The Order of Business is No. 1, motion of referral of Sectoral Employment Order (Mechanical Engineering Building Services Contracting Sector) 2018 to the Joint Committee on Business, Enterprise and Innovation, to be taken without debate at the conclusion of the Order of Business; and No. 2, statements on foreign affairs, to be taken at 4.45 p.m. and adjourned not later than 6 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the contributions of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes each and those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes each; and No. 3, Private Members' business, Education (Welfare) (Amendment) Bill 2017 - Second Stage, to be taken at 6 p.m., with the time allocated for the debate not to exceed two hours. As the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney, will be unavoidably absent this evening, the Minister of State, Deputy Ciarán Cannon, will take the statements on foreign affairs. The Tánaiste has been unavoidably detained and apologises to the House, as I do.

This is Safer Internet Day, an EU-wide initiative to promote safer use of the Internet for all, especially young people. The theme of Safer Internet Day 2018 is "Create, connect and share respect: a better Internet starts with you". Not only do Internet platforms have a role in cultivating a safer space for users, but as individuals, politicians, teachers and parents, we have a role to play in raising awareness of the need for safety when using the Internet.

It is a great campaign and encourages all of us to highlight the motto in an effort to create awareness and safety online, especially for our young people. It will not be a panacea but, in conjunction with other prongs, like the immediate appointment of a digital safety commissioner, confirmation of a digital age of consent and possible legislation on age limits for the use of smartphones, I believe we can continue to ensure that our young people use the Internet smartly and safely.

Moving on to the more sinister side of the Internet, I congratulate An Garda Síochána on its diligent work on Operation Ketch. To date, 31 homes have been raided as part of an operation to crack down on child pornography and the raids have been carried out across 12 counties. I hope that with the correct resources the Garda will be able to successfully prosecute many of these awful crimes and, in turn, these successful prosecutions will act as a serious deterrent for other perpetrators. These, as we know, are not victimless crimes.

The third item I would like to raise is the community employment service for people aged 62 and over. A review scheme was promised to be delivered this autumn on the support stream for participants aged 62 and over but the findings have yet to be published. The scheme enables 7% of participants aged 62 years and over on each scheme to remain on the CE schemes up to the qualifying age for the State pension, provided the eligibility conditions were met and the numbers on the scheme have not been exceeded. I call on the relevant Minister to let us know when the review will be completed and when its findings will be published.

I thank the Senator and call Senator McDowell.

I dtús báire, ba mhaith liom cúpla focal a rá i dtaobh ár gcomhghleacaí, an Seanadóir Trevor Ó Clochartaigh. Tá sé sa nuachtáin go bhfuil sé ar intinn aige éirí as oifig mar Sheanadóir. Go pearsanta, ba mhaith liom a rá gur duine gealgháireach, macánta agus cairdiúil é agus guím dea-ghuí air ina phost nua i TG4. Tá aiféala orm go bhfuil sé chun éirí as oifig sa Teach seo.

The second point I want to make is as follows. We read in the newspapers last week that the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, had summoned the Irish ambassador to protest to her about the legislation which this House was debating at that stage, and which is still under debate in this House. I just thought it was appropriate that this House should make it very clear that we decide in this House what we debate and how we vote. We do not succumb to lobbying from outside as to what we say, do or think, or do with our votes or with our mandates in this House.

Do they not?

There are places in the world where particular interest groups, and particular national interest groups, have immense clout and where people are afraid to speak their minds on issues. In this House I would consider it not merely our right but our duty to consider legislation, and to give it a fair debate, without interference by the representative of any sovereign power. I say that without any malice or ill will whatsoever towards Israel whose existence I support, and I support a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli issue. I also support Resolution 242 of the UN in terms of the extent of Israel and the extent of the occupied territories.

I want to put on the record my strongest possible objection that the leader of any country of any kind, be it democratic or undemocratic, would consider it his right to summon the Irish ambassador to rebuke, through the Irish ambassador and through the Irish Government, this House for what it is doing, and to suggest that we should alter course at his insistence.

