Vol. 275 Friday, No. 3 12 March 2021. DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Insert Date Here 12/03/2021A00050Teachtaireacht ón Dáil - Message from Dáil � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 179 12/03/2021B00200Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 179 12/03/2021C00200Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 181 12/03/2021C00250Health Services Reform� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 181 12/03/2021E00250Health Services Funding � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 183 12/03/2021G00150Disability Services Provision � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 186 12/03/2021J00300Vaccination Programme� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 188 12/03/2021L00400Higher Education Institutions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 191 12/03/2021N00400School Accommodation� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 193 12/03/2021U00100An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 195 12/03/2021FF00400Extension of Reporting Deadline for Seanad Committee on Public Petitions: Motion � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 208 12/03/2021FF00700Seanad Special Select Committee on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Motion � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 209 12/03/2021FF01000Electoral (Amendment) (Voting at 16) Bill 2016: Restoration to Order Paper � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 209 12/03/2021NN00100Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Order for Second Stage � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 209 12/03/2021NN00500Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 210 12/03/2021OOO00100Family Leave Bill 2021: Order for Second Stage � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 225 12/03/2021OOO00500Family Leave Bill 2021: Second Stage � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 225 SEANAD ÉIREANN Dé hAoine, 12 Márta 2021 Friday, 12 March 2021 Chuaigh an Cathaoirleach i gceannas ar 10�30 a�m� Machnamh agus Paidir. Reflection and Prayer. 12/03/2021A00050Teachtaireacht ón Dáil - Message from Dáil 12/03/2021B00100An Cathaoirleach: Dáil Éireann has passed the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offenc- es) (Amendment) Bill 2020 on 11 March 2021, without amendment� Dáil Éireann has agreed on 11 March 2021 to the amendments made by Seanad Éireann to the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) Bill 2020� Dáil Éireann passed the Crimi- nal Procedure Bill 2021 on 11 March 2021 to which the agreement of Seanad Éireann is desired� 12/03/2021B00200Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad 12/03/2021B00300An Cathaoirleach: I have received notice from Senator Mary Seery Kearney that, on the motion for the Commencement of the House today, she proposes to raise the following matter: The need for the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to make a statement on the commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015� I have also received notice from Senator Rónán Mullen of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to make a statement on the conditions applied by the Department and by the HSE on the provision of funding to charitable, voluntary and community organisations; whether such conditions include compliance with company law requirements, including the filing of audited accounts, with reference to the case of a par- ticular organisation, details of which have been supplied, which has continued to receive funding despite allegedly not being in compliance with company law filing requirements. I have also received notice from Senator Marie Sherlock of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to make a statement on the implementation of the 179 Seanad Éireann recommendations of the report of the national advisory group on specialist supports for deaf children to national progressing disability services which was published by the HSE in 2017� I have also received notice from Senator Timmy Dooley of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to include family carers as a priority group in the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme� I have also received notice from Senator Malcolm Byrne of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to make a statement on the full economic cost of a higher education student in full- time education and if he will provide an update on the implementation of the Cassells report on higher education funding� I have also received notice from Senator Martin Conway of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Education to provide an update on the new Educate To- gether school in Ennis, County Clare� I have also received notice from Senator Robbie Gallagher of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Transport to make a statement on the potential impact on road budgets, future funding and completion of roads projects for 2021� I have also received notice from Senator Jerry Buttimer of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Finance to make a statement on the Living City initiative in Cork city with the impact on the use of office and retail spaces as a result of Covid-19 in particular� I have also received notice from Senator Victor Boyhan of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Foreign Affairs to make a statement on the re-establish- ment of an Irish diplomatic presence in Iran� I have also received notice from Senator Aidan Davitt of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to extend the expiry date of all extended planning permissions for a period of two years� I have also received notice from Senator Garret Ahearn of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to provide an update on the progress of St� An- thony’s nursing home, Clonmel, County Tipperary� I have also received notice from Senator Tim Lombard of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Education to provide an update on the provision of a per- manent extension for the Sacred Heart Secondary School, Clonakilty, County Cork� The matters raised by the Senators are suitable for discussion and I have selected Senators Seery Kearney, Mullen, Sherlock, Dooley, Byrne and Conway and they will be taken now� 180 12 March 2021 The other Senators may give notice on another day of the matters that they wish to raise� 12/03/2021C00200Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters 12/03/2021C00250Health Services Reform 12/03/2021C00400Senator Mary Seery Kearney: Ba mhaith liom i bharr fáilte a chur roimh an t-Aire go dtí an Teach inniu� That is my little bit for Seachtain na Gaeilge� I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House today� This week the Joint Committee on Disability Matters heard very compelling advocacy from members of the disability committee in the National Women’s Council of Ireland and from Amy Hassett of Disabled Women Ireland� It was really quite an extraordinary and very powerful meeting of the disability matters committee� Ms Hassett’s statement included a reference to the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 and the fact that it has not commenced, while also noting elements of the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and the Sign Language Act have not been enacted� I know the Cathaoirleach, in particular, has advocated for sign language� I appreciate the Minister of State is not here to talk about those matters, but I am sticking them in as a reminder� I note that Inclusion Ireland highlighted that the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act states that everyone is presumed to be able to decide for himself or herself, unless the opposite is shown� That is important� The Act and the law set out ways to support people who lack capacity in making decisions� The Act also provides for a move away from the idea of best interests and a move towards a rights based decision-making capacity� It is designed to meet the standards of respect and the needs of persons with intellectual disabilities, for people with decision-making ability who have been affected perhaps by traumatic brain injury and for older people with diminished capacity or dementia� I acknowledge the thrust of this Act is already in operation in the form of guidelines and great moves have been made in that regard� I have been involved in it from the privacy and general data protection regulation, GDPR, end, in training and in assisting people and ensuring their capacity is to the fore� Sage Advocacy has noted