Seanad Éireann

Vol. 247 Thursday, No. 8 6 October 2016

DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN

TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised)

Insert Date Here

06/10/2016A00100Business of Seanad ��464

06/10/2016A00300Commencement Matters ��465

06/10/2016A00450Garda Vetting of Personnel��465

06/10/2016B00450Road Projects��467

06/10/2016C00450Neuro-Rehabilitation Services ��470

06/10/2016G00100Order of Business ��473

06/10/2016O01200Sitting Arrangements: Motion ��490

06/10/2016O01500EU Regulation on Matrimonial Matters, Matters of Parental Responsibility and International Child Abduction: Motion ��490

06/10/2016O01800Appointment of Members of Legal Services Regulatory Authority: Motion ��491

06/10/2016W00050Action Plan for Education: Statements ��491 SEANAD ÉIREANN

Déardaoin, 6 Deireadh Fómhair 2016

Thursday, 6 October 2016

Chuaigh an Leas-Chathaoirleach i gceannas ar 10.30 a.m.

Machnamh agus Paidir. Reflection and Prayer.

06/10/2016A00100Business of Seanad

06/10/2016A00200An Leas-Chathaoirleach: I have received notice from Senator Aidan Davitt that, on the Commencement of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter:

The need for the Tánaiste and Minister of Justice and Equality to outline how she plans to address the unworkable nature of the new Garda vetting system which has hindered school recruitment processes and voluntary organisations across the State.

I have also received notice from Senator Kieran O’Donnell of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide an update on plans in respect of the M20 motorway project from Cork to Limerick.

I have also received notice from Senator Victor Boyhan of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Health to update the House on the progress, if any, that has been made in the transfer of lands for the redevelopment of the National Rehabilitation Hos- pital, Rochestown Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin and when works are expected to commence on the site.

I have also received notice from Senator Colette Kelleher of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Health to invest in inpatient and community neuro-rehabilitation services to address the deficits on the patient pathway from hospital to home.

I have also received notice from Senator Gerard P. Craughwell of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to outline his plans for the regulation of scrambler bikes which are being driven by under-age and uninsured drivers on roads and footpaths and in green areas, posing a real risk to lives and causing serious anti- social behaviour.

I have also received notice from Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to give approval to increase the herring quota under the Celtic Sea herring management plan for the Dunmore Box to compensate for the loss of herring quota in the fishery in 2015. 464 6 October 2016 I have also received notice from Senator Tim Lombard of the following matter:

The need for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in the light of the current crisis in the grain industry, to engage with the European Commission to secure an aid package for the grain sector.

I regard the matters raised by the Senators as suitable for discussion. I have selected the matters raised by Senators Aidan Davitt, Kieran O’Donnell, Victor Boyhan and Colette Kelle- her and they will be taken now. Senators Gerard P. Craughwell, Brian Ó Domhnaill and Tim Lombard may give notice on another day of the matters they wish to raise. Senator Colette Kelleher has withdrawn the Commencement matter which I had selected for discussion.

06/10/2016A00300Commencement Matters

06/10/2016A00450Garda Vetting of Personnel

06/10/2016A00400An Leas-Chathaoirleach: I welcome the Minister of State.

06/10/2016A00500Senator Aidan Davitt: The statement is self-explanatory. Since the roll-out of the new Garda vetting forms, there has been a disconnect between the legislation and the reality on the ground. A serious problem has arisen. Mr. Michael Ryan, the principal of a school in Water- ford, has raised a valid query. He wants to take on some temporary staff. He would have the same issue if he wanted to take on a new teacher to work in the school. He and the school board of management can be held personally liable under the new legislation if they do not get the Garda vetting certificates in order. For someone looking to work on a temporary basis, it is taking five or six weeks to get a Garda vetting certificate for that school. If a teacher was working in a school and had a Garda vetting certificate, it would not apply to Mr. Ryan’s school. Under the new legislation, a principal such as Mr. Ryan has to apply to the Garda to obtain a certificate pertaining to his school. There seems to be a real disconnect.

The same applies to social clubs and other bodies. For argument’s sake, if the Minister of State wanted to be a coach with a GAA club, the club would need to apply and o obtain a certificate from the Garda. If he then wanted to coach the soccer team or work with the scouts, these bodies would need to apply individually, which is duplication of paperwork. There has to be a simpler system.

I know that for new teachers starting now there is an electronic certificate. If the Garda approves a person for one body, the certificate should apply to all. We need a more streamlined system to make the system work. There is considerably more responsibility under the new legislation, with the possibility of imprisonment, fines and everything else. People are taking it very seriously. While I welcome the legislation in principle - it is good legislation - it might have been imposed slightly too quickly without having done some of the ground work behind it. Perhaps the certificate that applies to new teachers should be given to existing teachers in order that they could move more freely between schools. It is a serious problem and we should address it.

465 Seanad Éireann

06/10/2016A00600Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (Deputy David Stanton): I am representing the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality today. I thank the Senator for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to inform the House that there is no particular or undue delay in the Garda employment vetting process. There has been a very significant improvement in the timeframe for processing vetting applications in recent months.

The Garda authorities which operate the National Vetting Bureau inform the Tánaiste that in the order of 80% of vetting applications are processed by the vetting bureau within five working days. The current processing times represent a dramatic improvement in turnaround times which have fallen from an average of 14 weeks in mid-2013. This improvement has come about as a result of unprecedented investment by the Government and the Garda authorities in providing this service, including an increase of more than 80% in staffing levels in the past couple of years and the roll-out earlier this year of an e-vetting system. In April this year the Tánaiste commenced the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016, in tandem with which An Garda Síochána launched the e-vetting system.

E-vetting facilitates the on-line processing of applications and this has significantly streamlined the process and contributed to a sustained reduction in processing times of applications. A key feature of the e-vetting system is that the individual applicant can track the progress of his or her vetting application on-line and can, therefore, see when his or her application has been processed and returned to the relevant registered organisation.

The Tánaiste has been informed that 85% of organisations registered for vetting are operating the e-vetting system. The Garda authorities are working to encourage all other organisations to do so. The Senator may be able to help in that regard by letting people know about it. For vetting applications that continue to be submitted in the old paper format, the average turnaround time is around four weeks from the date of receipt of the application by the vetting bureau and this represents a minimum timeframe, given the administrative input required. The Senator is correct about the paperwork involved. The e-vetting system is a lot faster.

In some individual cases, it can take longer to process an application where, for example, additional inquiries are necessary or where errors have been made in the application. It is important to note that delays can also occur in other aspects of the application process which are outside the control of the Garda authorities, for example, in the submission or return of applications by the registered organisations.

In summary, the overwhelming majority of vetting applications are processed within five working days, which is not at all unreasonable in the circumstances. Delays can arise, mainly in aspects of the process that are outside the control of the Garda vetting bureau.

I also heard what the Senator had to say about certificates. A joint committee examined this issue a number of years ago and the advice was that it was not advisable, given the serious nature of what was involved, namely, children and vulnerable adults. The system is working pretty well. I again thank the Senator for raising this important matter. It is to be hoped the new system will meet the concerns he has raised.

06/10/2016B00200Senator Aidan Davitt: I appreciate the response from the Minister of State and what he said makes a lot of sense. He referred to the new e-certification process, but I may not have understood him. Is it correct that if one receives a new e-certificate, it will be valid for different bodies or does one still have to apply individually for every body of which one wants to be a

466 6 October 2016 member, employed by or whatever else?

06/10/2016B00300Deputy David Stanton: The Tánaiste emphasises that the purpose of Garda employment vetting is to seek to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. The vetting process demands rigorous procedures to safeguard its integrity and maintain the highest levels of confidence among from the public and organisations availing of the service. The answer to the question is that vetting has to be conducted on an individual basis.

Any vetting process will take a certain minimum amount of time to complete and, given the importance of this service, the Tánaiste does not consider that a processing time of five days is at all unreasonable. The e-vetting system has contributed significantly to improving the vetting service and the Government and the Garda authorities are committed to sustaining that level of service in the future. Most organisations have signed up to the e-vetting system and there are great benefits for them and vetting applicants.

As previously indicated, individuals can track their applications on the system. The Garda vetting bureau works with registered organisations on an ongoing basis to maintain quality and standards in the process. The Garda authorities continue to work with other registered organisations to bring them on board. There have been significant improvements and many resources have been put into the system. The report we have received from the Garda authorities shows that the system is working. I thank the Senator for giving us the opportunity to discuss this very important matter.

06/10/2016B00400Senator Aidan Davitt: I appreciate the reply.

06/10/2016B00450Road Projects

06/10/2016B00500An Leas-Chathaoirleach: I welcome the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to his old House.

06/10/2016B00600Senator Kieran O’Donnell: I welcome the Minister. Once again, I am raising the matter of the building of the M20 motorway between Limerick and Cork. I am a public representative, representing Limerick city and a portion of the county. It is the single biggest item of infrastructure that needs to be completed in the State. I have raised this issue with the Minister on numerous occasions, including on 16 June, and know that he has an interest in the matter.

There will be a mid-term review of the capital plan next year, but before that happens, I hope the project will have received the go-ahead. It is a large and important project and I ask that the planning process be restarted before the review takes place. When the project was suspended in November 2011, the planning process had, in the main, been completed as far as An Bord Pleanála level. The project can be reactivated. A lot of the work can be done prior to the mid- term review in 2017 and no time would be lost.

The planning process will involve Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, recruiting engineers and consultants to review the project. Under public procurement rules, that will take a number of months. There will be no cost to the State until they are in place. I seek a practical measure to restart the project and move it forward. The mid-term review will consider giving the full green light to the building of the motorway, but what I propose would provide us with, I dare say, a flashing amber light. It would allow us to proceed, get the work done in preparation for

467 Seanad Éireann the mid-term review and lose no time.

There are a number of reasons the M20 motorway project is important. The first is that the most recent environmental impact study conducted by TII states the benefits would outweigh the costs by more than two to one. Second, there would be significant benefits in terms of time. It takes well over 1.5 hours, or longer at peak times, to commute between Limerick and Cork - there is no certainty. The opening of the M20 would take 40 minutes off the journey time at peak times and provide certainty. The third issue is safety. There have been fatalities along the existing N20 in the past few years. Recently, on the small section of the M20 built outside Limerick towards Patrickswell, there have, unfortunately, been fatalities.

The damage the delay is doing to connectivity and competitiveness in the region makes it imperative that the project go ahead. In terms of the need for balanced regional development, Dublin is doing very well, but for Ireland to progress as a country, we must have balanced regional development. We need a counterpole to Dublin. The Galway to Tuam route is being completed which will meant that people will be able to commute between Galway and Limer- ick in a relatively short period of time. We need to ensure people will be able to do likewise between Limerick and Cork.

Synergies would be provided for Ireland internationally in attracting foreign direct investment. People in my area are commuting daily to Cork and vice versa. This is a small country and we need connectivity. I ask the Minister to restart the planning process and allow consultants to be recruited by TII in advance of the normal mid-term review of the capital plan in mid-2017.

06/10/2016B00700Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Shane Ross): I thank the Senator for raising this issue once again. I agree with him and he continuously makes a strong case. The only argument against the project is one with which he will be familiar, namely, we do not have the money. The case for the road project which he has made on grounds not just of safety but also the benefits to the economy of the region is one to which I am sympathetic. It would be compelling if we could write a cheque for €800 million. The problem is that we cannot. Perhaps I might explain a few things to the Senator about the current situation and then address the particular issue he raised about planning.

I thank the Senator for giving me the opportunity to address the matter again. I note that he was given a briefing yesterday by my Department on the current position on the M20 project. This is not a criticism but an indication of the persistence with which he is pursuing this project, which is fair enough.

As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding for the national roads programme. The planning, design and implementation of individual national road projects are matters for Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, formerly known as the National Roads Authority, NRA, under the Roads Acts, 1993 to 2015, in con- junction with the local authorities concerned. Within its capital budget, the assessment and prioritisation of individual projects are matters, in the first instance, for TII in accordance with section 19 of the Roads Act. Ireland has just under 100,000 kms of road in its network and the maintenance and improvement of national, regional and local roads place a substantial financial burden on local authorities and the Exchequer. Because of the national financial position, there have been very large reductions in the Exchequer funding available for roads expenditure in recent years. For this reason, the focus has had to be on maintenance and renewal rather than 468 6 October 2016 major new improvement schemes such as the M20 project.

The capital plan published in September 2015 outlined proposed transport investment priorities to 2022. The transport element of the plan was framed by the conclusions reached in the Department’s strategic investment framework for land transport. This report highlighted the importance of the maintenance and renewal of transport infrastructure, together with targeted investments to address particular bottlenecks and critical safety issues. The capital plan provides €6 billion for investment in the road network in the period to 2022, with €4.4 billion earmarked for the maintenance and strengthening of the existing extensive network throughout the country and €1.6 billion for new projects. Allowing for the commitments relating to public private partnership projects, the balance available for new projects in the available capital en- velope was limited.

The transport element of the capital plan did provide for some targeted investment in a number of new projects in the Munster region, including the N8 and N25 Dunkettle interchange and the N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom schemes. In addition, a number of other schemes, targeted at removing bottlenecks and upgrading port access, will commence, subject to development consent. They include the Mallow relief road, the Adare bypass and the N28 Cork to Ringas- kiddy road projects. It was not possible to include the M20 project in the capital plan as the scale of investment required to deliver it as originally proposed, estimated at €800 million, was not affordable. That investment could take up almost all of the moneys provided for new roads projects in the capital plan period.

We are all conscious that the recovery of the economy is generating spending pressures across the Government system, including in meeting capital investment needs. As part of A Programme for a Partnership Government, there is an increased emphasis on the need for spending on public services, but the Government still has to operate within EU fiscal rules, which does constrain options. As the Senator pointed out, there will be a mid-term review of the capital plan which will provide an opportunity to assess progress and consider what scope there is for increased levels of investment, depending on economic growth.

Since the capital plan was published, there has been significant interest, led by the Senator, in finding a means to at least restart planning work on the M20 project. I understand from the Senator there was recent press coverage on the issue. I am aware that the Cork to Limerick motorway represents a significant section of the Atlantic corridor, which was intended to promote development of the region. As matters stand, however, I do not have the funding available to progress this scheme to restart the planning process. I do expect though that the M20 Cork to Limerick motorway project will be looked at in the planned mid-term review of the capital plan.

06/10/2016C00200Senator Kieran O’Donnell: I will go straight to the heart of the matter. In November 2011 the project was suspended. From discussions with officials, I understand that at that stage the bulk of the planning process, if not the entire process, had been completed and that the project was just about to be referred to An Bord Pleanála. Will the Minister allow the planning process to re-engage, which would amount to nothing more than TII recruiting engineers and consultants to engage in an overall review of the project? An economic benefit analysis could be incorporated into the review which would be good value for money for the taxpayer. Will the Minister consider this rather than look at the planning and building of the project in the mid-term review? There should be due diligence as part of an economic cost benefit analysis. I accept that this is an enormous project, but it would also yield enormous benefits. The Minister has a background in seeking value for taxpayers’ money. Conducting an economic cost benefit 469 Seanad Éireann analysis would provide value for the taxpayer in the long, if not the short, term.

06/10/2016C00300Deputy Shane Ross: I take the Senator’s point. I am not aware of the stage in the planning process the project had reached at the time, but I accept what the Senator says that it was near completion. I do not want him to have a forlorn hope that the project will go ahead, if that is not true. That would be dishonest and unhelpful. If what he has said is correct - I have no reason not to believe him - I could contact TII to ask what the position was and to ask it to look at the matter and report back to me. I can give the Senator a commitment that I will do this, on condition that he does not take any such approach to the TII as a green light for the project to go ahead.

06/10/2016C00400Senator Kieran O’Donnell: I thank the Minister. That is a positive move. He will find that the planning process was at an extremely advanced stage and that this would represent value for the taxpayer.

06/10/2016C00450Neuro-Rehabilitation Services

06/10/2016C00500An Leas-Chathaoirleach: I welcome the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris.

06/10/2016C00600Senator Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister and thank him for coming to the House. I have not spoken to him about this issue in the Seanad, but the Minister of State has been here.

The issue I am raising is the transfer of lands for the redevelopment of the national rehabilitation service facility on Rochestown Avenue in Dún Laoghaire, in respect of which there is huge expectation, as there have been three false starts. There appear, however, to be a number of complications. I am a former member of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council which was involved in rezoning a substantial strip of land to facilitate the development of neighbour- ing facilities and the hospital. This increased the value of the land and there was an expectation that some of it would be sold and part of the money ring-fenced for the facility. There now appears to be a suggestion there were difficulties with the religious order in question - the Sisters of Mercy. I acknowledge the enormous work done by the Sisters of Mercy, the board of management of the hospital and the doctors and staff at every level who face enormous difficulties in their work. The place I took the time to visit two weeks ago is unfit for purpose. It is a disgrace and an indictment of the health service.

I am reliably advised that more than 200 patients in acute beds throughout the country are waiting to get into the hospital. I also understand there is a waiting list of in excess of 80 patients to access day services in the facility. This is the national rehabilitation hospital. The service is stretched, but the new facility will not be what it was originally meant to be. It was announced with great fanfare by the previous Government. The former Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, was present, as was former Deputy Eamon Gilmore, to announce great plans for the place. I understand, however, that there were setbacks and financial considerations which limited the scope of the development.

We need to go back in time slightly. I do not want to give a history lesson, but we know from documents that in 1961 a trust was set up with the then health authorities, the Sisters of Mercy and the facility. The facility was to be used entirely to provide rehabilitation services. Will the Minister look at the conditions under which the trust was established to see how they affected the lands? 470 6 October 2016 11 o’clock

Has there been any progress since the previous Minister was here in sorting out the land issue? We know that it was covered in a number of national newspapers during the summer. There was confirmation from various elements of this project that there were difficulties. There is no doubt that there are difficulties. I am more interested in hearing solutions and, more than anything, when the project is actually going to happen. I thank the Minister for coming to the House and look forward to hearing what he has to say.