We are a free, sovereign, neutral, non-aligned State. It is wrong in principle for the leader of any other sovereign state to seek to influence our debate by curtailing it or protesting about it. We in this House are intelligent women and men who have our own judgments on these matters. Whether we are in favour of or opposed to the Bill in question - and I personally support its progress to Second Stage - I deeply deprecate the idea that the leader of a foreign state should try to influence our proceedings.

The last thing I will say is that some Members might be interested in a particular provision in law.

Members are always interested in law.

Section 58 of the Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act 1947 provides that where two or more vacancies occur and the Minister is notified of them, two entirely separate elections must take place to fill the vacancies.

I thank the Senator for that enlightenment but I do not believe there are two vacancies just yet.

Not yet.

The issue I want to raise today is the progression and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Taoiseach was in this House last week. I was delighted that he mentioned that the convention would be ratified by March and that there would be resolutions in both Houses in that regard. I thank the Taoiseach for that. The Taoiseach - the leader of our country - must ensure that the implementation of this convention is driven. It is a matter for every Department, but it needs a ward boss. It needs the leader of the State to make sure that its implementation is co-ordinated, efficient and effective and that we do not have the age-old problem of one part of Government not knowing what another part is doing. That is the key to really clocking on with this.

The Taoiseach made a statement on the future of Europe in the European Parliament a week or two before his visit to this House. He underlined the historic and hopeful context of its creation after the Second World War. He set out the issues and grave challenges of today as well as the importance of the EU to Ireland and of Ireland's commitment to the EU. These are very significant statements. He referred to the Balkans and central and eastern Europe. He mentioned the role of the EU in supporting these areas and the importance of the Structural Funds specifically. He also mentioned the great African continent and the support which it needs in this century.

As we ratify, let us not forget to have solidarity with and to support these states and other eastern states such as Moldova that are on the edge of Russia. We should not forget what I will describe as the concerns that Russia has about the states which border it and their interest in being part of the European democratic movement. Let us keep what I will describe as our missionary instinct in our international concern. Perhaps "missionary" is an awkward word these days. As we plough on with the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, let us be awake to the people with disabilities in these states and their families.

We are committed to the implementation of the sustainable development goals in respect of economic, environmental and social issues across the world. That feeds into this agenda as well. Ireland can get out and in front in respect of implementation of the convention for more than 600,000 people here and it can also be a shining light for people with disabilities and their families who are in much more unfortunate situations than we are. I am often regarded as someone who is always giving out that not enough is done here, but I will put the following on the record.

I have been to other places and know what people experience daily. I know that we have good ground from which to work and on which to continue in that vein.

I raise an issue about the schedule for this week. Last week when he came to the House, the Taoiseach boasted about how efficient the Government was in publishing legislation. He said we should have sight of a Bill at least two weeks before it was debated and that we should not accept a lower standard. The Data Protection Bill will be debated on Thursday less than one week after it was published. As per the high standards set by the Taoiseach, I ask that more time be given to consider the Bill, the consequences of which are deep and will be felt far and wide. As a consequence, we need more time to examine it. Will the Leader consider giving us more time to examine it in a meaningful way?

Thousands of patients in chronic pain found have out in recent months that the Versatis patch is no longer available to them under the medical card or the drug refund scheme. The decision by the HSE to withdraw the pain-killing patch is having a huge effect on chronic pain sufferers. It means that a person who has money does not suffer pain, whereas the person who does not have it must use morphine patches, consider taking a drug that is not effective or remain in pain. Patient-centred health care must include empathy and respect. One man who is only off the patch for one week has seen a significant reduction in his quality of life. Many users of the patch have been through serious illnesses and medical procedures. Will those who no longer have access to the patch have to go back to pain management clinics? Last week I referred to the confusion surrounding waiting list times at the pain management clinic in University Hospital Galway. This is an example of the HSE attempting to save money, but it may end up clogging up services that are already under pressure. I know of another patient in her early 30s who cannot move and is absolutely dependent on the patch. She has been waiting since July 2016 for an appointment to attend the pain management clinic in Galway, but has been told that she will have to wait at least another 15 months. On behalf of those patients who are receiving other similar long-term products from the HSE, I ask that they not be treated in such a disgraceful manner. We need to have a full debate in the House on the patch and its impact on those in chronic pain. The Leader might say the HSE is responsible, but the Minister for Health needs to intervene on humanitarian grounds. There are thousands of such patients throughout the country who are in chronic pain caused by arthritis and other conditions.

