The Senator should not name people in the House.

Her name is in the public domain.

Even so.

The alternative to providing the 30 hours of assistance she used to receive, including three hours a day while at work, is that she must be place in residential care which would cost the State ten times as much. I ask that Kifca and all those who are seeing the number of hours being cut receive assistance instead of facing the grim alternative of being placed in care for the rest of their lives. That is not how we should treat citizens in this day and age.

The issue of insurance has arisen again. The State Claims Agency has exposed the insurance companies and the lies they have been telling us about the cost of claims and the level of compensation increasing, as a result of which they are charging more. Since the beginning of year, the cost of insurance has increased by 28%. In the past 12 months it has increased by 34% and since 2014 by 60%. In 2014, according to the records we have available, the amount paid out in compensation to claimants decreased by 36%. We have price gouging by the insurance companies which are profiteering in hiking up insurance premiums. People are going out of business as a result. It is highly unacceptable that the insurance companies seem to be acting as a collective in pushing up premiums.

There have also been cases of insurance companies suspending and eliminating life cover or cover for critical illnesses. Critical illness cover refers to five illnesses, including cancer. In one case highlighted yesterday people who had been paying premiums for critical illness cover for ten years were told by a company that cover was being discontinued from November and that they should contact other companies. This is another form of price gouging and profiteering by the insurance industry. People who need cover for peace of mind are having it withdrawn by insurance companies.

We also have the sudden disappearance from the market of insurance companies established in other jurisdictions, for example, Setanta Insurance, which disappeared overnight, leaving 14,000 people without insurance and policyholders left to pick up the tab.

Banking is another financial sector which is subject to regulation and appears to be doing its own thing and profiteering. Ultimately, citizens are losing out and businesses are being affected. People are driving without insurance. By law, the 2.2 million drivers in the State must have insurance. We force them to have it and they should have it, but we are not giving them the protection they require. The Leader has organised debates on this issue before. The State Claims Agency has exposed the fact that insurance companies are not paying out nearly as much as they claim to be. The Government must take action on this issue.

I appeal for an increase in funding for youth work. There are more than 40,000 volunteers in youth work agencies and organisations which do tremendous work with young people. Given the improvements in the economy, this area should receive particular attention, although I accept that money is not available for everything. I would appreciate it, however, if the Minister were to make provision to increase funding for youth work because the value for money received transcends the ratio of return on each euro invested. Youth work has an immeasurable value in communities.

Elderly people more than shared the burden during the economic downturn and must pay many charges. The elimination of the telephone allowance has caused considerable difficulty for them, especially those who live alone. The Government should listen to the request to have the allowance restored, even if it is done in two budgets. One is reminded of the great posters put up by Age Action Ireland with the message that old age is not a problem but loneliness is. It is critically important for people's mental and social well-being that they have the ability to make a telephone call without worrying about the cost and stay in touch with their family who are often far-flung and, in the case of those do not have many surviving family members, their neighbours.

I plead to the Minister for Health to reduce the prescription charge and ensure sufficient funding is made available for mental health services, an issue which affects people across the country.

I ask the Leader to make arrangements for a debate with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. I was elected to the Seanad on the Agriculture Panel. The horticultural and food sector is in crisis. Two major mushroom growers have closed in recent weeks. The programme for Government features only four sentences on horticulture. It includes a commitment to the Origin Green initiative and refers, on page 113, to the Food Wise 2025 policy and, more importantly, Bord Bia's excellent strategy for the period 2016 to 2018. The strategy covers only a short period, however, given that we are approaching the end of 2016.

I recently took time to visit north County Dublin, an area with great potential where a large amount of organic produce is grown. Bord Bia has been very successful in the area of organic produce and the Origin Green initiative. This is, however, becoming more and more difficult, with the mushroom trade crumbling in recent weeks and months. I will not take up Senators' time by speaking about all of the factors involved. However, there is a crisis in organics and horticulture. Surely this area has potential for employment creation and we should provide more training in horticulture. I use the word "horticulture" because it tends to be lumped into the broader remit of agriculture with meat, poultry production and other sectors. The horticulture sector offers enormous potential, particularly given the demand for organic produce. We must tie it in with the strategy and principles of Origin Green. We must look at this and support sustainable development on the land. We must support farmers who may be interested in moving from livestock to organics.

I agree with the former Minister and chairman of the Fine Gael Party, Senator James Reilly, on the restoration of the telephone allowance. The Senator carries much weight in his party and I would be terribly disappointed if the change proposed is not made in the budget. It must be made because people in urban and rural areas are living in isolation. The simple measure of giving them back a telephone is a very practical, reasonable, fair and appropriate response. I ask that this issue be raised and look forward to-----

I thank the Senator.

I will go downstairs to my office in a few minutes and welcome it because it is extremely important. Senators, Deputies and local councillors should call on the Government to make this a major priority in the budget.