I strongly support what my colleagues have said in regard to the Aer Lingus debacle. Without going into the specifics, this House is being disrespected today by the Government in not allowing for a debate prior to a decision being taken in the other House. We are dealing with a matter which is being driven by vested interests at the expense of the public interest. We are not being given the opportunity here, as public representatives, to debate an issue of national significance and importance ahead of a decision being taken. I know it may not be at the discretion of the Leader and he may be forced into a situation by the Government. However, I would ask him to stand strong and represent the Seanad, not accept the push which is coming from the Government on this issue and to have a debate in the House before a decision is made in the other House.

I agree with other Senators that we should have a debate in regard to agriculture, particularly the beef genomics scheme, the closing date for which is today. It is not workable at all. We need a debate on that issue and on the other environmental schemes from Pillar 2 of the Common Agricultural Policy. These schemes are not working. Money is coming from Europe but farmers are unable to draw it down and unable to apply, given the complexities of the schemes. It needs a deeper debate than is possible in a Commencement debate because there are issues that need to be teased out with the Minister in the House. I ask that this be organised in the next few weeks.

I call on the Leader to have the Minister for Finance come before the House for a debate on the most recent European Commission recommendations and opinion on the national reform programme in Ireland. There are some damning statistics, information and opinion in the report, which outlines that while there is some level of economic improvement in the country, there are other issues like private and public debt which are not being addressed by public policy interventions. The report outlines the crisis in the health sector and also looks at the banks' self-reliant techniques in order to deal with people who find themselves in debt which they are unable to pay. I ask that the Minister for Finance come to the House for a debate on the report. In all of its public policy interventions, the Government is failing to deal with the outlook being expressed not only by the European Commission, but also by the IMF and others.

To follow on from what my two Fianna Fáil colleagues have said about Aer Lingus, a debate today is essential. As other colleagues have said, Senator Sean D. Barrett will be busy at the banking inquiry this afternoon and will not be here. In fairness, the Senator is one of the few independent voices on this issue. He is a man who makes quite a lot of sense and is someone who should be listened to.

We are told this is a great deal by those members of the Dublin Airport Authority and the people in paid Government positions in Shannon and Cork. I do not take great heed of what they say. This is a further demonstration of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport's lack of commitment to the regions, in particular the mid-west. Limerick yesterday launched its campaign for the 2020 capital of culture, one I hope the Government will put its weight behind. However, by 2020 there may not be connectivity to bring people to the area. The Leader knows the road from Waterford to Limerick is diabolical, the road from the Cork to Limerick is a disgrace and the road from Limerick to Killarney and other areas is terrible. This move could be a serious blow to Shannon's connectivity in the mid-west.

It is not good enough. Even if this deal, unfortunately, seems to be a fait accompli, and perhaps there is not a whole pile that can be done about it, I believe that debate should take place earlier rather than later. I hung around yesterday because I thought the debate was going to take place at 9 p.m. last night but it did not happen, and I had thought it might have happened a couple of days ago but it did not. It has now been pushed aside again. I would like the Leader to accede to the amendment to the Order of Business and support calls for that debate to take place today.

I have listened to the views of Members on the debate about Aer Lingus. It was not possible to have it last night because the debate in the other House lasted until 10 p.m. The Minister will be in the other House until 5 p.m. today debating the issue. As far as I know, he does not yet have powers of bilocation; therefore, there is no prospect of having him here. However, having listened to what Members had to say, I am prepared to amend the Order of Business to have the debate immediately but without a Minister present.

Can we have any Minister?

How can I manufacture one out of a hat?

There are enough of them.

I will sit here and report back to the Minister. Senators are proposing an amendment to the Order of Business that we speak about the issue, but I cannot supply a Minister at the drop of a hat.

Then let us have that debate.

