Since I raised respite care as a Commencement matter today, several more families have contacted me. They are looking after their sons and daughters at home, providing care and are not able to access respite care. I am very concerned by the lack of planning in this matter. Several facilities are no longer available because of regulations and inspections carried out by the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, which is trying to make sure there are very high standards. Several residential units that were available are not available now. Several units, which had permanent residents from Monday to Friday and were used for respite care at weekends, are no longer available. There seems to have been no long-term planning on how to deal with the issue. As a result, approximately 18,000 people are being looked after by their parents at home. To be fair to these people, we should give them the support they deserve.

I spoke to one woman recently who told me that when her son goes into respite care she sleeps for a full two days because that is her break from having to manage and care for him 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We need to deal with this issue. Will the Leader ask the Minister to come to the House to deal with this issue and find out the plans of each Health Service Executive, HSE, unit around the country and when they intend bringing forward improvements and making additional facilities available?

I want to support three calls for debates today, first, Senator Ned O'Sullivan's call for the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to come in to discuss gorse fires and the damage they have done.

To answer the Senator's question, there have been only 11 prosecutions since 2007. That is 11 prosecutions in a decade on this issue. It would be very appropriate to have the Minister come in for a debate on that.

I would also like to support Senator Gavan's call for a debate with the Minister for Defence in respect of purchases. It relates to a wider issue, which is a question of ethical procurement policies-----

What did they want them for? Who are they going to spy on?

There is a question in terms of Ireland and ethical procurement policies and how we bring social, environmental and ethical considerations into play in our procurement policies.

I want to endorse Senator Richmond's call for a debate on the future of Europe, which is something he is passionate about. It is Europe Day. I would add to Senator Richmond's point that I believe people in Ireland are very passionate about being part of Europe and it is something we feel very strongly about, but what is very clear is that there is no European consensus. There is a very vibrant and important debate to be had now to ensure we strengthen the social Europe commitment and that aspect of Europe which focuses on peace, social cohesion and rights. Those aspects have to be brought to the fore. We cannot simply have a Europe that speaks only of fiscal matters. It is very important that we reclaim the debate in Europe and we engage in it strongly. I join Senator Richmond in celebrating Europe Day, but I ask that Ireland is not simply a team player but also an active agent in the debate on Europe. We can contribute to that debate in this House.

I want to raise a number of issues. The first one is the issue of the gorse fires. In Donegal there have been 50 separate fires throughout the county. Not far from my own home area of Buncrana a fire has been burning in the hills for the last four days. The fire rescue team attending the fire have had very little sleep. I spoke to one of the members of that team today and he reckons the team have had about four or five hours sleep in the last four days. That is the reality of what they have had to face. They are totally exhausted and demoralised. What is missing here is any kind of strategy at national level to deal with this. Where are helicopters deployed? When are they deployed? That can be of huge assistance to teams on the ground. I ask the Leader to raise this with the Minister of Defence or the Taoiseach, who oversee the emergency co-ordination team, and to get a response for me on their strategy on gorse fires, as they emerge every year.

I endorse the call from Senator Freeman. She is correct, and she is better qualified than anyone in this House to say what the gaps are in terms of mental health. All that she is asking is that she would be present at a meeting with the Taoiseach to discuss those gaps. Pieta House is filling the gaps with the endorsement of people across the State because people and their families see the gaps in their communities. It deserves a meeting with the Taoiseach.

I am asking that No. 35, motion 18 on areas of natural constraints, be taken at the end of the Order of Business without debate because time is of the essence on that matter.

Is the Senator proposing an amendment?

I am proposing an amendment that the motion be taken without debate at the end of the Order of Business.

We will get someone to second it.

It is seconded by Senator Ó Clochartaigh.