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Seanad
‹ Order of Business

Grace report and sports capital grants

Summary

The Leader returned to Senator Devine’s concern about the Grace interim report, saying he too had only learned of it from newspaper reports. The discussion then became an exchange with Senator Humphreys over sports capital grants and representations, before the Leader reiterated that he had not seen the report and would return to it.

Senator Devine raised the issue of the interim Grace report. Like Senator Devine, the first I read about it was this morning-----

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I always thought the sports capital grants were independently assessed. I did not realise different Senators deliver for different counties.

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As the Senator knows quite well, we all receive representations. He received them when he was in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. One gets representations, as he knows, and one does one's best for the people who ask.

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That is not the case when there is an independent assessment.

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That is why there is one. What I am saying-----

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Why is Senator Buttimer saying that particular Senator deliver for different counties?

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Senator Humphreys has misinterpreted what I said.

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Is the Senator saying-----

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What I said was-----

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Senator Buttimer should listen to what he said.

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I was congratulating them on their success. That is what I was saying.

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Denis O'Donovan An Cathaoirleach Fianna Fáil

Senators should speak through the Chair.

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As Senator Humphreys knows quite well, when he was in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, he was not immune from representations, and he was very open to meeting with delegations as a Minister of State. Every Minister is open to meeting delegations. All of us live in and work in communities, and we recognise the importance of the sports capital programme.

I will go back to the interim Grace report. I have not seen the report which the sole member of the commission has, according to the newspaper reports, presented to Minister for Health and the Minister of State, Deputies Simon Harris and Finian McGrath. I am not aware of what the next steps are. However, I accept that it is disappointing to read about it in the newspapers. That should not happen. Information is only leaked by people who give it out, and I would be very confident that the eminent commission chairperson did not leak it. I am sure the Ministers did not do so either, so I am not sure how it got out. This poses another question about leaking, and shows that we should all be very careful of the material we have so that we do not inadvertently give it away to people who should not have access to it. That is important.

Senators Colm Burke, Swanick and Noone raised the issue of minimum unit pricing. We all welcome the decision by the Supreme Court yesterday on minimum unit pricing. In tandem with the North, we should introduce minimum unit pricing. That is the next step. The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 is due back in the coming weeks. I do not have a timetable for it yet, but I will endeavour to facilitate its passage through the House, with its co-operation, prior to Christmas. That is the intent of the Government following Committee Stage.

Senator Colm Burke also referenced the issue of housing. It is important that we have that debate again in the House. In response to a query from Senator Conway-Walsh, I am afraid that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed, is away this week on a trade mission, but I would be very happy to have the issues the Senator discussed debated in the House in the coming weeks. That request will be put to the Minister.

Senator Paddy Burke raised the issue of driverless cars. This is an important issue that, as he said, will become part of our lives. I would be happy to have that debate, and to bring the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross, to the House.

In response to Senator Warfield-----

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