Vol. 222 Tuesday, No. 1 12 March 2013 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) 12 March 2013 Business of Seanad 2 Order of Business 3 Message from Dáil 23 Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages 23 Adjournment Matters ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������34 12/03/2013Z00150Rural Development Programme 34 12/03/2013Z00350School Relocation 35 12/03/2013CC00200Consumer Protection ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������38 12/03/2013EE00100Agri-Environment Options Scheme Payments 40 SEANAD ÉIREANN Dé Máirt, 12 Márta 2013 Tuesday, 12 March 2013 Chuaigh an Cathaoirleach i gceannas ar 230 pm Machnamh agus Paidir. Reflection and Prayer. Business of Seanad 12/03/2013B00100An Cathaoirleach: I have received notice from Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill that, on the motion for the Adjournment of the House today, he proposes to raise the following matter: The need for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to outline the reason he has placed a full embargo on Leader funding by partnership companies and arrange the immediate lifting of this embargo and to provide a dedicated additional fund of at least €30 million for Gaeltacht projects I have also received notice from Senator Denis O’Donovan of the following matter: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to make a statement on the provision of a new school at Summercove, Kinsale and to outline the progress with regard to same I have also received notice from Senator Catherine Noone of the following matter: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if there are plans in place to provide stronger legislation to prevent multinational retailers inflating their Irish prices in comparison with their United Kingdom prices I have also received notice from Senator Lorraine Higgins of the following matter: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he intends to make Agri- Environment Options Scheme, AEOS, 2 payments to Irish farmers I have also received notice from Senator Colm Burke of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to provide the funding for the con- struction of a general purpose hall in Scoil Íosagáin, Farranree, County Cork, in accordance with the planning permission granted for same on 21 April 2011 I regard the matters raised as suitable for discussion on the Adjournment I have selected Senators Ó Domhnaill, O’Donovan, Noone and Higgins and they will be taken at the conclu- sion of business Senator Burke may give notice on another day of the matter he wishes to raise 2 12 March 2013 Order of Business 12/03/2013B00300Senator Maurice Cummins: The Order of Business is No 1, Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012 - Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken on the conclu- sion of the Order of Business 12/03/2013B00400Senator Terry Leyden: I wish the Cathaoirleach a good afternoon 12/03/2013B00500Senator Paul Coghlan: Will this be a better Opposition? 12/03/2013B00600Senator Terry Leyden: My party will not oppose the Order of Business today because it is important to pass the Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill as quickly as possible This is because one never knows what will happen in the near future 12/03/2013B00700Senator Paul Coghlan: Pull the other one 12/03/2013B00800Senator Terry Leyden: Consequently, the new constituencies are needed and Iy will not delay them today or ask for an amendment to the Order of Business in those circumstances Tip O’Neill once observed that all politics are local and in these circumstances----- 12/03/2013B00900Senator Paul Coghlan: The Senator took him at his word 12/03/2013B01000Senator Terry Leyden: -----I wish to ask the Leader of the House, Senator Cummins, who is my colleague on the Labour Panel, to request the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Ma- rine, Deputy Coveney, to come into this House to consider this morning’s protest by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association at the offices of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Golf Links Road, Roscommon The protest was attended by a number of people because there is great concern that the front desk will be closed and transferred to Naas, where all queries regarding TB and other issues that arises in respect of the services will be dealt with These services are invaluable to the farmers of County Roscommon and surrounding areas and include, for instance, paperwork for EU payments, animal passports, issues relating to TB testing and so on There is no substitute for face-to-face contact in these matters as the help of experienced local staff is invaluable and often can prevent small issues escalating into big problems I strongly believe the downgrading of this busy and effective service would have negative consequences for the farming community of County Roscommon and urge the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to maintain the facility at its current level I also appeal to the Irish Farmers Association, IFA, to get involved in this campaign and to use its powers and exert its influence The farming community contributes more to the IFA than to the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association and the former should use its clout to prevent a downgrading of services If the Minister is not available, the Leader should get the Minister for Justice and Equal- ity, Deputy Shatter, to come into the House to consider the blow to the people of north County Roscommon on the announcement this morning that the Garda headquarters in Boyle, County Roscommon will be closed between the hours of 6 pm and 10 am 12/03/2013B01100Senator Maurice Cummins: Law-abiding people 3 Seanad Éireann 12/03/2013B01200Senator Terry Leyden: This is a major blow to the people of that area from a security per- spective No one would wish for this to happen in any community but I note in particular that Boyle is the capital of north Roscommon In addition, the stations at Cootehall, Loughglynn and Tarmonbarry have been closed All those local Garda stations have closed but a regional Garda station has been amalgamated with Castlerea This is a major blow to the constituency I cannot understand why the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, has a desire to remove a service such as the courthouse in Boyle and other services from County Roscommon I appeal to him on the matter at this stage I hope the Fine Gael Deputy elected for Roscommon will at long last use his influence to try to prevent the further downgrading of the county 12/03/2013C00200Senator Maurice Cummins: He has done a lot already 12/03/2013C00300Senator Ivana Bacik: I wish to raise an issue that has been in the newspapers recently concerning the heel prick test, which is the screening test operated by the HSE under what is known as the national newborn blood spot screening programme It is a screening programme for six rare genetic diseases and more recently also for cystic fibrosis The results of the heel prick tests on newborns are kept on Guthrie cards in Temple Street Children’s Hospital I un- derstand that the results from 1984 to 2002 are currently kept there but recently the Government announced that they would be destroyed The reason I raise the issue today is that parents have two more weeks to seek to retain the records of their newborn child The deadline is 31 March The Data Protection Commissioner ruled some years ago that it was in breach of data protection laws that the screening cards would be retained 12/03/2013C00400Senator David Norris: It is lamentable It is bureaucratic rubbish 12/03/2013C00500Senator Ivana Bacik: I agree with Senator Norris It is bureaucratic nonsense Professor David McConnell, the Trinity College genetics professor, has likened the future destruction of the records to the modern equivalent of burning the Custom House or destroying the birth cer- tificates of all born in Ireland 12/03/2013C00600Senator David Norris: Hear, hear 12/03/2013C00700Senator Ivana Bacik: He said it would be a disaster and an appalling act of cultural and social vandalism because of the enormous value that the Guthrie cards can provide for future health programmes for the Irish people generally and to add to our knowledge and informa- tion about genetic conditions in the population It does seem appalling that the cards are to be destroyed The critical issue at this point is to inform people of their right to intervene between now and 31 March The HSE needs to do more to inform parents of the need to ensure that their children’s cards are retained if they wish to do so, by 31 March 12/03/2013C00800Senator David Norris: It is against the public good 12/03/2013C00900Senator Ivana Bacik: It is in the common good, but it is also very much in the interests of their children and families that the cards would be retained I have been asked by various people to raise the issue It is a hugely important one that has been in the