I thank the 25 Members for their contributions on the Order of Business.

I will begin with Senator Ardagh and the important point she raised regarding apprenticeships. I wish to remind Senator Ardagh that Government has again announced a further €8 million investment in apprenticeships creating an increase of 2,300 places. Government aims to double the number of apprenticeships by 9,000 by 2020. We will see 13 different trades benefit from the apprenticeship recruitment. I remind Senator Ardagh that under her Government's watch and during the recession-----

That was ten years ago but we still hear about it every day. Move on.

We have a long day and we are running out of time.

I remind Senator Clifford-Lee that we are still putting the pieces together from the country that her party wrecked. Apprenticeships fell by-----

Brian Lenihan left Fine Gael a very good plan.

Does Senator Clifford-Lee want to do the Order of Business?

I would love to be roped in by Fine Gael.

We do not need a party political broadcast.

I had to listen to all Members giving their particular broadcasts for an hour, so I am going to reply with my particular broadcast.

Allow the Leader to respond.

Apprenticeships fell by 80% but Government is committed to increasing the trend in this area of training and education. Of course we should remember the role Fianna Fáil played in regard to FÁS as well. Then again, Senator Clifford-Lee might get into hysterics again.

Government is about strong pathways for education and training. Government is cognisant of the scar that the training and education sectors felt during the recession. That is why we have seen an increase of 25% in the number of people choosing apprenticeships, and that is welcome.

I have said it in the House before and I will say it again: we should not simply always be about third level education. While postgraduates and graduates in third level are important, we should ensure that we have a strong group of people who are involved in further education and training as well. As I said before, I commend Senator Wilson on the role he plays in that regard. Let us be assured that Government is committed to a quality apprenticeship scheme.

Senator Ardagh also made reference to the issue around the construction sector. Today the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and the Minister of State, Deputy English, are hosting the third housing summit with chief executives of local authorities in Ireland. Government is committed to expanding and increasing all forms of social housing delivery and all delivery of housing. That is why we have seen strong growth in employment in the construction sector. I call on Senator Ardagh to cast her mind back to the national economic dialogue forum last week. We saw figures coming from independent sources indicating strong growth in the construction sector. The indicators are that the housing sector is beginning to grow again and we welcome that.

Senators Boyhan, McDowell, Craughwell, Bacik, Humphreys, Norris, Marie-Louise O'Donnell, Clifford-Lee and Mullen raised the issue of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill. Subject to the vote, the debate will take place later on. I am confident, as is the Government, that there has been well-informed debate on the matter. I am not accepting the proposed amendment to the Order of Business. I am not going to get into a political war of words with Members this afternoon other than to say that I will not accept the proposed amendment to the Order of Business. Government does not support the amendment. We are confident that what Government is proposing is the correct course of action notwithstanding the differing viewpoints around the Bill and the views expressed on the GRECO report. We have had a well-documented debate on the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill for over 12 months. We had a good Second Stage debate. We have discussed it on the Order of Business on numerous occasions.

We did not even know what the amendments were.

I am not going to get into a war of words with Senator Humphreys.

It is a fact. We did not know what the amendments were.

The clear water that Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell is relishing and seeking will be fully transparent in the debate on Committee Stage.

I am not relishing it today.

Like Senator Conway-Walsh, I congratulate all involved in harvesting of seaweed. I will commit to giving the debate in due course.

I will accept Senator Kelleher's important Bill and I commend her on her work on the issue. In particular, I commend her on her contribution this morning on "Morning Ireland". It was a particularly clear and cogent point. I will accept the amendment.

Senator Butler raised the important issue of sex offenders. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, has published draft legislative proposals on the issue of supervision of convicted sex offenders. I have listened to the comments of Senator Butler. I am not familiar with the case he has mentioned. A proposal is being put forward by the Minister, Deputy Flanagan, around the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill, which will have a variety of issues tackled in terms of notification and requirements of communication. We will have that debate in due course.

