The Carers Association of Ireland plays a very important role in society. It provides services for family members in their homes and ensures their quality of life is improved on a daily basis. Today it made its prebudget submission in the audiovisual room. I am cognisant of the fact that as a result of the promissory note deal it is aware there is an opportunity for it to push forward many of its needs in next year's budget.

It raised a number of issues today, including the protection of the rates of carer's allowance paid and the household benefits scheme. It is calling for an improvement in the appeals process to reduce the waiting period for applicants to 12 weeks. It is also calling for increased transparency in eligibility criteria, specifically financial assessments. It has asked for the abolition of the double charge for medical card holders in receipt of prescriptions whereby the same drug may need to be dispensed in different weight units and patients are being charged twice.

The Carers Association needs and deserves the support of the people in this House and of Government in general. I support it wholeheartedly. Its prebudget submission is reasonable. It is cognisant of the current economic situation. I ask the Leader to put his support behind the submission and the House to do likewise.

I dtosach báire, ba mhaith liom cuidiú leis an leasú atá molta ar an Riar Gnó ag an Seanadóir Norris.

I second Senator Norris's amendment to the Order of Business. I would also like to make a correction to a statement I made yesterday. When I mentioned Senator Whelan I inadvertently said he made an address to a group of turf cutters at Camross. I would like to correct that statement because it was actually Tullamore.

Is that an apology?

No, it is a correction. The statement was made to about 2,000 people in Tullamore and he gave his full support to turf cutters there.

I also congratulate Emily O'Reilly. She has been a fantastic Ombudsman and will be a hard act to follow. I congratulate her wholeheartedly on her appointment as European Ombudsman.

I concur with Senator Landy. I was at the Carers Association presentation. It was a practical and essential submission. I hope when we vote on the social protection Bill he will follow through on his commitment today.

The Leader agreed that there should be a series of prebudget debates in the House. We should not leave that too late because the budget will be announced in October. He indicated he hoped we would have a number of such debates before the recess. I suggest a debate on social protection be one of the starting points because it is one of the most contentious areas of the budget. We could take all of the suggestions made by the Carers Association on board. I call for a debate on prebudget submissions on social protection before the recess, if possible. It would be timely and would give the Minister, Deputy Burton, food for thought over the summer recess to take all of the suggestions in the House on board.