Vol. 251 Wednesday, No. 13 17 May 2017 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Insert Date Here 17/05/2017A00100Business of Seanad 828 17/05/2017A00300Commencement Matters 829 17/05/2017A00400Road Projects Status 829 17/05/2017B00500Hospitals Car Park Charges 832 17/05/2017C00600GLAS Payments ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������833 17/05/2017D00550School Closures 836 17/05/2017G00100Order of Business 839 17/05/2017Q00200Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016: Order for Second Stage 860 17/05/2017Q00600Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016: Second Stage �����������������������������������������������������������������������������860 17/05/2017BB00462Business of Seanad 885 17/05/2017CC00100Second Interim Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters: Statements 886 17/05/2017KK01050Business of Seanad 904 17/05/2017KK02150Second Interim Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters: Statements (Resumed) 905 17/05/2017QQ00100Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2014: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages 907 17/05/2017SS00300Childhood Obesity: Statements 911 17/05/2017YY00200Autism Spectrum Disorder Bill 2017: Second Stage �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������923 SEANAD ÉIREANN Dé Céadaoin, 17 Bealtaine 2017 Wednesday, 17 May 2017 Chuaigh an Cathaoirleach i gceannas ar 1030 am Machnamh agus Paidir. Reflection and Prayer. 17/05/2017A00100Business of Seanad 17/05/2017A00200An Cathaoirleach: I have received notice from Senator Maura Hopkins that, on the motion for the Commencement of the House today, she proposes to raise the following matter: The need for the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide an update on the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge project; and to confirm whether the necessary capital funding has been allocated to the project I have also received notice from Senator Robbie Gallagher of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to provide an update on plans for the HSE to intro- duce a national policy for hospitals to start providing free parking for patients undergoing cancer treatment, as proposed by the Irish Cancer Society I have also received notice from Senator Victor Boyhan of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to confirm when all outstanding 2016 GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 payments will be made to farmers; and to provide assurance that this matter is receiving urgent attention I have also received notice from Senator Jennifer Murnane O’Connor of the following mat- ter: The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to confirm his support for Muine Bheag vocational school Bagenalstown, County Carlow, to continue as an education and training board, ETB; and if he will make a statement on the matter I have also received notice from Senator James Reilly of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his plans to address the shortage of school places in Fingal Swords in the immediate term; and to outline his future plans for new schools in Swords 828 17 May 2017 I have also received notice from Senator Gerard Craughwell of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to make a statement on the announcement by Bord Na Móna of the closure next April of its peat briquette plant in Littleton, County Tipperary, without any prior engagement with staff or unions; and to outline the plans in place to provide alternative employment for the 69 full-time employees who work there I have also received notice from Senator Colm Burke of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to carry out a full national review of the availabil- ity of respite care facilities which are currently available for over 18,000 families who are caring for those who have physical or intellectual disabilities, in view of the fact that many centres previously available are no longer able to provide respite care I have also received notice from Senator Grace O’Sullivan of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to outline the reason he approved the licence for 1,860 acres of kelp seaweed harvesting in Bantry Bay, County Cork; whether adequate environmental impact assessment has been carried out in regards to this project; whether he is happy that the advertisement and public consultation on this application was in compliance with the letter and the spirit of the law; whether he shares our concerns over the mechanical harvesting of the kelp at low height on the stem; and other questions I regard the matters raised by the Senators as suitable for discussion I have selected the matters raised by Senators Hopkins, Gallagher, Boyhan and Murnane O’Connor and they will be taken now Senators Reilly, Craughwell, Colm Burke and Grace O’Sullivan may give notice on another day of the matters that they wish to raise 17/05/2017A00300Commencement Matters 17/05/2017A00400Road Projects Status 17/05/2017A00500Senator Maura Hopkins: I thank the Minister for coming to the House I hope he will provide good news on the upgrade of the N5 between Ballaghaderreen and Scramoge I wish to emphasise how important the provision of capital funding is for this project, and it is a mat- ter of urgency. I am very concerned about the high volumes of traffic using the road, which is our main route to the west The section of road in question traverses many towns and villages and I am very concerned about the high volumes of traffic going through Strokestown, Tulsk, Ballinagar and Frenchpark and onto the Ballaghaderreen bypass I am also concerned at the excessive speeds at which people drive on the road As an im- portant route to the west, it should be much safer Last week, there was another very serious collision and the road between Tulsk and Ballinagar was closed for several hours This is not 829 Seanad Éireann unique and there have been many accidents on this section of the road over the years Four sites have been identified as accident clusters by Transport Infrastructure Ireland and up to 30 accidents have occurred on a bend in one section of the road just outside Frenchpark Real ac- tion is needed I received an update from Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, in February, stating that Roscommon County Council had completed the business case, the environmental impact state- ment and the compulsory purchase order documentation for the proposed N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge road project All the documentation has been submitted to Transport Infrastructure Ireland for approval to make an application to An Bord Pleanála Where is the project at? My understanding is that the business case was submitted to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and a response is awaited before its submission to the Department of Public Expendi- ture and Reform It will cost in excess of €100 million but it is badly needed Initiatives have been launched in the context of the action plan for rural Ireland and the need for more balanced regional development and it is important that areas such as north Roscommon, which have gone through a very difficult time economically, have an adequate road network that allows people to get to their destinations in a timely and safe manner Can the Minister give an update on his commitment to this project? Can he also say where the project stands, in respect of the business case and the submission to An Bord Pleanála? It is our responsibility to do everything possible to reduce the risks and the number of accidents on this section of road The part between Strokestown and Ballaghaderreen is a high-risk area and numerous accidents have occurred We need to take real action and to invest to make the route a safer way to access the west 17/05/2017A00600Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Shane Ross): The most convincing arguments around issues of this nature are the ones that concern safety Everybody knows that the amount of money available for roads is limited and we cannot just magic up money for ev- ery road that needs upgrading The Senator’s argument is compelling Road safety is important and lives have to be saved so the TII is identifying accident black spots Following the Euro- pean court judgment that the TII could not charge VAT, an extra €17 million is now available for these black spots Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, is being encouraged by my Department to use a portion of that money to deal with accident black spots and address death on the roads The