I welcome Senator Wilson's clarification of his intention. I hope he remains in this House. To have one Member of the Opposition running against another for the position of President would be unbelievable. The Senator would make a wonderful President. I had the honour of studying with him and I know he is a man of high values and morals. I hope he will one day run for the Áras.

I thank the 20 Members of the House who contributed on the Order of Business. I am not sure if it is the hot weather or the impending summer recess, certainly the octane level has reached a new high.

I join Senator Ardagh in expressing my disappointment, as I did last week, on the energy price increase. Of course, we have an independent regulator. As the Senator will realise, the Government extended the fuel allowance, which can be paid in two lump sums. It is worth recognising that the price hike is due in part to wholesale energy costs. Car users will have noticed that the cost of petrol and diesel has also increased. People who have a legitimate issue paying for fuel should in the first instance talk to the Department about the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which allows them to avail of money for heating. It is a supplement that can be paid to a person who lives alone. We should make people aware of it because the points Senator Ardagh raised are valid and should not be dismissed. Equally we should ask people to engage with the community welfare service.

The Senator made a point about the transition from State payment to work, on which we have done a lot of work. People with an issue have an avenue available to them. We need to inform and educate people on it. The transition from being out of work to being back at work can be difficult for people and I concur with the Senator on that.

Senators Craughwell, Bacik, Norris, Ó Domhnaill, Humphreys, Devine and Wilson made reference to the debate on the judicial appointments Bill. The Government's position has not changed. I have proposed the Order of Business and I do not intend to accept Senator Bacik's amendment. I understand where she is coming from. I know Senator Craughwell has left. The use of language is also important. We are Members of the Upper House and I will not use derogatory words, like Senator Craughwell. We are all here to debate an issue. We can debate its rights and wrongs, its merits and demerits. The Minister for Justice and Equality has brought a Bill to the House. He has made amendments to the Bill and if the Bill needs further amending, I am sure he is open to engaging with Members. Regarding the tenor of what is being said, Senator Ó Domhnaill put it very well. The Bill is about increasing judicial independence through reforming and transforming how judges are appointed. It is about transparency.

It is just about the person.

It is not.

It is.

It is not.

Of course it is.

It behoves the father of the House to debate the matter in a manner that befits the Bill, based on the information about the Bill not on a personality.

It is limited information because the Government is considerably limited.

It should not be on the personality issue. The Bill has been amended as it has gone along. If there are other changes to be made, then let us make them but let us not do so in a manner that is about a particular Minister or person. Let us have the debate about the issues relating to and aspects of the Bill. We will have that debate, subject to the result of the vote on the Order of Business.

A vote will resolve the issue one way or another.

That will resolve it. I am not accepting the amendment.

Senator Conway-Walsh raised the issue of the Versatis and Anne-Marie's story, which she told, is disturbing. The Minister for Health and the HSE have been before the Joint Committee on Health. Clarity is needed. It might be best for Senator Conway-Walsh to table a Commencement matter. The issue she raises is important.

Senators Conway, Lombard, O'Reilly and Humphreys raised the issue of water. I cannot summon Irish Water to the House. Senator Conway made a very good point, however, in that Irish Water did run a clinic in the previous Oireachtas. Perhaps it should consider resuming that clinic because it gave Members an opportunity on behalf of their constituents to raise matters around water supply. As Senator Lombard said, we are having an exceptionally dry spell there are issues regarding water. We receive updates from Irish Water by email. It has a Members' help desk which responds quite quickly to queries. As Senator Reilly said, farmers face challenges in terms of growth and fodder for cattle. I hope that the water pipe repair work happening in Fanore and Ballyvaughan in County Clare will be completed. I agree with Senator Humphreys that we need - collectively and collaboratively - to tackle and face up to climate change. We seeing in our country now four distinct weather periods or seasons that we perhaps did not have before even though we had four seasons. It is not going to go away and we need to address that matter collectively.

