I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, namely, that the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, come to the House to explain what alternatives to the cutting of the mobility grant and transport allowance, as announced so suddenly last night, were examined and deemed illegal. I cannot understand what this Government has against people with disabilities. We have seen this with career guidance, special needs assistance and countless other areas. I found it troubling that the word used by the Minister of State, who could not have been personally responsible, was "agonised". I should probably be calling on the Taoiseach to come to the House to explain the matter. The press release states the Government "agonised" over taking this decision. It has had two years to assess what could be have been done rather than introducing a measure that affects the most vulnerable, who number 4,700. It is laughable in light of the supposed equality spin in the Croke Park negotiations, in which a cut of 8% or 9% is sought for people on €150,000 per year. The vulnerable to whom I refer are expected to take a cut of 20%.

As stated this morning by Mr. John Dolan, chief executive of the Disability Federation of Ireland, disability grants of €10,000 per annum are to be cut by 20%. What clowns in the public service or at Cabinet came up with this proposal? What alternatives were considered and termed illegal? Was a 3% increase in universal social charge for those earning more than €100,000 considered? Was consideration given to amendment of the Disability Act? Despite the Government's claim that it agonised over this decision, there was no consultation with the disability sector. It makes me sick. There is no justification for this cut. The Government has failed the disability sector. As I have often stated in this House, there are many reasons for failure but there are no excuses for it. The Minister needs to come to this House to account for this criminal behaviour and treatment of people with disabilities.

It is hard to listen to Senator MacSharry's manufactured outrage over an issue which Fianna Fáil when in government failed to tackle.

It could have been tackled then. The Ombudsman's finding predates this decision. The Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, said that a review group will be established to consider how best to address the Ombudsman's finding and to operate these schemes-----

The horse has bolted. Consultations on an issue do not take place after the fact rather they take place before it.

Senator Bacik without interruption.

Fianna Fáil in government-----

I was never in government.

Senator MacSharry, please.

If I have a credible point to make whether the previous Government did or did not do something is not my concern in defending the people.

Senator MacSharry please respect the Chair. Senator Bacik without interruption.

The Senator is like Pontius Pilate washing his hands of the previous Government, of which he was part.

No. I do not need any Biblical rhetoric from Senator Bacik.

Senator Bacik without interruption, please.

It is hard to listen to that hypocrisy. The previous Government could have dealt with this issue and did not.

This Government supposedly agonised over its decision to wipe out payments for 4,700 people.

No.

Senator MacSharry has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business. Please allow Senator Bacik to continue without interruption please.

Senator Bacik has not asked a question of the Leader.

The Leader will deal with the amendment to the Order of Business.

Sit down then.

I will not be told to sit down by anyone other than the Cathaoirleach.

Has the Senator something to say?

Senator MacSharry is out of order.

I welcome the announcement yesterday that the bank guarantee, introduced by the previous Government in, as we all know, appalling circumstances, will come to an end on 28 March. This is an important step towards normalisation of the banking sector in Ireland. It is welcome also in the context of the insolvency legislation, which again the previous Government failed to introduce. I am sure colleagues on both sides of the House welcome the ending of the bank guarantee.

I also welcome the publication of the climate action and low carbon development Bill, which was promised by the previous Government and is now being delivered on by this Government. I welcome that an independent advisory body is to be established under that Bill and that this legislation will make our EU targets on climate change Irish targets, which will be binding politically on this and future Governments. As the Senator who introduced the first climate change Bill in the Oireachtas in October 2007, I welcome that at last we will have Government legislation setting binding targets on climate change. This is a hugely important issue, one which has often been overlooked in the past few years owing to the economic crisis. I welcome that the Government has finally grasped the nettle on this.

I ask that the Leader provide time for a debate on the crisis in Syria. I note from the Human Rights Watch report today that 71 children were among those slaughtered in Aleppo during the past few days. We need to keep our eye on this issue and ensure we are doing all we can, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and the EU, to ensure the humanitarian crisis in Syria is ended.

If acceptable to Senator MacSharry, I am pleased to second his amendment.

Absolutely.

I formally second the amendment. I do so in what I believe is an impartial manner because I agree with Senator Bacik that this issue has been around for at least five years. The previous Government did nothing about it. Perhaps its way of dealing with the issue was to ignore it.

That is how it dealt with a lot of issues.

That had a slightly humane touch to it in that it did not remove this important grant to the most vulnerable people in our society. The previous Government, of which Senator MacSharry was not a member and as such is not culpable in this regard, abolished the Combat Poverty Agency and reduced the status of the Equality Authority. I recall previously saying in this House that we need a group like the Equality Authority or the Irish Human Rights Commission to equality proof all our legislation. In my view, all legislation should be proofed by professional bodies established by the Oireachtas to ensure they comply with equality legislation and national and international human rights provisions.

This is a shocking business. This is two attacks on the people in one day. As a result of accumulated taxes, people with mobility difficulties will have a significant amount of their income withdrawn. It is now also proposed that they and everybody else will have to pay for a television licence whether or not they have a television. How absurd? There are people in remote areas of this country who neither have a television nor a computer. Is there any sense of equity or justice? These are the meanest and cruelest cuts of all. I call on the Leader to request the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, come to the House to explain, as indicated by him yesterday, the reason he does not intend to introduce a privacy Bill. There are two privacy Bills on the Seanad Order Paper. Every politician, including those who will vote against it, believes privacy legislation is necessary. It has been proven that it is necessary. The Leveson inquiry to which I made a submission showed this is necessary. It implicated the media in this country in what was being done.

On climate change, I salute Senator Bacik for placing a climate change Bill before this House. Such a Bill was approved by all parties in the appropriate committee of the Oireachtas. I understand Senator Bacik had assistance from Friends of the Earth in the preparation of her Bill. That organisation is totally against the Government's Bill. It believes this Bill is inadequate. It has stated that the Government rather than grasping the nettle is watering and putting manure on it. We need a robust debate on that issue in this House. I am sure Senator Bacik will make an excellent and trenchant contribution to that debate.