06/10/2016D00200Minister for Health (Deputy Simon Harris): I thank the Senator for raising this very important matter. I know that he has a long-standing interest in, and knowledge of, it from his time on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. This is a project of major importance. It is one of the reasons I wanted to be here to deal with this matter. We need to see the development of the National Rehabilitation Hospital, NRH. I welcome the opportunity the Senator has provided me with to outline the current position on this major capital development. I agree with his analysis of the situation that while there is currently incredible care and attention, as well as amazing patient outcomes, in the hospital that are really benefiting patients, the current building is simply not fit for purpose. It is not fair to patients or the staff.

I am pleased to advise the Senator that the HSE has informed me that it has instructed its solicitors on the transfer of lands at the NRH campus. The HSE has indicated to me that the transfer of lands could be completed by year end. The current status of the project is as follows. Procurement of the works contractor has commenced. Submissions have been received from interested contractors and they are being evaluated. The selected contractors will be invited to tender next month, November 2016, and it is expected that the completed tenders will be returned in January 2017. Following evaluation of the tenders, it is projected that construction will commence in quarter one next year. Some enabling works, as the Senator will probably be aware from his visit there, have been contracted separately and will commence in quarter four this year. As the Seanad knows, the National Rehabilitation Hospital provides a comprehensive range of specialist rehabilitation services for both adult and paediatric patients who, as a result of an accident or injury, have acquired physical or cognitive disability and require specialist medical rehabilitation. Effective rehabilitation draws on a broad range of disciplines to meet the particular needs of individuals. The objective is to assist with returning to life in the community with confidence. Approximately 1,000 people are treated on an inpatient basis at the hospital each year and around 5,000 are treated on an outpatient basis. Many patients have a life-long association with the hospital. This major capital project will deliver a 120 replacement bed ward block which will include support therapies in respect of paediatrics and acquired brain injury, a hydrotherapy unit and a sports hall. Therefore, I can assure the Senator that its completion is the priority project in the area of rehabilitation medicine care. The hospital is externally accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. The commission sets standards of quality by which an organisation providing rehabilitation services is assessed and measured in the delivery and development of medical rehabilitation services. The Govern- ment is absolutely committed to the development of the facilities at the National Rehabilitation Hospital. I look forward to visiting the hospital and, most importantly, the major works com- mencing in the near future and the completion of a new national rehabilitation hospital.

06/10/2016D00300Senator Victor Boyhan: I am delighted to hear the Minister say he is going to visit the National Rehabilitation Hospital as I really think it would be helpful. It would add impetus if he could visit in the next few months, although I know that he is busy. I have two issues. We know that the congregation that owns the property is a signatory to an indemnity scheme under the 471 Seanad Éireann Residential Institutions Redress Board and has offered lands. It is one of a number of religious orders that made offers of lands under the Conference of Religious of Ireland and an agreement was signed by its superior general, of which I have a copy on my desk. I ask the Minister to raise with the congregation its moral obligations to surrender or hand over lands to the State as per an agreement with the State. This is a very important issue.

I do not believe it is right or proper that any land surrounding the hospital is sold. The Min- ister clearly identified in his own report to us that all we are talking about is a new 120 replacement bed ward. There is no additional capacity being provided. There is a suggestion locally that some of the land may be up for sale. That leads me to my final point. I ask the Minister to investigate a trust that was established in the early 1960s under this religious congregation and the health authorities in terms of its commitment. Within the kernel of that trust and the commitments under the Residential Institutions Redress Board, I think the Minister will find that there are opportunities for the State and the hospital and, ultimately, to have a state-of-the- facility that will not cost the State as much as the Minister might think.

06/10/2016D00400Deputy Simon Harris: I will take the Senator up on his invitation to visit the National Rehabilitation Hospital. It is something I have wanted to do for a while. I have been there in a personal rather than an official capacity on a number of occasions, but I would welcome the opportunity to visit officially and meet staff, management and patients. I will arrange for that to happen in the coming weeks. Until I have established the facts, it is not something on which I wish to comment, but the point the Senator made about the offer of lands and the trust is very important. To be very clear, I expect any organisation that has signed an agreement to provide lands to absolutely fulfil that agreement to its letter and spirit. I will ask the HSE to examine it and will revert to the Senator on the matter.

The point the Senator makes is fair. What we are doing is progressing the development of the National Rehabilitation Hospital. However, this should not be the end of the plans to develop. There is significant potential and scope to do more. My priority is to get on with the process of putting in place a 120 replacement bed ward block which will provide much better facilities for the staff and patients. It will lead to better patient outcomes and further dignity for patients who spend an awful lot of time there and deserve a much more modern fit-for-purpose building. It will also provide a sports hall and a hydrotherapy unit and the ability to provide support therapies not currently supplied.

I agree with the Deputy that this is a major capital project and that we need to get it under way. I have outlined to the House the timeline. We will then need to be more ambitious and ask, “What next?” The hospital carries out work that transforms lives and gives people back their lives. It is a capital project to which we should constantly be adding. I see it as a very important step but not the finality in terms of the potential of the hospital.

Sitting suspended at 11.10 a.m. and resumed at 11.30 a.m.

06/10/2016G00100Order of Business

06/10/2016G00200Senator Jerry Buttimer: The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re arrangements for the sitting of the House on Tuesday, 11 October, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 2, motion re European regulation on jurisdiction, the recognition and enforcement of decisions in matrimonial matters, matters of parental responsibility and inter- 472 6 October 2016 national child abduction, back from committee, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of No. 1; No. 3, motion re appointment of members of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority, back from committee, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of No. 2; and No. 4, statements on the action plan for education, to be taken at 2 p.m. and conclude not later than 4 p.m., with the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes each and those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes each and the Minister to be called upon to reply not later than 3.55 p.m.

06/10/2016G00300Senator Mark Daly: We will not oppose the Order of Business, but we note - it happens in every term - that legislation proposed by Members on both sides of the House is not being progressed in the way it should. I know that the Leader will address the issues we have raised, including corporate manslaughter, the Recognition of Irish Sign Language for the Deaf Com- munity Bill 2016 which he has placed on the Order Paper for debate on 19 October and the Bill tabled by my colleague, Senator Terry Leyden, dealing with the registration of wills. We have tabled quite a number of Bills, as have other parties, which could be taken in the House. I know that statements are valuable but legislation is also important.

Next week we will discuss the budget. The very disturbing case of Kifca McNamee from County Meath who has a neurodegenerative disorder was mentioned on the news last night and is in the public domain. She had received assistance for 30 hours, but this figure was cut to 19 hours. She works for the local authority in County Meath and while at work she had received assistance for three hours, but this was cut to 30 minutes, a drop of 83%. She can no longer go out socially and no longer receives physiotherapy. She lives at home with her father, sister and niece. She is not the only one who has been affected, but she is a clear example of how the system works. If Kifca does not receive the assistance she used to receive-----

06/10/2016G00400An Leas-Chathaoirleach: The Senator should not name people in the House.

06/10/2016G00500Senator Mark Daly: Her name is in the public domain.

06/10/2016G00600An Leas-Chathaoirleach: Even so.

06/10/2016G00700Senator Mark Daly: The alternative to providing the 30 hours of assistance she used to receive, including three hours a day while at work, is that she must be place in residential care which would cost the State ten times as much. I ask that Kifca and all those who are seeing the number of hours being cut receive assistance instead of facing the grim alternative of being placed in care for the rest of their lives. That is not how we should treat citizens in this day and age.

The issue of insurance has arisen again. The State Claims Agency has exposed the insurance companies and the lies they have been telling us about the cost of claims and the level of compensation increasing, as a result of which they are charging more. Since the beginning of year, the cost of insurance has increased by 28%. In the past 12 months it has increased by 34% and since 2014 by 60%. In 2014, according to the records we have available, the amount paid out in compensation to claimants decreased by 36%. We have price gouging by the insurance companies which are profiteering in hiking up insurance premiums. People are going out of business as a result. It is highly unacceptable that the insurance companies seem to be acting as a collective in pushing up premiums.

There have also been cases of insurance companies suspending and eliminating life cover or cover for critical illnesses. Critical illness cover refers to five illnesses, including cancer. In 473 Seanad Éireann one case highlighted yesterday people who had been paying premiums for critical illness cover for ten years were told by a company that cover was being discontinued from November and that they should contact other companies. This is another form of price gouging and profiteering by the insurance industry. People who need cover for peace of mind are having it withdrawn by insurance companies.

We also have the sudden disappearance from the market of insurance companies established in other jurisdictions, for example, Setanta Insurance, which disappeared overnight, leaving 14,000 people without insurance and policyholders left to pick up the tab.

Banking is another financial sector which is subject to regulation and appears to be doing its own thing and profiteering. Ultimately, citizens are losing out and businesses are being affected. People are driving without insurance. By law, the 2.2 million drivers in the State must have insurance. We force them to have it and they should have it, but we are not giving them the protection they require. The Leader has organised debates on this issue before. The State Claims Agency has exposed the fact that insurance companies are not paying out nearly as much as they claim to be. The Government must take action on this issue.

06/10/2016H00200Senator James Reilly: I appeal for an increase in funding for youth work. There are more than 40,000 volunteers in youth work agencies and organisations which do tremendous work with young people. Given the improvements in the economy, this area should receive particular attention, although I accept that money is not available for everything. I would appreciate it, however, if the Minister were to make provision to increase funding for youth work because the value for money received transcends the ratio of return on each euro invested. Youth work has an immeasurable value in communities.

Elderly people more than shared the burden during the economic downturn and must pay many charges. The elimination of the telephone allowance has caused considerable difficulty for them, especially those who live alone. The Government should listen to the request to have the allowance restored, even if it is done in two budgets. One is reminded of the great posters put up by Age Action Ireland with the message that old age is not a problem but loneliness is. It is critically important for people’s mental and social well-being that they have the ability to make a telephone call without worrying about the cost and stay in touch with their family who are often far-flung and, in the case of those do not have many surviving family members, their neighbours.

I plead to the Minister for Health to reduce the prescription charge and ensure sufficient funding is made available for mental health services, an issue which affects people across the country.

06/10/2016H00300Senator Victor Boyhan: I ask the Leader to make arrangements for a debate with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I was elected to the Seanad on the Agriculture Panel. The horticultural and food sector is in crisis. Two major mushroom growers have closed in recent weeks. The programme for Government features only four sentences on horticulture. It includes a commitment to the Origin Green initiative and refers, on page 113, to the Food Wise 2025 policy and, more importantly, Bord Bia’s excellent strategy for the period 2016 to 2018. The strategy covers only a short period, however, given that we are approaching the end of 2016.

I recently took time to visit north County Dublin, an area with great potential where a large

474 6 October 2016 amount of organic produce is grown. Bord Bia has been very successful in the area of organic produce and the Origin Green initiative. This is, however, becoming more and more difficult, with the mushroom trade crumbling in recent weeks and months. I will not take up Senators’ time by speaking about all of the factors involved. However, there is a crisis in organics and horticulture. Surely this area has potential for employment creation and we should provide more training in horticulture. I use the word “horticulture” because it tends to be lumped into the broader remit of agriculture with meat, poultry production and other sectors. The horticulture sector offers enormous potential, particularly given the demand for organic produce. We must tie it in with the strategy and principles of Origin Green. We must look at this and support sustainable development on the land. We must support farmers who may be interested in moving from livestock to organics.

I agree with the former Minister and chairman of the Fine Gael Party, Senator James Reilly, on the restoration of the telephone allowance. The Senator carries much weight in his party and I would be terribly disappointed if the change proposed is not made in the budget. It must be made because people in urban and rural areas are living in isolation. The simple measure of giving them back a telephone is a very practical, reasonable, fair and appropriate response. I ask that this issue be raised and look forward to-----

06/10/2016H00400An Leas-Chathaoirleach: I thank the Senator.

06/10/2016H00500Senator Victor Boyhan: I will go downstairs to my office in a few minutes and welcome it because it is extremely important. Senators, Deputies and local councillors should call on the Government to make this a major priority in the budget.

06/10/2016H00800Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Bhí sé tráthúil inné go raibh muid anseo ag plé na Brea- timeachta agus ag an am céanna go raibh Príomh-Aire na Breataine, Theresa May, ag déanamh ráitis a chuirfeadh beagánín imní ar dhuine. I draw attention to comments made by the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, at the Tory Party conference yesterday. It is ironic that at the time the Seanad was discussing the implications of Brexit for Ireland, the leader of the UK party that had created the crisis was dictating how the process would be managed. I emphasise the lack of action taken by the Government on some of the issues that are coming to light. The Prime Minister’s speech took a sinister turn when she claimed that she would no longer allow members of the British army to be hounded by left-wing lawyers. This is a chilling and veiled threat, given that the British state murdered Pat Finucane, a human rights lawyer in Belfast. All Senators will agree that the work of lawyers, especially those dedicated to the protection of human rights, must remain independent and free from harassment and threats from those who are ideologically opposed to fundamental human rights. I hope the Government will make it clear to the Prime Minister that whatever plan she has for England’s exit from the European Union, there can be no rowing back on human rights legislation that was hard fought for over many years and in negotiations.

I note an article on thejournal.ie this morning which draws attention to comments made by the Home Secretary, Ms Amber Rudd, in which she proposed that UK companies hand the government a list of all foreign workers employed by them in a plan designed to ensure British workers would be given preference in creating new jobs. While the full details of the plan have yet to be published, the measures are believed to be designed to include all non-British workers, including citizens of European Union member states such as the Republic of Ireland. This flies in the face of what the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, described last night as our special relationship with Britain. It will certainly be of concern to 475 Seanad Éireann Irish people working in Britain.

On the issue of whistleblowers, the Protected Disclosures Act was hard fought for. As well as protecting those who make protected disclosures, there was a general expectation that there would be a change in culture towards those who made such disclosures. Thankfully, most people believe those who make disclosures are performing a civic and patriotic duty. I hope others in authority will allow due process and not hinder or harass those who have made disclosures in a perfectly legal manner. Those who would discredit or harass people who make disclosures are the law-breakers and it is their actions that are repugnant to the laws of the State. It is no- ticeable that the Garda Commissioner, Ms Nóirín O’Sullivan, appears to have run for cover on the issues that have come to light in recent days. The Minister for Justice and Equality should come to the House to debate the implementation of whistleblower legislation and the manner in which whistleblowers are being treated. The purpose of the Act is to protect them rather than those who may seek to quieten their voices. I hope we will have such a debate in short order.

06/10/2016J00100Senator John Dolan: Last night, at about 10.30 p.m., I understand all Members of the Oireachtas received an e-mail or a letter from an author of a book many years ago called The God Squad by Paddy Doyle. I will quote from the e-mail:

There’s no glamour in being disabled. What really is infuriating is that politicians talk about “THE DISABLED” as if we are [a] homogenous group to be pitied, patronised and prayed for. [...] We are at the bottom rung of the ladder and it appears we will remain there.

That rhymes very well with what we saw and has been referred to by Senator Mark Daly regarding the young woman in County Meath, Kifca McNamee, who has Friedreich’s ataxia, a condition that weasels its way into every-----

06/10/2016J00200An Leas-Chathaoirleach: We cannot name names.

06/10/2016J00300Senator John Dolan: It has already been-----

06/10/2016J00400An Leas-Chathaoirleach: I know that, but even if it is in the public domain, we are not supposed to-----

06/10/2016J00500Senator Mark Daly: We can.

06/10/2016J00600An Leas-Chathaoirleach: No, it is not proper.

06/10/2016J00700Senator Mark Daly: It is in Standing Orders.

06/10/2016J00800An Leas-Chathaoirleach: Order, please.

06/10/2016J00900Senator Mark Daly: There is nothing to say-----

06/10/2016J01000An Leas-Chathaoirleach: It is not proper to name names.

06/10/2016J01100Senator Mark Daly: There is nothing to say one cannot.

06/10/2016J01200Senator John Dolan: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for his help. Friedreich’s ataxia is a progressive condition, but really what it does is weasel its way into every fibre of a person’s body and takes him or her down. As a young person in her teens, the girl in question had 476 6 October 2016 expectations, like anyone would, even if they were only the ones her parents would want for her, but they were expectations of having a half-decent life. She has had to deal with all of the compromises and she and her family have had to take it on the chin. What is absolutely unacceptable is, as has been said, a cut of almost one half in what was already an inadequate number of personal support hours. The three hours of assistance she had available to her to help her stay at work were cut to 30 minutes. She has talked about the consequential pain and anxiety she feels regarding personal hygiene and toileting issues when she is at work when she does not have that support. None of us needs to come into this House or go on television to talk about our toileting needs, ebbs and flows or movements, but that is what someone felt she had to do in public last night.

There is no recovery for people with disabilities or their families. There is a continuation of the many cuts made and that, I am sad to say, is a fact and the reality. Last week I made comments to the Taoiseach here. I asked for confirmation that the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD, would be ratified by the end of the year. I asked, not as a special plea, that the budget prioritise something to make sure Ireland would have a decent infrastructure for all of us and all of our loved ones. I said that, of the modest amount of money available to him, €300 million would be a decent start. The Taoiseach said he would meet me and that that meeting would take place, but he did not confirm that the legislation would be passed by the end of the year. That issue needs to be dealt with, as does the fact that he sug- gested to me afterwards that the €300 million would not be available. If it is, it is; if it is not, it is not. We will know on Tuesday. However, the bottom line is that people with disabilities - 600,000 people and their families - will continue to be on the wrong side of the recovery.

06/10/2016J01300Senator Denis Landy: I hope the Leas-Chathaoirleach will join me in welcoming a special occasion for County Tipperary. The GAA All-Star nominees were announced last night and for the first time in the history of football in County Tipperary we have five nominees. The Leas- Chathaoirleach’s county has four. It is a great day for County Tipperary. I would like to-----

06/10/2016J01600An Leas-Chathaoirleach: For the record, that is really not relevant to the Order of Busi- ness but carry on.

06/10/2016J01700Senator Denis Landy: My apologies.

06/10/2016J01800Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill: Do not celebrate too much.

06/10/2016J01900Senator Denis Landy: My party leader, Deputy Brendan Howlin, is launching the La- bour Party’s alternative budget, Building a Shared Prosperity, in which it sets out its desire to invest in public services, support families and clearly stamp out our ground on child care: the provision of child care at a maximum cost of €4.25 per hour for children up to 12 years of age. Our alternative budget also seeks to index link all social welfare payments and raise wages for working people to a living wage.

