Vol. 261 Thursday, No. 5 15 November 2018 DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SEANAD ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL—Neamhcheartaithe (OFFICIAL REPORT—Unrevised) Insert Date Here 15/11/2018A00100Business of Seanad 292 15/11/2018A00300Commencement Matters 293 15/11/2018A00400Urban Development 293 15/11/2018B00450Gender Equality 295 15/11/2018D00300Hospital Services 299 15/11/2018E00100Domestic Violence Policy �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������301 15/11/2018G00100Order of Business 303 15/11/2018N01400Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: First Stage 319 15/11/2018P00100Greyhound Racing Bill 2018: Committee Stage (Resumed) 320 15/11/2018MM00100Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) 360 SEANAD ÉIREANN Déardaoin, 15 Samhain 2018 Thursday, 15 November 2018 Chuaigh an Leas-Chathaoirleach i gceannas ar 1030 am Machnamh agus Paidir. Reflection and Prayer. 15/11/2018A00100Business of Seanad 15/11/2018A00200An Leas-Chathaoirleach: I have notice from Senator Michelle Mulherin that, on the mo- tion for the Commencement of the House today, she proposes to raise the following matter: The need for the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government to consider the provision of funding under the urban regeneration and development fund 2018 for the de- velopment of a digital hub and innovation quarter in the Military Barracks, Ballina, County Mayo I have also received notice from Senator Ivana Bacik of the following matter: The need for the Taoiseach to outline the numbers, by gender breakdown, of those em- ployed in small, medium and large businesses I have also received notice from Senator Frank Feighan of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to provide an update on plans for a fixed catheteri- sation lab at Sligo University Hospital I have also received notice from Senator Martin Conway and Senator Gabrielle McFadden of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Justice and Equality to provide an update on the progress Ireland has made on ratifying the Istanbul Convention I have also received notice from Senator Colm Burke of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Education and Skills to review Circular 22/2012, under which persons who take a leave of absence to undertake further studies are prevented from working part-time I have also received notice from Senator Maria Byrne of the following matter: 292 15 November 2018 The need for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the introduction of the new agricultural low-cost loan scheme I have also received notice from Senator Tim Lombard of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Justice and Equality to outline whether the atypical worker permissions granted by his Department for the fishing industry may be extended for a longer period I have also received notice from Senator Maura Hopkins of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Health to provide an update on the provision of a throm- bectomy machine for Beaumont Hospital, which would deliver life-saving treatment for stroke patients I have also received notice from Senator Ged Nash of the following matter: The need for the Minister for Justice and Equality to deploy additional resources to Drogheda Garda station to tackle the escalating drugs feud in the area and the need to ad- dress the low Garda numbers in the area, compared with analogous population centres, on a permanent basis The matters raised by the Senators are suitable for discussion and I have selected Senators Mulherin, Bacik, Feighan, Conway and McFadden and they will be taken now The other Sena- tors may give notice on another day of the matters that they wish to raise 15/11/2018A00300Commencement Matters 15/11/2018A00400Urban Development 15/11/2018A00500Senator Michelle Mulherin: The Minister is heartily welcome I thank him for coming in to take this Commencement matter. I am very excited about this application, which will be before him for consideration under the urban regeneration and development fund 2018 If funded and delivered, this project will be transformational not just for the town of Ballina but for north Mayo, east Mayo and south Sligo, which tie into the hinterland of that particular town There are many challenges in the town and its environs High unemployment still persists, notwithstanding so much success on the part of the Government nationally The history of this town is that it was the major shopping or retail town going back generations It was the place to come It has lovely streetscapes and is pretty glorious to look at Obviously the face of retail has changed Small shops have changed These are realities we have to contend with and to which we have to try to find solutions. We have to reimagine how depressed town centres can be revitalised I know from previous conversations that is what the Minister is about That is why I am delighted that he is here today Notwithstanding what I have said, we in Ballina and the surrounding areas have so much more to offer. We have so much more going for us than we have going against us. I see this fund as providing an injection, stimulus, or catalyst that will address so many issues that need 293 Seanad Éireann addressing, encourage growth, enterprise and innovation, provide renewal in the very centre of the town, and restore it to its former glory. That would be my ambition. We have excellent broadband capacity, which is something that is not said too much in rural Ireland. We have a metropolitan area network and backhaul connectivity That was installed by Enet at the time We have connection with a transatlantic high-speed fibre optic cable which comes in just a few kilometres down the road. We are connected into that. We are lit, as they say. We also have a great tradition in respect of multinational companies. We have Coca-Cola and Hollister. We have five multinationals in the environs of Ballina alone. They have been there a long time and they are happy doing business there. Above all, we offer quality of life. We have never had so much investment in sports facilities and arts facilities. We have a whole package. We have houses and school places As part of the Minister’s ambitions for Project Ireland 2040 and for rebalancing out from the big urban centres and growth in smaller areas of population, we want that €500,000 to grow outside of a big urban centre Strategic projects such as this are the ones that need fund- ing because they will have a knock-on or domino effect. This particular project is a unique collaboration between a local authority, Mayo County Council, a development company, Moy Valley Resources, and SMAKS Luxury Group. This is an international private investor which produces very high-end rum It wants to locate here and bring money to the table as part of the local contribution for this Then there is Blackstone Launchpad in the National University of Ireland, Galway It is going to provide third level outreach It is a challenge in some of these rural areas to get third level colleges active and to allow them to bring what they have to offer to the table to allow us to expand and grow. We are talking about a digital hub for 20 start-ups, which would be all kitted out. We are talking about an innovation and enterprise centre. There is a regeneration fund under the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. What we propose, in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland and the development company and with the approval of the Western Development Commission, would address the underrepresentation of women and migrants in enterprise and intergenerational problems people sometimes experi- ence in accessing employment The course, including supports, would be run from this centre and it would provide for start-up, seed and scaling of enterprise It would be delivered in a men- tored fashion. The expertise would be provided by the National University of Ireland Galway, NUIG, and I have met those involved who are on board with the project The proposed digital hub speaks for itself This is not a case of providing a digital hub in the hope that people will roll up. Work has been done by surveying and assessing the demand that exists and the supports that have been offered in an ad hoc manner There will also be a private investor located in the building, providing jobs Once the building is refurbished, it will be a tourism hub Should we secure the funding to refurbish the military barracks, which was built in 1742 and is the centre point around which the town was built, we will regenerate the whole town The French who landed in Killala to participate in the 1798 rebellion pushed the British from the barracks The town is a rich tapestry of history and needs modern day revitalisation There are brilliant stakeholders, whom I have mentioned The members of the chamber of commerce have a can do and will do attitude I ask the Minister for his support and to take this on board in his deliberations It would