I thank the Senator for raising the matter with me beforehand.

Senator Susan O'Keeffe paid an eloquent tribute to Dermot Healy and referred to his strong Sligo connections. Many Members paid tribute to him on the Order of Business on Tuesday when I referred to his poem Serenity which was published in The Irish Times on that day which presented his work at its best. We all join the Senator in sending condolences to his family and friends.

Senator Denis O'Donovan asked for the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Eamon Gilmore, to be invited to come to the House to discuss the relationship between the United States and Ireland. That matter was raised earlier this week and I wrote to the Tánaiste yesterday on foot of a request from Senator Paschal Mooney on the renewal of the graduate J1 visa scheme, in particular. The Senator should have received a copy of that letter today. He also referred to the need to ensure recognition for the undocumented Irish in the United States and the parallel issue of recognition for US citizens in Ireland. The Tánaiste made a commitment that this would be one of the issues he would pursue most vigorously in his last weeks in office. I know that he has been doing this and that he recently visited the United States to that end. A citizenship ceremony for persons who have gained Irish citizenship will take place in the Convention Centre tomorrow. It is one of the initiatives the former Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Alan Shatter, introduced and which the Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, is continuing. It has been a positive development. Many people I know who have obtained citizenship at one of these ceremonies have spoken in positive terms about the experience. It is a very important development compared with the technical, informal procedure whereby people claimed Irish citizenship at sittings of the District Court which was most unsatisfactory.

Senator Cáit Keane also called for a debate on the property tax which, as I said, I have already sought. She also called for a debate on water safety. Her colleague, Senator Pat O'Neill, raised this matter on Tuesday. We all wish to send our condolences to the families of the children who drowned so tragically earlier in the week, as well as to the families of the adults who drowned. There have been some very tragic water safety-related incidents, including drownings. Senator Cáit Keane referred to the many rescues that had also taken place, including the high profile rescue of Jedward from a sandbank in Malahide.

A high profile rescue.

I agree with Senator Cáit Keane in that regard. We will seek a debate on the matter. Senator Pat O'Neill asked for a debate on improving the education of school children in water safety, a matter on which we all agree with him.

Senator Sean D. Barrett asked for a debate on the role of the Comptroller and Auditor General. I will seek such a debate. He also referred to the successful talks in London this week between the British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron, and Sinn Féin and the need to ensure a furthering of the peace process. We all join him in wishing for a peaceful marching season as we enter that period of the year. He also requested that the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister be invited to come to the House. We agreed to this at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and an invitation was sent. I understand the committee will meet again next week when I will raise the issue. I believe there was a difficulty in aligning the dates, but the matter is in hand.

Senator Sean D. Barrett also paid tribute to the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I am glad that so many colleagues have done so. The Minister has had an immensely significant career of public service of nearly 40 years. Colleagues have paid tribute to him for the role he played as Minister for Finance in the 1990s. It was extremely successful and he left behind a budget surplus in building the core of proper and sustainable prosperity. Also, there is his major reforming work as Minister for Education and Skills. Senator Mary Moran referred to his introduction of the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill in the House on Tuesday evening. One of his key attributes that we all appreciated as Senators and on which many colleagues have commented was introducing Bills in the Seanad on a regular basis on which we had very good debates. The debate on the Bill mentioned was a very good one. With his reforms on patronage and pluralism in the primary sector, SUSI and the student grants scheme, the initiatives on literacy and numeracy and mathematics, the teaching of junior cycle students and the restructuring of the VEC system, introduction of SOLAS and the education and training boards, he has had a transformative impact on the education sector in a short three year period, for which I pay him my own tribute. As a former teacher, Senator Mary Moran also paid tribute to him and said how much she appreciated his reforms. She called for a resolution of the issue of the closure of All Hallows College to ensure, in particular, the students were not left high and dry. I ask the Senator to table that matter for discussion on the Adjournment. Talks are ongoing on it. Like her, I commend the resolution of the issue of the closure of English language colleges for foreign language students who were accommodated by the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister for Education and Skills in agreeing to a resolution method. I hope we will see something similar happen in this case.

Senator Terry Leyden asked for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to come to the House to discuss SI No. 226 of 2014, which allows local authorities to collect rates on vacant buildings. It would be a good idea if the Senator tabled the matter for discussion on the Adjournment. I had some success in the last session of the House with a former Minister for the Environment who amended a statutory instrument on dredging at Passage East, County Waterford, where a huge amount of damage was being done to the harbour. Perhaps we are not using the Adjournment matters facility enough in dealing with statutory instruments. They offer a real possibility in terms of change and I ask the Senator to consider using it. I appreciate his predictive powers and crystal ball gazing in predicting the future of the Minister, Deputy Phil Hogan, but I will pass over it.

