I would like to raise the issue of the provision of public transport in circumstances where the nearest hospital is 40 minutes away because it is important, but also because last weekend unexpected heavy snowfall delayed traffic on a major route in Leinster and the first responders could not access collisions on the road due to the infrastructure and the snow. As usual, it is about infrastructure. Our infrastructure seems unfit for such occasions. In a recent survey, it was revealed that the residents in County Carlow must travel on average 40 km to their nearest emergency department, a car journey of approximately 37 minutes, because we do not have an adequate public transport system. While there are several rail lines and some bus offerings, by and large, these are at awkward times for anyone using them for outpatient appointments or visiting loved ones. They are in no way suitable for any kind of urgent travel. On the Internet, there are lift-sharing offerings and car-pooling. We need to promote all this, particularly as we are always trying to reduce Ireland's carbon footprint, allowing a situation where it is acceptable that everyone would try to work together. We need to help to ensure that the population is better provided for in terms of services such as housing, healthcare protection, retail services and amenities. We do not look at public transport in the light we need to. The same survey revealed that the best-served county is Dublin, with residents travelling on average ten minutes or 5 km to their nearest emergency department. The residents of rural areas are being penalised for living in the countryside. I am not asking for a hospital on every corner. We have identified that the road to better healthcare in Ireland is the strengthening of primary care facilities locally. I am asking what can be done to help rural areas when there is an emergency or when something happens like this. I am calling on the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to come in here because infrastructure will be so important in the future to ensure that the people in rural areas are not left behind.

I support Senator Leyden's amendment to the Order of Business. I have known the Senator for a long time and the Registration of Wills Bill 2016 is something he has brought forward steadfastly. It is time we looked at this area and that we made the process of searching for wills easier. Most solicitors support a register. We need to debate whether it should be voluntary or compulsory and we need to hear from the stakeholders in this regard as well. I hope this can be progressed more than it has been to date.

Will the Leader invite the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to the House for a debate as soon as possible to discuss the announcement that the Irish policy on overseas aid is to change to allow funding of abortion services overseas? The Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, has responsibility for overseas development aid and for Irish Aid. However, this is such a significant policy change that we should hear from somebody at Cabinet level about it.

It does not follow from the fact that the eighth amendment was repealed, which allowed legislation for abortion, that public money should be used for funding abortion overseas. Abortion remains a deeply divisive issue in Irish society. Many people, including myself, regard it as a violation of human rights and do not believe it serves the good of mothers and certainly not that of their unborn children. I believe carrying out abortions, if right was right, should be something people go to jail for. Even if my point of view is not accepted by the Government at this time, it remains the fact that many of the people who voted for the repeal of the eighth amendment would not support this. Many of them are uncomfortable with abortion in the circumstances in which is has now been legislated for. Many people who voted "Yes" would have supported something more restrictive, and I think there is evidence of that. In any event, people should be able to agree that it is wrong to use the public purse to push something like this internationally when so many people's consciences in this country - taxpayers' consciences - are deeply troubled by this and would regard it as a perversion of human rights, not as human rights itself.

While it falls within the remit of the Government to advance policy without coming back to the Oireachtas for every detail, obviously the Government spend is subject to legislation in these Houses. This is an issue on which it should be accountable to both the Dáil and the Seanad in a much more considered way than for us to be reading about this major change and the claim that it is somehow consistent with Ireland's new policy in the area. Simply because the law in Ireland now allows, and public money in Ireland provides for, abortion in certain cases, it is by no means conclusive that it follows from this that the Government should spend public money promoting abortion overseas, especially when it is such a divisive and troubling topic.

This deserves a debate in both Houses, although I can only ask for a debate in this House. I would be very grateful if the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade would come in himself. Given he was known to be troubled by aspects of what the Government legislation entailed, it would be all the more appropriate that he would come in and give an account of his stewardship in this area.

I would like to raise again the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme we discussed yesterday and the disappointment when we learned this scheme is now closed to new applicants. It is disappointing for young people who thought they were on the road to getting their first home to discover the scheme is closed. It highlights alarmingly the incompetence of this Government when it comes to dealing with the housing crisis. Surely the Leader will agree that someone should have had some oversight over this scheme.

There is no end to this.

Surely someone should have been monitoring the drawdowns in regard to mortgage approvals but, apparently, no one did. All of a sudden, we discovered there was no money left in the kitty. It is simply not good enough in the midst of a housing crisis. It would not inspire people with confidence in this Government's ability to do something about the housing crisis.

Go on, Robbie boy.

The other issue we learned about in regard to this scheme concerns mortgage protection insurance. I have learned that the applicants who draw down their mortgage have no option but to go with the provider recommended by the Department. Surely people should be free to go where they get best value. People have told me they have shopped around and discovered that other providers are offering much cheaper rates. I ask the Leader to give us a commitment that the Government will reopen the scheme, will stay awake this time when it is open, and will explore the current situation where people have no choice but to go with the one provider of mortgage insurance.

The Leader may laugh and snigger.

I am laughing at the Senator. He has some neck - some cheek.

The housing crisis in this country is very serious. The way this Government is handling it at the moment would not inspire the people of Ireland with much confidence.

While I rarely comment, I came back from London in 1981 and opened my own practice. When I got advice from the Law Society, one of the things that stood out in my mind was, "Whatever you do, young fellow, make sure you keep your wills registered", which I always did. I cannot understand why there is opposition to a central wills register but that might be beyond my means. I rarely comment but certain things stand out in my mind very clearly when I remember my move to give up my construction work in London to come back to Ireland, and that was one. I call the Leader to respond.