I welcome the Cathaoirleach back. He was missed by all of us. They were even trying to get me into the Chair.

Get a tie.

In time.

Get a tie.

The Senators should not take from Senator Warfield's concentration. He has an important matter to raise.

I echo the call for a debate on cycling. I am looking forward to the Oireachtas football match tonight organised by Senator Ruane with the Breakthrough programme, which uses sport to help the mental health and suicide issues in young working-class people. I hope I do not have to wear a Shamrock Rovers jersey. We will wear the bibs.

I too want to raise secretarial assistants' pay. Senators are only as good as the support we receive. Our ability to research and scrutinise legislation, to propose and oppose that legislation, good or bad, can only be measured by the resources available to us. As good legislators and public representatives, we are entirely dependent on our ability to recruit and retain good-quality staff. Many Senators will attest to the excellent staff quality but the pay and conditions on offer to them make retention difficult.

This is not a case of personal assistants, PAs, or political advisers looking to top up already high wages. A starting salary of €23,000 a year, that is, a weekly wage of €444 before tax, is not sufficient for anyone living in Dublin. It is the wage I earned as a councillor. Councillors get a lot of airtime in this Chamber and rightly so because this is the link between local and national government. This too should get airtime and today I am glad to hear it being raised by all Senators. For an institution that saw fit to pay €1.6 million for a printer and all the issues around expenses I would like the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to respond to the pay claim submitted by SIPTU and the secretarial assistants in October 2018. I would like the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, to come to this House to hear the views of Members who can speak of the staff’s value and contribution and how their pay and conditions are wholly inadequate.

Well said.

The amendment proposed was not seconded.

I second it.

I will allow the Senator to do that; not that I am condoning a vote. I call on the Leader to respond.

While the Leader is composing his thoughts, I welcome the Cathaoirleach back to his rightful position. He was very much missed by us all.

I endorse the comments of Senator Gavan on the staff of this House. I ask the representatives of this House on the Oireachtas Commission to meet and discuss with representatives of the various political groups what we can do to advance those concerns.

I also endorse the comments of Senator McDowell about China, which Senator Leyden also supported. I would like a debate on that country and our relationship with mainland China. I know where the Leader's heart lies and from where his comments have to come but I ask for that debate as a matter of urgency.

Finally, could the Minister for Education and Skills be brought to the House to update us on the education and training boards, the amalgamation of which in the form of vocational educational colleges, VECs, was intended to save money? I would like a detailed report on that.