I send my deepest sympathies, and those of the Fianna Fáil Party, to the families of those victims murdered and injured in yesterday's brutal attacks in Manchester. It is hard to fathom the extent of this depravity. Why anyone would attack innocent children at a concert is beyond the realms of belief. The people of Manchester, as we know, are resilient and will not stand for this type of evil attack on their city or children. I would like to send the message that we stand 100% behind them in their fight against terrorism in their city. I also hope this vicious attack by extreme Islamic fundamentalists does not isolate Muslim communities in Manchester, or in our own city, who vehemently condemn these barbaric attacks along with us.

The second issue I wish to raise is the imminent closure, from 1 June, of 11 of the 22 beds at the Linn Dara child and adolescent inpatient mental health service in Cherry Orchard in Ballyfermot. This decision will have a major impact on the already hard-hit mental health services in the greater Dublin area. I, therefore, implore the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Helen McEntee, to reconsider and stop the closure. The closure of the 11 beds is due to a shortage of nursing staff. Over 50% of the nursing posts at the centre are currently vacant. As we know, Ireland is one of the leading importers and exporters of medical professionals, something of which we should be ashamed. This is an extreme but real example of the shambolic recruitment policy followed by the Government in the past six years. Children who have been diagnosed as critically unwell and admitted to hospital and who are at serious risk of harm are being discharged back to their homes where they could be at risk of further harm due to the staff shortages. The solution is placing them in adult facilities which, ultimately, are not appropriate. The closure is completely unacceptable and shows the disrespect and almost contempt the Government has for children with mental health issues. If need be, they can be forced to attend adult psychiatry units which are most inappropriate. I call on the Minister of State to stop the closure.

First and foremost, I am sure everybody in the House wants to offer his or her deepest sympathy following the events in Manchester. The truth is that there is terrorism all around us. In the modern world terrorists can move from country to country. They can operate in cells, lie in hiding and await being called and we saw what happened last night when, apparently, one slight gap in the security system at the Manchester Arena allowed a terrorist to blow himself and 22 other human beings to kingdom come. I have spoken previously in this Chamber about the National Security Committee which consists of six persons, four of whom are secretaries general of Departments, one of whom is the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, while the other is the Garda Commissioner. There is nobody overseeing the committee which does not report to the Oireachtas which needs to have oversight. We do not need to know the minutiae of what it does, but we do need to know that there is oversight and that there are plans in place. The co-operation about which the Taoiseach spoke this morning between the United Kingdom and Ireland is all very well, but the House of Commons and the House of Lords have oversight of the security organisations in the United Kingdom and receive have regular reports which are made available on a website. We do not have that luxury in this country. These are the Houses of the Oireachtas in which the people are represented. When will the Government put a director of national security in place who would report to the Oireachtas and confirm to and reassure it and the people that all of the various State agencies are working in unison? This is a vitally important issue and on a day like today it pains me to bring it up again. One of these days RTE will be reporting on a tragedy. We have had terrorism on this island and those who terrorised it also terrorised the rest of the United Kingdom. Let us not forget the Manchester bombings in the 1980s and the Birmingham bombings. The only way we can be assured that the various State agencies are working to maximum capacity is by having a director of national security to report to the Houses of the Oireachtas. Will the Leader ask the incoming Taoiseach, whoever he may be, to consider the establishment of that post?

I express my sincere condolences and those of the Sinn Féin team in the Seanad to the families of those who lost their lives in the Manchester bombing. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and those who have been injured and traumatised by the atrocity. Manchester is a city that has been home to generations of Irish citizens. It embraces diversity and multiculturalism which are reflected in the many county associations that keep Irish culture alive in the city, which diversity can be seen in the St. Patrick's Day parade.

We stand in solidarity with the people of Manchester, against hatred, division and fear. We unite with Manchester in creating an inclusive and safe society where people live in peace and harmony, embracing each other's differences and celebrating each other's cultures. I commend the people of Manchester who opened their doors last night to people in need and in distress. I commend the emergency services and all those who came to the aid of the people who were caught up in this bombing. May the deceased rest in peace.