I also wish to be associated with your comments on the UN, a Chathaoirligh, and those of Senator Chambers, regarding the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. I am delighted that you, a Chathaoirligh, are flying the flag in this House today, so go raibh maith agat.

I thank the Taoiseach for going to the south-west inner city yesterday. As we know, the area faces tremendous challenges and struggles. Without simplifying it, these struggles include a high level of drug use, over-saturation of services for those with addiction and gangland crime. That is despite the amazing efforts of the community and individuals who fight fearlessly on a day-to-day basis for their community. I would like to see a follow-on from the commitments given by An Taoiseach yesterday so that a task force would be set up for the south-west inner city like that introduced by former Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, for the north inner city. In 2019, a total of €6.5 million was spent on the north inner city task force. We need a similar investment, but more than that, we need a housing regeneration programme, in particular in the Oliver Bond complex. We also need sports facilities for young people and, ultimately, we need a long-term and short-term economic rejuvenation plan for the area. We need that to start immediately.

I intend to keep the pressure on the Government, through the Leader, to proceed with this and to keep the momentum going in order that it happens.

Finally, I wish to thank the Department of Finance. It is very welcome that those who were in receipt of Covid payments and who have tax liabilities as a result will now be able to pay those liabilities over a four-year period. The Department's flexibility in respect of income tax payments that will now not fall due until December is also welcome. This will be particularly hard for those who are self-employed and those in the hospitality sector. Donegal is entering a level 3 lockdown. Restaurants in Dublin are having real difficulty. They faced difficulty at the weekend, with huge amounts of stock going to waste, which was absolutely scandalous, especially when there is such a shortage of food in the community. We need stimuli for the hospitality sector, and the Revenue needs to be flexible in its collection of income tax.

I ask the Deputy Leader to request the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, as Cabinet Minister responsible for local government, to come before the House to engage with Senators on local government funding. As we know, especially those of us who are former councillors, local authorities are invariably under financial pressure, but this year the pressure has increased exponentially. The councils will be under pressure in a number of areas, not just for the remainder of this year but also for 2021, including housing rental income reviews; planning fee drops; fewer parking fines and charges, resulting in lesser income; fewer recreation and amenity facility charges; reduced use of council facilities, resulting in fewer charges being available; a drop in non-principal private residence, NPPR, income; a predicted drop in fire charges; a likely increase in uncollectable rates; an increase in bad debt provisioning; and an increase in Covid-related expenditure. Without Government intervention, quarter 4 cuts across our local authorities are inevitable. For 2021, the County and City Management Association projects that the average cut in non-payroll expenditure to achieve a balanced budget could be in the order of 30%. This will impact on the core responsibilities and services local authorities provide. Councils will be unable to make provision for capital projects from revenue budgets. The impact could be on shovel-ready projects, and local authorities are seeking urgent help to meet the challenges they face. The CCMA projects that the total negative impact on the current year of Covid will be €168 million, and the total negative impact in 2021 is projected to be €367 million. Some local authorities, particularly those that have a high reliance on tourism, whether in Galway, Clare, Mayo or elsewhere along the west coast, could be under even more financial pressure. I therefore ask the Deputy Leader to request a debate on local government funding as soon as possible.

I second the motion proposed by my colleague, Senator Higgins. Legislation is flying through this place at the moment, with all Stages being taken in one sitting and so on. She is 100% correct in what she has said.

I join the Cathaoirleach in complimenting the Irish Defence Forces but I will qualify what I am saying. Words of respect for the Defence Forces in this House and the other House are shallow when we look at the way our Defence Forces have been treated. I refer in particular - and I know I have the Cathaoirleach's support on this - to the men of Jadotville. Thirty-one of them were nominated for distinguished service medals or military medals for gallantry. Any other country would be lining up to dish out those medals. The men would have a parade on the equivalent of Dublin's O'Connell Street and have the entire country looking at them. What did we do? We hid them away. We called them cowards and would not allow their names to be mentioned. I want to mention John Gorman, the man who drove this for years on his own. Leo Quinlan, the son of Pat Quinlan, also drove it. If we are talking about the most loyal citizens of the State, we have to treat them as loyal citizens. When they are nominated for an award for gallantry, we should think about what it took to be nominated for that award. Very few companies of 155 personnel have come under sustained fire from 3,000 people with all 155 coming home alive. We really have to move on this. I am pleased with the soundings from the Department of Defence, from both the new Secretary General and the Minister.

I will briefly address the matter of ministerial advisers, which is on the agenda now. It is time we had a debate on this issue in this House. Who are these people? We have the most loyal civil servants in this country, who will always give the best advice they can to Ministers. If we are going to have ministerial advisers, they should be brought before a committee of the Oireachtas and be made to explain what additional skills they are bringing to their posts. They are political advisers, and if there is a desire for such advisers, let the political parties pay for them.