That brings me on to my second point. I call on the Leader to request the Minister for Ag- riculture, Food and the Marine to come to the House for a debate on the horse racing industry, the future of which is in crisis. In saying that, I congratulate another Tipperary man - at least, we adopted him - Mr. Aidan O’Brien for training the first three runners home in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe last Sunday in Paris. However, the reality is that trainers such as Mr. David Wachman and Mr. Colm Murphy and other small trainers cannot compete and are leaving the industry.

477 Seanad Éireann On the other side of the coin is the reappointment of the CEO of Horse Racing Ireland, HRI, which is totally in breach of public policy. In addition, the Irish Stable Staff Association, headed by its general secretary, Mr. Bernard Caldwell, is trying to fight the cause for staff who are expected to work for €9.75 per hour. If they go away to attend a race meeting, for example, from Tipperary to Ballinrobe, from which they may get home at 1 a.m., they will receive €40 extra. That is unsustainable and people are leaving the industry. We need a debate on the issue urgently and I ask the Leader to organise such a debate.

I also raise a flag on behalf of one of the groups which made a submission on the budget, namely, the Irish Wheelchair Association, representatives of which we met last week in Lein- ster House. I will raise just one issue that struck me very deeply. One of the people who was with us was wheelchair-bound. In order for her to catch a train from County Mayo to Dublin, she must inform Iarnród Éireann a week in advance, as otherwise she cannot get on or off the train. I ask that in the budget that single issue be addressed on behalf of the Irish Wheelchair Association.

I support wholeheartedly Senator James Reilly on the restoration of the telephone allowance.

06/10/2016J02000Senator Michelle Mulherin: I reiterate the now urgent call for an extension of the slurry spreading season. The date on which farmers will no longer be allowed to spread slurry, 15 October, is fast approaching, but I am receiving an increasing number of communications from farmers and agricultural contractors who have not had an opportunity to spread slurry at all this year on account of waterlogged lands. It is no secret that we, in the west, have been particularly afflicted. Faced with the prospect of trying to do so between now and 15 October, it is neither feasible nor tenable and unless an extension is provided for, we face the possibility of overflowing slurry tanks which would pose their own environmental hazard. I call on the Minister with responsibility for the environment to take the necessary steps in that regard.

I ask that a sports capital grant be introduced and that it be weighted in favour of rural areas where people find it very hard to raise matching funds or raise funds at all. There have been great benefits in previous rounds of sports capital grants that really allow rural communities to thrive and, in particular, young people to participate in sports and youth development programmes. I was particularly struck by an item published on balls.ie in which the serious disparity in the expenditure of the GAA’s development moneys was highlighted, with most of the money going towards the development of sports facilities in Dublin. While this is an internal matter for the GAA, it shows that in more rural areas and other counties investment is not taking place, notwithstanding the fact that the Irish Sports Council puts €1 million of taxpayers’ money into the GAA every year. I have worked with a number of the GAA groups in my county and helped to them secure sports capital grants. They are very committed and do a fantastic job as volunteers in every parish in the country, but along with other sports organisations, especially in rural Ireland, they need extra help to make sports facilities a reality. I, therefore, ask that the sports capital grant programme be reopened and weighted in favour of rural areas.

06/10/2016J02100Senator Terry Leyden: Today is the 125th anniversary of the death of Charles Stewart Parnell, one of the greatest Irishmen of all time and I would like to mark the occasion. He served as leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party and was the “Uncrowned King of Ireland”. He played a significant role in the land reform and Home Rule movements. His death occurred 25 years before the 1916 Easter Rising.

478 6 October 2016 12 o’clock

If he had lived and succeeded, without the scandal involving Kitty O’Shea - am I allowed to mention her?

06/10/2016K00200An Leas-Chathaoirleach: It is not relevant to the Order of Business.

06/10/2016K00300Senator Terry Leyden: I am terribly sorry that, 125 years later, she is still not allowed to be mentioned in the House.

06/10/2016K00400Senator Frank Feighan: On this occasion, I support Senator Terry Leyden.

06/10/2016K00500Senator Terry Leyden: I compliment T. Ryle Dwyer on his excellent article in the Irish Examiner which states Charles Stewart Parnell felt the brunt of the church over his personal life. He was badly treated by it and it should offer an apology for its treatment of him. He was undoubtedly one of the most gifted parliamentarians this country has produced. He had 80 members in his Irish Parliamentary Party and brought about developments in the House of Commons which changed the course of history.

06/10/2016K00600An Leas-Chathaoirleach: This is interesting but rambling. It is not relevant to the Order of Business.

06/10/2016K00700Senator Terry Leyden: It is significant to mention it.

06/10/2016K00800An Leas-Chathaoirleach: The Senator may well think so and may be right, but I am talking about what is relevant to the Order of Business.

06/10/2016K00900Senator Terry Leyden: His last speech was made in Creggs, County Galway where a monument was erected by the people of the area and opened by Eamon de Valera in the 1940s.

06/10/2016K01000Senator David Norris: I raise the matter of coverage of the Oireachtas by the media. RTE, as a public service broadcaster, has a responsibility to cover and report on issues of national significance. Last night in this Chamber we had an excellent debate on the CETA and the TTIP, two international trade agreements the terms of which were negotiated secretly. The public of Europe were kept away from the negotiations and their views were not entertained. Under the proposed agreements, the direction of policy will largely be handed over to multinational corporations, which is a matter of concern. I highlighted two items yesterday. One was about Argentina where a subsidiary of Enron was secured to provide water services. The company, however, provided filthy, undrinkable water at outrageous prices. When the Argentinian Gov- ernment took action to reduce the price and produce drinkable water for its citizens, the court held against it and fined it millions of pounds. In the case of Slovakia the public interest and the public good were held to be less significant than the profits of a company. What standard of morality is this? The motion was tabled by Senator Alice-Mary Higgins and it was a very passionate debate.

06/10/2016K01100An Leas-Chathaoirleach: As the father of the House, the Senator knows well that we cannot reopen last night’s debate.

06/10/2016K01200Senator David Norris: I am talking about the coverage of it. This morning no newspaper covered it and it was not covered on “Oireachtas Report”.

06/10/2016K01300An Leas-Chathaoirleach: This is not relevant to the Order of Business.

479 Seanad Éireann

06/10/2016K01400Senator David Norris: It is very relevant and the Leas-Chathaoirleach should take an interest in the broadcasting of the proceedings of this House. There was not one single mention of Seanad Éireann in the whole of “Oireachtas Report”. It might as well not have existed. It was an evening on which there was a fantastic debate and the Government was defeated. The motion was passed, despite the resistance of the Government. If that is not worth covering, I do not know what is.

06/10/2016K01500An Leas-Chathaoirleach: The record will show what it shows.

06/10/2016K01600Senator David Norris: This is a dereliction of duty on the part of the media. There was a Senator on “The Late Debate” and he did not even mention it, despite the fact that he had taken part in the debate and knew all about it. What is happening to the coverage of Seanad Éireann by the broadcast and print media?

06/10/2016K01700Senator Ray Butler: I wish to talk about a report prepared by IEDR, the dot ie digital health index. It is an interesting report that raises a large number of relevant points. Poor connection is central and fundamental to SMEs. When SMEs were asked what the main barriers were to their getting online, 21% stated poor connection was one. In recent months business owners have brought to my attention the fact that the greatest obstacle to doing business is not having a proper mobile phone signal. During the Seanad election we would all have seen that in certain areas of the country there were no mobile signals whatsoever. In my constituency which is really a suburb of Dublin with towns such as Kildalkey, Kilmessan, Longwood, Clonard, Ballivor, Enfield and Oldcastle there are no mobile phone signals whatsoever. The bigger cities may not be affected but business is not confined to them. I call on the Minister responsible to call to task the mobile phone operators which, month after month, take the hard-earned money of the people and businesses of Ireland for what can only be described as a disgraceful service. I ask for clarity on what they mean by “unlimited”? We all sign up to contracts and pay €50 or €75 per month. In a country with a population of 4.5 million, that is a lot of payments of €50 or €75 per month, but the bill can go up after six, nine or 12 months. We want legislation on what “unlimited” means in the case of mobile phone and broadband services because it is a rip-off compared to other countries. We should bring forward legislation to provide that if mobile phone service providers do not provide countrywide services, their licences should not be granted or renewed.

06/10/2016K01800Senator Máire Devine: Last night Sinn Féin tabled a motion in the Dáil seeking all-party support for the provision of 24/7 mental crisis intervention services without delay. This is certainly not an issue on which to score political points. Our families and communities cannot wait for a service any longer. We have spoken ad nauseam about this issue and for far too long. The stark reality of the non-provision of this service is that citizens in every town, village and city across the State are taking their lives and there simply is not an adequate 24/7 support service available to help those who present at all times of the day or night to deal with their suicidal thoughts and the unbearable mental anguish they suffer. Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil tabled amendments to Sinn Féin’s motion. Fine Gael’s amendment noted the need for a 24-hour service but provided for no meaningful commitment. It also commited to increasing investment.

06/10/2016K01900An Leas-Chathaoirleach: With respect, the Senator is referring to a Dáil motion.

06/10/2016K02000Senator Máire Devine: I am speaking about it today in the Seanad to ask colleagues to talk to their friends and other politicians and urge them to vote this afternoon. This is about mental health services and is really relevant. We have been banging on about the issue for a long time, 480 6 October 2016 for some ten years. Over 70% of A Vision for Change has not been implemented.

06/10/2016K02100An Leas-Chathaoirleach: I have to deal with what is relevant to the Order of Business in this House.

06/10/2016K02200Senator Máire Devine: Fianna Fáil’s amendment mentioned seven-day services in two years but did not commit to the provision of a 24/7 service. The timeline for seven-day services is far too long and the non-committal of the Government is deeply worrying. Members of this House and the Dáil should not stand back and allow this to continue. Citizens are dying and crying and begging for help. I welcome the Green Party’s initiative on mental well-being in schools. Young people and the new generation will see the stigma removed, with mental well- being made a top priority. I am appealing to all Senators to talk to colleagues and urge them to vote “Yes” to the motion, without amendments, in the Dáil debate at lunchtime. Be account- able; be responsible; be compassionate and make this a top priority.

06/10/2016K02300Senator Martin Conway: In 2003 the 24-hour consultant-led emergency unit at Ennis General Hospital was reconfigured to a doctor-led day facility for people with minor injuries. Part of that reconfiguration was the upgrade of the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Doora- doyle, County Limerick to which people from counties Clare, Limerick and Tipperary could go to avail of emergency services. Unfortunately, the facility in the hospital has not yet been built. While it is due to open in 2017, it is still in construction phase. What happened in respect of reconfiguration in the middle of the last decade involved putting the cart before the horse. It was announced in County Clare this morning that Shannondoc, the out-of-hours GP service, was being dramatically scaled back. The out-of-hours services in Ennistymon and Kilrush will be amalgamated in one facility in Milltown Malbay. While services will continue in Ennistymon and Kilrush at weekends, this is certainly a significant blow in providing doctor cover at weekends. I call on the Minister for Health to make a statement setting out his views on the reduction in the Shannondoc service. What does he propose to do about it? I also call on him to carry out a review of the service provided by Shannondoc in County Clare in the past few years. It is my contention that it provides a very important service and that its presence in County Clare is extremely important. If people from Loop Head find themselves in difficulty, are they now expected to go to Milltown Malbay to see a doctor when until now, they could have gone to Kilrush? It is not appropriate or acceptable and the Minister needs to intervene. My understanding is there is an issue with retaining doctors, particularly for the red-eye shifts. I want the Minister to give his views and review the matter urgently.

06/10/2016L00200Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill: I wish to raise a few points before the budget announcement next week. There are many competing priorities and everyone, including economists and lob- byists, will have different opinions. One group that was referred to today should be the first port of call for attention in the budget, namely, people with disabilities. Senators John Dolan and Mark Daly raised the issue. We heard yesterday about the situation in County Meath, but that is only one case. People living with disabilities who are challenged on an hourly basis, some of whom are in chronic pain, should be the first point in allocating any additional support from the recovery in the economy. There is a commitment in A Programme for a Partnership Gov- ernment. The Minister of State with responsibility for dealing with disability issues, Deputy Finian McGrath, has given a commitment that legislation to give effect to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will be passed before the end of the year and I hope that will happen. In addition, funding is required to give effect to the legislation and support implementation of the convention.

481 Seanad Éireann Bhí mé féin agus an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh ag Buan-choiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta agus na nOileán. Tá moltaí déanta ag na heagrais Ghaeilge a tháinig le chéile go mbeadh airgead breise curtha ar fáil do chúrsaí Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta sa cháinaisnéis. Bhí ciorruithe géar ar an earnáil sin le roinnt blianta anuas. Tá moladh déanta go mbeadh ar a laghad €18 mhilliún ar fáil thar trí cháinaisnéis nó thart ar €4.5 mhilliún i mbliana. Tuigtear dom go bhfuil moladh déanta ag mo chomhghleacaí, an t-iar-Aire Gaeltachta, an Teachta Éamon Ó Cuív, go mbeadh €6 mhilliún ar fáil an bhliain seo chugainn agus go mbeadh €1.5 mhilliún den €6 mhilliún ar fáil do chúrsaí infreastruchtúir sa Ghaeltacht. Tá súil agam go mbeidh sé sin ar fáil fosta.

06/10/2016L00300Senator Frank Feighan: Last week Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile, rightly, welcomed the agreement between the Crumlin Ardoyne Residents Association and the Orange Order on marching in Ardoyne. I wanted to welcome the agreement, but, unfortunately, I became involved in a local issue in the Seanad. The agreement is of huge significance and something for which we must congratulate all of the parties involved. I know about the work being done on the ground, which is incredible. When issues arise, we have cameras and television crews highlighting all that is negative, but this is very positive. One man I want to thank is Fr. Gary Donegan from Holy Cross Church. He has worked every evening for many years to ensure out- breaks of hostility do not occur. It was very depressing, therefore, to see how he was verbally attacked by people who were very upset, which I can understand. I see that a man has been arrested for making threats to a journalist and that the matter has been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. We must ensure nobody can threaten journalists in Northern Ireland or elsewhere. I will not comment further on the matter, but this is a hugely significant moment. I thank all of the people, organisations and political parties involved in reaching the agreement.

We are very concerned about flooding on the River Shannon. The Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Deputy Seán Canney, will today announce con- firmations of water levels with the various bodies. A lot of work has been done behind the scenes by various groups, including the local authorities, Bord na Móna and many local groups on small remedial schemes which I believe will be very helpful. I am not sure about what is happening in one area and need to be convinced that the ESB is fully living up to its responsibilities. It needs to come on board on Lough Allen and outline exactly what it intends to do because there has been far too much subterfuge and it has not worked effectively with the local community. I have already spoken to the Minister of State about the matter. He must meet the ESB and local communities to address the issue.

06/10/2016L00400Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile: Déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall a bheith chomh ghasta agus gur féidir. When the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade was here yesterday, I referenced Mod- eling Irish Reunification, a major piece of research commissioned by the University of British Columbia, Vancouver into the economics of Irish unity. The report has received some limited coverage in this state in recent months since its publication. The author, Dr. Karl Hubner, is in the city today and will be briefing members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Imple- mentation of the Good Friday Agreement at 2.30 p.m. I, therefore, encourage Members who are available to come and avail of the opportunity to engage with Dr. Hubner on his research, particularly in the light of the issues that have been consistently raised here since the Brexit vote. We must actively pursue and explore every option open to us. I think everybody in this House agrees that, ultimately, the best option for the people, both North and South, is the reunification of the country. This paper identifies the very tangible economic and income benefits that would come from it.

Ba mhaith liom fosta trácht iontach gasta a dhéanamh ar an méid a dúirt an Seanadóir 482 6 October 2016 Ó Domhnaill. Bhí muid uilig - bhuel, roinnt mhaith againn - thall in Óstán Buswell’s inné ag bualadh le hionadaithe ó Chonradh na Gaeilge. Shíl muid go rinne siad sár-jab ag dé- anamh stocaireachta orainn ó thaobh chúrsaí Gaeilge de agus na héilimh atá i measc phobal na Gaeilge,Thuaidh agus Theas. Dar ndóigh, i budget Shinn Féin, a d’fhógair muid ag tús na seachtaine seo, bhí muid ag iarraidh níos mó ná mar a bhí á lorg ag Conradh na Gaeilge a chur isteach i dtionscadail teanga agus Gaeltachta ar fud fad na tíre. Admhaíonn muid an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an teanga agus an méid buntáistí, tairbhe agus cúrsaí dearfacha a thagann ó a bheith ag infheistiú i bpobal labhartha na Gaeilge. Mar a dúirt an Seanadóir Ó Domhnaill agus an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh roimhe seo, sílim gurb fhiú seal a chaitheamh ag comhrá ar chúr- saí Gaeilge agus cúrsaí infheistíochta sa teanga agus sna pobail Ghaeltachta a bheith againn.

06/10/2016M00100Senator Gabrielle McFadden: I offer my sympathy to the staff of Cameron in Longford and their families. They were told unceremoniously yesterday afternoon that their jobs were gone. I am concerned about the IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland funding invested in the company. What are the implications? Is that funding lost? I am also concerned about the number of IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland visits to County Longford which is suffering quite badly. I ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Mary Mitchell O’Connor, to come to the House to address the issue of what will happen to IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland funding if a company pulls out. This company has pulled out and taken its manufacturing operations elsewhere where they can be done cheaper. It is devastating news for County Longford.

I support what Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill said about Conradh na Gaeilge and cúrsaí Gaeilge, which are very important. Now that some money is available, Conradh na Gaeilge and cúrsaí Gaeilge should be considered for further funding.

