Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, has published the second action plan of the comprehensive employment strategy. In addition, it is important to recognise the work we have been doing in terms of the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Disability allowance and carers' allowance were increased in the budget of last year. I refer also to the disability inclusion strategy and additional money being put into budgets of respite care, along with the home carer credit being increased to €1,200, benefiting 80,000 families, along with other suites of measures being taken by the Government. It is important that the issue Senator Ardagh raised regarding wheelchair use be addressed. I would be happy to have the Minister of State come to the House regarding the matter.

Senator Ardagh also raised the issue of the free books scheme. As somebody who taught in a school that had a free books scheme and in one that was introducing it, I believe it is important that we expand that scheme. There has been significant Government investment in the free books scheme in recent years and it is an important initiative to which we can add.

Senator Boyhan made reference to two very important items of legislation. I am told the Bill aimed at regularising and updating the electoral register, the register of elections Bill, is coming to Cabinet in the next two weeks. The electoral commission Bill is also being progressed and I am told it is the intent of the Minister to have that in the next two weeks. Those timelines are not signed into gospel so we cannot say they are the effective dates.

I hope they take a look at the way they have recently changed the register in Dublin, anyway. They do the whole street in alphabetical order of the people and not house by house.

We cannot go back to that, unfortunately.

I think the point is made by Senator Boyhan and Senator McDowell that we need an electoral register that is fit for purpose. I do not believe we will ever get to that point.

It is unusable at the moment.

I think in many places it actually is. The evolving nature of human life now is such that I do not know if we will ever get the register right but we have to try to do it.

At least categorise people by house.

That is what I am saying. We must make it simple by categorising it street by street, estate by estate or house by house. That is a fair point.

The other point I would make is that people talk about the turnout in elections and by-elections. I canvassed extensively in Dublin Fingal and Cork North-Central and I was not surprised at the turnout. Many people took a view that we are going to be going again in a couple of months' time and why bother. It is a wrong attitude to take in my opinion, because many people fought so that we could have the right to vote and we should cherish that. I will support any way we can increase voter participation. I do not know, in response to Senator Boyhan, if it is all about just young people voting. Many elderly people did not vote this time. It would be interesting to look at the marked register. It is important to have that debate. There are differing views about 16 year olds and 18 year olds voting. The Bill which I hope we will have before the general election recess and dissolution of the Dáil and Seanad will provide for teenagers to be able to pre-register to vote, which will help.

I will support any initiative that will result in an increase in voter participation.

Senator Rose Conway-Walsh made reference to the two people who were killed in the attack last Friday in London, Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones. We pay tribute to them, and in particular the work they were doing on prisoner rehabilitation. It is important to recognise that any form of terrorism should be condemned out of hand. Their bravery and the bravery of other citizens on the day should be saluted.

I will not get into a debate with Senators Conway-Walsh and Gavan on the Order of Business, other than to say that the level of poverty is being reduced. I ask those Members to read the CSO figures produced in recent weeks. Senator Conway-Walsh went into a standard speech about Sinn Féin policies. I ask her to look at the employment levels in the country at the moment and various issues concerning the economy. Undoubtedly, we have challenges we will address. Senator Kelleher raised a very important issue concerning the family reunification Bill. I do not have a response for her but I would be happy to discuss the matter with her.

Senators Humphreys, Bacik, Nash and Mullen raised the issue of Saint Joseph's, which is a very important one. I must advise Senator Mullen that it is not the HSE that sets the rate, it is the National Treatment Purchase Fund. The rate has been increased by the NTPF. The Government has increased the funding to Saint Joseph's and I believe there has been positive engagement between the HSE and the chief executive of Saint Joseph's with a view to closing it. I listened to Senator Humphreys's comments about the unit's imminent closure in January. I do not want to divide the House on the proposal, in the same way as I did not last week on Cuisle. It is a very important matter. It is one the Minister spoke about in the Dáil this afternoon. I do not have an accurate transcript of what he said. I am committed to bringing the Minister to the House. The line Minister with responsibility for the issue is the Minister is the Minister of State, Deputy Daly. Neither he nor the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, is available at the time suggested by Senators, but if they are agreeable I will endeavour to have them in some time today or tomorrow. It is the prerogative of Members to call a vote but I am trying to work with them.

Members of the House raised the issue of Cuisle last week. To be fair to Senator Hopkins, I should put on the record that she was the first Member of this House to raise the matter. Others followed suit. I have never divided the House on the matter. I avoided a vote last week on bringing the Minister to the House. It is a matter for the Irish Wheelchair Association, which has taken a decision to close the centre. Senator Mullen has made the pertinent point that some direction should be given to encourage and support the opening of the centre by the Irish Wheelchair Association. His contribution was far more helpful than the blatant politicisation of the issue by Senator Leyden. The points Senator Mullen made are ones on which we should perhaps reflect and bring back to the Minister, the HSE and the Irish Wheelchair Association because it is about ensuring that those service users who want to be able to avail of the service and their families can have such a service. I will be happy to go back to the Minister to inform him of what was said.

If Fianna Fáil was in government it would not close. That is for sure.

I thank Senator Leyden.

Fianna Fáil would just bankrupt the country.

