I thank the 17 Senators who contributed to the Order of Business. I join Senator Mark Daly in wishing our colleague and friend Senator Catherine Ardagh and her future husband every success, joy and happiness tomorrow. I hope the Child of Prague has been put out because rain like we have had this morning certainly would not help. On Tuesday Senator Catherine Ardagh ordered me not to mention it, but as Senator Mark Daly has broken protocol, I believe I should congratulate her on behalf of the House.

The Bill on the recognition of Irish Sign Language for the deaf community will be before the House next week. I join Senators Niall Ó Donnghaile and Mark Daly in congratulating the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality on the publication of its report today. I hope we will receive the support of the House next week for the Bill.

It is beyond my gift to bring forward the Corporate Manslaughter Bill, but we have asked the Department of Justice and Equality about it.

Senator Mark Daly raised the issue of child care. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, will be in the House next week to discuss it.

On the first-time buyer's grant, I do not want to provoke a fight this morning, but we have come through the worst recession in the history of the State and the supply of housing is at rock bottom. We had a very good debate on the issue in the House yesterday. We must build and supply housing and ensure first-time buyers can access credit to get on the property ladder, something they cannot do. The Government is committed to facilitating the building of houses and providing first-time buyers with a grant. Academics disagree as they will do, but the important point is that we need to incentivise the market. We need people to be able to buy second-hand houses, which is the reason the home renovation scheme is in place, but it is also important that they be able to access credit.

In response to Senator Gabrielle McFadden, I have met the Government Chief Whip to discuss the initiation of legislation. In its legislative programme the Government commits to the publication of 25 Bills this session. It is important that Bills be initiated in this House because in that way there would not be a legislative backlog. Part of the difficulty which some in the commentariat do not understand and about which they do not write is that lots of legislation is subject to pre-legislative scrutiny. That was a very positive departure in the last Dáil and Seanad, but it means that the process has slowed down. However, it makes for a better parliamentary system. As somebody who chaired the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children in the last Oireachtas, pre-legislative scrutiny is very important. However, the Senator is right and we all agree that there is a need for more legislation to be initiated in this House. This is something for which we have asked.

Senator Joan Freeman referred to mental health services. It is a very important issue. The important point is that there has been an increase in the Government's commitment to the provision of mental health services which the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Helen McEntee, has been very successful in promoting. An extra €35 million will be allocated this year, in addition to the €35 million provided last year. There is the commitment to the Central Mental Hospital in the capital plan, as well as to the construction of a new forensic mental health service in Portrane.

The important point which we need to put into perspective concerns how the HSE allocates money in its service plan. Therein lies the difficulty in the health service. The Government has allocated €14 billion to the Department of Health, the highest ever spend. It is in excess of the amount allocated when Deputy Micheál Martin ran out of the Department and when former Deputy Mary Harney was stuck in it because no one would take the job. Senator Mark Daly referenced the increase in numbers and wants to see more services being provided, something with which we all agree, but that will cost money. How is it to be allocated? That is the big question we should be asking the HSE. How will it apportion, allocate and spend the money given to it by the Government and the Department? It is a matter to be dealt with in the context of the service plan.

Senator Paul Gavan again referred to Shannon Airport. I can tell him clearly that I am not afraid of anything. Our neutrality has not been compromised or altered.