The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund Regulations 2019, back from committee, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business without debate; No. 2, Finance (Tax Appeals and Prospectus Regulation) Bill 2019 - Committee and Remaining Stages to be taken at 4.45 p.m.; and No. 3, Finance Bill 2019 - Committee Stage to be taken on the conclusion of No. 2.

Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and, instead of celebrating diversity and inclusion, it is with regret that I speak of our failure to prioritise disability funding, particularly for those who need wheelchairs to get around and access shops and other places in their communities on a day-to-day basis.

The waiting lists alone for the assessment of need by an occupational therapist for someone looking for a wheelchair is 28 weeks. Once one is assessed and given the green light, one is then placed on a second waiting list for funding for a chair. Waiting lists for the assessment of need are too long and it is disgraceful that the waiting lists for funding are so long. These are the most vulnerable people in our society and it galls me when we see such blatant waste of spending on other areas in these Houses and Dublin City Council when people who actually need a piece of equipment to get around are denied it. It is unfair.

My colleague has raised the closure of the Cuisle respite centre and holiday hotel for people with disabilities in Roscommon, run by the Irish Wheelchair Association. We need to look at exactly where we are spending our money and what are our priorities for people. It seems most unfair.

I also raise an issue around education. I would like a debate in this House on the introduction of free schoolbooks for primary and secondary education. Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh sí; cáin an óige agus craolfaidh sí. It costs parents approximately €500 a year for books and other costs related to sending their children back to junior school. It costs approximately €1,000 a year for secondary school. That is a considerable amount of money and it would be welcome if we could give free schoolbooks and have a special system whereby parents would not have to go out and spend these amounts of money. I acknowledge that it is halfway through the school year now but, if we are having a debate such as the one I am proposing, it should be had in a timely manner to give the Department a chance to prepare for such a scheme. The cost of bringing in free schoolbooks would be 0.2% of the overall Department's budget. It is a small thing that would be really valuable. I would love to have a debate in this House on that matter.

I congratulate all those who took part in the recent by-elections, those who were successful and unsuccessful. It takes courage to put oneself out in any election but particularly in a by-election. To candidates of all groups, parties and none, I send congratulations for engaging in the process.

Leading on from that, I thank and congratulate those who were successful. It is a great honour and privilege for those Members to come to Leinster House today and I wish them well and every happiness in their work.

The real thing I want to ask about is the electoral commission. The Leader is aware that the programme for a partnership Government mentions it. This is very important legislation that needs to be enacted. There are things that could happen in the meantime, in particular with regard to the Standards In Public Office Commission, SIPO, which called for an electoral commission and legislation to deal with digital political campaigns and finance from outside this State and its impact on elections. According to SIPO, the unregulated nature of social media campaigns "allows for foreign actors to influence Irish elections and referendums, with potentially significant consequences". These actors do not even have to be foreign. We know what is happening in here in terms of social media. The Leader has spoken about it. There are a significant amount of things happening in or around this area that influence the outcome of elections. It is important that we have an electoral commission. I spoke to a number of people who were involved in the by-elections who told me that the register is out of date by about 20 years. A man in Wexford told me that he was told on one doorstop that the only two people entered on the register for that house had been dead for 15 years so we clearly have a lot of work to do with regard to cleaning up the register.

We also have a lot of work to do in terms of engaging with, educating, encouraging and supporting people to engage in the political process. This is a challenge for everyone in politics. How can we get young and old people - all people - to engage in this process and make them feel that the question of who they put into Parliament is relevant to their lives? It is important for us to have an independent electoral commission regardless of what type of election is involved. I know the Government has committed to it and I also know that time is running out. I would like something like a memorandum or update on where we with regard to this legislation because it is important. I do not think anyone in either House disputes the need for an independent electoral commission because it is critically important.