I congratulate our colleague, Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, on his new position with TG4. As he will be with us for another month, it is a little premature to pay tribute to him. It has been a pleasure to work with him in recent months, in particular, as a member of the Technical Group. On my own behalf and that of my Labour Party colleagues, I thank him for working with us and look forward to continuing to work with him in the next few weeks.

I agree with Senator Michael McDowell on the report on the Israeli Prime Minister which I, too, was concerned to see. I thought it was an important debate last week and was delighted to take part in it. I commend Senators Frances Black and David Norris and their colleagues for proposing the Bill and the way in which the debate was conducted. It was sensible to withdraw the Bill in order to engage in further consultation on it.

I thank the Leader for continuing today the debate on foreign affairs which we had to postpone from last week. I am sorry to hear that the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney, will not be present, but I look forward to participating in the debate. I thank all those who attended the screening of "Syria - The Impossible Revolution" which I was happy to host earlier today. The film which is supported by the Irish Syria Solidarity Movement was made by Ms Anne Daly and Mr. Ronan Tynan. It is a powerful documentary about the origins of the Syrian revolution and the terrible tragedies that have befallen the Syrian people in recent years.

For anyone who would like to see it, I will be sending a link.

Finally, I wish to note that today marks an important anniversary. It is the 100th anniversary of the passage of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which gave women the right to vote, albeit a somewhat limited right to vote. For the first time, it allowed women over 30 to vote in Ireland and Britain. It paved the way for the 1918 general election in which Constance Markievicz was elected as the first woman Member of Parliament and Teachta Dála. Today, we remember all of the many women and men who campaigned on women's suffrage over many years, including women like Isabella Tod, the Haslams, Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington and, of course, Constance Markievicz.

I am delighted to be chairing the Vótáil 100 programme and to be wearing the badge. The Taoiseach is wearing the same badge in the other Chamber today. The badge is a replica of the Irish Women’s Franchise League badge and all Members of the Oireachtas have received one to mark this important centenary. Over 2018 we will have many different events. Our committee is made up of Deputies and Senators on a cross-party basis. Senators Conway-Walsh, Higgins and McFadden are committee members from this House. We will have a series of events in the Seanad Chamber in particular. It is very much a Seanad-led series of events. I thank the Leader for agreeing to have a debate on the centenary in the House on the week of International Women's Day. There will be a debate in the Dáil this evening at 6 p.m. on the anniversary on the Representation of the People Act. We look forward to welcoming young people into the Chamber from transition year on 17 April for the Díospóireacht na nÓg public speaking competition to mark the centenary. We look forward to many other events over the year as well. I thank colleagues for their support. I wish to mark how much has been done 100 years on but how much still remains to be done too, with women comprising only 22% of the Dáil and only 30% of the Seanad.

I wish to raise an issue relating to an article in the Sunday Business Post over the weekend by Susan Mitchell about the over-prescribing and the major increase in the past ten years in the use of certain drugs. The number of people using one drug, Lyrica, has gone up from 54,981 to 652,013. That is more than a 1,086% increase. Use of another drug, OxyContin, an opiate, has gone up from 47,262 to 122,000. That is a 159% increase. Use of Lexapro has gone up by 232% from 198,000 to 631,000 people.

It seems there has been an extraordinary increase in the prescribing of drugs across the board during the past ten years. This raises serious issues. Is it causing, and will it cause, problems in our health care service? What can we do to work with our general practitioners and medical care professionals in order that people are aware of the consequences of over-use of drugs and medication? That is something we need to have a serious debate on. It is a costly issue.