06/10/2016M00200Senator Paul Gavan: I have been invited to speak at the Stop the War Coalition conference in London on Saturday about the US military’s use of Shannon Airport. I will be proud to share a platform with Mr. Jeremy Corbyn who has always been a friend to Ireland and the peace process, in particular. This week something very strange happened. Shannonwatch which has done amazing work in detailing what happens at Shannon Airport had been planning to hold a conference to mark 15 years of US military occupation of the airport. Three hotels had ac- cepted the booking but then subsequently cancelled it, leaving Shannonwatch without a venue on Saturday. This speaks to the issue of silence regarding the use of Shannon Airport. There is an awkward silence. It is as if the Government knows that it is complicit and completely wrong in supporting the US military’s adventures in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq which have caused so many deaths, but it just does not want to talk about it. We need to talk about it. It is an absolute disgrace that our neutrality has been shamed in this way for 15 years. As someone who lives in Limerick, I am disgusted that our local politicians refuse to talk about the issue. If they want to support the US military’s adventures, they should make their case. If we think it is wrong, we will make our case, but the issue cannot be ignored. It is time to break the silence on the use of Shannon Airport. That is why I will be speaking on Saturday and ask the Leader to arrange a debate on the issue with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.

06/10/2016M00600Senator Colm Burke: I was intrigued by Senator Máire Devine’s submission on the health care issue. She raised a very important matter and I fully agree with her in many respects. How- ever, there is a ten-year strategy committee to which I am seeking to have Senators appointed. I now understand Sinn Féin is opposing that proposal. I am intrigued that Senator Máire Devine is telling us what we should tell Members of Dáil Éireann when we would have that opportunity if we had Senators as members of the ten-year strategy committee. I am intrigued as to why 483 Seanad Éireann Sinn Féin is opposed to having Senators as members of a a very important------

06/10/2016M00700An Leas-Chathaoirleach: The Senator should not mention something that will happen in the other House.

06/10/2016M00800Senator Colm Burke: She raised the issue.

06/10/2016M00900An Leas-Chathaoirleach: The record will show that I corrected the lady.

06/10/2016M01100Senator Colm Burke: You did not restrict her.

06/10/2016M01200An Leas-Chathaoirleach: The Chair must try its best.

06/10/2016M01300Senator Colm Burke: I am trying to raise this issue as to the reason a political party, a group in this Chamber, is opposing Senators being added to a very important committee. It is important that the House be aware of the position. I am raising that issue because I think it is important.

06/10/2016M01400An Leas-Chathaoirleach: As regards the position of Members of this House, there is agreement.

06/10/2016M01500Senator Colm Burke: It now appears that Sinn Féin has taken an opposite view.

06/10/2016M01600An Leas-Chathaoirleach: I cannot speak about that matter.

06/10/2016M01700Senator Colm Burke: It is intriguing that it now appears that some Senators are no longer interested in the ten-year health care strategy.

06/10/2016M01800Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: It is an issue for the Committee on Procedure and Privi- leges.

06/10/2016M01900Senator Colm Burke: We will need to roll out an increasing number of home care packages in the coming years. I am concerned about whether adequate training is available for those who want to provide such services. The Minister for Health should come to the House to outline what is proposed. It is an area in which numbers will grow very fast and it is important that we be able to respond accordingly. I ask the Leader to raise the issue with the Minister.

06/10/2016M02000Senator Fintan Warfield: Members will join me in expressing sympathy and extending condolences to the victims of Hurricane Matthew which is destructive and causing flooding in moving through the Bahamas. According to reports late last evening, the death toll in the Caribbean had risen to 26. Four people reportedly had died in the Dominican Republic, while 22 had been killed in Haiti. I understand the overwhelming majority of homes in the south west of Haiti have been affected, with tens of thousands of people in shelters and hospitals overflowing. People are taking refuge in schools and churches. Requests continue to be made for government help in transporting those whose homes have been devastated, many of whom live in poverty-stricken conditions. In February my colleague asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan, to make a statement on the growing unrest following demonstrations and protests in Haiti after the postponement of the presidential election. Eight months on, the election planned for Sunday has been postponed in the wake of Hurricane Matthew which today will move through the Bahamas where evacuations are under way. It is 7.20 a.m. there and the hurricane continues to gain strength having been weakened somewhat by mountainous terrain in Cuba. I am sure I speak for all sides of the House when I send con-

484 6 October 2016 dolences to and express solidarity with those who have been injured and the loved ones and the communities of those killed. The Minister should urgently assess the situation and determine if Ireland can play a part in assisting in responding to the humanitarian crisis.

06/10/2016M02100Senator Paddy Burke: I join the Members who yesterday proposed a vote of sympathy to the family of the late Mr. Bobby Molloy who was a Member of the other House and had held many portfolios as a senior Minister. I wish to be associated with the expressions of sympathy to his wife, Phyllis, and their family.

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister of State with responsibility for tourism to come to the House. The tourism industry is very important to the country. Much has been said about agriculture and tourism. The weaker sterling is having a severe effect on tourism, regardless of the outcome of the Brexit vote. The Minister of State with responsibility for tourism should come to the House to explain the plans of Tourism Ireland and Fáilte Ireland. The tourism market in Northern Ireland and Great Britain is very important to this country. They provide the biggest group of visitors to Ireland and we appreciate that business. It is important to hear the plans of the two bodies mentioned for the tourism industry.

06/10/2016M02200Senator Rose Conway-Walsh: The 108 family resource centres throughout the country do valuable work. They presented their pre-budget submission yesterday. They are governed by their representative body, the Family Resource Centre National Forum. As somebody who managed a community development project, I know at first hand about the valuable work done by the centres to combat disadvantage and strengthen and empower children, families and communities. It is vital that this work be underpinned and the appropriate resources provided. The centres are operating on a budget of €12.2 million, but to do the work they need to do, they need €16 million, which is not much more. The funding body is Tusla and the budget for the family resource centres represents only 2% of its entire budget. Some 20% of the projects are at risk of closing and many staff have been put on notice. That is not good either for the staff involved or the people they serve. The issue needs to be addressed immediately. I call on the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and the Minister for Health to come to the House for a discussion on the excellent value for money the family resource centres deliver on the ground in their communities in dealing with domestic violence and mental health and many other issues to help families and communities which have suffered as a result of the under-resourcing of the mental health budget and the non-implementation of A Vision for Change. The centres are at the coal-face and need to be funded and resourced. We cannot have staff in them operating on their own. There are real health and safety issues involved. I would appreciate it if the two Ministers came to the House to discuss the issue.

06/10/2016N00200Senator Aidan Davitt: The news that emanated from the midlands yesterday was very serious, although it had been flagged for the past month. My colleague, Deputy Robert Troy, had referred to the jobs in question and the issue had also been covered in the local newspapers in recent weeks. We have talked about Brexit ad nauseam and this shows one of the repercus- sions. While the loss of the 170 jobs might not be directly linked with Brexit, it played a very influential part. I call on the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to come to the House to address the issue. It is another blow for the midlands. We discussed the situation at the Im- perial Tobacco factory in Mullingar only recently. There seem to be continual blows to general manufacturing operations in the midlands. I appreciate having the time to raise this issue in the House. We all have to pull together to try to sustain what jobs we can. This issue is particularly important in areas outside the M50 belt.

485 Seanad Éireann

06/10/2016N00300Senator Jerry Buttimer: I thank Senators for raising many important issues. Obviously, health and disability services have dominated the Order of Business, having been mentioned by Senators Mark Daly, James Reilly, Victor Boyhan, John Dolan, Máire Devine, Rose Conway- Walsh, Martin Conway, Brian Ó Domhnaill and Colm Burke. On the news item last night, those of us who were involved in the disability sector will recognise that what is happening in the particular case is incorrect, wrong, morally reprehensible and should not be happening. I have asked the Minister responsible to come back to Senators John Dolan and Mark Daly on the matter.

The provision of home care packages is important, as is the point made by Senator Colm Burke that we have an ageing population. In the disability sector, particularly in congregated settings, there are profound needs emerging. As people get older, these needs will become more complex. This needs to be reflected in the overall health budget. Equally, as Senator Máire Devine said and we all agree, it is not a political issue but about ensuring there is a sequence and a continuation of policy through a cross-departmental approach in the areas of social protection, housing, health and education. This means, as we move towards greater use of congregated settings, that there will be support in the community, that people will be looked after and receive home care, respite care and personal support hour packages. It is important that we recognise the health budget is about ensuring a continuum. This is something at which we might look again. As I said to Senator John Dolan in the context of the Seanad Public Consulta- tion Committee, it is perhaps an issue we might deal with by bringing people in and putting the pressure on the Government to ensure policy will have an overarching emphasis. In the HSE service plan €330 million has been set aside to deal with issues such as the provision of home care packages, including intensive home care packages. Whether they are for the elderly or the disabled, it is important that provision be made for the making available of home care packages. Equally, the provision of respite care also needs to be addressed in the budget.

The Bill mentioned by Senator John Dolan is on the Government’s A list for publication and has been referred to the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality for pre-legislative scrutiny. It is critical that it be signed by the end of the year. We have asked the Department to initiate the Bill in this House and I have already met the Senator to discuss the issue. With regard to other items of legislation, it is my hope we will have time slots for two Private Members’ Bills this session. That is a matter for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges to decide, but I hope it will happen.

The issue concerning the insurance sector is very important. The Minister of State, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, is chairing the task force, while Deputy John McGuinness is Chairman of the finance committee. I hope they will take on board the views of Senator Mark Daly on the State Claims Agency. It was an interesting revelation, if I can put it like that.

Senator James Reilly mentioned the value of youth work. It is important that the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, come to the House, with the Minis- ter for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton. I agree with the Senator that the value of youth work can be seen not only in monetary terms but also in the tangible benefits gained by young people. I commend all those involved in the youth work sector who do enormous work.

Senators Victor Boyhan and Michelle Mulherin referred to the agriculture sector. The Min- ister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed, will come to the House on 25 October when we can discuss the matters raised. The matter raised by Senator Michelle Mulherin of the deadline for slurry spreading has been raised by other Senators. I hope the 486 6 October 2016 Minister will take on board the points made.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh linked the issue of human rights with the Pat Finucane case. The Senator is right that it was hard fought for and should not be diluted in any shape or form. I do not think any of us would stand for it if that were to happen.

Some of the remarks made at the Tory Party conference this week were extraordinary. On Brexit, it is important that the British Government recognise that this country will suffer the most from the decision made and as such, it is important that we maintain our special relationship. However, when we hear Ministers say the NHS will be run by English people only, we must wonder on what planet they are living. That cannot and should not happen.

06/10/2016N00400Senator Máire Devine: Fascists.

06/10/2016N00600Senator Jerry Buttimer: We both benefit from the movement of people. I was flabber- gasted. Although I will not go on a rant-----

06/10/2016N00700Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: They would be hard-pressed to run the NHS without Irish nurses.

06/10/2016N00800Senator Jerry Buttimer: That is the point to which I am coming. We have seen representatives of the NHS come here to run advertising campaigns. Our nurses and doctors go to England and come back having benefited from the experience. To be fair to the Taoiseach and Ministers, there is a very strong Brexit team in operation across government. I hope we will maintain the emphasis in a rolling debate in this House.

On Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh’s comment on the Garda whistleblower and the Depart- ment of Justice and Equality, in her statement yesterday the Garda Commissioner said she was not privy to any attempt or aware of anyone targeting the whistleblower. The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, and the Taoiseach have been very strong on the issue. There has been no derogation from or dilution of the Government’s approach, which is that the allegations made are serious and should be listened to. The Minister has been proactive on the matter and said the rule of law should be applied and a just procedure put in place. It is important that we note the remarks made by her yesterday at the justice committee and the Taoiseach’s in the Dáil that the allegations made should be followed up.

06/10/2016N00900Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: We should invite her to come to the House too.

06/10/2016N01000Senator Jerry Buttimer: The Minister is coming to the House next week. It is another request to which we have adhered.

On the matter raised by Senator Denis Landy, the Leas-Chathaoirleach ruled out of order the reference to the number of All-Star nominations received by Tipperary.

06/10/2016N01100An Leas-Chathaoirleach: The Senator is not present either.

06/10/2016N01200Senator Jerry Buttimer: It is good for the diversity of sport to see the weaker counties being recognised - in football anyway - although I say that with tongue in cheek.

Senator Denis Landy mentioned the horse racing industry. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed, is due to come to the House to discuss this important industry. The Senator also raised the issue of child care. The Minister for Children and

487 Seanad Éireann Youth Affairs, Deputy Katharine Zappone, is due to come to the House to discuss it.

Senator Michelle Mulherin referred to the sports capital programme. It is important that the programme which we discussed yesterday be re-established for the calendar year 2017. Equal- ly, it is important that we recognise the importance of the programme in terms of the benefits it brings to local communities. I do not agree with the Senator that there is an urban-rural divide. It is important, however, that all sports organisations benefit from the programme.

Senator Terry Leyden referred to Charles Stewart Parnell. All I can say is Gladstone com- mented: “I do not say the ablest man; I say the most remarkable and the most interesting.” It is fitting that we remember Charles Stewart Parnell today on the anniversary of his death.

Senator David Norris raised the ongoing issue of the level of coverage of proceedings in the Seanad. I did not see “Oireachtas Report” last night, but it is disappointing that it did not cover-----

06/10/2016O00200Senator David Norris: The existence of the Seanad was not even mentioned.

06/10/2016O00300Senator Jerry Buttimer: It is a matter we could take up with the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and the Oireachtas Broadcasting Unit.

06/10/2016O00400Senator David Norris: Let me, please, interject. It would be very useful if the Leader were to do that, but if he was to provide specific instances from the Official Report, it would really put the matter in context. I beg his pardon for interrupting.

06/10/2016O00500An Leas-Chathaoirleach: The Senator is the father of the House.

06/10/2016O00600Senator Jerry Buttimer: I am only partly suffering from insomnia. I do not watch the programme every night it is on. I will get somebody to watch it for me. The point the Sena- tor made is relevant and important. This is the Upper House and the second Chamber of the Oireachtas. If the programme is meant to cover proceedings at committees and in the Dáil, it should also cover proceedings here. I have said before that we need to give programmes a reason to cover our proceedings. The problem is that it is broadcast late at night. Perhaps RTE might examine how it covers proceedings in the Oireachtas. We will take up the matter with it.

Senator Ray Butler raised the issues of broadband and connectivity in the context of small and medium enterprises. He is correct. It is equally important that mobile phone providers be taken to task because the coverage is appalling. At a time when we have invested significant amounts of money to improve broadband services and connectivity, I am baffled by how there has been a deterioration in mobile phone coverage in the past few years. Mobile phone providers have an obligation to explain the reasons.

Senator Máire Devine referenced the mental health issue. It has been debated in the Dáil. She is correct and made a good comment. Mental health services are a priority for the Govern- ment. In that context, the issue of weekend cover is one that needs to be examined and discussed. The result of the vote in the other House is beyond our remit.

If it is the case that Sinn Féin does not support the appointment of Senators to the all-party committee, I hope Sinn Féin Senators will ask their party colleagues to allow other Senators to be included. Many Senators have expertise in health matters and should be part of the discussion of the health strategy. They would bring a body of experience to it.

488 6 October 2016

06/10/2016O00700Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: As far as I know, the matter was discussed at the Com- mittee on Procedure and Privileges.

06/10/2016O00800Senator Jerry Buttimer: Senator Martin Conway referred to ShannonDoc. What he had to say was disappointing. The issue is linked with GP retention. The call he made was valid and I will ask the Minister for Health to liaise with the centre on the matter.

Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill referred to disability services and na cúrsaí Gaeilge. Senators Trevor Ó Clochartaigh and Gabrielle McFadden also referred to the Gaeltacht and the Irish language. I was not able to get to Conradh na Gaeilge yesterday, but the Minister of State responsible has committed to coming to the House. I mentioned the matter to him today. We need to synchronise with him and find a date in his diary.

Senator Frank Feighan again referred to the agreement reached in Ardoyne. We condemned the attack on Fr. Gary Donegan.

The Senator also mentioned the flooding on Lough Allen and the work being done there. I hope the ESB will address the issue. I am sure it is watching proceedings and that its public affairs staff are dealing with the matter, on which they might revert to the Senator.

Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill referred to the research being carried out in Vancouver into the economic benefits of reunification. I did not read the report, but we should have a debate in the House on what will happen post-Brexit and so on. It is critical that we also consider the benefits and positive aspects of Brexit.

Senators Gabrielle McFadden and Aidan Davitt mentioned the job losses in Longford. Sen- ator Gabrielle McFadden asked a very good question about the money being allocated by IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. She asked where that money would go and highlighted the need for an explanation from the two bodies for what was happening in Longford. With Senator Aid- an Davitt, she has highlighted on a number of occasions the need for job creation in Longford. I will ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Mary Mitchell O’Connor, to come to the House to address the issue.

I wish Senator Paul Gavan well at his conference at the weekend. I did not realise Shannon Airport was occupied. I travel to it regularly. Being the gateway to the Atlantic, it is a very important airport. I did not think our policy on neutrality had changed. This is a neutral country.

06/10/2016O00900Senator Paul Gavan: What about the 2.5 million American troops who pass through the airport? Does that indicate neutrality?

06/10/2016O01000Senator Jerry Buttimer: The position on the American troops has been well documented. It is an issue about which we have spoken. The important point is that Shannon Airport is the gateway to Europe.

Senator Colm Burke referred to home care packages, the importance of training staff and the ten-year health strategy. I have emphasised that it is key that Members of this House be part of the discussion of the strategy. I hope we can all support that proposal.

Senator Fintan Warfield mentioned Hurricane Matthew which has killed 26 people as it has trundled its way up the east coast of America. I have spoken to friends of mine in Florida who were preparing for it yesterday. The humanitarian situation in Haiti is of concern. I will take up the matter with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Charles Flanagan. 489 Seanad Éireann Senator Paddy Burke highlighted the importance of tourism, in which context he referred to Brexit and the linkage with sterling. I will be happy to have the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, or the Minister of State, Deputy Patrick Donovan, come to the House to discuss the issue.

Senator Rose Conway-Walsh referred to the important work done by family resource centres and the need for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, to come to the House to discuss the issue. I will be happy to facilitate such a debate.

Order of Business agreed to.

06/10/2016O01200Sitting Arrangements: Motion

06/10/2016O01300Senator Jerry Buttimer: I move:

That, notwithstanding anything in the Standing Orders relative to Public Business, the Seanad shall meet at 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 11th October 2016 and Standing Orders 29 and 30 shall stand suspended.

