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Seanad Éireann Vol. 203 Tuesday, No. 11 29 June 2010 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Tuesday, 29 June 2010. Business of Seanad ………………………………641 Order of Business …………………………………641 European Union Treaty: Motion ……………………………660 Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motion ……………………661 Post-Release (Restrictions on Certain Activities) Orders Scheme 2010: Motion …………661 Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Carbon Revenue Levy) Bill 2010: Committee Stage … … … 661 Visit of Australian Delegation ……………………………662 Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Carbon Revenue Levy) Bill 2010: Committee Stage (resumed) and Remaining Stages……………………663 Motion for Earlier Signature……………………………667 Business of Seanad ………………………………667 Road Traffic Bill 2009: Second Stage …………………………668 Business of Seanad ………………………………688 Business of Seanad ………………………………688 Road Traffic Bill 2009: Second Stage (resumed)………………………688 Adjournment Matters: Respite Care Services ……………………………698 Mobile Telephony ………………………………700 Schools Building Projects ……………………………702 SEANAD ÉIREANN ———— Dé Máirt, 29 Meitheamh 2010. Tuesday, 29 June 2010. ———— Chuaigh an Cathaoirleach i gceannas ar 14.30. ———— Paidir. Prayer. ———— Business of Seanad An Cathaoirleach: I have received notice from Senator Cecilia Keaveney that, on the motion for the Adjournment of the House today, she proposes to raise the following matter: The need for the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to give an update on any meetings he has had or intends to have with his counterpart in the North- South Ministerial Council to have telephone companies provide all-Ireland telephone tariffs and packages to promote business and social interaction. I have also received notice from Senator Healy Eames of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an updated report on the purchase of a site and construction of a new school for Gaelscoil de hÍde, Oranmore, County Galway. I have also received notice from Senator Paschal Donohoe of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health and Children to provide sufficient funding for the continuation of all essential services provided by the Daughters of Charity service for people with an intellectual disability at St. Vincent’s Centre, Navan Road, Dublin 7. I have also received notice from Senator Denis O’Donovan of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to outline the reasons the necessary works on the Bandon river, County Cork, as a result of the severe flooding last year, cannot proceed because of threatened legal action by the Central Fisher- ies Board. I regard the matters raised by Senators Keaveney, Healy Eames and Donohoe as suitable for discussion on the Adjournment and they will be taken at the conclusion of business. I regret that I have had to rule out of order the matter raised by Senator O’Donovan, as the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has no official responsibility in the matter. Order of Business Senator Donie Cassidy: The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, to be taken without debate 641 Order of 29 June 2010. Business [Senator Donie Cassidy.] at the conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 2, motion re Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of No. 1; No. 3, motion re post-release (restrictions on certain activities) orders scheme 2010, to be taken without debate at the con- clusion of No. 2; No. 4, Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Carbon Revenue Levy) Bill 2010 — Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 3; No. 5, earlier signature motion, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 4; and No. 6, Road Traffic Bill 2010 — Second Stage, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 5 but not before 4.45 p.m. and to conclude not later than 7.30 p.m., on which spokespersons may speak for 12 minutes and all other Senators for ten minutes and Senators may share time, by agreement of the House. Senator Frances Fitzgerald: The Wildlife (Amendment) Bill will be brought before the House this week. Every Senator is conscious of the cutbacks we have seen imposed in recent years. We have the parents and families of children protesting at the gates of Leinster House today because of the cutbacks to services for the intellectually disabled. A mother has told me about the respite care service that has been cut. Another has told me about the number of staff being cut back and the way the service to her child will be reduced as a result. There has been a range of cutbacks in the health service. We have seen medical card withdrawals and cutbacks to services for persons with special educational needs. Some €22 billion has been given to a dead bank and our children are carrying on their shoulders the debt resulting from that decision. None of these issues has caused a Government Deputy or Senator to question his or her support for the Government to any degree, yet there is a crisis of conscience in regard to the legislation that will be brought before the House tomorrow. The Wildlife (Amendment) Bill has been met by much criticism from Fianna Fáil Deputies and Senators. Seven Fianna Fáil Deputies stood up in the Dáil to express their strong opposition to its provisions. Two Independent Deputies have said they will not support the legislation. Senator O’Donovan has outlined his views on other legislation. I have a number of questions for the Leader. Does he support the legislation being cham- pioned by the Green Party? Does he expect Senators on his side of the House to support it? Is he willing to allow more of his colleagues lose the party Whip, as the Green Party insists on progressing its agenda? Why is so much time being spent on this legislation when we have critical issues affecting citizens that I have outlined day in, day out which are exemplified more than anything else by the protests outside the gates of Leinster House at the cutbacks to services for persons with special needs? We need to hear from the Government parties on the critical issues affecting every citizen. On the day after the murders of two people in Clondalkin in Mafia-style hits, what is the Government doing to tackle gangland activity? We were told by a previous Minister that we were seeing the last sting of a dying wasp and heard from another that the legislation that would make a difference was in place. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that the Minister for Justice and Law Reform come to the House to address the issues which led to the latest gangland killings on the streets of our capital city last night. Senator Joe O’Toole: This has been the most difficult year imaginable for the economy. As Senator Fitzgerald said, families have never found it more difficult to survive and to fight their way through the recession. I am quite appalled by the EUROSTAT food price survey which was released yesterday. It found that at a time when Irish farmers are getting 20 cent a litre for their milk, the lowest price for 40 years, Irish consumers, people buying food and dairy products, eggs, cheese and milk in supermarkets, were being charged the second highest prices in Europe. This is an inconsistency which is utterly unacceptable. For all those people who are 642 Order of 29 June 2010. Business quick enough to talk about the private and public sectors and inefficiencies in one or the other, this is a clear sign that market forces do not work on behalf of the consumer in all cases. Senator David Norris: Hear, hear. Senator Joe O’Toole: It is time we had a close look at this. I know the Leader sat on a committee which dealt with the whole question of price control and issues such as the groceries order. I do not wish us back in a command economy but if price control is the only way we can get fairness into ordinary trading of food products for ordinary families who are being hit from every side, then it is time we considered taking such action. We cannot countenance a situation to continue where our farmers are being paid the lowest prices in 40 years and our consumers such as housewives and shoppers buying those same products in supermarkets, are being charged the second highest prices or the highest prices in Europe. It is completely unacceptable. I ask for a discussion on this issue with the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or the Minister of State with responsibility for food. The farming community and the consumers should at least recognise where we stand on this and allow people to go on the record. If it means we have to do things that we did not do before or have not done for a long time, such as introducing price control, then that is what we need to do. Senator Alex White: When the House returns in the autumn after the summer recess — that is, if there is the same configuration in these Houses as there is at present and according to who is in Government — there will be a short period of three months or perhaps less, before the budget. We had many phoney debates in the House last year about the budget and about the proposals for cuts. The debate became quite sterile. I suggest to colleagues that this autumn we might take the debate to a higher level than perhaps was possible last year when there was a sense of crisis — not that there is not still a sense of crisis — to get beyond simply talking about budgetary measures and cuts and readjustments, necessary as those are, but look to the future of this country.
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