There is more than one Daly.

How could we forget Senator Daly?

I will not oppose the Order of Business, but I will outline to Senator Wilson and the House that the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy John Paul Phelan, is travelling on Government business this week. This is a fundamental question for the body politic. While Senator Boyhan spoke about the importance of the Electoral Commission, I am firmly of the view, having been a member, that the role of the local authority is the central role in our system of politics. Senators Wilson and O'Donnell are right. As Senator McFadden said, it is important to place a value on the role of local representatives at local authority level. I do not just mean a monetary value, though that is important, but a real political value. What they do on a daily basis, and on a statutory basis, underpins the importance of what we will see on Friday with the national development plan and the publication, examination and scrutiny of county development plans. The work that they do is important. In this House, we fundamentally agree that what we are all trying to achieve is to have the pay and conditions for councillors that are called for in Senator Wilson's motion accepted by the Government and implemented.

I will not go over the debate around this part of the Order of Business other than to agree that the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Phelan, will come to the House next week. He is not available this week. He will find consensus and agreement within the Fine Gael Party. We have been working with him, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, and the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. I know that the Fine Gael councillors' representative group has met with Deputy Phelan, and last week met with the Minister for Finance and the Tánaiste.

As the Cathaoirleach said in his introduction to my reply, it is fundamentally wrong that someone from the Mizen Peninsula, Castletownbere or Bantry who is a dedicated member of a local authority serving on several boards, such as the education and training board, the strategic policy committee, SPC, or whatever, should be out of pocket for the expenses of travelling to do the duty he or she has been elected to do. Equally, it is wrong for people to have to serve on an interview panel without being facilitated by pay and conditions that constitute fair remuneration. As Senator Ó Domhnaill said, no other person would be put in that position. I believe that as a body politic we must stand up for ourselves.

In the past we did not do so, such as when Fianna Fáil, with Brian Lenihan as Minister, cut expenses and allowances. We must, collectively and irrespective of our political differences and ideology, stand up for each other as professionals. I do not care if we are ridiculed tomorrow by the Fourth Estate because I know, from my time as a member of a local authority, that the role of politicians is both important and fundamental in the context of our democracy. I have been in contact with the office of the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Phelan, who is away this week. If Senator Wilson agrees, I would be happy to have the Minister of State come to the House at a later date.

Senator Reilly raised the issue of female genital mutilation and female circumcision. I chaired the health committee which carried out pre-legislative scrutiny on the Bill in 2012. It is unacceptable. It is not a medical procedure but is mutilation and it should not be accepted in any way.

Hear, hear.

I welcome some of the remarks from the Islamic community on the matter.

Senator Devine raised the issue of Irish charities and I saw the article by Patricia Quinn on thejournal.ie. I would be happy for the Minister to come to the House to discuss charities. We would all agree that there is a need for transparency in the publication of the accounts of charities.

I welcome back Senator Warfield. I fully agree with him about our artists and on the need for welfare that represents a broad-brush approach to them because only a small cadre get payments. I would welcome it being extended and I know that the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Regina Doherty, and the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Madigan, are deeply committed to this. I look forward to having that debate in due course.

Senator Gallagher proposed an amendment to the Order of Business. The Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Heather Humphreys, is not available today but I would be happy for her to come to the House after Private Members' business tomorrow night. The Senator failed to recognise that unemployment in Monaghan is down by 15.3% since this Government came to office, while in Cavan it is down by 16%.

Senator Paul Daly spoke about agriculture and a clean lifestyle, both of which deserve further debate. I would be happy for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, to come to the House to discuss slaughterhouses.

If Senator Wilson accepts that the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Phelan, will come to the House at a later date and if Senator Gallagher accepts that the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation will be here tomorrow night, there should be no votes. However, I will oppose the Senators' amendments if it comes to it.