Tomorrow, the Joint Committee on Health will deal with a report on the availability of orphan drugs. As people are aware, orphan drugs are extremely expensive because they are used only by a small group of people. Here, many drugs are being used up at an extraordinary cost to the State. Simultaneously, we cannot afford to buy drugs for people who really need them. I am not saying that people who are using these drugs do not require them, but there must be a question mark over the extent of the usage and of the prescribing. The matter is worthy of a debate on what is the best way forward to deal with this issue from a health care point of view. It would be appropriate for the Minister to come before the House to discuss the matter. I appeal to the Leader to give serious consideration to my request.

Today I would like to raise the issue of waiting lists for eye care. At the end of last year, 2017, some 40,000 people were on outpatient lists for eye care procedures. That figure was up from 38,823 in 2016. More than 20% of cases on the waiting list relate to cataract surgery appointments. In some cases people are waiting up to four years in different parts of the country to have this addressed. I imagine Senators will agree that this is both cruel and heartless and that something needs to be done about it.

I would like to commend and compliment the people in Sligo on the initiative they have undertaken. It is something we could roll out throughout the country. There was a joint approach by the public and private sectors to try to address the issue of waiting lists. It is called the Sligo post-cataract scheme. It is a joint venture between the ophthalmologist in the community and the ophthalmologist in the hospital setting. It has been very successful and has treated up to 20,000 people a year in the north-west region. We can learn from it and it is something we should roll out throughout the country, as I said.

Not only is it a good idea, it also saves the taxpayer money. It is estimated that €32 million a year can be saved, as well as a 50% reduction in the number of people waiting for appointments and the time involved. It has proven to be very successful at getting people off waiting lists. I would be surprised if the Minister for Health is not already aware of this system, but I ask the Leader to bring it to his to attention so it can be rolled out throughout the country and people will not have to wait years for cataract operation and will instead be dealt with in a much speedier fashion.

I would like to offer my sympathy to a fellow Chicagoan, the great actor John Mahoney, who has passed away. He played the character of Martin Crane in "Frasier". I knew him pretty well. He was a great lover of Ireland and performed many times in the Galway arts festival over the years. I wish to extend my sympathies to his family. In 2014 he said the two places he loved most in the world were Chicago and Galway. I concur with that. May he rest in peace.

I note that a committee will today consider a petition for the removal of a statue of Prince Albert from Leinster House.

Never.

I have walked by the statue many times and had not realised it was Prince Albert. I do not know much about him, but we have to be very careful about rewriting history. The statue of Prince Albert was put there at a time when we had an all-Ireland parliament. There is a statue of Henry Grattan in Westminster. If we change the status quo, we will remove something of a history with which we are not comfortable. People may want to remove history from Westminster with which they are not comfortable. Maybe we should reflect on the fact that we cannot rewrite history. There would be a cost involved and the statue has done no harm to anybody for the past 70 years.

We could sell it.

At a cost to our own traditions. We should respect our own history.

Victoria went to Australia.

Henry Grattan was a great patriot and his statue is in Westminster. I am very proud of that

He should be reunited with Victoria in Australia.

Senator Leyden, you are out of order. You should know better.

He should be with all the German nationalists who swore allegiance to the Kaiser in their proclamation of 1916.

Senator Norris, you are not on stage yet.

I feel very proud when I see a statue of Henry Grattan when I go to Westminster, as do other Irish politicians. There is a major Irish caucus in Westminster and it is very proud of the statute. He was a patriot and opposed the Act of Union in 1800. He was of Grattan's Parliament. If one starts removing statues that are a part of our history, which we may not like, it is the wrong way to go.

The moving statues are here again.

I want to congratulate Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh and send our best wishes and love to him on his new adventure. I will miss him.

I wish to amend the Order of Business today to include No. 63, motion 12, on the Order Paper, a motion which is to be taken without debate. I accept that the Minister has tried to address this issue but his suggestions have not gone far enough.

I hope I get the support of my colleagues in the Seanad and perhaps of Fine Gael also. The parents, who are the experts, need to be at the table to steer national policy on children with complex medical needs. I cannot believe they are not there already, or the degree to which they have to fight to get there. They are the experts, as I said. What do they have to do to have their voices heard?