Will the Leader organise a debate on the national maritime strategy envisaged by the Government?

There has not been much debate about it. We have had an awful lot of debate about the national planning framework in terms of equal distribution across the country. I would particularly like to see an emphasis on the national maritime spatial plan, which is being worked on by the Department. I am particularly interested in hearing about an all-island dimension to this particular spatial strategy that would cover the environment, fisheries, tourism, transport, offshore renewable energy and oil and gas. There is much controversy about oil and gas offshore but we need to address these issues in terms of a particular policy so we know where we are going. Climate change and related impacts are really important parts of this strategy. Our marine heritage and our marine biodiversity and environment are other issues.

I am conscious that this document is well advanced within the Department. There has been very little public discussion of it considering we are an island. I am particularly keen that we have an all-island dimension. What I would suggest is that at some time, the appropriate Minister with responsibility for marine affairs would come to the House for a debate on this really important legislation that will come before the Houses.

I welcome the former Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, who is in the Visitors Gallery, to the House. The Deputy is very welcome. It is good to see him here with a group.

Mar a dúirt an Seanadóir McDowell, beidh an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh ag éirí as a phost mar Sheanadóir i gceann cúpla seachtain. Tá díomá mór orm go bhfuil sé ag fágáil an Tí mar, mar a dúirt an Seanadóir McDowell freisin, fear uasal agus macánta é. Níl sé marbh; tá sé beo fós. Gabhaim mo fhíorbhuíochas leis as ucht an obair a rinne sé. Bhí sé an-chairdiúil le gach duine agus é i mbun a ghnó. Go n-éirí leis sa phost nua i TG4.

I join all Members of the House who have spoken and all who have not. We will probably pay tribute in time to Senator Ó Clochartaigh on his impending departure from the House. As Senator McDowell rightly said, he was a very courageous man but also a very pleasant and courteous man with whom one could do business. He had a different point of view to many of us in the House on many occasions but at all times, he rose above that. I thank him for his service to the people of Connemara and the people he represented in this House but also for his friendly banter. I wish him well in his new position with TG4. I am sure that in time, we will be able to pay tribute to Senator Ó Clochartaigh but he is not dead. He is very much alive. He has a new career ahead of him and I wish him well.

Senator Ardagh began by raising the issue of Safer Internet Day. I would be happy to have a debate on that in the coming weeks. All of us in the House share the Senator's views regarding the issue of a digital strategy around the age of usage of a mobile phone, the appointment of a digital safety commissioner and the age of consent. It is important that as part of Internet Safety Day, the Minister for Education and Skills today announced the allocation of an investment of €30 million in ICT equipment for schools but, significantly, he also launched a very important programme about being in control, which is a resource for schools and parents. The grant will allow for the integration of digital technology in teaching. International research has shown that it is through qualified professional teachers, in addition to the knowledge of parents, that we influence and help shape minds. As Senator Ardagh rightly said, it is about ensuring our children are safe and are kept safe online. We must all address this issue and keep it to the forefront of everything we do.

I also join Senator Ardagh in congratulating An Garda Síochána for Operation Ketch on Monday morning. It sent a very powerful signal and, hopefully, it will lead to arrests. I had better be careful about what I say because I do not want to put anything in the case but it is certainly is an operation we should all support and it is certainly one that I know has international co-operation. I commend An Garda Síochána for that.

Senator Ardagh spoke about the community employment scheme for people over the age of 62. I agree with her that the matter has been raised in the House before. It is important to allow people of an age group to be able to continue to make a contribution and to be involved in this case in community employment in our communities. I would be happy to have that debate.

Senator McDowell raised the issue of the two impending by-elections. They are independent of each other in my opinion too. I am not a learned expert like Senator McDowell but I have read the article and one is an inside and the other is an outside nomination. I look forward to having the by-elections held whenever the writs are moved and the groups have sent their documentation to the appropriate personnel.

I join Senators McDowell, Higgins, Craughwell and Bacik on the issue of the Israeli Prime Minister calling in our ambassador last week. I am very much of the view that we, as Members of a Parliament, the Houses of the Oireachtas in this case, are quite able to do our own business, to have freedom of mind, opinion, thought and how we exercise our democratic decisions here.

Ceart.

An agreement was arrived at between Senator Black and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade regarding the Bill. We were happy to support the adjournment of the Bill to allow for discussion, commentary, back-channel discussion or research to be done. It is important to recognise at the same time that a sovereign leader of an independent country is entitled to his viewpoint and we should never detract from that but we are a sovereign, independent House. We can even take different decisions from Government. I agree with the Senators.

The Israeli ambassador might come in and we will have a word with him.

I was taken aback by the newspaper headlines. I think it says more about the Prime Minister of Israel than it does about us. We will determine our policy.

I will make the point, as I said in the House last week when some people took umbrage, that the issue of lobbying is one that we need a collective discussion on. Lobbying happens every day of the week. Lobbying happens with amendments to Bills, including lobbyists writing amendments to Bills, writing Bills for people, coming in and using the audiovisual room under the guise of different categories of making statements on various issues. There were lobbyists with Senator Gavan last week who spoke about the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill, masquerading around the House here as if they knew everything about certain issues. Lobbying is happening. That is why we have registered lobbying.

There is nothing wrong with it.

There is nothing wrong with it but let us understand that there are various different types of lobbying and let us get real about it. It happens every day of the week. The nature of lobbying is to put forward a viewpoint. I do not agree with Prime Minister Netanyahu's decision last week but he was lobbying, at one level. That is what it is called.