I thank the 21 Members who spoke on the Order of Business for their contributions and begin by addressing the joint issues of Brexit and the North of our country.

In response to Senators Horkan, Marshall, Conway-Walsh, Bacik, Humphreys, Lawlor, Devine and Feighan, Brexit is of absolute importance to us on an all-island basis. I agree with Senator Feighan and I hope that the UK will reconsider and hold a second referendum if they have time. Government continues to take an all-Ireland approach to Brexit. I agree with Senator Feighan that the fines imposed on two organisations campaigning for the UK to leave are highly significant. As Senator Ó Ríordáin said ní neart go cur le chéile - we do well when we come together. It is important to recognise that, as Senator Conway-Walsh said, the issue of the backstop has not gone away.

Tomorrow the Tánaiste will bring a position paper to Cabinet. The Government is on high alert over Brexit. A huge amount of work has taken place across Government and Government agencies. A range of Government supports have been put in place, including the Brexit loan scheme, the low-cost loan scheme for agribusiness and additional funding to State agencies. Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland have introduced the Start to Plan voucher. The Government has been very proactive in putting in place a platform to get its information across to Irish citizens, business and representative bodies, along with building alliances across Europe and putting in place structures to carry out work that is necessary in our preparedness for Brexit. The Tánaiste, the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, and the Taoiseach are fully committed to ensuring we have the best outcome for Ireland in our Brexit negotiations.

It is important to recognise that it is about all parts of our island. I note that my friends from Sinn Féin seem to get very alarmed when Members of this House speak on matters of the North and matters of Brexit. It is our entitlement to speak. We are legislators and Members of the Oireachtas. I fully agree with Senator Feighan, as a member of the Fine Gael Party which put forward the Anglo-Irish Agreement and which upholds the Good Friday Agreement. It is important to recognise that Sinn Féin had an abstentionist policy in these Houses of the Oireachtas and it revisited that. I say to the Sinn Féin Members present today that they should not take it as a personal criticism; they should take it as a criticism that we now have no voice representing nationalists or moderate unionists in the House of Commons.

Hear, hear.

Members of Sinn Féin have taken their seats in the European Parliament and have taken their seats here. They could play a constructive role in Westminster. I say that not beating a stick or waving a flag at them, but as one who wants to see an all-Ireland voice heard.

Why does Fine Gael not end its own policy of abstentionism? We are inviting it to become an all-Ireland party.

Fine Gael is an all-Ireland party.

It is not organised in the North.

It is important that we all wear the green jersey and take away our partitionist or narrow focus, if that is the case.

I join Senator Marshall in commending the Minister of State, Deputy Griffin, on his attendance at last week's parade. Gestures matter. Symbols and symbolism form one part of the debate. The gesture made by Brian O'Driscoll and the Minister of State, Deputy Griffin, is about building bridges, reconciliation and creating a new Ireland where all of us are equal and welcome and where all traditions are recognised. I agree with Senator Marshall that it was disappointing that the minority got the coverage as opposed to the majority who were having a peaceful day. I also condemn the attacks on any member of society, Deputy Adams or anybody else. They have no place in a modern, civilised society.

Senator Horkan raised the issue of Irish Water and the night-time economy. He makes a very good point. I know Irish Water has been communicating and engaging with people on the issue of water. I hope a sensible approach will be taken for the hospitality sector, which at this peak time requires certain amounts of water usage. The Senator made reference to the health system and those over 75. He will have noticed that there are 13% fewer people on trolleys than this time last year. While we have a significant journey to take, it is important to recognise that we are investing more in our health system than ever before.

I join Senator Horkan in commending Hertz on its pursuit of people making fraudulent claims. Such claims increase insurance premiums for many people. It is important that we call them out and the Senator's points are very valid. His points about the summertime consultation on BusConnects are valid. I hope people will engage, not least because we now have social media and mobile devices. People sitting by a swimming pool can still engage and I hope they will. It is an important consultation.

I believe I have addressed Senator Marshall's comments. I commend him on his contribution on the Order of Business today.

Senator Conway-Walsh raised the very important issue of the Carillion subcontractors working on school building projects. It is a huge source of concern. Subcontractors need to be protected. In many cases small family businesses have not been paid significant amounts of money, which is unacceptable. As Members know, the Department is not in a legal contract with the subcontractors, whose contracts are with Carillion and Sammon, which have both gone into liquidation. There is ongoing negotiation and I hope the court-appointed liquidator can bring a resolution. I agree with the Senator that the role of subcontractors and their relationship with the main contractor need further examination. I do not think she is correct in saying the Government is negligent in that regard. It is important to recognise that Carillion was paid and it paid Sammon for that bundle of schools.

Senators Bacik and Kieran O'Donnell spoke about the scheduling of the House. We have often sought and have achieved getting legislation commenced in this House. Of course, the Seanad almost always rises after the Dáil. Senator O'Donnell's points are worth pursuing.

I join Senator Bacik in wishing her and our other colleagues from this House, Senators Conway-Walsh, McFadden and Higgins, every good wish as they travel to Westminster. I thank them for their wonderful work on Vótáil 100. It is great that tomorrow Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas will travel to Westminster, a sign of a new relationship that recognises the importance of what was commenced with Vótáil 100. I hope the exhibition will also be a success.

Senator O'Reilly also spoke about the events in the North and the parades. He also made a very pertinent point about home help hours, a point many Senators have made in the House in recent weeks. There seems to be a clogging up of the system in regard to home help hours. As Senator O'Reilly said, it has become a career structure and a very positive one in our health system. We all want people to live longer and stay longer in the privacy and comfort of their own homes. I would be happy for the Minister of State to come to the House to have that debate in the new term.

Senator Boyhan spoke about healthcare and housing. I understand details of the proposed national regeneration and development agency will be announced tomorrow. Representatives of NAMA have appeared before the Committee of Public Accounts and the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach. The Senator made an interesting point about residential units being left idle, something we should all pursue as a matter of urgency. I join him in hoping that we will see a resolution of the impasse over the reopening of beds in the National Rehabilitation Hospital.

Senators Lombard and Gallagher spoke about the impact of the weather on the farming community because of the drought and now the impending fodder difficulties farmers will encounter in the autumn and winter.

Senator Lombard is right when he speaks about the number of animals on our farms. He also makes an interesting point about the mental health of farmers, which has been affected by these events. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed, is acutely aware of that issue. Senator Gallagher should note that the Minister has reconvened the subcommittee in the Department. I think it is important to recognise that there is a need for the Government to be vigilant on this issue. We will see a change in the weather in the autumn and I hope farmers will be looked after in that regard.

I will be happy to accept Senator Gavan's amendment to the Order of Business. The Senator raised an issue regarding University Hospital Limerick, which he has raised previously in the House. I am sure the Minister's investigation amounts to much more than a courtesy letter to the hospital. As Senator Gavan knows well, the role of unions is protected and enshrined in legislation. I would certainly be surprised and shocked if any hospital CEO tried to eliminate unions from a hospital group.

It is happening.

It would not and cannot happen and no right-minded person in management or public representative would countenance it. I do not believe it is taking place. I am not familiar with day-to-day matters at the hospital but, as I have stated previously, we need trade unions to be the voice and representative of workers, in this case in our hospitals. I stand four-square behind any worker's right to join and be part of a union and to have the union act as his or her active voice and representative.

Senator Mulherin raised the habitats directive and its implications for development. I remind the Senator that the Government yesterday launched a rural regeneration and development fund, which will see €4 billion put in place. That is alongside €50 million in Leader funding and €240 million under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund operational programme. It is important to increase population growth outside Dublin.