Senator Horkan raised the issue of the confidence and supply, as did Senator Ó Ríordáin. The most important thing that can happen now is that Government, in association with all of us, gets on with governing the country. To be fair to Senator Horkan, he has always demonstrated a willingness to work in this House, unlike his party leader. I think the sun must have gotten to him last weekend. A period of calmness until the summer recess would be best and a most prudent course of action. Then we can have the debate around confidence and supply. As others have said, we have important work to do in terms of getting the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill passed in the House and getting a third budget passed. There is a mechanism whereby Deputy Micheál Martin can pick up the telephone and speak to the Taoiseach. To be fair to leaders in this House, we have a two-way process whereby we can talk to one another, and we can do that.

We will have to wait until the Taoiseach comes back from the U2 concert in New York.

There must be a good deal of heatstroke on the far side of the House this afternoon. The Senators are much exercised this afternoon. They must really want an election.

We are ready.

I am sure Senator Clifford-Lee is ready.

It is in our hands.

This is a Fine Gael gimmick now.

Calm down, everyone.

I am absolutely independent in the Chair and I try to display that.

You do it well, a Chathaoirligh.

I wish to join with Senator Byrne in congratulating the organisers of Limerick Pride next weekend. I wish them well. I share with her the concerns she has raised regarding the condition of University Hospital Limerick notwithstanding the investment by Government. Senator Byrne is right to raise the issue around the air conditioning, in particular. It should not be broken in a hospital. The other point she makes relates to how the number of people who are being treated has grown exponentially.

Senator Devine raised several issues around BusConnects.

I know that the National Transport Authority, NTA, has committed to engaging with all householders affected by the proposed route. We all welcome investment in public transport, whether it is in buses, bus corridors, cycle lanes or increased footpath accessibility for pedestrians. We all want to see a reduction in carbon emissions. Dublin Bus was mentioned. The Government has committed almost €1 billion to a new network for Dublin Bus which includes new bus fleets. We will have that debate in due course, and there is a public engagement process that should be engaged in. I join with the speaker and Senator Feighan in commending all involved in the safe relocation of the young people in Thailand. It was a great story to hear yesterday, and made for even better imagery on our televisions of them being safe and well. A way must be found to bring them out now, and I hope that will be a success. It is a good news story, and I join with previous speakers on that.

Could we push the public consultation out, away from the holiday period?

That is not a matter for me, it is a matter for Dublin Bus, the NTA and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. I am sure we can articulate that viewpoint.

The Minister is busy.

He is engaged with judicial appointments.

I commend Senator Ruane for her briefing today, and I apologise that I was not able to get to it. I think it is an important piece of work that she is undertaking. I also think that Deputy Catherine Byrne is a very proactive Minister of State at the Department, as was Senator Ó Ríordáin. We need to see the old concepts and precepts change and be challenged, and I commend the Senator for the work she is doing in that regard.

Senator Hopkins raised the issue of mental health in Roscommon, particularly in reference to the Rosalie unit and St. Joseph's Mental Health Day Centre in Ballaghderreen. I know she has raised the matter with the HSE. I think it is important that those who need specialist residential care should be able to access the appropriate service for them. Equally, it is important that centres should not be closing. They should be resourced and staffed. We had a very significant week last week in mental health with the passing of the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2016 sponsored by Senator Joan Freeman and Deputy James Browne. It is important that confidence in the system is built in the case of Roscommon. I know that Senator Hopkins has been questioning the HSE at length in regard to it. As a matter of expediency, she might get that more quickly through a Commencement matter.

Senator Murnane O'Connor raised the issue of anti-social behaviour. I am not sure that it is caused by the heat. I think it is partly due to some young people being off school and being available all day. The important point that was made is that there are tools available to An Garda Síochána in regard to the matter. I think it is important that people accept personal responsibility and that families accept that they have a duty of care to their own loved ones and to the wider community. The issue the Senator raises is one we need to have a further debate on, because it is not peculiar to Carlow. There are also people affected in many parts of the country and I would be happy to have that debate.

