Is he not? Nobody tells me anything in this place.

Seeing as everyone has a spirit of bonhomie, I also congratulate all those who participated in the local elections. I did not come through that. I was a councillor at one stage. I also commend the count staff in the councils on the hours they put in. They were long hours over a period of three or four days. One count is ongoing in Longford while a recount is ongoing in Bandon in Cork. I compliment those people.

A number of Senators have asked for the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to come to the House. One of the things I would like to ask him is that we have a designated strategic policy committee, SPC, at council level on either climate action or climate change. The Local Government Reform Act 2014 dealt with introducing an SPC for economic development and enterprise. It was done at the time because we were in an economic crisis and there was a role for local authorities with regard to job creation. Now we see the need for a change in our attitudes with regard to where we are going with regard to the climate. Perhaps we should ask the Minister to send a circular, as he did that time, to each local authority directing it to set up an SPC to cover climate action and climate change. It does not necessarily require a new director of services because the legislation allows for directors of services to cater for more than one SPC.

That could be tied in with the environmental strategic policy committee that most local authorities now include. That will not be an additional cost for local authorities. Setting up something such as this is what is required. Will the Leader ask the relevant Minister to come before the House to deal with the issues that have been raised, including pay for local councillors, and show some leadership on this?

I join colleagues in congratulating those who were elected in the local elections. I wish them well for the next five years. It is important that we thank those who retired at the election, some who served only one term and others who served many terms. Many of them made a contribution over a long number of years and contributed not only to the local council but also to their local community. We must acknowledge their work and their contribution. I note those who ran at the local elections who were not successful, especially local councillors. It is a difficult thing for people to face when they lose out on an election. We should acknowledge their contribution and that of everyone who puts himself or herself forward in the democratic system.

Irish people have been watching contributions in the House of Commons and wonder how some of these people were ever elected. At least in the Irish system, if a voter's first preference is not elected, their vote goes on to No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 and so on down the line. It is a far better system that we have, even if we might criticise it sometimes.

I also raise the issues of the Defence Forces and Army pay. These very much need to be tackled. As someone who has acted in a legal capacity for members of the Defence Forces over the years, I can recall when someone who worked as an ordinary member of the Defence Forces was able to buy a three-bedroom house. There is no way now that someone working in the Defence Forces can afford to buy a property on the income he or she earns. We need to examine this issue and to bring forward serious recommendations that will encourage people to stay on and encourage new people to join. We are in a position of full employment, where we compete to retain good people in the jobs market. We must ensure that we pay the appropriate remuneration for the work they are doing. It is something we need to conclude at the earliest date possible.

I also congratulate and commiserate with people after a momentous weekend at count centres throughout the country. I particularly congratulate the three women MEPs elected in the North. Perhaps the Taoiseach could send congratulations to Martina Anderson and Diane Dodds MEP.

How does the Senator know he has not done so?

He has not done so, no. He tweeted about Naomi Long but the other two are as important in the strange atmosphere of Brexit and what is going on in Britain.

I raise the issue of the Ombudsman for Children's annual report which was published this morning, especially as it relates to vulnerable children in society. The report strongly states that they are not benefiting from the economic upturn. The view of the ombudsman is that the use of words such as "inclusiveness" and "equality" is little more than lip service. There are two issues in particular. One is housing, with almost 4,000 children born into or reared and nurtured in family hubs, hotels or bed and breakfast accommodation.

He expresses his deep concern for their growing up, and for their ability to socialise, be educated, grow up without anxiety and have stability.

He also referred to the lack of education for children with autism. The education system illegally allows them an hour's education a day. I raised this as a Commencement matter on 11 April, following the AsIAm survey on school exclusion and children with autism, entitled Invisible Children - Survey on School Absence and Withdrawal in Ireland's Autism Community. While I got some answers it was not enough. I ask for the relevant Minister of State to come to the House to explain his understanding of the contents of today's report by the ombudsman and his response to it.

I join other Senators in congratulating the various candidates, successful and unsuccessful, in the Seanad elections.

Local elections.

Did the Senator say Seanad elections? When? Why am I still here?

Sorry, the local elections. I particularly mention the candidates who are assisting our group of ten Senators, two of whom were elected, Geraldine Donohue and James Geoghegan, and one of whom, my own Samantha Long, was not. I acknowledge their courage in standing and thank them for all they do to keep this House functioning so well. It is great to see people who participate in the affairs of Leinster House and are also willing to put their names forward, knowing, as they do, the risks of failure and success.

I add my voice to what Senator Marshall said about Northern Ireland. The flag beside you, a Chathaoirligh, the national tricolour, is a flag of green, white and orange. It is about time that we stopped talking in simply binary terms about demographics and who will be 51% and who will be 49%, when that no longer represents the reality or complexity of Northern Ireland society.

The Senator arranged a visit for a number of us to Belfast recently. We visited the mothballed assembly at Stormont. We received a briefing in a fine chamber, which was the original senate chamber of Northern Ireland. The thought occurred to us on that occasion that it would enhance the political process in Northern Ireland if there were a civic society, non-confrontational forum in the Northern Ireland parliamentary process as well as the highly numerical and highly polarised assembly elections operating as they do very much on the basis of headcounts of a green and orange kind.

I congratulate all of the people who were elected to represent Northern Ireland in the European Parliament for however long their term lasts. It is significant that two out of the three candidates supported remaining in the European Union. Naomi Long's success, to which reference was just made, symbolises that there is a middle ground in Northern Ireland. Not everybody is of one shade of orange or green, as Senator Marshall has said. In that context, in this State we should be much more generous to the orange tradition. We should acknowledge it. We have things like the Royal Dublin Society, the Royal Irish Academy, King's Inns and Trinity College. We have all sorts of institutions that have orange origins if one wants to put it in those terms.

Trinity College does not. It is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I.

Exactly, for the Protestants.

Senator McDowell is endeavouring to conclude.

I am endeavouring to come to a conclusion. I believe we need to extend a hand of real friendship and understanding to those people in Northern Ireland who are attempting to create a middle ground. We need to focus our political attention and efforts to supporting them.

They are the people who, in the end, will bring about the reconciliation in Northern Ireland which is the fundamental purpose of the Good Friday Agreement.