Senator Catherine Noone welcomed the announcement that Diageo would not be running an Arthur's day event again. We all welcome this, given the concerns about binge drinking during that one-day event in previous years. As the Senator said, there is a doubt about the new initiative. It would be much better to see an event supporting Irish music and artists being spread over one month. The Senator also supported Senator Cáit Keane in calling for a debate on water safety.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh called for a debate on the motion dealing with Eurodac. We had a full debate on the issue at the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence yesterday. I participated in the debate which continued for nearly an hour. However, I have spoken to the Minister for Justice and Equality about it and she has agreed to debate the issue again in the House today. As colleagues will be aware, she will be in the House immediately after the Order of Business to take Committee Stage of the Irish Human Rights Equality Commission Bill and has very kindly has agreed to debate the motion dealing with Eurodac at the conclusion of Committee Stage. We should be able to deal with the Health Service Executive (Financial Matters) Bill 2013 at 1.30 p.m. I do not think there are many amendments to the Irish Human Rights Equality Commission Bill and colleagues should check the monitors to see when the debate on the motion dealing with Eurodac will commence.

It will be taken immediately on conclusion of Committee Stage of the Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014. I propose that amendment to the Order of Business on foot of a request from Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh. There is no doubt the Eurodac directive is important. We did raise concerns with the Minister, which we can debate today.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh called also for a debate on lone parent allowance changes, lone parent families and child care. I will certainly ask for that debate. We had a full debate with the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, during which she put the case very strongly that we need to move away from the current model, which has had very poor outcomes in terms of poverty for lone parents, who still remain in poverty despites decades of lone parent allowance. The Minister's moves to ensure-----

The cuts in the Scandinavian system-----

The Deputy Leader to continue without interruption.

I was one of the speakers who participated in the debate with the Minister, Deputy Joan Burton, during which I called on her to ensure better and improved levels of child care as a quid pro quo for the changes in the system. All of us appreciate that the motive behind the change is to ensure greater entry opportunities to the labour market for lone parents.

I do not think lone parents would agree.

I met the members of SPARK at the time, but I will certainly seek another debate on the issue.

Senator John Kelly raised the issue of delays in respect of visa applications and called for a debate on the matter. The Senator spoke eloquently about how frustrating this is. I ask him to table it as a matter on the Adjournment to the Minister for Justice and Equality, as that mechanism would provide a quicker response on the issue.

Senator Mark Daly raised the issue of appointments to State boards. I gave a full answer to the Senator on this issue on Tuesday and have sought a debate on it. He referred also to the ending of the Pobal grant for the Irish Deaf Society advocacy service. I have raised that issue with Labour Party Ministers and, since Tuesday, I have got information on it. I suggest the Senator write to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, as I intend to do, to ask that he reconsider that grant.

Senator Daly referred to a debate on centenaries which Senator Darragh O'Brien had sought earlier in the week. In fact, what Senator Darragh O'Brien sought, rather unusually, was to have the former Taoiseach Mr. John Bruton come to the House. I suggested that the Committee on Procedure and Privileges might consider that request.

Senator Terry Brennan called for a debate on a report due to be published next month on possible changes to motor tax for hauliers. This issue was raised on Tuesday by Senator Michael Comiskey, at which time I suggested that he seek to raise it as a matter on the Adjournment. After the report is published, it would be appropriate to raise it in September.

Senator Fidelma Healy Eames raised the issue of the local property tax. I have already sought that debate. She called also for a debate on lone parent families. I have already agreed to seek that debate. The Senator also paid tribute to the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, with which we would all like to join.

Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill called for a debate on energy prices in light of the consultation currently being carried out by the Commission for Energy Regulation. I will certainly ask if we may have that debate in due course. I would suggest, however, that it might be appropriate to have the issue debated at the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications in the first instance, as it may be possible to invite the Commission for Energy Regulation to appear before the committee. It may have been done already but, if so, I am not aware of it.

Senator Rónán Mullen raised the issue of the local property tax and the motion tabled by four Labour Party Deputies. I gave a full answer in the House on Wednesday on that issue. The motivation behind the motion from the Deputies was to ensure that the tax is levied in a fair and progressive manner. I think we would all agree with that view. I overlooked the Senator's personal attacks on my Labour Party colleagues in the Dáil. I am not sure whether the reference to "middle class" was an insult, but it certainly sounded like one.

It was not personal at all. It was a statement of fact about the Deputy Leader's colleagues.

I have already asked for that debate.

Senator James Heffernan paid tribute to the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, and his commitment to the school building programme. The Senator is correct in stating that the Minister had an immense commitment to the school building programme, and we have seen enormous improvements in the physical infrastructure of schools across the country under his watch. That is another important achievement that he has had.

Senator Heffernan called for an amendment to the Order of Business to debate No. 22 on the Order Paper, the Parliamentary Scrutiny of Appointments (European Commission) Bill 2014, today. I cannot accede to that request. I have already acceded to the request by Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh to change the Order of Business. Senator Paul Bradford seconded that proposed amendment, with which I have already dealt.

Senator John Gilroy called for a debate on renewable energy and public subsidy. I am happy to seek that debate and will ask the Leader's office to arrange it.