Question put and agreed to.

06/10/2016O01500EU Regulation on Matrimonial Matters, Matters of Parental Responsibility and Inter- national Child Abduction: Motion

06/10/2016O01600Senator Jerry Buttimer: I move:

That Seanad Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure:

Proposal for a Council Regulation on jurisdiction, the recognition and enforcement of decisions in matrimonial matters and matters of parental responsibility, and international child abduction (recast),

a copy of which was laid before Seanad Éireann on 27th July 2016.

Question put and agreed to.

06/10/2016O01800Appointment of Members of Legal Services Regulatory Authority: Motion

06/10/2016O01900Senator Jerry Buttimer: I move:

That Seanad Éireann, noting that the Government agreed on 27th September 2016 to propose, for the approval of Seanad Éireann, the appointment of Eileen Barrington, SC, to be a member of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority and pursuant to section 9 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, approves the appointment, with effect from the estab- 490 6 October 2016 lishment day to be appointed by the Minister for Justice and Equality in accordance with section 7 of that Act, by the Government of Eileen Barrington, SC, to be a member of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority, six of whom shall hold office for a period not exceed- ing four years from the date of his or her appointment as the Government shall determine and five of whom shall hold office for a period of three years from the date of their appointment in accordance with section 10(2) of that Act.

Question put and agreed to.

Sitting suspended at 12.50 p.m. and resumed at 2 p.m.

2 o’clock

06/10/2016W00050Action Plan for Education: Statements

06/10/2016W00075Acting Chairman (Senator John O’Mahony): I welcome the Minister and invite him to make his opening statement.

06/10/2016W00100Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): I thank Senators for sched- uling this debate. As they can imagine, I am very keen to put forward the case that education is absolutely pivotal to our future challenges. The Government has set two main challenges. I think we all see two main challenges. One is how to sustain the progress to reach full employment, which is very important if we are to be able to say every person who wants to work will be able to have access to a job that will support his or her ambition. The second is our desire to ensure we have a fair society and, in particular, that we break cycles of disadvantage. If one thinks about these two goals for any length of time and steps back from them, one will see that education is pivotal to both. We cannot have a sustainable full-employment economy without massive investment in the talent that will support it. I previously had the job of Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and if one talks to any employer about the challenges he or she faces now, it is, as he or she would describe it, a war for talent. Employers must also be drivers of innovation within their businesses. They must do things in a different way if they are to suc- ceed in entering new markets. This is particularly so after the decision of the British people to exit the European Union, when we are now faced with the need to diversify and be innovative in our markets. We also need to be able to fill skills gaps as they emerge. We need to be able to support entrepreneurship. Two out of every three jobs come from companies within the first five years of their lives.

At the heart of an awful lot of the talent drive that fuels enterprise is the education system. Equally, if one considers the challenge of creating a fair society, anyone will see that the key to resolving cycles of disadvantage will be built around education. We have so often seen that in some schools, a teacher can predict that a certain child will not progress, that instead of progressing to higher education, a good job or an apprenticeship, he or she is destined for something different and will face into difficulties in his or her life. Education is the key that can break down these barriers and open up new opportunities. Education is the key that can help young people to develop the personal resilience to deal with many of the stresses faced in later life. Education is the key to setting out pathways that allow people who perhaps did not suc- ceed the first time around in their education to find their way back and through to traineeships, apprenticeships and so on. 491 Seanad Éireann On both core objectives that we have set, education is the key. The challenge for me and others is to set out a strategic vision for the country that can win the support of the community for investment in education. That is exactly what the action plan for education is all about. It has a strategic vision that, within ten years, we would become the best education service in Eu- rope. That is a bold ambition, but it is a realistic one because across many areas we are already very strong performers. Many rank our education system as it is among the first five or six in Europe. In areas such as literacy we do very well but not quite so well in mathematics or science. We have the highest rate in Europe of enrolment in the so-called STEM subjects in our universities. We have the highest rate in Europe of participation in third level. We have one of the best performances in research and the capacity to turn our investment in research into genuine innovation that changes things. We are, therefore, strong in many dimensions, but we are weak in many others. For example, lifelong learning is an area which we need to consider and in which we are weak. We are one of the laggards in Europe for making sure people who are in work continually renew their skills.

We need to close the gap between disadvantaged schools and other schools, but it is fair to say the DEIS scheme has been very successful. The drop-out rate has fallen sharply. It was 32% just a few years ago in 2001. It has now come down very significantly, despite all the difficulties, to just 18% and we need to sustain that progress. That is why we have created an action plan for education. We also built on my experience in the enterprise. Education is a complex Department. It has many individual strategies and it is very important to integrate that series of strategies with some shared goals that would apply at all levels - first, second, third and fourth levels - and to make sure we are implementing them appropriately, setting the right priorities to achieve the high level goals.

The goals are ones that I hope will lend themselves to the Seanad. They are built around, first, reducing the level of disadvantage and making sure those who come to the education system with a disadvantage progress. That is measured in progression to third level or apprenticeship or traineeship, in a lower still drop-out rate and in improved relative standards in literacy and other tests compared to mainstream schools that are not in the disadvantaged programme.

The second goal is the enrichment of the learning experience for every pupil. Undoubtedly, everyone can recognise that as our environment becomes more complex, we need to respond with wider subject choices. It is important that we introduce coding in schools and adopt digital technology, not only to expose young people to its power but also to integrate it into teaching methodologies in order that it enlivens and enriches education and teaching methods. This is at the core of the junior certificate cycle.

We need to see a broadening of the skills that are recognised and valued in the education system to take the shackles off teaching and learning. We are too concentrated on the terminal examination which has been a deadening influence, particularly in some of the subjects that are important for the future such as science. This is, appropriately, a very important second theme.

A third theme is focused on schools and ensuring we provide the supports to allow them to continuously improve. There is no doubt that the key to success lies in the leadership and teaching methodologies that are applied by staff in schools and the culture that is developed. We need to invest more in building strong leadership. Initiatives are already emerging to strengthen the leadership capability of schools. This was part of the recent agreement reached between the Department and the Teachers Union of Ireland, TUI, and the Irish National Teachers Organi- sation, INTO, to deliver improvements. There are many other ways in which we can support 492 6 October 2016 innovation in schools, including in terms of a capacity for self-evaluation and peer learning and mainstreaming what is working elsewhere.

The fourth stream we have set out is the need to build stronger links between education and the wider community. Visiting the north inner city of Dublin with the Taoiseach recently, it was clear that while children had a good and safe environment until 4 p.m., success within schools very much depended on what happened after school and what supports were available in the wider community when children went home from school. We need to find ways of building bridges with community supports such as clubs.

With regard to our desire to provide the skills and talent of the future, there is evidence to show that if students are given the opportunity to participate in a work placement during their study, they have 24% better outcomes in terms of employment and income. We must build much stronger bridges with employers. Some colleges make this a core element, but it must be extended. The relationship or partnership, if one likes, between parents and schools must be valued more. We are committed to developing a parents charter to allow this relationship to become more of a genuine partnership involving mutual respect on both sides.

As to the final element, as a national Department with a number of national agencies, we must also aspire to best international practice. We must examine whether the continuous professional development we offer teachers and our methods of inspection, support and innovation reflect international best practice. The national agencies face the challenge of ensuring they are creating the framework within which schools can achieve high levels of performance. Criti- cisms have been made of the Department’s approach, with some arguing that we should not set such high ambitions and that we should be content to be just good. I do not agree with that view. By saying we want to be the best in Europe, we change the conversation, the questions we ask of ourselves and our performance, whether in terms of children with a disadvantage or the range and richness of the learning environment we offer. We need to ask these questions if we are to be determined to be the stand-out, excellent choice.

The other question people have asked is what are the investment implications of the strategy. It is important to note that the strategy takes a three-year and ten-year perspective. It is not a budget plan, nor was it intended as such. It is a statement of ambition and direction. The pace with which we can implement some of the changes will depend on the additional incremental resources we can secure from year to year. However, it is equally important that our current allocation of €8.5 billion is spent to the best effect. We must examine many issues to ensure we are using all the resources allocated to us by the Houses of the Oireachtas to best effect, as well as making the unanswerable case for new investment in various challenging areas, for example, special educational needs, educational disadvantage, higher education and apprenticeships. We have set out strong ambitions for the future in all these areas.

I thank Senators for initiating this debate. It is important that those of us who are interested in education - most of the Senators present have a particular knowledge, background or expertise in this field - spread the message more widely that if we want to fulfil the ambitions we have as a nation, be they economic, cultural or scientific in nature or an ambition to create a fair society, the decisions we make about the education service will be at the heart of achieving them. For these reasons, it is important to integrate this with a simple plan that one can see. This is a feature that will apply in this respect of the action plan, as it did when I had responsibilities elsewhere. There will be a fresh plan for 2017 and it will be built on the feedback from and experience of what we do in 2016. Similarly, the new plan in 2018 will be built on the 493 Seanad Éireann experience in 2017. This approach will provide a vehicle for continually seeking to improve the instruments and policy choices we make, bearing in mind the views of the Oireachtas and education stakeholders.

I hope we, as a community, can get behind the effort to set education as one of our national priorities and ensure we make the right choices across all education sectors. We must have clear goals and commit to outcome reporting in order that the Oireachtas, as the funder of the strategy, will be able to determine whether we are living up to the outcomes we hoped to achieve in literacy progression and the roll-out of different programmes. We are happy to be held ac- countable against objective standards. Any investment in education, provided it is done right, will deliver the returns Members of the Oireachtas have a right to expect.

06/10/2016X00200Senator Robbie Gallagher: Ba mhaith liom fáilte mhór an chur roimh an Aire go dtí an Seanad inniú. While many of the measures to improve quality and innovational learning in education in this plan are welcome, the education sector in general is somewhat underwhelmed by its contents. The three-year strategy, while worthy in some respects, is not strong enough in many of the areas of education policy that require substantial reform. An action plan requires clear objectives, goals, dates and measures but also resources, as the Minister indicated. Many of the education proposals in the Fine Gael Party’s election manifesto feature strongly in this plan, including linking funding with performance. Some measures will have regressive effects on schools with a higher intake of students from low income backgrounds. Many argue that they will also have regressive effects on schools and the education system in general.

The action plan practically omits mention of the higher education funding crisis or concrete measures for improving access to third level education. The plan has five level goals covering learners, educators, the community, planning and support. While it is full of fine aspirations, concrete proposals for achieving them are absent. Time constraints do not allow me the luxury of discussing each of the goals, but I will briefly address several of them.

While one of the stated objectives is to address educational disadvantage and improve outcomes for all students, there are few tangible commitments in the action plan to achieve this goal. One of the areas in need of attention is foreign languages. Only 7% of ten-year-olds learn a foreign language compared to 75% in the United Kingdom. Physical education across the education system is another area in need of attention. Ireland is rated third worst among European Union member states for physical education at primary level and seventh worst at second level.

The objective should be to improve overall learning outcomes and well-being for children. We have serious concerns about the new, revised models being proposed for resources for children with special educational needs. Many believe this reorganisation of the special educational resource model is really a further cut to special education. While it is welcome that the Government has come to realise the importance of speech and language therapy in education, this document really only pays lip service to it. Fianna Fáil has proposed a new model that would radically change early intervention services by putting early intervention teams on-site in preschools and primary schools, including speech and language therapy teams. The model proposed is based on the successful model already in existence, albeit on a pilot basis, in Tallaght.

The current situation and attitude to leadership in schools is deeply unfair. Principals of schools with fewer than 179 pupils teach on average 169 days per year, with only 20 days for fulfilling their administrative responsibilities, whereas principals in schools with more than 179 pupils do not teach at all. This is unfair on all schools, their principals and pupils. Just across 494 6 October 2016 the Border from County Monaghan principals get at least one day per week off for administrative duties. How can principals be expected to engage in strategic planning for their schools, while also carrying out their administrative responsibilities in just 20 days? The action plan does not reverse this situation.

Reducing class sizes at primary level, especially for children under nine years, is a key issue. Approximately 125,000 or one in five primary school pupils are taught in super-sized classes of over 30 students. The proposals included in the plan would introduce punishing performance targets, remove teacher autonomy and further penalise schools in less advantaged areas. The system of standardised testing proposed displays a complete disregard for teachers and the public school system. The country deemed to have the most successful education system in the world is Finland, but it is certainly not obsessed with testing. In fact, the complete opposite is the case, but Finland trains all of its teachers to master’s level.

The Government’s approach to school divestment has simply not worked, with only six schools transferring patronage to date. Our policy approach has been to bring the issue forward in a constructive way. Divestment and increasing diversity in school patronage is essential and we will engage with all educational partners to energise this process rather than setting unreal- istic goals and targets.

We must be more ambitious on apprenticeships and ask if 50,000 is enough. The gender balance in this area is abysmal and pitiful. While there has been an increase in the scope of skills and trades covered by apprenticeships, there are no new incentives for non-traditional businesses to become involved in new apprenticeships.

The plan to provide 50,000 new higher education places by 2021 is just not possible without significant increases in funding. Capital investment in higher education has been cut by a stag- gering 50% since 2011. Universities and institutes of technology, as we all know, are on the brink of financial collapse. In the entirety of the action plan I can only find two lines devoted to the crisis in higher level funding and the Cassells report.

The plan is far from perfect, but at least there is a plan. However, its lack of concrete proposals for attaining its goals is of concern. Certainly, its aim to provide the best education and training system in Europe is one to which we would all aspire.

I thank the Minister for his presence and attention. I would like to raise one issue with him, on which I would welcome his comments. I refer to the position of junior certificate students in ASTI-staffed schools who may lose 10% of the marks in their English examination this year, through no fault of their own. This threat needs to be withdrawn because it is causing stress for those students and their families. I ask the Minister to give a commitment to the Seanad today that he will ensure this threat of punishment will be withdrawn.

06/10/2016Y00200Acting Chairman (Senator John O’Mahony): I thank the Senator. The Independent group is next on my, list but as there is no one here from that group, I invite Senator Maria By- rne to speak. Before she begins, I remind Members that they should stick to the subject matter of the debate and refrain from raising questions on other issues.

06/10/2016Y00300Senator Maria Byrne: I welcome the Minister and commend him for his commitment to education. The action plan activates the commitments contained in A Programme for a Partner- ship Government. It is welcome that it contains commitments to the monitoring of actions, with published timelines. Progress will be assessed each year. 495 Seanad Éireann Ireland is among the top five countries in Europe in several important spheres of education, including post-primary literacy, third level participation and the taking up of science, technology, engineering and maths, STEM, subjects at third level. I was delighted to attend the launch of a STEM programme recently, which involves a partnership between the University of Limerick and Johnson and Johnson which is a major employer in the county. The programme aims to encourage more students to study STEM subjects and particularly to encourage female entrepreneurs to study engineering. Under the programme, students are guaranteed a work placement on graduation. The more we see of such initiatives, the better.

The OECD has found that education not only enables people to perform better in the labour market but also helps to improve their overall health, promote active citizenship and contain violence. I welcome the inclusion of very important goals in the action plan. The focus is on breaking the cycle of disadvantage and ensuring every person will have the opportunity to reach his or her full potential. This also leads to creating sustainable, well paid jobs and strong economic growth.

The action plan commits to the further rolling out of several initiatives which are already in place in a number of higher level institutes. It aims, for example, to increase by one quarter the number of students undertaking a work placement or work project as part of their third level qualification by 2021. I have served on the governing bodies of both the University of Limerick and the Limerick Institute of Technology, LIT, and have seen first-hand the experience students attained during work placements, which helped them at college and in the workplace. Such placements are of benefit to both students and employers.

I welcome the emphasis in the plan on increasing the take up of gateway subjects such as physics, chemistry and higher level mathematics. This year’s leaving certificate examination results show that almost 28%, or more than 15,000 students, opted to take the higher level mathematics paper and failure rates fell from 5% to 4.6%. The plan also aims to increase the opportunities for learning coding and computer science. In that regard, my local IT started a pilot scheme for primary school students on a Saturday morning, which has proved very successful and very beneficial for the students. It is welcome that the Minister has included coding and computer science in the plan because these are two of the subjects of the future.

The implementation of a national access programme for higher education is pivotal to the plan. Its objective is to increase by seven points, or the equivalent of 30%, the proportion of students at risk of disadvantage who proceed to higher education.

A mandatory area of learning, entitled “Wellbeing”, will be introduced in the junior cycle programme in 2017. Increasing subject choice for students is important for student motivation and engagement and ensuring curriculum development will continue to respond to the changing needs of learners, society and the economy. The fact that the action plan will be reviewed each year means that stakeholders will have the opportunity to submit comments and recommendations.

An important goal is to improve the progress of learners at risk of educational disadvantage and learners with special educational needs. While there has been a significant improvement in the number of students from DEIS schools remaining at school until the leaving certificate examinations and in literacy and numeracy outcomes, achievement data show that outcomes in such schools are still below the national norm. Since 2009, no school has been designated as a DEIS school. Will the Minister consider this as part of the review he is taking? As part of 496 6 October 2016 the Europe 2020 strategy, Ireland aimed to reduce to 8% the percentage of 18 to 24-year-olds with a secondary education but not in further education or training. This target has now been exceeded, with a current rate of 6.9%. The Department of Education and Skills is due to publish and implement a new action plan for education inclusion which will include a schools support programme, an assessment framework for resources allocation, as well as a monitoring and evaluation framework.

The Department will pilot a new model for the allocation of teaching resources to support children with special educational needs in schools, an important measure. A new inclusion support service for schools will be developed and there are continual improvements in the aims to help those delivering education services. Ireland is fortunate to attract high calibre individuals to the teaching profession and our teaching framework has a strong reputation internationally. From my local knowledge of Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, I am aware of the high standards in place. The Department will increase investment in the professional development of teachers across the board. The fact professional development is encouraged at all levels is important. School leadership supports will be expanded with the new mentoring programme for newly appointed principals and a professional coaching service for serving principals. A new postgraduate qualification will be rolled out for aspiring school leaders.