I concur with Senator Swanwick about the thuggery taking place in some parts of the country involving damage to property and equipment of the Civil Defence and lifeguards. These groups make a great contribution to our safety. No words of mine will describe the thugs that treat people so badly. I do not have an update on the Life Saving Equipment Bill 2017. I will not be a barrier to the Senator having it brought back to the House and I hope the Department will engage with him on that. I have worked with him on other Bills and the one that is coming before the House this week. He will not find me wanting in respect of this matter.

Unfortunately, I was not able to meet Senator Gavan's delegation yesterday. He is right about the hospitality sector that it is important that people are treated properly in respect of wage and working conditions. I am an advocate of collective negotiation and bargaining. I disagree with them, however, on the 9%. That was a very good decision on the part of the previous Government. Not only does it benefit the hotel industry, it also benefits the service industry. Are we saying to the hairdressers of Ireland that we will put their prices up and force them to question whether they take people on or let them go and increase the prices to customers? It affects more than the hotel industry. I understand the Senator's point but there is a bigger picture and this benefits many different sectors of our economy. The Irish Hotels Federation should and must engage with workers. I have never deviated from that view.

Senator Mulherin raised the issue of premature scrappage of cars. Her point about the different ways people use cars is important. The Council Directive 2000/53/EC on end-of-life vehicles govern this area. Senator Mulherin's points on this are very pertinent and valid and I would be happy to invite the Minister to the House.

Senator Norris referred to the Taoiseach's comments on the media. I was not present. The Taoiseach's spokesperson said that his comments were taken out of context and quoted selectively. We do need to have an independent media.

Yes, telling the truth.

We need to have a media that will hold people to account. Senator Norris is correct that with the number of members of the media tweeting and commenting, one would swear they were immune from criticism themselves when that is not the case.

Yes.

We need to have a fair and balanced media.

Absolutely.

To be fair, we are well served by the majority of our journalists who are people of integrity and of the highest calibre but they are not immune from being to held to account or criticism themselves. I smiled when I listened to 'Morning Ireland' earlier. I also smiled when I read about the matter on Twitter. However, I was not at the Taoiseach's event. We live in a society where we are all open to being held to account. That is the way it should be and we do need to have an independent strong media that holds us all to account. I am all for that.

Senator Byrne referred to Shannon Airport. I commend those in Shannon Airport working with the ESB on the reduction in carbon emissions and reducing electricity usage by one third. I agree with the Senator that we are benefiting from small craft breweries emerging. Deputy Alan Kelly has a Bill before the Dáil which will come into the Seanad before the recess. It is unacceptable that the bigger brewery can have a monopoly. We need to support our small craft beer industry.

Senator Murnane O'Connor raised the very important issue of the Carillion schools and Sammon. The contract was awarded to the company and it has the obligation and duty to look after the subcontractors but I agree with her that it is unacceptable that many subcontractors, small people employing one or two or even working on their own are being treated the way they have been treated. I fully concur with her on that. I have met several subcontractors who have been engaged in work at the schools to which the Senator referred. One contractor living in Cork has had to let people go. That is a disastrous consequence of a decision which we all thought was a good one and we have seen what happened. The examiner is negotiating or engaging with the creditors. That is of no real benefit or solace to the subcontractor but the Senator is right to raise the point.

Senators Craughwell, Warfield, Wilson and Senator Norris, who did so half jocosely, half sincerely raised the matter of the Presidency.

I was completely sincere.

I know. I said that. The nomination process for the presidency is laid out in the Constitution. Senator Warfield will see it is available for any Member over a certain age to get a nomination by-----

The Government should listen to the Constitutional Convention.

Let us await the decision of An tUachtarán on whether he is going to run again or not. Then we might have a debate on who should run against him or not or who will or who might not run. There are always difficulties in the nomination process, whether internal to a party or an independent grouping. Democracy involves elections, whether for the presidency, the local authority, the European Council, the Dáil or Seanad. I would certainly welcome an election contest for the presidency. We should be afraid of that. Whether it is right or not is a different matter. Some members of the media will say Michael D. Higgins should be let run on his own. Others will say he should be opposed and do we want the cost of an election. I do not think we can put a cost on democracy. A price should not be put on democracy.

