Stop it.

-----that we should have an end-----

The Leader will ruin the Senator's credibility.

-----to the ongoing dispute between SIPTU and National Ambulance Service Representative Association, NASRA. Let us have union representation for members of the ambulance service who want to join NASRA. Let them have membership of that union so that there can be dealings with both unions. I do not see any issue with that. I support the need for members to be involved and to have participation in a union. It is equally incumbent on the HSE to engage with NASRA and end this back-and-forth for once and for all.

Senator Bacik raised the issue of the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017. I apologise to the House that it may be discommoded on Thursday. It is a matter for the House to decide its business, as Senator Boyhan would say if he were here. When the Minister becomes available, we will schedule this Bill. The information came to us on Friday. I put this Bill on the schedule, and it is up to Members to accept the Order of Business or not. I appreciate that there are people who have a view on this Bill.

The Judicial Council Bill is a priority for the Minister. It has taken a length of time to get to where we are today. In that time a great amount of engagement has been ongoing between the Judiciary, with regard to proposed amendments to legislation, with the Office of the Attorney General, and with the Department of Justice and Equality, which has resulted in the Bill coming back to us today with a number of amendments to it. It is also important that we recognise that it is legislation the Government wants to prioritise. Many of the amendments relate to the provision of sentencing guidelines, the need for which was referenced in the Second Stage debate here in the Seanad.

It is my intention as Leader of the House to have the Bill come before the House today and, if it is not finished tonight, to have it back next week and to devote as much time as we can to it on behalf of the Government. I would be happy to work with the Senator in this regard. I understand the frustration that Members have on Bills not coming back. Sometimes some of the Bills - I am not saying this one - are unconstitutional or flawed and need to be fixed, but I take the point the Senator has made.

Today it is a significant day to remember and recognise Countess Markievicz and we congratulate all women who serve in the Oireachtas and as Ministers. Senator Bacik is correct in that there are far too many women who have been appointed as Cabinet Ministers-----

Too few.

I beg the Senator's pardon, "too few" I should have said. Gabh mo leithscéal. Perhaps it was a Freudian slip.

To be fair, if one looks at the record of many of the women who have served in Cabinet, they have been powerfully strong, reforming and innovative women who brought gargantuan changes to the Departments in which they served. On a more positive note I am sure that Senator Bacik will join with me in welcoming and congratulating my party, which has the highest level in the history of the State of women ever running for local government election-----

I am delighted to hear that.

There are 115, which is almost 30%. We are not quite there yet but we are close to it and we are way ahead of any other political party. Senators will be glad to know that the Fine Gael Party, of which I am a Member, has more women running than ever before for European Parliament elections, with Mairead McGuinness, Maria Walsh, Deirdre Clune and Frances Fitzgerald, four strong, capable, qualified women. I do not agree with the Senator regarding the women in Fine Gael who are Ministers. A considerable number of women are both Ministers and Ministers of State and play a very strong role.

I did not disagree. I said there were not enough of them.

In this House, we have a very capable Whip who runs the show efficiently, professionally and with great integrity. I agree with the Senator that we must encourage and advocate for more women to be involved in politics and to be elevated to higher office. I support that completely.

I am not familiar with the matters raised by Senator Gallagher regarding Cavan-Monaghan. It may be more expeditious to table a Commencement matter because I do not have the information to hand.

I join Senator Feighan and other Members on the issue of Brexit and the frustration relating to it. Senator Bacik also raised it. It is a worrying and deeply frustrating time. We are lucky that, today, our Taoiseach is in Paris where he has met President Macron, who has again committed to standing with Ireland and to not abandoning the Irish people. The Taoiseach's remarks were very interesting when he said that Europe should be open to a credible solution and proposals from Prime Minister May. I hope that the British Government will realise that there is no good Brexit and that a hard Brexit will be catastrophic for Ireland, England and the European Union. I also join Senator Feighan in wishing Ballinamallard every success in the cup final.

Senator Warfield raised the important issue of student accommodation. I think he referred to a report that was published.

It was published yesterday.

Between 2009 and 2019, 6,060 designated bed spaces were built for students in 22 projects in the country. Last year, in Dublin, 2,039 accommodation spaces for students were made available, with 810 in Cork. This year so far, planning permission has been awarded for 2,216, with 1,787 in Dublin and 419 in Cork.

They are all luxury.

I do not think they are all luxury. If Senator Warfield travelled to any of the places I just mentioned where there was a need for student accommodation, local communities, families and students welcomed student accommodation and want to see it. I accept that there is a need to look at the price and cost and to have the Minister come to the House to address the matter. Let us welcome the fact that we are building accommodation for students.

Senator Murnane O'Connor raised the issue of the homeless figures. The Minister will come to the House to debate the matter. I will not get into a political debate with the Senator on it because we all accept that there is more to be done. Again, Senator Murnane O'Connor fails to recognise the highest ever housing budget, with more people leaving homelessness than going into it. It is important to recognise that the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and the Minister of State at the same Department, Deputy English, have travelled the country and met local authorities. They have increased the rate of home building and put in place the highest ever housing budget. I have heard no proposals from Senator Murnane O'Connor about what she would do if she was the Minister, other than to come in and give out.