I support my colleague, Senator Ivana Bacik, in her call for a debate on the issue of domestic violence.

I also raise the issue of a vaccine for meningitis, which was raised by Senator Sean D. Barrett. Ireland has the highest incidence of meningitis in Europe. Ms Siobhán Carroll who founded the campaign group Act for Meningitis, with her husband Noel - they are from Oranmore, County Galway and sadly lost their four year old daughter Aoibhe to meningitis in 2008 - has welcomed the moves made in England in this regard. The national immunisation advisory committee has recommended similar measures be put in place here and the Department is looking at a cost-effective agreement with the manufacturer. I concur with my colleague, Senator Colm Burke, on the need to bring down the cost of medications and welcome the negotiations that are taking place.

I, too, support Senator Ivana Bacik and the call for a debate on drugs, particularly biosimilars, relatively new drugs which would save the country tens of thousands, if not millions, of euro. As a new grandfather, I also support the call for the making available of the meningitis vaccine. At €300 a pop in a private capacity, it seems ridiculous that the State will not step in.

Further to Senator Feargal Quinn's remarks, the Army does a great job in defending the State. Therefore, there is no need to worry in that regard.

I remind the House that the teachers' conferences start next week. We are in a particularly turbulent time with teachers and it may be opportune to call for a debate on the establishment of technological universities. It is the case that almost all of the institutes of technology have voted to take industrial action should the process continue, but for the life of me I cannot see why we have embarked on this route. The institutes of technology have a task to carry out in the regions. We already have seven excellent universities and do not need new universities, although there is probably a case for having one in the south east. I ask the Leader, at his convenience and after the Easter conferences, to arrange to bring the Minister for Education and Skills to the House for a debate on technological universities. I can see no way how the project can move forward without the co-operation of staff who have deep concerns, not least of which is the lack of consultation.