I wish to second the amendment to the Order of Business proposed by my colleague, Senator Barrett. If Government Ministers are making claims of such a serious nature - that bribes were being offered in return for political support or political favours - it is important for us to have the details.

This is a serious issue and not something to be thrown about in a regional or local newspaper on the basis of support for or against a particular referendum campaign. I hope the Leader will do his best to have the Minister of State come to this House to make a statement on this serious matter.

I seek a debate on an issue that has come to the fore today, namely, that the State is facing a potential bill of almost €1 billion in respect of clinical indemnity claims against hospitals and medical practitioners in 2012. This figure has more than doubled since 2008. The average time taken to address these issues has also doubled from two years in 2008 to almost five years in 2012. These are issues that must be examined in more detail given that during the five years concerned the Government has had to cut back substantially in the resources available to hospitals and clinicians throughout the country. It is clear there is some level of correlation between this and the lack of available care in terms of numbers of doctors, hours being worked and so on. This must be addressed, particularly in the context of the inordinate hours which junior doctors will be forced to work from next week. This is a serious issue.

I join with colleagues in condemning the terrible events in Athlone in recent days. It was reported recently that the HSE had failed to provide timely support and services over several years to a child who had made multiple allegations. It also failed to allocate a social worker or to make arrangements for face-to-face meetings. This indicates our system is failing from beginning to end. I call on the Leader to provide time for a debate on these issues during whatever time remains of this Seanad.

I share the concerns expressed by colleagues from across the House in regard to the grossly misleading information being peddled by elements on the Government side in regard to Friday's referendum. It is a pity the Government felt it had to resort to misleading the public in order to prevail and win the day. It is a pity also it did not put as much effort into ensuring a good turn-out on Friday. The expectation is that the public is not exercised by or engaged in this matter because the Government has failed to prove its case and that turn-out will be less than 30%, which means that 15% of the electorate will decide the outcome. As a democrat, I will accept and respect the decision of the public and electorate regardless of the result. Nevertheless, it is dangerous that such a serious and important matter will be decided by a low number of people. I suggest, therefore, that if the Government is, as it claims, bent on and serious about reform, one such reform should be that for any referendum result to be valid and credible in law and to have any authority turn-out must be at least 50%. Such provision prevails in many other European countries. I urge the Government to at least consider that matter.

Yesterday in Portlaoise and throughout the country there were lengthy queues outside motor tax offices of people trying to comply with the law. I appeal to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, who rightly introduced legislation to close off a loophole which allowed for tax evasion in regard to motor vehicles and resulted in a loss to the Exchequer of €50 million, to ensure people trying to comply with that law, many of whom are elderly, are not penalised in respect of late registration. As it is not possible to register off-road vehicles, many of them vintage tractors and so on, online, there were lengthy queues at 3.30 p.m. yesterday outside motor tax offices throughout the country. These people wish to comply with the law and should be given an opportunity to do so. I ask the Leader to ask the Minister, Deputy Hogan, to allow common sense prevail and extend the deadline by one week to allow people get their house in order, particularly elderly people in terms of the onerous forms required to be filled out.

I commend my colleague Senator Bacik and other colleagues from the Government side for showing a commendable independence of mind in regard to the Seanad abolition referendum. I do not know which is most scary, that we have a toxic Taoiseach who is afraid to show himself to the public because he is so unpopular or that the Taoiseach cannot be let out by his handlers because they do not have confidence in him to defend his ideas in public.

Neither scenario is reassuring.

I support the point made by Senator Whelan on changing the arrangement for taxing vehicles that are off the road. This is a case of massive administrative insensitivity, not to speak of incompetence. Only last week, an owner of a Massey Ferguson 35, whom I met me at the ploughing championships, informed me that the brown tax book for his tractor had been lost. Number plates used to be painted on many of these older tractors and now that the tax book is long lost, the owner must incur significant expense if he is to meet the requirement to re-register his tractor. This is a classic example of a failure to foresee the types of problems that could arise when a measure is introduced.

As Senator Whelan noted, queues have formed outside motor tax offices. Why was an online system of registration not made available? How will those who have emigrated tax vehicles that are off the road? Why was better notice not given of the new measure? Will the deadline be extended? The Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government must explain the position to the House. People should be given until the end of the year to register vehicles that are off the road and an online system should be introduced to in order that people are no longer required to queue for hours. One must bear in mind that many motor tax offices are understaffed. Farmers must leave their land and others must leave their offices to join the queue. This is not an acceptable approach to administration.

In the case of older tractors, the registration fee, which has increased significantly in recent years, should be reduced to the previous rate of €50. There is no reason people who have been driving tractors for years on their own land as opposed to the public highway should be penalised to such an extent. I ask that the Minister come before the House to address this issue.