I heartily concur with all of the messages of congratulation the Leader has received on his recent happy occasion and wish him long life and happiness.

I thank the 22 Members of the House for their contributions on the Order of Business and wish them a very happy, prosperous and peaceful new year. I hope we can work collectively to serve the people who elected us to serve and work on behalf of them. I begin by joining with Members of the House who expressed their sympathy to the family on the death of the late Maurice Hayes, a former Senator. He was indeed a most prolific and prodigious Member of the House. We will honour his work and contribution to civic life in this country on another day but I pay tribute to him today. Equally, I join in the words of commendation on the passing of the former Attorney General and European Commissioner, Peter Sutherland. He was a statesman. It is a pity his words and writings were not listened to more carefully. I had the pleasure of meeting him on a number of occasions. He was a most courteous, personable and tremendous person and I extend my sympathies to his family.

Senators Ardagh, Conway-Walsh, Black, Bacik, Conway, Murnane O'Connor and O'Reilly raised the apology made to Joanne Hayes yesterday by An Garda Síochána. As Leader of the House, I join in welcoming the apology by An Garda Síochána and indeed the remarks of the Taoiseach today in Strasbourg where he apologised on behalf of the State. Certainly the Hayes family, which has requested privacy, deserve to have that but equally, the way it was treated by an arm of the State and by the State itself left an awful lot to be desired. Senator Ardagh made reference to Joanne Hayes's age when that event took place. From looking at the media reports of the tribunal of inquiry and the Garda inquiry, the way she was treated was extraordinary. As the Tánaiste said today, the matter of compensation is something the Government will discuss. Senator O'Reilly is correct. This did happen. We should collectively be ashamed of the way she was treated. It was a dark period in our country. If we cast our minds back, and the "Prime Time" programme last night depicted the imagery of that time, and compare it with where we are today, I certainly hope we are a much better, gentler and kinder nation. I certainly think the issue is one that has not and cannot be left.

Equally, a young baby who was killed is in a grave today in Kerry and the Garda investigation is continuing. There is a need for anyone with information about the tragic death of Baby John to come forward. As Leader of the House, I appeal to anybody with information, particularly the family of Baby John, to come forward to the Garda. They will be dealt with compassionately and in a very caring way. The distress caused by that event to those people also needs to be exorcised. Joanne Hayes was the subject of a very prolonged scandal and ordeal that was simply wrong, as the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charles Flanagan, noted and we need to put that right.

Senators Conway-Walsh, Black, Reilly, Colm Burke, Mullen and Ó Clochartaigh raised the issue of health. I agree with all Members of the House that we need more bed capacity.

Why I got exercised at Senator Mullen in particular is that the use of language is important in terms of those who work in, those who administer, those who are ministerial appointments and Members of both Houses of the Oireachtas who are concerned or interested in health. Nobody accepts that there should be anybody on a trolley. Equally, nobody accepts there should be people waiting inordinately for treatment.

For the information of Senator Mullen, I am not being defensive at all. As a patient, as the relative of a patient in a hospital, as somebody who worked in the hospital system and as somebody who chaired a health committee, I know, probably more than most, the workings of the health system. The previous Government and this Government, in particular, have opened more beds for the first time in a decade. Some 227 new beds have been opened. If it was a matter of funding alone, the problems in the health system would have been solved. There has been a 20% increase in funding over the past three years. The highest health budget in the history of the State was published in October 2017. If it was about funding or political accountability, the matter would be solved right now. To resolve the matter requires the collective working, not just of one part but of all parts, of the health systems.

Let me put it in context, as Senator Colm Burke rightly said. This point needs to be re-emphasised. Life expectancy has increased by two and a half years. In our country alone, 63,000 people go through outpatient departments and 23,000 go through accident and emergency departments. There are 16,000 day case procedures, along with inpatient activity. What is our mortality rate? There is increasing staffing and an increasing health budget, and HIQA is doing its job in terms of increasing standards. We are making progress. We are not regressing, in terms of health expenditure. We are actually increasing health expenditure. Whether in terms of primary care under the previous Government or this Government, more primary care units have been opened. The Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, is in the Visitors Gallery about to speak on another matter. This is the Minister who has increased the funding for disability and for social care. One should not come in here and state Government is not doing X or Y.

That is our job.

The Senator's job-----

I asked the Leader about intensive care beds and he has not said one word about it.

Order, please.

I am coming to that. The Minister will shortly be bringing a report to the Cabinet on bed capacity. There have been intensive care beds opened. Senator Mullen is entitled to his opinion-----

I am asking questions that need to be asked.

-----but he is not entitled to cite false information about the health service.

Order, please.

Did I say anything that was false?

