Recognition of Palestine
Senator Ó Domhnaill supports Senator Power’s motion and says Palestinians deserve sovereign recognition; the Chair ends his overlong contribution.
I commend Senator Averil Power for bringing forward the motion. The thrust of the motion is to have a debate and raise valid concerns. The people of Palestine deserve a sovereign right to be recognised as a state. I believe everyone in the House would support the general thrust of that notwithstanding what Senator Paul Bradford has said. Senator Averil Power has put a good deal of work into this and I hope a Minister will come to the House to discuss it. We are all keen to articulate our views in respect of supporting Senator Averil Power's motion in that regard.
I support Senator Marie-Louse O'Donnell's amendment to the Order of Business. There is a need to have a genuine and calm debate in the House on the issue surrounding Irish Water. We can all shout and play politics with it, but the reality is that we have a semi-state utility which is running away with itself. The sands are changing politically in respect of the decision-making process. Ultimately, irrespective of the current status of Irish Water, if it continues in its current form we could end up with a company being sold and people in other jurisdictions controlling the right of Irish citizens to water and that is wrong.
We need to have a debate in the House on the matter urgently and Ministers need to make themselves available for such a debate. I know the Leader is determined to bring Ministers to the House but they do not always make themselves available. On this particular issue they should do so. There are serious data protection issues and costing issues, as well as the bonus culture, the salary culture and what is happening on the ground. We could all give examples of what is happening on the ground, such as in County Donegal this morning, for example. We are keen to have a debate to articulate these views.
I call for a debate to support Senator Jim Walsh in respect of the health system. The health system accounts for approximately 30% of public spending. The Government is rolling out the idea of the money-follows-the-patient model, a model I support because I believe there is more accountability to be obtained from that model than any other.