I will report on what is said to the Minister. Senators cannot have it every way, as they want to do with Aer Lingus. I am prepared to amend the Order of Business as follows: that, after the Order of Business, we have a debate about Aer Lingus up to 2 p.m., with all spokespersons being allocated five minutes. No. 2, Statute Law Revision Bill 2015 - Second Stage, will be taken at 2 p.m. and adjourned not later than 3 p.m., with the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes. We will delete No. 3a on the Supplementary Order Paper. The change is in response to the request from Members to try to go some way to accede to their requests.

As I said, as the Minister does not yet have powers of bilocation, he cannot be here, but I will relay what is said in the House to him. He was anxious to come into the Chamber but could not do so before 5 p.m.

On a point of order, what the Leader has said is reasonable. I suggest that if Senator Sean D. Barrett is able to get away from the committee and does wish to speak, Members give way to him. He will only have a short time in which-----

We cannot order the business of the House based on whether a Member will be here. That was one of the reasons I put the item down to be taken at 5 p.m. We could have heard from Senator Sean D. Barrett at that stage, because he probably will be finished at the committee by then. However, he will not be able to contribute to the debate now.

He will have a lunch break.

These matters have to be organised properly. One cannot organise business at the drop of a hat. That is what I propose to do to facilitate the House and I am amending the Order of Business accordingly.

Is it just group spokespersons who will have five minutes in which to contribute?

All Senators who contribute to the debate will have five minutes.

Is the debate to continue up to 2 p.m. or 2.30 p.m?

It will continue up to 2 p.m. and we will then continue with the other business outlined.

Senator Ivana Bacik and others referred to the €91 million investment in housing announced today by the Minister for the Environment, Community Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, which is certainly to be welcomed. A further debate on housing is overdue and I will try to arrange it.

Senator Ivana Bacik also called for a debate on recently published reports on prison and penal reform. I will ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to attend the House to debate them.

Senator David Norris raised the question of ethics in sport. The Minister of State with responsibility for sport has been in the House on several occasions recently. There are certainly concerns about FIFA, football's governing body. I note the Senator’s points about the chief executive officer of that body and suggestions of corruption and so forth. That is a matter for FIFA to deal with. I do not think anything we say in this House will make any difference, but we can certainly consider and have a debate on the question of ethics in sport.

Senator Colm Burke called for proper regulations for home care providers. As he rightly pointed out, he has a Bill dealing with the issue on the Order Paper. We will certainly consider debating it on the next occasion Fine Gael raises an issue during Private Members’ business.

Senators Lorraine Higgins and Brian Ó Domhnaill called for an extension of and a debate on the beef genomics scheme with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I am sure the Minister would be quite willing to come to the House to deal with the matter.

Senator Feargal Quinn pointed to how Ireland had dropped several places to 16th in the world competitiveness standings. We had an excellent debate last night about the Springboard scheme. The issue of competitiveness is important in the development of the economy. I note the Senator's points in that regard. The Government is mindful of the issue also.

Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh referred to workers’ rights, an issue on which the Government has been strong. I was very disappointed by the number of contributors to the debate yesterday on the National Minimum Wage (Low Pay Commission) Bill 2015. Many Members have called for a debate on this issue in the past few weeks and months. However, when the legislation was before the House yesterday, a paltry number of Members spoke.

Senator Terry Brennan raised the question of food waste segregation. The House will deal with an environmental planning Bill later in the session and I am quite sure a number of speakers will want to come in on it. The Senator can raise the question again at that stage.

Senator Mary Ann O’Brien referred to the charities regulator. I assure her the regulator has teeth and powers which can be used. Owing to requests from quite a number of charities, the Minister has granted them an extension of time to register with the regulator. Where irregularities have occurred, the regulator can investigate them. I was not aware of the specific case raised by the Senator She can bring it to the attention of the Minister who I am sure will ask the regulator to act on it.

Senator Gerard P. Craughwell raised the issue of payments to chaplains in third level institutions and institutes of technology. Chaplains play an important role in these educational facilities. The Senator said Trinity College Dublin paid its own chaplains. By whom are the others paid?