperative that we are provided with an opportunity to raise them with the Minister in the Seanad as soon as possible The people on all sides of the abortion debate deserve to have us, as public representatives and law makers, spend our time facing head-on whether our law- making is adequate, effective and whether it holds its intended impact, especially with a law as fresh as the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act On Friday last when he was commenting on the publication of abortion guidelines the Min- ister for Health was reported as saying: One thing I know as a doctor is that medicine is never black and white and I know as a legislator that legislation can never be black and white It is never going to be possible to create guidelines that provide absolute clarity My first question to the Minister is: Why not? I have trawled through the guidelines and, although I am not a medic, I do not believe the issue is clarity With due respect to our Minister - it is great to hear such a straight talker - I do not believe it is a matter of clarity If the Leader would, please, invite him here as soon as possible the following