I second the amendment proposed by Senator Marc MacSharry.

In this House in recent months I have railed against Government plans, either intentional or aspirational, for rural Ireland. I am sad to have to report to the House again firm evidence that one of the most successful rural schemes, the rural social scheme, is under threat. Despite pleas to the contrary, I have come to the sad conclusion that when it comes to rural Ireland the Government does not give a toss. This initiative was introduced by our colleague, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, one of the most visionary Ministers in an admittedly discredited Administration in recent years. He introduced many visionary schemes, particularly with a focus on rural Ireland but also on the urban poor, through the Clár programme and its urban parallel. He introduced the rural social scheme at a time when the European Union wanted to dismantle the social employment scheme in its entirety because it said it was not leading to upskilling of its participants who, in turn, were not prepared for work. One should try telling that to people in my part of the country, particularly elderly, single farmers, for whom there are no jobs because there has been no industrial development and because the State agencies have continued to ignore the north west when it comes to the location of industry. How in the name of all that is good can one expect people coming off a social employment scheme to pass effortlessly into the area of work when no work was available? These schemes had, and still have, a strong social dimension. This is not exclusive to my part of the country but wherever there are large rural populations particularly on the western seaboard and other parts where there is a high rural density. That the Government should now propose to take away yet another part of that social scheme is totally off the wall. I do not understand the thinking behind it. It will not save anything. I call on the Leader to ask the relevant Minister the reason the Government is doing this, when it will do it and what it will put in its place. What future will it offer to rural Ireland and, particularly, those farmers who do not have sufficient farm income to sustain rural families, which has been a bedrock of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil policy for decades? I do not know what is the Labour Party view of rural Ireland as I have never been able to figure it out. I hope this is nothing more than a rumour.

I hope what Senator Paschal Mooney has outlined is a rumour. We all know the tremendous work being done by the various schemes in rural Ireland. I am confident that it is the Government's intention to continue those schemes, even if revamped.

I ask the Leader to arrange for a debate on our return, on the innovative Government strategy, Construction 2020, launched yesterday. It is a worthwhile strategy designed to help families find affordable, good quality homes throughout the country, particularly in Dublin. In 2006, at the height of the property bubble, 93,000 units were built while in 2013 only 8,300 homes were built, a reduction of 91,000. The aim is to treble the housing output to about 30,000 units per year up to 2020, which would provide 60,000 jobs in the construction sector. The Government is intent on supporting a recovery of the construction sector based on the highest international standards.

Members will agree that we never want to see another Priory Hall or more pyrite housing estates. The new building regulations introduced on 1 March set out the minimum standards required for building a house. This is a welcome development. I hope many thousands of construction workers who are on the live register will return to gainful employment as this addresses the housing crisis that is beginning to emerge, particularly in Dublin and other cities throughout the country.

I would appreciate if the Leader and Members would support a call made yesterday by Amnesty International for the release of an Irish citizen, Mr. Ibrahim Halawa, who is imprisoned in Egypt since 14 August, without referral of his case to court for trial. He was a minor when arrested from the Fateh mosque on 17 August and is accused of violence that took place on 16 and 17 August in Ramses Square. He is one of thousands held in prison on broad and vague accusations, including attacking security forces and hindering the work of public institutions. Thousands of people are facing the same accusations without the Egyptian authorities establishing individual criminal responsibility in these cases. I call for access to a fair trial, including an independent, fair and impartial investigation, and his release if nothing is proved against him. I am sure Members would support the call that the Egyptian authorities refer his case to trial or release him. I ask the Leader to convey our concerns to the attention of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Eamon Gilmore. As this issue was raised at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade yesterday, we would like further support from this House.

Senator Marc MacSharry referred to a newspaper report, the truth of which I cannot verify. Personally, I believe it is wrong that anybody on a salary of €164,000 should receive additional funding, irrespective of what it is, from the State. I have asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, to come to the House to address the matter, but he is not available today. I will certainly pursue the matter with him.

Senator Susan O'Keeffe made some comments on the medical card issue, which is being examined by the Department and the Ministers involved. I hope it will be addressed in the near future. The Senator also welcomed the allocation of funds by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, for many national projects. She lauded the Yeats 2015 project, which is supporting many creative projects in Sligo and the west.

Senator Feargal Quinn commented on the possibility of people reclaiming their additional voluntary pension contributions. He asked how many had availed of the scheme. I will certainly put the question to the Minister for Finance and try to get back to the Senator who also asked about the possibility of increasing AVCs from 30% to 100%. That is a budgetary matter which, if it is to be addressed, will be addressed in the budget. I will make inquiries of the Minister.

Senator Cáit Keane remarked on the plight of the Turkish miners. Our hearts go out to all of their families. I hope more people will be saved in the ongoing efforts being made.

Reference was made to the report on binge drinking. It is a shocking statistic that Ireland is second in the world where binge drinking is concerned. No wonder we witness such shocking violence after pubs close in the evenings and accident and emergency departments are full at weekends and during the day. Most of this violence is fuelled by alcohol. It is certainly a matter which requires ongoing debate and I will try to have the Minister come to the House to address it. The abuse of alcohol is a national problem. It is a serious problem that will have to be addressed. Several measures are in place and the Government has taken further steps, but we need to know about them and support from everyone involved.

Senator Jim Walsh referred to the report on maternity services. There is a national examination of maternity services under way, into which several reports will feed. However, nothing has been decided and this point has been relayed by the HSE and the Minister. I am not sure who else needs to clarify that the reports will feed into the examination of maternity services which is needed.

Senator Jim Walsh also commented on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings and the need for closure for the victims' families. I agree totally with him in that regard. The Government has made representations to the British Government on the matter and the reports are available for everyone to see. It is clear from them that the committee felt there was collusion in the bombings.

Senator Mary Moran commented on the funding announced yesterday for Special Olympics Ireland and the fact that it would now be based in Abbotstown. That is a welcome development for which the Minister should be commended. The Senator also adverted to Time to Talk Day tomorrow to highlight mental health issues. That is also important.

Senator Paschal Mooney remarked on the review of the rural social scheme. A further debate on rural Ireland and economic development in rural areas is overdue. Perhaps we might have that debate in conjunction with the debate on the report of the Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas, CEDRA. I will ask the relevant Minister to come to the House to debate the matter.

I thank the Leader.

Senator Michael Mullins commented on Construction 2020, an exciting scheme which the Government announced yesterday. The strategy is to help families to find affordable quality homes and to get highly skilled construction workers back on-site. It is not about a return to the non-existent regulation and developer-driven agenda and the dangerously unbalanced tax base we saw in the past; rather, it is about getting people back to work and providing affordable quality homes for people who need them. The sooner we move and build the number of houses that are necessary, the better. The central aim of the strategy is to provide homes for people, tripling housing output by 2020 and adding 60,000 jobs in the construction sector in the same period. As we know, the construction sector has been hit more than any other in terms of unemployment.

I note Senator Michael Mullins's points about the release of an Irish citizen in Egypt. The Department of Foreign affairs and Trade is fully aware of the position. It has made representations and I imagine it will continue to do so.