It is time for us to have a debate again about how we can engage with young people. I have always been an advocate of allowing 16 year olds to vote in elections. They are much more sophisticated than we were at that age. They have much more access to information. It is not always accurate information but it is information. I read some commentary in the press today regarding allowing 16 year olds to register in order that they are registered on the system. I think that is good but it is important that we revisit the question of giving them the vote. Traditionally, Fine Gael led in this area. Many years ago, the Young Fine Gael organisation was a great advocate for it. Some of these people are now Members of the Seanad and Dáil. They led the way in terms of advocating for young people to engage in the political process. It is important so I would like a debate at some point on how we can get 16 year olds in. My focus today is on whether we can start and get this independent electoral commission up and running because it will serve democracy, the parliamentary process and the body politic well and is something with which we need to push ahead.

I extend my condolences to the families of Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones, who were both killed in the London Bridge attack. I commend both of these young people, who were champions of the victims of the criminal justice system, for the fantastic work they did during their short lives in the Learning Together programme for victims and the rehabilitation of prisoners. I also commend the bravery of Jack's father, Dave Merritt, when he spoke about hate crime and the work his son and Saskia Jones did. We have a lot to learn from that. I also commend the members of the public who came forward to protect others who could have been the victims of this attack. There is learning for us all in the fact that they were immigrants. I again emphasise the importance of speeding up the hate crime legislation that is in process here.

It is taking far too long. There needs to be an urgency around that. The Leader might just give us an update and times on that.

On a better note, I congratulate my colleague, Deputy Mark Ward, who got elected over the weekend and who arrived in Leinster House today, and, indeed, the three other newly-elected Deputies. I thank my party's other candidates, Councillor Thomas Gould, Councillor Ann Graves and Mr. Johnny Mythen for the successes that they have achieved. I commend all the candidates who put their names forward, including my cross-party colleagues in the Seanad who put their names forward for the democratic process.

What we have learned from the results over the weekend is the growing anger out there that despite the growth in the economy, the vast majority of families and workers have less money in their pockets than when Fine Gael, supported by Fianna Fáil, came into government. People told us about the cost of rents, childcare, healthcare and insurance. As for my party's result, it is due to us setting out how we would deal with all these issues and, indeed, how we would plan for Irish unity which is important.

As Senator Boyhan said, we cannot ignore the low turnout in these elections and the need for the electoral commission and for us to look at how we can engage genuinely with young people and facilitate people to vote from 16 years of age. This is crucially important. We need to engage with young people and to facilitate people aged 16 and over to vote and take part in the democratic process. We cannot merely pay lip-service to these issues. We have to work on them. We cannot say we agree with something and then do nothing about it. There is a job of work to be done here. We need to have a discussion in this Chamber on voting rights for young people of 16 years of age and above.

Ireland's record on combatting racial discrimination under the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, CERD, is under scrutiny by the UN in Geneva this week. In his opening address to the UN committee, the Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, Deputy Stanton, stated that "Ireland has also looked outwards with regard to its international obligations towards those fleeing conflict and persecution", and that Ireland has "developed family reunification initiatives to enable families and communities to bring to Ireland relatives living in areas of conflict." This is not quite correct, or at least not correct according to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, which stated in an independent report on Ireland's compliance with the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which was published last week that it has "serious concerns regarding retrogressive measures on family reunification introduced in the International Protection Act 2015 that limit the statutory right to family reunification to members of the nuclear family, and requires family reunification applications to be made within 12 months of the grant of refugee or subsidiary protection status – a timeframe that is impossible for many refugees."

My International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017 offers a pathway forward in line with the IHREC report. I ask the Taoiseach and the Government to grant this modest Bill a money message. This would be a quick and easy step for the Government to take as the Bill has passed all Stages in this House and Second Stage in the Dáil in December last with sizable majorities. If there are improvements to the Bill from a Government perspective, these can be worked out on Committee Stage. A money message for the International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017 will allow us to expeditiously move forward and take prompt action on our responsibilities to refugees under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. If passed, this Bill would bring the State into line with UN CERD obligations and would mean a great deal to people who are desperately seeking to reunite with family members. I refer to people such as Mr. Izzeddeen Alkarajeh, who submitted a statement to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality for the detailed scrutiny of the International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017 which took place in February last and who is desperately seeking to reunite with his mother who is in a very dangerous situation in Palestine.

