I want to raise an issue that springs from a special joint committee meeting we held this morning, involving three committees, the Joint Committee on Health, the Joint Committee on Education and Skills and the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection. It was really impressive and I pay tribute to Senator John Dolan, who I believe initiated the meeting to talk about how we deal with disability and transitioning people from education to employment in a unified way, rather than in a siloed way. I will give a couple of the statistics that came from the meeting. The first one will really shock us. We were talking about the good unemployment figures yesterday, and rightly so, but 71% of adults of working age with a disability are out of work. It is absolutely staggering. In addition, 26.3% of adults with a disability live in consistent poverty. The figures are from the Disability Federation of Ireland and are absolutely stark. They tell us that we have completely failed when it comes to disability and policies of inclusion, and I say this in a non-party political way.

Inclusion Ireland makes a point which gets to the heart of the matter. They ask why we are spending so much money on putting young people with disabilities through an education system which does not see them as adults progressing into further education, training or employment, but as objects of charity to transition into our health and social services systems.

This is a damning indictment of successive Governments' failure to address the matter and I am calling for a debate on it. There are people from all parties with important things to say on this, which is clear from the joint committee's meeting earlier. The idea of using a unified committee system has much merit. I pay tribute to Senator Dolan on this.

I am also raising a matter which is more delicate but which I must put it out there. It relates to the eighth amendment and the campaign for its repeal. I am fully respectful of people of different opinions. If their opinion is against repeal of the eighth amendment, we must listen to and respect that. I ask for respect for people such as myself who support repeal. Where I struggle is with the people who are hiding on this issue. As public representatives, all of us have a duty to indicate where we stand. The Fine Gael organisation in Limerick has gone into hiding on this issue. It is being openly discussed among the Together for Yes campaign in Limerick. If one is for or against, that is fine, but this is not a personal matter, it is matter of public health policy. As public representatives, we all have to say where we stand. I want to be very direct on this. I see my colleague, Senator Kieran O'Donnell, in the House. I ask him, on behalf of the people, particularly the women, of Limerick, to tell us where he stands on this issue. We will respect what he says but he should tell us where he stands.

I ask the Cathaoirleach for the indulgence of the House for an amendment to the Order of Business to take No. 12 before No. 1.

I want to speak on two things. The House will debate the matter of cervical screening later. Vicky Phelan is a neighbour of mine. I know her well. Tony O'Brien, head of the HSE, stated yesterday that what is happening is a personal blow. For me, a personal blow must come with personal responsibility. It is extraordinary that someone who heads up an organisation of this size is not taking responsibility in respect of this matter.

The Senator should be careful.

I know. I am passing a general comment.

There will be a debate later, as the Senator knows.

It is akin to the manager of a soccer team whose players do not perform saying that it is a personal blow to him that they did not perform but that he has no responsibility for their performance on the playing field. This is a scandal of an unimaginable magnitude for the women involved, brave women such as Vicky Phelan. Earlier, someone wondered whether this matter would be in the public domain if Vicky Phelan had not come forward. The likelihood is that it would not. I have not spoken publicly on this but, in life, people come along who make an indelible impression on one at a personal level. Vicky is one of those people.

I welcome the catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, report which is being launched in Athlone. I am delighted that the Taoiseach and the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, have reaffirmed that €57.4 million will go to Limerick. That is €56 million for Limerick city and environs, including St. Mary's Park, with which people will be familiar, and areas such as Corbally, Anacotty, Mount Shannon Road, the Mill Road, and other places in the city centre. There is an additional €720,000 for the village of Castleconnell, which has experienced repeated flooding. I welcome the funding for the county. Rathkeel was allocated €300,000 and Athea €380,000. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Boxer Moran. I brought him down to visit on 1 December last and he saw the devastation caused by the flooding at first hand. I am grateful for this funding of €57.4 million for Limerick city and environs and further funds for the county, including Castleconnell.