The Senator did actually.

Would the Leader give it to us there instead of just defending his party?

Senator Mullen already asked a question.

The problem you have is that you come in with a one-dimensional speech. Look at the overall collective approach to health.

The Leader is not addressing the worries of experts in intensive care.

The Leader should address his response through the Chair - no cross-currents now.

Let me make it quite clear. There is a Government plan on health. There is increased investment. There is an increase in staffing and there is a restoration of pay. What we must do now is commit ourselves further in the face of increased demand to see how we can make the health system deliver more for people, whether it is in the case of investment in increased intensive care beds or whether it is in the case of organ donation, the model of which this Government is changing. Under the previous Government, the health committee that I chaired held hearings on that issue and produced a report. Some Members of this House did not agree with it. There is investment beginning to take place from regression and let us not say there is nothing being done when there is.

Senator Ardagh raised the issue of housing. I would be happy to have the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, come to the House in regard to the issue of housing. Once again, we are seeing progress being made, although I accept it is slow progress. There is progress being made in terms of investment, in terms of the houses being constructed and in terms of Government commitment of prioritising the social housing needs of our people. That is a fact, not an opinion. Multi-annual funding and the highest budget in the history of the State for housing were delivered in the most recent budget. This is fact, not fiction.

I accept progress will be slow but we cannot come out of a crash and start building houses again at the rate we should have been building them. Equally, there is an obligation and duty on the banks, the construction sector and the Government with local authorities to make sure we expedite the building of social housing units.

Senators Boyhan, Burke and O'Reilly raised the issue of agriculture and fodder. I welcome the remarks by the Minister, Deputy Creed, yesterday at the IFA AGM regarding a transport subsidy for farmers affected by the fodder crisis. There will be a debate in the House next week on agriculture and Members can contribute to it.

Senator Boyhan also raised the issue of The Irish Times political digest and the use of windbagging by Members of the House. We could all perhaps be accused of that. I will make the point on a serious level. We can have robust debate and disagreements but it is the prerogative of every Member of the House to come in here and raise a matter of extreme importance on the Order of Business. That is what the Order of Business is about. It is about Members raising matters of importance on behalf of constituents, communities or on their own behalf; it is not about windbagging. It is about being able to come in here and articulate a viewpoint on behalf of citizens and communities. It is important. Senator Boyhan is right. There is an element within the media who are now starting on a very slow race to the bottom while commenting on what we do. I will give the example of the political tracker on the eighth amendment. One can track what one's political representative is saying or doing. That is a very cynical approach to the issue. It is a substantive issue that requires debate. I appeal to members of the media who report in this House. We can have colour pieces but this is about issues being raised by Members.

There was a time when the Order of Business was merely about the order of the day. That is all I want to say.

That would be great.

I would very much like that or whatever the Cathaoirleach wants to implement. I am replying to the 22 Members.

The issue of Syria is a very important one. We will have a debate on foreign affairs next week or the week after. Senator Bacik raised an important matter. I noted her remarks on the gender pay gap and I am happy to have the Minister come to the House on that. The Minister replied in the Dáil today to a parliamentary question on the commission. I noted the Senator's remarks. I will be happy to have that debate in Government time if we can.

Senator Reilly raised the issue of the Army and pensions. The Minister, Deputy Regina Doherty, has committed to that issue in terms of the restoration and the anomaly. Equally, in terms of the new GP contract and the FEMPI measures, the Minister, Deputy Harris, is committed to their reversal.

Senators Horkan, Noone and Paddy Burke raised the issue of recycling our plastics in China. I agree with all of them on the issue. It is a matter that will not go away. It requires urgent action at European and national level. As Senators Horkan and Paddy Burke said, the issue of the sourcing of the product in China is one it is important to get right. As Senator Horkan said, the Minister, Deputy Naughten, has set up a recycling ambassador programme with 650 workshops across the country. The issue of education is important for us as a State because if one looks at the figures for contamination of the dry recyclable bin, it is around 38% or 28%, which is a huge figure. The principle behind the Waste Reduction Bill is one we all subscribe to but I am happy for the Minister to come to the House to have the debate the Senators require.

I join Senator Craughwell in condemning the abuse on social media of any Member of the House whatever his or her viewpoint. We are all subjected to it irrespective of who we are and there must be a certain level of decorum and respect on any forum of debate. I do not support the trolling of Senator Noone by outside of the State groups from Massachusetts who have been advised to intervene in the debate.

Irrespective on one's viewpoint, Senator Noone has shown herself to be a very competent and professional Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, as she has been as a Member of this House having been elected on a number of occasions. No Member of the House should be subjected to the abuse she has received in recent weeks.