Continual improvement in schools will be supported through a new quality framework for external inspection and school self-improvement. A planned programme of external evaluation will be rolled out across the schools sector with a range of new inspection models. Support is to be given to improving the quality of early years provision. The implementation of Aistear and Síolta, the early years curriculum and quality frameworks will be supported with training for mentors and trainers and upskilling for the workforce. I have witnessed the value of the early years programme in a pilot project run in a primary school in my local electoral area. I fully support the work of and the teachers in this programme.

The Department will develop a partners and learners charter to give parents and students a strong voice at school level. The Government will legislate for school admissions to make enrolment easier for children and their parents. The Department will also establish 400 mul- tidenominational and non-denominational schools to give greater choice. It has established a national skills council to drive the development of the regional skills fora for key infrastructure developments to address skill needs, both nationally and regionally. More than 60,000 additional school places will be delivered by 2021 and in excess of 300 extensions to existing schools and 14 schools will be completed.

I welcome the action plan for education. We have an excellent education system, of which we can be proud. Current strategies such as the 20-year strategy for the Irish language and the national skills strategy help to underpin the overall system of education. The programme recognises the need to adapt to changing needs and increase skills in several key areas. It is important that everyone be given the opportunity to reach his or her potential in every sphere of education and skills.

06/10/2016Z00200Senator Paul Gavan: I welcome the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton, to the Chamber. He made a fine speech. It is not often a Shinner would say that to a Fine Gael Minister.

06/10/2016Z00300Senator Robbie Gallagher: It is a first.

497 Seanad Éireann

06/10/2016Z00400Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: The Senator will learn.

06/10/2016Z00500Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: That is where the goodwill ends.

06/10/2016Z00600Senator Jerry Buttimer: We look forward to Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin’s speech.

06/10/2016Z00700Senator Paul Gavan: Sinn Féin welcomes the Minister’s aspirations to work towards a world-class education system. However, this statement is meaningless without adequate investment. Before we talk about where we want the education system to be, we first need to talk about where the system is right and how the Government has managed it so far.

The education system is a public service which Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have decimated with severe cuts to vital services. Since 2012 there has been a 15% cut in the number of resource teaching hours allocated to children with special needs, as well a 27.6% reduction in guidance counselling provision. Since 2008 we have seen a €13 million cut in the school transport budget, while up to 2,000 staff have been taken out of third level education. Two thirds of primary school pupils are taught in classrooms of 25 pupils or more. More than 200 schools are using prefab classrooms to accommodate students. Fine Gael has left the education system in a complete mess. Fine Gael and the Labour Party made the decision to take away resources from the most disadvantaged in our society in respect of special needs and guidance counsel- lors. They even cut funding for school transport. What kind of equal education system is that?

We have read the action plan for education. While the Minister talks about aspiring to having a world-class education system, we do not see any evidence in the plan to rectify these injustices. There is a complete lack of ambition or vision in Fine Gael. For example, it has delayed the investment in ICT infrastructure for Wi-Fi, broadband, equipment and learning resources until 2018. What is the reason for this? It has set a target to increase access to third level in the lowest socioeconomic group to 30% by 2019. Does the Minister realise this is lower than the target set in 2008, which was 31%? Where is the political will in Fine Gael to deal with inequality in education? Why has it failed so far in six years to deal with the issue? Why has it not yet carried out a review of barriers facing lone parents in accessing education?

The review of the school transport system will not be available until 2018. The Minister has said he will not have developed a policy on science, technology, engineering and maths until 2017. He also said he will not have started or completed a review on barriers to further education and training for disadvantaged students until next year. Up to 89% of schools are under the direct patronage of the Catholic Church. That is not good enough in a state which aspires to be a republic. We would like to see a departmental roadmap to achieve the goal of 400 multide- nominational schools by 2030. We would like to see the Department of Education and Skills issue guidelines for all schools to follow to ensure children can opt out of faith formation, if that is their wish. We would like to see the end of the baptism barrier in school admissions.

These are serious inequalities in our society and the Minister has put all of them on the long finger. I do not understand his vision for the education system. Fine Gael, the Labour Party and Fianna Fáil have implemented successive budgets which continue to decimate and under- invest in education. I do not believe their policies will ever produce a world-class education system that will provide for every citizen in this republic. Ireland is at a significant crossroads. We need to start thinking about creating a discourse on public investment. Education is a vital public service. The State has a responsibility to provide the best possible service it can and it needs to be an equal service.

498 6 October 2016

06/10/2016Z00800Deputy Richard Bruton: On a point of order, that discourse should start with an honest appraisal of what is happening. To say there has been a 15% cut in the number of resource teaching hours-----

06/10/2016Z00900Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: That is not a point of order.

06/10/2016Z01000Senator Paul Gavan: It is not a point of order. The Minister will get his turn at the end to address the points made.

06/10/2016Z01100Deputy Richard Bruton: I thought this was to be an engagement.

06/10/2016Z01200Senator Paul Gavan: Yes, but we have to follow the rules of the House.

06/10/2016Z01300Acting Chairman (Senator John O’Mahony): The Minister will come in at the end.

06/10/2016Z01400Deputy Richard Bruton: Okay, but the Senator is using a prepared script.

06/10/2016Z01500Senator Paul Gavan: We need serious public investment in this sector and Sinn Féin is committed to carrying out such investment. The debate is changing and needs to be presented clearly. Neoliberal right-wing politics has failed and bankrupted the country. While we, on the left, argue for progressive taxation to fund public services which will be universal for everyone, the parties on the right argue for cuts in taxes and further privatisation of essential services. Sinn Féin has published its alternative budget. In that document is our vision for the education system. It includes a total capital and current expenditure investment of €480 million which would see a complete restoration of guidance counselling hours. It would also see an increase in the number of resource teaching hours and the creation of 1,000 additional apprenticeship places. It would provide for a €10 million fund for the replacement of prefabs and €30 million for investment in Wi-Fi networks for schools. That is our vision for the education system.

Next week Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will publish their budget which will contain their vision for the education system. We do not yet know exactly what the specifics of that budget will be. However, we are all too familiar with the ideology on which it will be based and, therefore, we all understand there will be no significant reform. What the country needs to do is get serious about public investment across the entire public sector, with education being a priority service. In our alternative budget one can see that Sinn Féin is committed to such a vision.

06/10/2016AA00200Acting Chairman (Senator John O’Mahony): We now move to the Civil Engagement Group.

06/10/2016AA00300Senator John Dolan: I will be sharing my time equally with Senator Alice-Mary Higgins.

06/10/2016AA00400Acting Chairman (Senator John O’Mahony): Is that agreed? Agreed.

06/10/2016AA00500Senator John Dolan: I thank the Minister very much for his attention. To cut to the chase, I do not see in the strategy statement the ambition, commitment or passion for the full inclusion of children and people with disabilities or special needs. That is my assessment of it. The authors have chosen not to reference people with disabilities as a key priority, in spite of a commitment in the programme for Government to ratify the UN convention, or to reference or footnote Article 24 of that convention. The Minister is talking about having a high ambition, but I do not know whether he could have a much higher ambition regarding children and young people with disabilities and special needs than referring to Article 44 of the convention and using it as a standard bearer. There is no setting out of the level of disadvantage among children 499 Seanad Éireann and families in order to underline the work involved and generate a sense of urgency. Let me give some examples. One quarter of the children of Ireland have some disability. Children with disabilities are more likely to come from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This creates a double disadvantage because those with disabilities, based on their lower socioeconomic status, are more likely to be on the bottom rung, to be placed in special school settings or outside the mainstream setting.

In the first quarter of 2015 just 39% of the applications for an assessment of need were completed within the required timeframe. Many parents are forced to pay for private assessments to support applications for the provision of additional resources. Children of parents who cannot afford to pay for a private diagnosis are receiving fewer resource hours in school. Some 43% of people with disabilities have not progressed beyond primary education. That compares with a figure of 90% among others. That is an outline of some of the very hard facts. I am not making them up; they come from a range of reputable reports.

The strategy acknowledges that there are significant measures in the EPSEN Act, passed by these two Houses in 2004, that still have not been implemented or in respect of which the hold button has been pressed. Full implementation of the Act is necessary. Technology has fascinat- ing potential to support students with disabilities in overcoming barriers, but there are still key challenges to be addressed in that regard.

Bizarrely and surprisingly, there are repeated references in the report to children in one cat- egory of disability, an area in which support is needed. Why is that the case when there are no references to children with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, Friedreich’s ataxia, muscular dystro- phy, epidermolysis bullosa, arthritis, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, mental health issues, deafness or other such conditions? If there is to be ambition, it ought to encompass all children. The plan seems to have been to run down the road towards picking one group. That really shows the flaws in the statement. I have no doubt that it is well meaning, but it is flawed.

At the commencement of the debate it was heartening to hear the Minister talk about the twin objectives or Government challenges. One concerns employment. The Minister will certainly know from his last posting, in which he had responsibility in this area, that he did not hear too much about disabled people becoming redundant, for the very simple reason that they were never in jobs. Therefore, education is an absolute pillar in allowing people to advance, to which employment is key. It is critical that the education authorities get on with the job smartly. I refer to the question of having a fair society and breaking the cycle of disadvantage.

Why did the Minister not reference Article 24 the UN convention, given that it is implied in the programme for Government? Did his officials take the opportunity to read and study it? Will the Department continually dance to that tune now? As the Minister has said he will be updating the strategy annually, he has an opportunity to do as I propose.

06/10/2016AA00600Acting Chairman (Senator John O’Mahony): The Senator is eating into the time of his colleague.

06/10/2016AA00700Senator Alice-Mary Higgins: I welcome the Minister and thank him for attending. The plan makes for very interesting reading. I will try to confine my remarks to the specific goals. I hope the Minister will respond on a couple of points under each goal.

With regard to goals 1 and 2, on the learning experience and the progress of learners at risk, reference was made previously to the teacher-pupil ratio and progress towards the European 500 6 October 2016 target of having 20 students per teacher. That is essential if we are serious about the learning experience in schools and giving teachers the capacity to deliver fully.

The review of DEIS-designated schools is overdue. It is crucial. I regret, in the context of some of the inclusion issues talked about in the House, the discontinuation of the healthy- foods-for-all initiative. It was important in providing the additional supports that allowed some students to benefit fully from an educational experience.

I highlight the case of a particular group of learners at risk - lone parents. Lone parents seeking to re-enter education face particular challenges, one being that the system is not designed to ensure their full participation and progression.

I would like the Minister to address the education and training boards and their need to provide high-quality, part-time courses at suitable hours that allow for full inclusion. That the SUSI grant is not available for those in part-time education also disadvantages women and those who are parenting alone, be they men or women.

On goal 3, helping those delivering education services to improve continually, I wish to highlight two issues. The first concerns the higher education report on gender equality. How will we make sure the recommendations are really mainstreamed and that those in education are not only progressing but also given an opportunity to progress? It is vital that this be followed through and that the recommendations be reflected in the plan. We must see real links, for example, with funding and the Athena SWAN achievement.

Progression is crucial where younger teachers are concerned. If we are asking teachers, including younger teachers, to improve continuously, we need to ensure they are given the opportunity to do so by looking to the INTO recommendations on the restoration of pay and ensuring middle management positions and recognition for post-holders are high on the agenda. Pay and progression must go hand in hand and there should be two-way progress.

The key goal for me is goal 4 and it is important that we assert ourselves very clearly. The UN Human Rights Committee and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child have spoken previously about the problem posed by the baptism barrier in admissions. I would welcome a clear ministerial assertion that schools are not religious institutions but educational estab- lishments funded by the State in order to fulfil its obligations. It is important to assert this, especially in the light of the constitutional considerations. Schools should not be property to be transferred to trusts to be administered. They are, in fact, administered to fulfil a duty of the State which has to take primacy. In that regard, I call for a roadmap for the delivery of 400 multi-denominational and non-denominational schools and also the inclusion of Gaelscoile- anna. Those who choose to be educated in Irish must also have the right to be educated in a place that reflects their-----

06/10/2016AA01000Acting Chairman (Senator John O’Mahony): The Senator has exceeded her time.

06/10/2016BB00100Senator Alice-Mary Higgins: I apologise. I will be just 30 seconds more. It is my final point.

The roadmap, the baptism barrier and the legislation have been mentioned. My key final point is one Senator Lynn Ruane would make if she were here; in a way, therefore, I am using the time she will not be using. If we want to have a vibrant research community, we need to invest in public research and higher education funding must be restored. We need to make 501 Seanad Éireann sure we are taking full advantage of the Brexit opportunities by investing in higher education, including community focused public research.

06/10/2016BB00200Senator Joe O’Reilly: I welcome the Minister. In his previous ministry he pioneered the concept of the action plan and its constant monitoring. It achieved a great outcome in the De- partment of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the rate of unemployment currently stands at under 8%, down from a high of 15.2%. It was a phenomenal success and I have no doubt the same model, with a different set of criteria and a different methodology, will also work in this instance. To use the biblical adage, “By their fruits you shall know them”. The Minister has a record of delivery and I have no doubt he will deliver again.

The Minister was correct in stating education was critical to creating a fair society, giving people quality of life and creating a vibrant economy. As we all understand that, I do not propose to spend five minutes going through how it works.

It is not specifically within the remit of the Minister’s Department, but the recent announcement of the second year of free early childhood education is critical to childhood development because such development begins at a very young age. It is a great help to creating equality and will assist in the context of what happens in primary school. It is a welcome development. I am a greater believer in early childhood education.

It is important in the upcoming budget that we continue to reduce class sizes, for which I have no doubt the Minister will fight. The reduction of class sizes at primary level is critical to good outcomes. All research suggests there is a link between class size and performance. Re- search also suggests interventions are needed at a younger age to create equality of opportunity. Reducing class sizes is, therefore, critical.

Continuous professional development of our excellent and outstanding, professional teachers is necessary. They are the first to say they need continuous professional development and because they are good and committed, they benefit from it. There was a loss to schools during the recession. We are not here to analyse the causes of that recession or its history, only to say there was a loss of positions of leadership and responsibility in schools. They need to be rebal- anced, as do the capitation fees for students which were cut by 30% during the recession. That needs readjustment. They are practical measures that would serve to achieve the Minister’s higher objective.

The Minister is correct that a key priority is to reduce disadvantage. He is also correct to cite the DEIS school programme as having achieved a lower dropout rate, down to 18% from 32%.

I refer to a matter which falls outside the Minister’s remit but in respect of which he will have a moral authority in the Cabinet. It is the simple, basic and practical school meals programme. As a former teacher, a parent and somebody who lives and interacts with people on a daily basis, practical common sense tells me that the school meals programme is very important in many areas. It is very important that children have a wholesome diet. The Acting Chairman, Senator John O’Mahony, was an educator for many years. He might agree that it is critical for children to have a proper diet and good food. One of the best teachers with whom I ever taught said to me one time that if a child had a good night’s sleep and proper food, he or she would learn. It is basic common-sense, but it is necessary. The school meals programme should be maintained and extended to include a lunch as well as a breakfast because, sadly,

502 6 October 2016 children do not always have a proper diet. I mentioned sleep. There should be the potential for home-school liaison teachers to work with parents in that regard. Proper sleep is critical to the development of children and young adults. That is an issue which could be examined.

I wish to address one matter, of which the Minister is acutely aware. It is an issue that affects males and females but predominantly males between the ages of 15 and 18 years. A cohort tends to opt out of academia, underperform and lose interest. If they are in school under duress from their parents and because of societal pressure, they are only physically present. More could be done in that regard and perhaps apprenticeships might come into play. Will the Minis- ter respond on that issue? I am thinking of the concept of apprenticeships extending into other areas such as insurance. Wider links with industry might achieve something. Will the Minister respond to my point about these young men? Academia does not seem to work for them, yet they have every right to be in school. They have great potential but lose heart.

I agree with the Minister that lifelong learning should be a privilege and opportunity for all of us. As it is an exciting thing to do, we should do it. In that context, post-leaving certificate programme institutions have potential to be used to offer lifelong learning opportunities.

I will strike a parochial note with my final point. We did much in the area of capital investment under the previous Administration and a lot was achieved in my constituency. We have one particular need for capital for the new education campus in Cavan town where the excellent post-leaving certificate programme institute is included in the capital programme. Senator Robbie Gallagher will support me on this point. I would like to see it built during the term of office of the Government.

06/10/2016BB00300Acting Chairman (Senator John O’Mahony): The Senator got in his plug. Senator Aod- hán Ó Ríordáin is next. As the Independent group missed its first slot, after Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, I will allow Senator Victor Boyhan to contribute.

06/10/2016BB00400Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: I welcome the Minister. It is incredibly apt that students from a primary school have just arrived into the Visitors Gallery. As I presume they are from a primary school, I wish them a very happy trip to the Houses of the Oireachtas and hope they learn loads. If they have questions for the Minister, they should be sure to pass them to me and I will ask them before the end. The Minister is here to make sure students get their homework done properly every night.

I appreciate the Minister’s presence and want to be as constructive as possible. He has published an action plan for education which is to be commended. We need to have a roadmap for where we want to be and what we want to achieve. Education is something about which many people in Ireland feel very strongly. When one travels around the world and visits other jurisdictions to see what they are doing in education, sometimes the statements they make or their ambitions can strike a chord because perhaps such ambitions are missing in Ireland. I spent some time in West Dunbartonshire in Glasgow visiting a very disadvantaged community. They speak about wanting to see the absolute eradication of illiteracy. The total eradication of illiteracy is their motivation and ambition. Would it not be wonderful if in Ireland the national obsession in the education system was with the total eradication of illiteracy? One in three children leaving disadvantaged schools has basic reading problems and about 17.9% of the adult population is functionally illiterate. We have an issue with literacy which the previous Government did a huge amount to try to address.

503 Seanad Éireann The people of Finland will state the aspect which underpins their education philosophy is equality. It is not a principle of one party or another or of the left or the right but what they have collectively agreed. They have decided and all accept that equality in the education system is what is best for all children. The problem in Ireland is that we do not really have a word or phrase that underpins our education philosophy. I do not believe we do. In Ireland we have a publicly funded education system that is not a State education system because we outsource it to schools, boards of management and patron bodies. What inevitably happens is that competi- tion gets into the mix and the system perpetuates inequality.