The Leader is responding.

I am doing my very best.

Senator Buttimer does not have to get into an argument.

I am doing my very best not to be political but Senator Leyden should reflect upon his comments.

We will not go back on that now.

He should reflect on what Fianna Fáil has done to this country for a generation.

Senator Buttimer must be joking.

Would Senator Leyden like to have a debate on the Government-----

No. That is a separate matter.

I would love to have a debate with Senator Buttimer.

-----he supported?

Senator Buttimer should speak through the Chair.

Senator O'Mahony-----

Senator Buttimer has some neck.

-----and Senator Ó Céidigh raised the issue of the FAI.

They are out to get me.

I assure Senator Leyden that it is not about getting a headline. It is about people.

I did not say that. I said they are out to get me.

The issue raised is the FAI and the importance of good governance in the FAI and having the right person appointed. Senator O'Mahony was very accurate in what he said regarding other organisations that appointed the right chief executive, who turned those organisations around.

All of us sports people are supportive of the FAI and do not want any repercussions for the ordinary members and players who go about their business every week, trying to keep the game afloat at grassroots level. Issues must be addressed there and I would be happy for the Minister to come to the House regarding the matter.

Senator Gallagher raised the positive story of the great success of the Magheracloone Mitchells club in County Monaghan, which won the intermediate Ulster football championship last weekend. We congratulate them in light of the adversity they have faced in their own community.

Senator McDowell raised the important matter of casinos and gaming licences from 1956 to 1988. We all agree there is a need to amend those licences in order that this blight on our society can be removed. I would be happy to work with the Senator on that matter because it needs to be addressed, not only in our capital but in Cork city and other cities as well. There is huge folly involved, and in seasonal coastal areas people can apply for three-month licences and every machine can have a gaming licence which costs about €450. The matter needs to be addressed because these licences are a blight on our society and are leading to gambling addictions and other societal problems. I support the Senator on that issue.

Senator Reilly raised the issue of school places in his area around Skerries. I would be happy to have a debate with the Minister on the matter.

Senator Gavan raised asked about an equality debate, which I would be happy to have. We are always debating equality because it comes into everything we do as a Government through legislation and policies. We have increased the minimum wage. We never cut the minimum wage, unlike other parties in government. The current Fine Gael Government and the previous Fine Gael-Labour Party Government increased the minimum wage.

The Minister has just frozen it.

Education and fee-paying schools were raised as well. As a schoolteacher for 16-odd years, I am happy to have a debate on education. Senator Devine referenced the report published today which showed that our school literacy and mathematics scores are improving. I would be happy to have a debate on the matter. As Senator Colm Burke noted, we are spending a record €21.2 billion on social protection to assist people, lift them out of poverty and give them a pathway into work within our communities and society.

Senator Colm Burke also referred to the Defence Forces. I support his proposal regarding a specific commission to deal with pay for members of the Defence Forces and the Naval Service. Senator McFadden has made that specific request before. Many people in this House would support Senator Colm Burke's comments regarding setting up a new structure.

Senator Nash raised the issue of school placements in Drogheda and east Meath. This issue was addressed by the former Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Bruton, in his emerging school needs programme. We need to look at this, as Senator Nash said, because of the huge increase in population in those areas. The Senator also made a pertinent point about the flat rate review by Revenue, the Tara mines workers and legitimate expenses. I would be happy to have a debate on that.

I have already addressed the issue raised by Senator Devine. We as a society need to have a real debate on the well-being issue she raised as well. I would be happy to have that debate.

I congratulate and thank Jim Gavin for his tenure as manager of the Dublin football team. He is someone we should all look up to as a role model. He never lost his cool or his way, and never came across as being excessive in any way. I congratulate and thank him for his dedication and I thank his family for the sacrifices they made. I wish the new Dublin football manager well, though we cannot wish them complete success.

Senators Ó Céidigh and Bacik referred to migrants, work visas and the spouse or partner visa. We need to have a real look at that because those issues need to be addressed.

I did not see the motions to which Senator Ó Donnghaile referred in Belfast City Council but I would be happy to have a debate on the matters he raised in the future.

I ask the Leader to yield for a point of clarification. He said he would endeavour to bring the Minister to the House in the morning. If he is doing his best in that regard, I will not push to divide the House.

I will check my email to see whether I received a response. We were endeavouring to have the Minister come to the House.

As I said, the Minister is not available. He has a commitment now. I am not trying to obfuscate in terms of issues Senator Humphreys has discussed. I try to work with Members. I will endeavour to have the Minister come to the House tomorrow or Thursday, if not tonight. If the Senator could work with me, rather than divide the House now, I will endeavour to have the Minister come to the House today or tomorrow. I will work with him on that.

Senator Humphreys has proposed an amendment to the Order of Business: "That a debate with the Minister for Health on services at Saint Joseph's Shankill, County Dublin, be taken before No. 1." Is the amendment being pressed?

In light of what the Leader said, I will endeavour to work with him to have the Minister come into the House and will withdraw the amendment to the Order of Business.

I thank Senator Humphreys for withdrawing his amendment. To be fair, I will work with him to ensure we have an answer for him in terms of either a meeting or a debate on the matter. I will talk to him about that.