Senator Marie-Louise O'Donnell raised the issue of An Post. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Denis Naughten, has appeared in the House, and the Senator had a number of amendments to the Order of Business last week. We are awaiting the publication of the report she mentioned, but I think the point she makes in regard to An Post is a very important one. I concur with her. I have stated publicly here that An Post is very important and central to rural Ireland and small rural villages, but also to urban life. If we do not use our post offices, we cannot expect them to continue. We need to have competition within the banking system, but we do require pillar banks as well. I would be happy to have that debate again in the coming weeks.

Senator Feighan raised the issue of Unite and its vote on Brexit. I welcome that decision. I think as the issue of Brexit looms, it is becoming quite clear that the British Government does not have any plan B. It does not have a vision of where it wants to go. I think it is important, and I want to wish the Tánaiste well tonight in London as he travels for talks.

Senator Warfield raised the issue of hate crime legislation. I join with him in utterly condemning the attacks last weekend in Dublin and Portlaoise. It is unacceptable that we have seen an increase in any type of hate crime or backlash against diversity. We have a number of measures in place by which people can be sanctioned. However, I accept that we do need to increase our hate crime legislation. It needs to be strengthened. Any increase in hate crime incidents is a worry and must be condemned. I accept fully that the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, and his predecessor, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, had plans to update and strengthen hate crime legislation. There is the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989, and criminal laws concerning assault and criminal damage, but I think the point the Senator makes is that we need to see hate crime legislated for. I hope that we will have that during the lifetime of this Oireachtas.

I congratulate all involved in Dublin Pride at the weekend. I welcome the increase in the number of participants. Unfortunately I could not be there, but again I welcome the numbers participating.

Senator Burke raised the issue of psychiatric services in the north side of Cork city. I do not have the information that he requires to hand, but I think that he might get a faster reply through a Commencement matter.

Senator Gallagher raised the issue of waiting times. The Government has increased funding to the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF. He raised the issue of the cross-Border healthcare directive. That is an important piece of work that we can see is of benefit to all of us. There is a benefit in having a North-South dimension to our health system. I would be happy for the Minister to come before the house.

Senator Mullen raised the issue of the water shortages. I think it highlights the folly of the approach of some in opposing Irish Water and and investment in fixing a broken system. Water meters may not be the answer but they will find the source of a leak, and that is part of our problem. Communication is important. I am surprised that the Senator commented on Irish Water. I think the company was very proactive both in our national media and on social media, but I will be happy to take the point the Senator makes on board.

Senator Ó Ríordáin referred to Deputy Michael Lowry. Deputy Lowry is an Independent Member of Dáil Éireann. He is not a member of the Government. He did not vote for the Taoiseach in his election. He has voted against the Government as often as he has voted with it.

He is a spare wheel rather than a wheel under the car.

The Senator made reference to a number of topics pertaining to child poverty including housing and water. I do not think one can gauge the importance of an issue like child poverty in housing or water by the number of words in a programme for Government. Senator Ó Ríordáin was part of a Government that had many different parts in its programme of Government. It attached different priorities to different things, and the priority was not weighted by wording.

Sorry, I need to clarify. The Leader has not answered my question. I asked him about the relationship between Deputy Michael Lowry and this Government. He has not answered the question.

That is a Dáil matter. He has answered the question. If there is a voting arrangement, that is a matter for the other House, not for this one.

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh.

I think he has been very fair.

Senator Ó Domhnaill raised the very important issue of foreign direct investment, and the need to have joined-up thinking. I would be happy to have the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Heather Humphreys, come before the House. It is an important issue, not only because of Brexit, but also because of the emerging trade wars taking place in many parts of the world, instigated in the main by US President Donald Trump. I think the point the Senator makes is a valid one.

I will not be accepting the amendment of the Order of Business.