3 o’clock

We separate children on the basis of religion and gender. Where else in society do we believe it is acceptable to separate children on the basis of gender at the age of four years? Is it any surprise that gender stereotypes evolve in society when children in so many schools are separated on the basis of gender? It is probably more of an urban than a rural phenomenon. The construct of the education system allows it to happen.

Only last week the Ombudsman for Children asked for the relationship between the State and the education system to be re-evaluated. It is time for us to set out a roadmap, in con- junction with the Minister’s action plan for education, to lance the boil of the constitutional impediment to a genuine State education system. When we try to engage on issues related to school books or transport or try to bring about an education system like that in Northern Ireland, representatives of the Department of Education and Skills almost faint at the suggestion we have actual day-to-day engagement and a role in managing the day-to-day affairs of schools. They are horrified by the idea. The action plan for education is unlike any other action plan for education in Europe because we have a constitutional impediment to day-to-day involve- ment in the running of schools. This goes back to religious and baptism issues and all the rest of it. In the full light of day in a modern republic, this set-up appears to be absolutely crazy. I tried successfully to amend section 37 of the Employment Equality Act. What was it about? It was about trying to ensure LGBT, divorced or unmarried and cohabiting teachers would not be discriminated against by their schools. I could only amend the legislation. I could not have it repealed completely because of the constitutional reality in terms of where we stood in the education system.

The 1995 Hart and Risley study proved how a three-year-old from a welfare-dependent family had one third of the oral language capacity of a three-year-old from a professional family. The Minister was in the north inner city recently. He quite rightly said the relationship between the school and wider community was paramount. We cannot achieve everything in the school system. Children do not live in schools. However, the reality is that we need far more certainty on the ABC programme which the Minister was in Darndale recently celebrating and it was great to see him there. We have rolled out 13 such programmes throughout the State. They work with schools and the wider community to tackle acute disadvantage. We need more certainty from the Minister in that regard. Obviously, he has a role in working with the Depart- ment of Children and Youth Affairs in that regard.

The issue of special needs assistants, SNAs, in the education system is central. A report was compiled last year by Senator Mary Moran on the role of SNAs. It highlighted the uncer- tainty they faced, the nature of their career path and the fact they should be an essential part of the education system, rather than their role being chopped and changed from year to year as budgetary priorities went up and down. 504 6 October 2016 The issue of teacher diversity must be addressed. A teacher is capable of being a powerful role model. How are we addressing the issue of getting more working class and Traveller children, as well as more children from ethnically diverse backgrounds, into teaching roles? How powerful would it be for the average Irish primary school to have a teacher from the Traveller community, a disadvantaged background or an eastern European background? That does not happen often and there are many and varied reasons for it, but can we engage with the teacher training colleges to determine how we can improve the position, given that it is such a powerful role?

It is a question of the ambition we have for the society we are trying to construct. It is not simply about producing economic units. I realise the Minister has come from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. I appreciate that his mindset has had to be recast over the summer months. The purpose is not simply to become an economic unit. That is not the point of education but to believe and understand the beauty of poetry, language, music, dance, sport and the basis for why we are alive. That is what education is all about. These are more profound than simply becoming an economic unit. I wish that ambition was written throughout the action plan for education with a view to moving towards the goal of empowering young people to be the best they can possibly be. We need to focus more on equality as being fundamental to our educational vision and try harder to lance the boil within the Constitution. That is something we have to grasp. Why not say we want to eradicate illiteracy in society? If the Minister does that, the Labour Party will support him.

06/10/2016CC00200Senator Victor Boyhan: I welcome the Minister and thank him for this positive report in which he has set out his five key goals and objectives. He has set out timelines, a brave thing for any Minister to do. I was talking to the Minister with responsibility for housing, Deputy Simon Coveney, about the first quarter, the second quarter and the third quarter. I put it to him that we were heading into the fourth quarter but 32 objectives in the third quarter had not yet been delivered on by him. It is a brave Minister who sets out his stall and timelines for delivery, but the Minister has done so, which is to be commended. I have no doubt about the Minister’s extraordinary commitment to education. Moreover, I like the that he has an enterprising mind and is someone who has always promoted enterprise. I am pleased to see the greater synergy between enterprise and education and the effects of good education in enterprise, people being better educated, participating in the workforce and the economic benefits. I see this peppered through the sentences and objectives of the document, for which I commend the Minister.

This is a republic and we need an education system that respects the true principles of a republic. I say this as someone who comes from the Church of Ireland tradition. I am critical of the Church of Ireland - I have no difficulty in saying as much - and the anomalies in that regard. I have seen too many Church of Ireland schools throughout Ireland which have fought tooth and nail to resist anyone from outside their denomination coming to them on the basis of the Church of Ireland ethos. We have seen it in the health service, but we still have it in the education system. It is something I expected the Minister to address. Many expected him to crack the kernel of the issue. We cannot have an education system that segregates people. We had too much of it in Northern Ireland. No religion or faith or faith-based consideration should be relevant when it comes to gaining entrance to a State school. I draw a distinction between a State and a fee-paying school. There are other issues about finance and how the State finances a private or fee-paying school, but there should be no grounds for discrimination related to religion or the absence of religion in State primary schools. This is the greatest single challenge facing any Minister and the State.

505 Seanad Éireann There is a Gaelscoil down the road from where I live. I am horrified even to share this with the House, but someone told me recently that he had put his children in the Gaelscoil because there would be no Nigerian children in it. Many immigrants are struggling to learn English. That is a shocking, horrific and horrible statement for anyone to make. There are no catchment areas. As a result, there are children who live next door to the Gaelscoil who cannot gain access to it. They are told there is no catchment areas for Gaelscoileanna. This is a community school, to which children living next door cannot gain access, yet children from ten and 15 miles away can come to the school for various reasons. That is unacceptable on the watch of any Minister for Education and Skills.

We should not insist on segregation on the basis of gender in the State primary school system. It should not be tolerated. It should be a clear objective that it cannot happen any longer. We have to untangle the State system. We spoken about patronage and how in excess of 80% of schools are under the patronage of the Catholic Church. I have nothing against the Catholic Church, but no religious group should be dominant. I want Muslims, believers, non-believers, Catholics, Anglicans and whoever else to be able to attend their community school, local school or State school. I want us to allow them to nourish, grow and befriend each other in their communities. That is a major task. I will leave that thought with the Minister.

I wish to discuss the education service in prisons. I have been on a number of prison boards and I am familiar with the education process. Traditionally, the vocational education committees operated schools in prisons. When the summer holidays come, suddenly the education programme stops. We are told the VECs cannot work in the summer, yet the prisoners are in situ for three or four years. That is unsatisfactory and I would like the Minister to look at the education of young people in prisons. This is about their futures, but they are spending two or three years incarcerated in prison without the benefit of receiving any education for three months in the summer.

The plans for apprenticeships and training are very good but to tie them into the Rebuilding Ireland programme we will need to plan from now into the future. Many leave school at 14 or 15 years of age and are marginalised through no fault of their own. They cannot engage in education and emotionally cannot connect because they have been damaged by circumstances beyond their control. What are we doing for them? We need to accommodate and offer them other forms of training. Many do not even have the academic qualifications to enter apprenticeships. They have the barest numeracy and literacy skills, but they come to my office saying they want to undergo training. Surely they are entitled to receive training and should be assisted in finding it. I want more emphasis to be placed on training and assisting people. We are all learning and education is an ongoing process.

This is a good policy and I am not here to knock it. The Minister has set down his plan, vision, objectives and timelines and I hope it goes well for him. As politicians, our job will be to review them next year and the year after and ask the Minister how he has delivered. If he has not delivered, we will have to ask why. It is a two-way process and I agree with him about scripts. I am not in the business of writing scripts, but I passionately believe in education and giving people opportunities. I urge the Minister to support those in prison and those who feel left alone. It is not that they do not have any capacity or ability, but they need assistance and support in the form of really imaginative training and apprenticeship schemes. We need to bring everyone along in order that they can also enjoy success because everyone has a right to develop and maximise his or her potential. I do not doubt the Minister’s commitment, but I would like him to focus on the issues I have raised. 506 6 October 2016

06/10/2016DD00200Senator Jerry Buttimer: I acknowledge the contributions of Members, but I was wonder- ing whether the Minister had done anything at all in his first 100 days in office and whether, given some of the commentary, he was just occupying the seat. Like Senator Victor Boyhan, I have no script, but I have been a passionate educator for 16 years, like the Acting Chairman. The Minister has come into the Department with a clear roadmap and plan.

Let us look at from where we have come. As this debate is taking place, the live register has fallen below 300,000, while unemployment is falling to below 8%. There are 2 million people working for the first time in eight years. That gives the Minister the opportunity to work on retraining, upskilling and educating people, something in which I passionately believe. One of the greatest joys of my teaching career was when I saw people going back to education or pro- ceeding to further education, or those who did not sit the leaving certificate examination taking the applied leaving certificate programme and being able to have a career.

Let us have a real debate about education. If we follow the mantra of some, we will throw all the money in the world into it and end up with nothing. We have an action plan for education which prioritises earlier intervention and deals with how we can change the curriculum to invest in the child. I agree with Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin that education is not about leaving certificate examination results or whether one gets into college. It is not about the bullet points in the Minister’s action plan. It is about the ability of a person to become immersed in drama, music or sport or participate in a job-shadow programme in which he or she works with people with disabilities. We have endured huge cuts in funding for education services, but in the North Sinn Féin is closing schools down and cutting their budgets. It should not lecture us about what is happening here while, in the North, it does the opposite.

06/10/2016DD00300Senator Paul Gavan: Fine Gael does not even organise in the North.

06/10/2016DD00400Senator Jerry Buttimer: The fundamental goal of the action plan is about education providing an opportunity. As Maslow said, it is about reaching self-actualisation, whether it is the student who gets into Trinity College Dublin with full marks or students who complete the leaving certificate applied programme and enter an apprenticeship in order that they can do the job of a mechanic, a job they love. Education is about us being held to account. I welcome the ambition in the plan and know from the Minister’s previous roles that the targets, goals and milestones are included in order that he can reach them. It is also welcome that it is a living document and open to change. We have heard some very good ideas today. I acknowledge the presence in the Visitors Gallery of Mr. Michael Barron who is involved in Equate Ireland, the equality in education group which campaigns for the reconfiguring of schools to deliver diversity in education.

There are questions about the ethos of schools and there have been controversies about who can and cannot get in. We recently had the unedifying case of students from the Traveller community being refused entry to schools. That cannot be allowed to continue. We must make the education system accessible and remove the barriers to education. Recently I was in St. Paul’s special school in Cork, which is trying to make life better for children with a disability. I was in another school in Greenmount in Cork, where they have a plan to change how they teach music and maths. We need to get the fundamentals right. If we get them right and encourage and reward enterprising schools, we will have an education system that will be better for all of us.

I appeal to the Minister regarding the ASTI. As a former member and shop steward, I hope we can reach an accommodation. It is imperative for the sake of the children, the teachers and 507 Seanad Éireann the school system. I know that he has made a huge effort, but I ask the Minister and the Min- ister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, to make one final effort to reach a compromise. The education system and the plans the Minister has for it will go no- where without all of the partners being involved. I appeal to the ASTI to enter into negotiations in a meaningful way. Let us put the megaphone diplomacy to one side and get down to talking again because the education system needs it. This is a plan with ambition; it is a vision. It needs resources and money, but let us put the child at the centre of education and give the profession- als due reward in terms of their pay, remuneration and conditions and the pupil-teacher ratio that they need.

To say the Minister is doing nothing and has no plan or vision is unfair. Anyone who read Fintan O’Toole’s article in The Irish Times recently would have believed the plan had been conceived out of thin air. but it is a good plan which needs to be supported.

06/10/2016DD00500Acting Chairman (Senator Gerard P. Craughwell): They must have different minutes in Cork from what we have on the east coast.

06/10/2016DD00600Senator Jerry Buttimer: I am sorry.

06/10/2016DD00700Senator Paul Daly: I welcome the opportunity to discuss the action plan for education. Not unlike the previous speaker, I am glad that there is a plan. I could stand here and tear the plan to shreds, as others might tear it in a different way. We are all passionate about education and all by-products of the education system. It is the one sector of the community in which every individual in society will take part. I do not want to talk about funding and will not get involved in the blame game, but there is a necessity for funding and investment in the education sector. The problems therein and the process to achieve the best outcomes are investment related. I take the philosophical route. When we talk about funding for the health service, we say the money should follow the patient. In education the money should follow the student. One glove does not fit all in meeting the needs of this or any other society.

We get carried away on the positioning of the education system on international league tables. Equally, we get carried away in trying to position schools and educational institutions on internal league tables. The part of the plan about which I would be fearful is the angle towards providing monetary compensation based on performance. That is a dangerous route to take in any education system. In medium-sized and larger towns with more than one school it will result in cherry-picking where certain schools will opt for the students who will get the best results to move up the league tables. We will then end up with the opposite scenario in the other schools at the bottom of the line.

I want to mention a sector of students who tend to be left out; in the debate on the budget they will be called the squeezed middle. There is always a major push for students with special needs, but when it comes to performance, results and league tables, the emphasis is on the high achievers. Those in the squeezed middle who may not have special needs and not do as well academically as those at the top do not get a mention; sometimes they are the also-rans. It is important that we consider everybody within the education system. For a particular student to get 250 points can be an enormous achievement, but there will not be a word about it. All the talk will be about the student who got 600 or 650 points. On the points system, we talk about employment and progression to third level. We take the personal aspect out of it. We talk about producing students to fill jobs available, but there is too much emphasis on this aspect. We have to think about the person. Education is about the development of self, irrespective of where one 508 6 October 2016 ends up when one leaves the education system. One will still be a human being and a member of society. We get carried away in talking about economics and employment prospects and forget about the individual.

I welcome the relationship between SOLAS and the education and training boards as there was a disconnect between training and education. I am glad that gap has been bridged because it will help in meeting employment prospects in the future.

This may sound philosophical, but all of the changes and proposals are necessary. Some may need tweaking; therefore, it is welcome that they will be reviewed on an annual basis. However, I would like somebody to grasp the nettle and come back with a model that will start at national school, or even in preschool, with a view to bringing a generation to third level. We should make the necessary changes, with an input from all sectors of society, to the second and third level sectors as we move along, but we appear to want to change everything at once. That does not work when teachers and students are half way through a system, a problem arises and we try to change it mid-stream. It may be a ten to 15 year project, but it is worth considering that we start at foundation level with a model to take someone through all the levels without trying to tweak it on a daily basis while they are still in the process of their education.

06/10/2016EE00200Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Sílim go bhfuil an t-ádh ar an Aire go bhfuil an Cathao- irleach Gníomhach sa gcathaoir mar, nuair a chonaic mé é ag labhairt mar uachtarán ar an TUI, bhí go leor le rá aige. Tá míle fáilte roimh an Aire.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss education issues. We spoke to the Minister at the committee meeting the other day and received a very good briefing from departmental officials yesterday. My colleague has given a broad overview of Sinn Féin’s approach to the action plan, but I want to draw the Minister’s attention to a number of specific issues on which I would like to receive a response.

I have said on a number of occasions that I welcome the work which has been done on an Irish language policy. We are just waiting for the policy to be published and implemented. I understand this is imminent, but how imminent is imminent? We have a serious issue in that regard. It may be clear from the discussions we had yesterday that one of the issues concerning the Irish language is the quality of teaching and the fact that the standard of teachers teaching Irish is diminishing rapidly. That goes back to the language being taught in schools and at third level. The 20-year Irish language strategy states there should be a full-time Irish language teacher training college, which might help to deal with some of the issues. That matter must be re-examined in the context of the strategy, but we have an issue with the standard of Irish being taught by teachers.

I commend the work of An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, COG. It is doing fantastic work, but it is under-funded and under-resourced. Anything that could be done to support its work would be a great help.

When I teased out the issue of Irish language teachers, I stated the problem was not specific to them. I understand there is an issue with science and home economics teachers, as well as the teachers of some other subjects. There are issues to do with teacher training and the capacity of teachers to teach a subject. The Minister might outline in more detail his plans to address these issues.

I take issue with the point made by Senator Victor Boylan about Gaelscoileanna. The Gael- 509 Seanad Éireann scoileanna of which I am aware are diverse and, in many cases, multi-lingual. There may be a specific example here and there of a school that is being exclusive and I agree with the Sena- tor that this should not happen. I am sure Gaelscoileanna would agree also. However, the broader issue is that the demand for places in Gaelscoileanna is not being met by the number of Gaelscoileanna being established. My understanding from the statistics provided is that approximately 23% of parents wish to send their children to a Gaelscoil but because of the current patronage model, only 6% are being granted their wish. To a certain extent, there is a need for a decoupling of the Gaelscoil issue from the patronage issue because there is no reason an Edu- cate Together or a multi-denominational school could not also be a Gaelscoil. It could have a dual function and might address some of the issues validly raised by Members such as Senator Victor Boylan.

The other issue about which all of us were asked during the summer was school transport. There is a real need to build more flexibility into the school transport scheme. We have seen ludicrous examples of rules being implemented which resulted in children being sent from their own parishes, away from where they play football, to attend a school outside it because the bus stop was 200 metres closer. I am sure the Minister is aware of many other examples and it points to the need for a review of the scheme.

On third level education, I am told by practitioners, specifically teachers of practical subjects, that they are so strapped for funds they do not have money to buy materials to teach students. I understand this is happening in the institutes of technology, in particular. They would have had an advantage initially in teaching practical subjects in training students for industry to a certain extent, but I am told the students now coming through are not gaining the practical experience they need. Also, overcrowding is chronic in some colleges and institutes of technology.

Senator Jerry Buttimer talked about the unemployment rate decreasing, but one of the issues, particularly at third level, is the precarious contracts offered. It is also an issue at second level. They are going from school to school and from contract to contract, not having a very certain career path.

06/10/2016FF00200Acting Chairman (Senator Gerard P. Craughwell): No wandering from the issue.

06/10/2016FF00300Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: That is something that has to be addressed.

What is the Minister’s vision for rural schools? We need to have a plan. At a recent committee meeting we heard that the Department did not have figures for how many schools in rural areas did not have multipurpose or PE rooms. If it does not have the numbers for how many schools do not have a PE hall, how can it have a plan for how many it will build and when it will address the issues involved? It is easy to bring forward a curriculum, but without the facilities, it is impossible to deliver on it.