I join Senator Warfield in congratulating those involved in street art, not just in Dublin but also in Cork. The Reimagine Cork group did a wonderful job transforming the streetscape and public realm in Cork. I fully welcome the start collective that has been put in place. It does add vibrancy to the city and I would be happy to work with the Senator to ensure that we recognise the different groups. Sometimes the decisions of local authorities on the erection of hoardings or murals baffles those of us who are not planners or architects or engineers or urban planners.

Sometimes we should just allow people to be creative. In White Street in Cork, we have a series of walls where those who engage in graffiti go in and do their work. It is very creative and artistic. It might not be to everyone's taste but it is a space where young people in particular can go. Reimagine Cork has transformed the streetscape and I congratulate the volunteers.

Turning to Senator Humphreys, the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, CPP, of the Seanad agreed yesterday to the request from the Dáil regarding a climate change committee. It is important and we will endeavour to take it seriously. Senator Mulherin has been very strong within our party in terms of promoting measures against climate change. She has been a great advocate in that regard. I would love to travel around the country with Senator Davitt. I would love to get into the car with him.

It would be a great experience for both of us.

It would be great. I could point out to him-----

A one-way ticket.

Senator Horkan has some self-interest.

The Leader had better move on swiftly.

I will point out two things.

Senator Horkan is canvassing already.

The first is the failed national spatial strategy of Fianna Fáil, with its hubs, spokes and gateway towns.

It was the national development plan.

The second is the €116 billion from Project Ireland 2040-----

I did not start talking about the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy. Fair is fair.

-----that we will be investing.

That is over the last 20 years.

I would also be happy to show the Senator-----

I said over the last 20 years. That is a cheap shot.

-----proposals-----

We could show Senator Buttimer all the homeless families.

-----that the Government has, such as the living over the shop scheme, enhancing the public realm-----

How many people have availed of those?

I would be happy to do that.

The temperature is hot enough, I ask the Leader not to raise it any further.

I am trying to assist. Senator Davitt is right that local authorities and local representatives must work to ensure that we protect our towns and villages because they are the lifeblood of rural Ireland. To be fair to the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Ring, he has a programme of work and he is engaging with it. There needs to be a collaborative approach.

On Senator Devine's question, I only heard a snippet regarding the report on Cherry Orchard that is emerging from the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA. It is a concern. The report needs to be implemented. I refer also to the issues raised in respect of resuscitation, engagement and communication. It is a source of worry. Senator Devine works in the area and I am involved myself. This is one that we need to get right. It is not just about resources, it is also about a combined effort on resourcing, communications, staffing and engagement. To be fair, we are very lucky that the vast majority of the facilities and homes that people live in are of an impeccable standard. However, the points Senator Devine raised need to be worked on. I would be happy for the Minister to come to the House to discuss the report.

Senator Gallagher comes in with the hard question at the end nearly every day. He raised the issue of CCTV today. The Government committed €1 million last year and this year to the project. There have been four CCTV projects commenced, four are awaiting approval and 14 more are going to be approved. The Senator's point on the issue of data protection is one that is exercising the local authorities because they will be the data controllers. There must also be engagement with the local joint policing committees and the councils. We should not be putting bureaucracy in the way of CCTV equipment being erected. That is the point Senator Gallagher is making and I agree with him.

The final point I will make is that while I understand where Senator Bacik is coming from, I will not be accepting her amendment to the Order of Business.

Senator Ivana Bacik has moved an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 4 not be taken today." Is the amendment being pressed?

I am pressing the amendment.

Under Standing Order 62(3)(b) I request that the division be taken again other than by electronic means.

Under Standing Order 62(3)(b) I request that the division be taken again other than by electronic means.