Senator Craughwell also raised the very important issue of our national flag. I wish Sergeant Major O'Callaghan well in his retirement. The raising and lowering of the national flag is important. There should be adherence to criteria regarding the standard and quality of the flag on public buildings.

Senators Devine and Noone raised the issue of the digital commissioner. Before Christmas the Taoiseach stated that he was not proceeding with the appointment of the digital commissioner as of now. He called on the technology companies to be more proactive and that is as much as I know. Perhaps Senators Devine and Noone might raise the issue as a Commencement matter to get it addressed.

I join Senator Colm Burke in welcoming the creation of the 48,000 new jobs and the fact that more people are back in work in our country today. Like him, I hope that the recommendations from the Ombudsman's report on the treatment abroad scheme will be implemented. I know it is a serious and complex issue. It goes back to people being able to access treatment. I heard remarks attributed to Mr. John Hennessy of the HSE this morning on the radio. I certainly hope the Department of Health and the HSE take seriously the Ombudsman's report and implement it.

Senator Ó Clochartaigh, who had to leave, made reference to the distressing story of the young child in Carraroe. I do not have the information to hand. Certainly there are protocols that need to be followed. I suggest he raise this as a Commencement matter. I would be happy to have the issue taken back to the Minister and the HSE.

Senator Swanick raised the very important issue of the transformation that took place as a consequence of the sitting of the First Dáil in 1919 and the Declaration of Independence Day Bill. I would be happy to liaise with the Senator afterwards on the progression of the Bill.

Senator Coffey raised the issue of the commission of investigation into Bill Kenneally. I know the Senator has spoken and written to the Minister for Justice and Equality. It is a very serious matter and one on which the victims, who very bravely came forward, deserve to have answers. It is unacceptable to have any delay in justice or any collusion in the obstruction of justice by anybody. In this matter we must support the victims. I know the Senator has been very proactive in this matter. I would be very happy to have the Minister come to the House. I know from talking to the Minister and listening to the Taoiseach's remarks on it, that the Government is committed to uncovering the truth as to what happened.

Senator Murnane O'Connor raised the issue of the data protection Bill. I am not aware of the transcript of the work in the committee, other than what she said today. We have to be very careful and very proactive on the matter. As we all know, increasing numbers of young people are engaging on social media. It is a fact of modern life that social media and the digital world are becoming more prevalent and accessible at a younger age for people. We need to see action on it.

Senator Kieran O'Donnell raised the issue of Limerick. I think I have addressed the issue of bed capacity that he commented on.

Further to what Senator Richmond said, I would be happy for the Minister, Deputy Ross, to come to the House on the provision of public transport in south Dublin. The point he makes in the context of Sandyford is that it is disheartening that people have to go four or five stops away from the city centre to be able to get on the Luas. That is a matter for the Luas management, Dublin City Council and the Minister to come together on. I will have the debate at an early opportunity.

I congratulate Senator Richmond and his wife on the birth of Luke Thomas, who I know has brought them great joy and happiness. I wish him and his new family every success and joy.

I am very pleased the Seanad committee on Brexit has been given an extension to its work thanks to the work of the Seanad Committee on Procedure and Privileges. It is important that Brexit features prominently in this House and I am happy to do that.

Senator Ó Céidigh raised the issue of the work of Fáilte Ireland in the provision of tourism.

I am not familiar with the issue of Mullingar and the staffing levels there, but if he wants to give me the relevant information, I would be happy to put it to the Minister.

I inform the House, mar fhocal scoir, that the Taoiseach will be before the House on 1 February, as we agreed before Christmas, and I look forward to the engagement with him. I thank Members for their words of commendation on my recent marriage. Married life so far has been pretty good. I wish all Members a very prosperous and peaceful new year. I hope we can work together, irrespective of our political viewpoints, on behalf of the people who put us here, the citizens, in getting legislation passed. To those Members who are not Government Members I say that this does not mean voting against the Government all the time; it means they can come over and join with us sometimes. I wish all Senators and their families a very peaceful and prosperous new year. I also wish our staff who work in the House well.

I would like to be associated with the Leader's tribute to the three great Irishmen who passed on to their eternal reward recently, namely, Dr. Maurice Hayes, Peter Sutherland and former Deputy Paddy Harte. Paddy Harte was a Member of the Dáil from 1961 until 1997. He served from the Seventeenth Dáil through to the Twenty-seventh Dáil. Peter Sutherland was one of the great Irishmen of his time and an international statesman. I was a Member of the Seanad with Maurice Hayes from 1997 until 2007. We stayed in the same house in Dublin and often had breakfast and tea together. The Leader will arrange that we will pay tributes on another day.

I will.