We need to address the issue of island schools and in particular those primary schools with one teacher. It is not possible to have a one-size-fits-all scenario when it comes to island schools.

The DEIS programme needs to be reviewed and expanded. We find more areas where there are issues of social isolation, etc., and the DEIS programme needs to be re-evaluated in order that more children who need to be in such a school can go there.

510 6 October 2016 I have done a lot of work in NUIG on the issue of gender equality at third level. It is a problem which is not getting any better. It is not just in the teaching grades but also in administration and other grades and we need to address it. As Mr. Michael Barron is in the Visitors Gallery, I want to support the comments and policy of Equate Ireland.

I look forward to further engagement with the Minister through the committee and other fora.

06/10/2016FF00400Senator Kieran O’Donnell: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Richard Bruton, to the Cham- ber. He pioneered the action plan with the Action Plan for Jobs. As a way of a Department doing business, it was revolutionary at the time. He is bringing that same methodology to the Department of Education and Skills. It is slightly different in that the Action Plan for Jobs in the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation was very much commercially driven. Edu- cation is driven on the basis of education and social issues, but nevertheless the mechanics are still worthwhile.

In my area of Limerick parents have two issues at primary level. The first is class size, particularly at the lower end. Many school principals effectively factor in that junior infants, senior infants and first class have lower numbers. That would be very worthwhile and it is something at which we need to look.

The second element is the issue of physical education and obesity at a very young age. We need to seriously consider having PE as a subject at primary level. We need to plan for it and it would yield major benefits. It needs to be considered alongside diet. A growing number of children have diabetes, a modern feature that is alarming.

At secondary level, there are issues with the school transport system in Limerick. Much of the system is based on out-dated structures and the locations of schools. Pupils are qualifying for school transport based on a school people in the area might have attended 20 years ago. That has evolved over time and, in some cases, the schools have closed. I know that a review is under way, but we need to consider the dynamic of the parishes in which people are living, the schools they normally attend and the clubs for which they play. We need to have an integrated model which I would very much welcome.

On third level, I attended the University of Limerick which pioneered work experience and co-operative education programmes. The then president, Mr. Ed Walsh, modelled the university on the Northeastern University in Boston that had pioneered co-operative education which made students very employable. In most third level institutions work experience and co-operative education are factored in to most courses but not all. We need to look at the issue. All third level courses should provide for an element of work experience or other practical input, be it for a BA in English or accountancy, as it would yielda benefit.

We looked again at apprenticeship schemes. They became unfashionable. People here need to see them as a career route, as they are regarded in Germany.

I raise a local issue that I have discussed with the Minister - the two provision of new secondary schools in Mungret and the greater Castletroy area. The process to appoint a patron is under way. When does the Minister expect decisions to be made? The school in Mungret is to be opened in September 2017. It is already holding open nights. The school in the greater Castletroy area is to be opened in September 2018. What is the status of the process involved and when will announcements be made? It is of huge concern to students and their parents liv- 511 Seanad Éireann ing in Mungret and the greater Castletroy area.

06/10/2016FF00500Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): I thank the 12 Senators who took part in the debate. They made some very interesting contributions. I was somewhat puzzled by Senator Robbie Gallagher saying he saw an regressive effect on disadvantaged learners. One of our objectives in the plan is to increase the performance and the focus on disadvantaged learners. One of the features of the resource model, with which the Senator seems to be uneasy, is that it puts much greater emphasis on disadvantaged children because it ties the provision of teaching much more closely with the educational needs of the individual child. While people can argue about it, the model has been piloted with considerable success.

I take the Senator’s point about not teaching languages in primary schools. A pilot scheme carried out a few years ago was not extended owing to financial pressure and other reasons. In secondary schools there is a high participation rate; approximately 80% of students take a language in the leaving certificate examinations, but we do not achieve high language competency, which indicates that something is falling through the cracks. Many students study languages at third level and undertake the Erasmus programme, but we still do not achieve. We are working on a languages strategy to try to address some of these issues.

It is not true to say we have ignored higher level. We have the same ambitions for higher level education as we do for the others - to improve learning and teaching, to see more disadvantaged children come through to higher education and to see better connections with the community and enterprises. We are bringing the Cassels report to the Oireachtas Joint Com- mittee on Education and Skills where we hope everyone will take a view on how we should fund third level education. It outlines the fundamental choices. Mr. Peter Cassels has taken a 15-year perspective, but we need an honest debate on how we fund it. Some might say they do not like any of his proposals, but if we do not accept any of them, we cannot fulfil our ambition. I am interested in engaging in that debate and I hope that together we can frame a longer term perspective.

I do not agree with the Senator that we should abandon the junior certificate award model that has formed the basis of teaching in recent years in English and now science and business. It has three strands. It has the conventional examination, in which 90% of the marks are allocated; a student written project which is tested independently by the examination board and for which 10% of the marks are awarded; and a junior certificate achievement certification for the range of things the pupil did under the different curriculum headings. It is a very good model. Unfortunately, the ASTI has decided that it will not engage with it, but that is the junior certificate award model in place. I ask Senators, as well as others, to appeal to the ASTI. We have asked it to suspend its directive in respect of English to allow it to go ahead. The new junior certificate programme is the way to go. I went to Adamstown to see the new science, business and coding programmes. That is happening in schools which are adopting the new junior certificate programme which is revolutionary. It is a much better model for teaching and learning and has been good for the teachers and students. We need to stick with the approach that has been put in place and not seek to unravel it simply because there has been some pressure, with which I do not agree.

Senator Maria Byrne raised the issue of new schools entering the DEIS programme. That will be a feature of the plan that we hope to produce by the end of the year. It will introduce a metric model that will be much more independent and based on statistical rather than random returns that principals had to put together. It will be based on Central Statistics Office data 512 6 October 2016 from the census. It will be a robust model and give those that have not been able to participate since 2009 a chance to do so. I welcome Senator’s emphasis on preschool level. We are trying, through Aistear and Síolta, to bring forward a good curriculum and standards. Returning to what Senator Paul Daly said, it is very much at that earlier point that we have to intervene if we want to shape the education system.

Senator Paul Gavan started off excellently and I thought we were going to have a real engagement on where the education system could go, but he then seemed to turn to a prepared script in which he went back to a very partisan model of discussion. I like a good debate in this House and would give the following advice. I am a former Member of this House in which there is much more open debate and, to some degree, Members leave their party tags behind them and try to engage. That is one of the reasons I like coming to the Seanad because it en- gages at that level in identifying what the problems are and how they can be solved. Some of the what the Senator’s scriptwriter wrote for him is simply untrue. We have increased the number of resource teachers by 41% since 2011, which represents a huge investment. We have also increased the number of special needs assistants, SNAs, by 22%, which represents huge investment in special education. We are making a big effort to meet what Senator John Dolan called for in improving the outcomes for and investment in children with special educational needs.

We have increased the number of apprenticeships by 2,000 and our plan is to have another 4,000. We want not only to work in the traditional apprenticeships area but also to move from the existing 27 to 100, bringing in, as we did last week in Sligo, the first apprentices for the new insurance model. There is a huge role for apprenticeships, to which I am very committed. We have lacked in our model in Ireland a stream for training and apprenticeships of equal status with higher education. That has been a huge gap. Germany and other European countries have a much stronger stream of apprenticeships, with routes into further education if one wants to take a degree afterwards. I visited Liebherr, a German company, in Killarney and it made the point which I thought was very revealing that more of its intake of apprentices reached high executive positions and high pay than its intake of graduates. It was an interesting revelation. If we get the model right, it will have a very fulfilling outcome and very often bring in people who otherwise would not have got to third level.

I do not agree with Senator John Dolan that there is not an ambition in the strategy for special education. The second goal outlined refers to children with special educational needs and children at a disadvantage. Addressing provision in that area is a core goal of the strategy. We are investing in it. I will be looking at better indicators of outcomes for children with a disability to see that we are doing it in the best possible way. As we move to roll out the new resource teaching model, it will involve more investment, but I believe it is a better model. It is a whole school model, does not focus solely on a special needs assessment of a child and not time-resourced. It puts an obligation on the whole school to accommodate a child with special educational needs and also gets away from the point the Senator rightly made, that some parents do not have the same access to an assessment. We have become too reliant on these assessments and need to move to a different model. That is what the new model, designed under the leadership of Mr. Eamon Stack of the National Council for Special Education, will do and it is being piloted. The pilot project has receive widespread support, notwithstanding some of the concerns expressed by Senator Robbie Gallagher. Change will not always be welcomed by everyone, but the new model is the right way to go and I hope we can do it. I would like to see more capacity to understand the impact and progression to jobs and other ways to progress, as the Senator mentioned. We need to put more work into understanding the impact.

513 Seanad Éireann I take the point the Senator made about whether there was an omission with respect to the UN convention, to which we are committed. I was looking at it online and do not believe there is anything we are seeking to do that in any way would be in contradiction of it, or that we have missed out on something, but we will look at it to make sure there is not.

Senator Alice-Mary Higgins referred to the DEIS review which we hope to have by the end of the year. As Senator Maria Byrne said, it will examine schools that have been excluded. It will also consider if there are better models, if we can adopt different approaches, if we can support leadership within DEIS schools, if we can look at clusters working together to do things and if we can build greater links with the wider community. We may have to pursue it by way of pilot projects and testing to see what works and what does not work, rather than taking a big bang approach with everything being resolved. The DEIS programme is very much like a cliff - one is either on it or one falls off the edge and is completely out. We want to soften the cliff in terms of need. The resource model will be a very significant player in helping children in disadvantaged schools and children who are in the education system.

A report on lone parents is in preparation. It is recognised that there is an issue. The publication of the report has been delayed because extra work has to be done, but it is progressing.

I take Senator Alice-Mary Higgins’s point that gender progression should be a key part of the higher education strategy. I thought it was and will have to check, but I thought that in the context of the framework for performance, one of the elements was progression, gender progression in particular, with disadvantage and disabilities being part of it. If it is not, we will certainly look at the issue. Only this morning I launched an initiative with I Wish, a Cork based organisation originally which is now to be run nationwide. Cork always teaches us things. It is an initiative to encourage transition year girls to avail of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STEM, opportunities. It is a huge issue if we want to see more women crack the global challenges that we face. There is encouragement to participate.

Senator Alice-Mary Higgins raised the issue of pay for newly qualified teachers. I am delighted that we secured an agreement with the INTO and TUI on that front. It is a progressive move. Senator Jerry Buttimer asked if we could reach an agreement with the ASTI. My door is open to its members to get a similar deal that would resolve the issues involved, but they have decided unilaterally to withdraw from the Croke Park agreement hours. They have also decided to ballot for industrial action. I would like to see it set aside its decision to withdraw from the Croke Park agreement hours to secure what would be real genuine improvements for its members, namely, the substitution payment, the payment for newly qualified teachers, flexibility on the Croke Park agreement hours and greater flexibility in achieving permanency, something on which all young teachers have rightly felt a need for progress.

Senator Joe O’Reilly and others referred to the importance of leadership and middle management, a big victim in the crash years. I would like to see it rebuilt and it is part of the agreement with the TUI and the INTO, but we need to look at having a middle management structure for a decade’s time, at what it would look like, the skills it would involve, the functions that would be carried and the leadership model that should be in place in schools. It is not simply about returning posts and so on but also designing a good quality leadership structure within schools.

School meals are important. Senator Joe O’Reilly referred to young people at risk who might become alienated from the school culture. I hope the junior certificate programme will 514 6 October 2016 engender less alienation because it is more practical, but I also believe, as does Senator Joe O’Reilly, that we need a bigger range of options to give people a second chance and allow them to come back into the system. There are a number of programmes such as Youthreach and VTOS, as well as the community training centres, and they can merge traineeships and apprenticeships, but we must be very alert. It is not a case of one chance and all doors close, which has been too big a part of the model for many years. There is a greater understanding in that regard.

Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has very big ambitions. I am criticised for having the modest ambition of being the best in Europe. The Senator has big ambitions to eliminate illiteracy. From my time in education in the past, I know that this has proved very difficult to achieve. Every country in the world struggles with people with low levels of literacy, but we need to steadily improve and that is what I am doing. It is a little like the Kerryman - if one wants to achieve some of these things, one will not start from here. Unfortunately, in practical terms, I must start with what I find.

The same is true of the Senator’s ambition in respect of patronage. One could argue that a republic should have no patrons, be it in denominational or non-denominational schools, but the reality is that we have a patronage model. Not only that, but we have a Constitution that protects the rights of those patrons to run schools and disallows the State from discriminating between them.

06/10/2016HH00200Senator Paul Gavan: Does the Minister have anything to say to us about the baptism barrier?

06/10/2016HH00300Deputy Richard Bruton: The baptism barrier is being addressed in the other House. The Labour Party has introduced a Bill that looks at the possibility of confining a denomination’s rights to its catchment area, which would mean that while a denominational school could favour such children from within a parish - one would have to define what that was - it could not do so in the case of children from outside it. The Bill has passed Second Stage and will procedd to Committee Stage. There will be issues about whether it is compatible with constitutional provisions. There is a broad sense that this would be fair, even among people who value faith- based education. It is a complicated issue. Senator Victor Boyhan is admirably passionate about what an education system should look like in a republic, but we have a Constitution that must be respected, particularly by a Minister who is responsible for upholding it. There are issues about how we expand choice, while respecting the constitutional provisions and the many patrons who put a huge amount of work into managing their schools in a fair way. I know that there are real problems in over-subscribed schools, but many schools have a legal obligation to take everyone and do so. A school that is not over-subscribed cannot reject anyone. That will be included in the law as we pass the school admissions Bill. There is a genuine problem in some over-subscribed schools.

I take Senator Victor Boyhan’s point about education services in prison and confess that I do not know enough about it to be able to respond to him. However, I share his passion for the expansion of apprenticeships and traineeships.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh said that perhaps we should look afresh at the Gaelscoil model and that they did lose out too much in terms of patronage. He hinted at units within schools that would offer all-Irish instruction. I know that has been acceptable in some areas but not all.

515 Seanad Éireann In response to Senator Jerry Buttimer, one never comes to the Seanad without learning something. Self-actualisation is a new theme, but I am sure I will use it again and without at- tributing to its source.

Senator Paul Daly made an interesting contribution. I certainly do not believe in turning out people who can make widgets. People may say I am neoliberal or that I have been working with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for too long, but that is certainly not my view of the world. Increasingly, enterprise does not value widget makers. It values creativity, the ability to challenge and work in teams and innovation. Ironically, there has been conver- gence of what employers and the education system want to produce, but I do not think they will ever coincide. We must value an education system that provides people with much broader values, skills and appreciation. Nonetheless, one of the things we must do is equip young people to progress and do useful work, be it in public, private or whatever sector in which they choose to end up . This must be a part of it.

I also take the point that we should not just focus on the high performers. That is not my in- tention and I am very keen to look at low performers, in particular, because that is an important part of confronting disadvantage. I also wish to look at the median or mean. I should know the difference in that regard. We must not just look at the top performers, which, to be fair, I do not think is the approach to take.

The Senator is right to highlight a concern about a reliance on league tables. At the same time, we must have an evidence-based policy. We must benchmark ourselves against something. While I agree that everything that is measured is not always everything what we want to achieve, at the same time, we must do our best to see whether investment in a particular area is delivering and making us better than other countries that are doing similar things in similar areas and possibly getting better results. That is why measuring ourselves against the benchmark of best practice is important in any area. However, we should not become obsessed with league tables, particularly league tables that are very narrow and that are - let us be blunt about it - put together for commercial reasons. The people who put together league tables are often selling services and can make people at the bottom feel they need to get in a consultant.

I take the point that we need to start earlier if we want to break the cycle of disadvantage. That is what was important about the ABC programmes in Darndale, Tallaght and a number of other places. They deal with the mother of the child before he or she is even born and look at things like nutrition, discipline, homework, attitudes to education and books in the home. They deal with the fact that at the age of three years a child might already be way behind and try to address that issue.

In response to Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, I hope the Irish language policy will be out within a reasonable period. I think it is coming to a conclusion.

I have already dealt with the issue of patronage.

In response to Senator Kieran O’Donnell, nine schools have been dealt with. We are very conscious that September 2017 is the starting date; therefore, a decision will be made within weeks.

PE will be a leaving certificate subject. In the junior cycle well-being will involve encour- aging students to look after themselves. I would love to be in a position to build more PE halls, but they have definitely been squeezed, given the shortage of resources. We are catering for 516 6 October 2016 20,000 additional pupils every year; therefore, it is very important that we have school places and their provision has been the priority.

I agree with the Senator on work experience being part of degree programmes. It has a huge impact and is at the core of the apprenticeship model. The Univeristy of Limerick and DCU from the same stable value that model and others need to catch up with them.

School transport is a difficult issue. The trouble is that one rule book is all we have and we must apply it in 5,000 or 6,000 parishes and villages. No matter how we design it, we will have students who are discommoded. Nearness to school is the criterion which is both fair and objective.

4 o’clock

The matter is under review, but I find it hard to see how it can be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. We have spend €175 million. We are not deliberately trying to cut anyone off or frustrate him or her, but there is a limited pot and the children who are eligible must be given priority.

I thank Senators for their contributions. This is not a perfect document. It cannot be because we do not have all of the resources we need. I would love to be able to tell my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to give me all of the money I need, but I hope that in a year’s time I will have a stronger case to make to obtain more money than we have received this year and to keep moving on aggressively. If we deliver the ambition we have for the actionplan, it will be seen that the investment made in the education system is realising results through delivering a fairer, more equal and balanced society and allowing entrepreneurship and enterprise to achieve success in many walks of life. I hope I am putting myself in a position where I can win the argument in favour of more resources for the education system, but in order to win it, we must engage in this type of systematic planning. I thank those who support the model.

I look forward to returning to the Seanad. The Acting Chairman did not get a chance to speak.

06/10/2016JJ00200Acting Chairman (Senator Gerard P. Craughwell): It was most unusual. I thank the Minister for his most comprehensive reply.

The Seanad adjourned at 4 p.m. until 3.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 11 October 2016.

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