At a time of rising anti-immigration sentiment, it is important that we as legislators reaffirm our commitment to welcoming people in need of international protection with openness and warmth. A money message for the International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017 would be a step in the right direction, as there are only incidental expenses involved under that Bill.

The UN committee in Geneva has also heard from a number of Traveller NGOs and others who also highlight how the State is falling short in the areas of Traveller accommodation, hate speech, education, health, employment, and more. Many of these issues have also been raised in the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community, which I chair. The UN rapporteur for CERD, Dr. Shepherd, commented favourably on the Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2017, which has passed all Stages in the Seanad. We need to progress this Bill and pass it through the Dáil, as the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy McHugh, promised on 16 October. The passing of this Bill would be yet another brownie point for the Minister and the State and a step forward for Ireland in fulfilling its UN obligations. I have done bits of work for the Government, both on family reunification and Traveller culture and history. All it needs to do is to take these up and run with them. Can the Leader invite the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, who delivered Ireland's statement to the UN committee to the House to outline what actions and commitments the Government will take on foot of the hearings today and yesterday in Geneva? I will listen with great interest and intent as to Government actions on family reunification, as well as Traveller rights, to include, in particular, the teaching of Traveller history and culture in education.

I acknowledge Senator Kelleher's work on dementia and her concerns about it. We thought we were making progress, where there was a line referring to it in the latest budget.

I refer to the issue of Saint Joseph's Shankill, which was debated in the House with the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, as recently as 12 November. A notification was sent out earlier this week that no further beds would be made available for long-term dementia care in Saint Joseph's due to lack of funding. The Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, made clear statements on the facility when this issue was debated in the Lower House. He gave a commitment that the doors would not close and said:

Saint Joseph's is a brilliant facility. It needs to be supported and it will be supported, and remain open. This facility will not close.

However, the 60 residential beds in the centre are closing. I am disappointed that the Minister would give such clear statements in the Lower House. I have to be very careful not to use toward "liar" and I will not-----

The Senator just did.

-----but perhaps Pinocchio is growing a very large nose on issues like this.

With respect, Senator, this should not be implied either.

This was a literary allusion.

It is quite in order.

When we want Senator Leyden's advice, we will ask for it.

The Minister asked for Saint Joseph's administrators to enter into intense negotiations with the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, which they did. In those discussions, the NTPF identified that the cost for a patient to stay in this facility was approximately €1,783 a week. Why did it offer to maintain the same patient for €1,350 a week? When that came to light, Saint Joseph's appealed the decision but the appeal will not be heard or adjudicated on until next March. One cannot ask a charitable institution to spend funds that it does not have on the basis of an appeal. This has been going on for a decade.

With reluctance, I propose an amendment to the Order of Business calling on the Minister for the Health to attend this House, immediately after the Order of Business to explain his remarks and, in particular, if he is still as certain as he was in the Lower House that Saint Joseph's will remain open.

On the financial figures we have been given, it will not remain open. I am only raising one issue and will be brief and finish on this point. When the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, came to the House, I challenged him on the same statements and he avoided and dodged. He said that the National Treatment Purchase Fund was independent. If that independence was there when the Minister, Deputy Harris, said in the Dáil that the doors would not close and that the facility would remain open-----

The Senator has gone one minute over his time.

Saint Joseph's is a brilliant facility. The family members I have spoken to in recent days are deeply concerned that those beds will be lost-----

I thank the Senator.

-----and that 340 patients on the waiting list to enter that care centre will no longer have any hope.

The Senator has made his case.

Yet the Minister had the brass neck to make those statements in the Lower House.

The Senator has gone a minute and a quarter over time.

It is not acceptable, which is why I proposed my amendment to the Order of Business.

The Senator moved an amendment that the Minister, Deputy Harris, be brought into the House immediately after the Order of Business.