I thank the Leader for setting out the Order of Business. I wish to share my concern about it now. Earlier I had a discussion with some of my colleagues regarding an amendment to the Order of Business. On reflection and to be fair to all concerned, Ministers need time to come to this House and need to prepare to come to this House so I will not proceed with moving an amendment to the Order of Business today. It is my intention to do so tomorrow if we do not have a favourable response. It relates to the scoliosis situation and the 172 children waiting on our lists. I ask anyone to look at the current RTÉ feed in regard to scoliosis, which quotes extensively what the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have to say. Many Members may have seen the issue discussed on RTÉ's "Prime Time" programme last night, yet again the Tánaiste, Dr. Leo Varadkar, talking about his concerns, stating, "The Government severely regrets that children are experiencing long delays." The Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, says the delays in treatment are not about a lack of resources but reflect a systemic failure. The reality is that I brought a Commencement matter yesterday and the response was more than disappointing as it did not address the issues. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Feighan, took the matter. I then took the time to come to the anteroom in the Seanad yesterday evening to meet directly with the Minister for Health, though not by appointment. I handed him the reply and I asked him to take it for a bit of reading for last night. I expressed my view that it was a disgrace and that no Minister should have been asked to take that reply from the Department of Health in here because it simply did not address the issues in regard to scoliosis.

This is all coming about as a result of the people from the Scoliosis Advocacy Network contacting me and I am sure many other Senators and, more importantly, a very engaging interview on RTÉ's "Today with Claire Byrne" programme. The issues are now so serious we can have no further delays. Out of respect for the procedures of the House and timing, I am not going to proceed with the proposal to amend the Order of Business today. After all, it is only a proposal, but I ask the Leader to use her good office to make contact with the Minister for Health and see if we can have him in the House if not tomorrow - and, quite frankly, it is that serious and that is what the parents are demanding and want - certainly on our return from the recess. I am conscious there is a recess and that is an issue. However, it is critical and I do not doubt that every Member shares my concerns and is supportive of the families and guardians of these 172 children who need medical intervention. They do not care if it is public or private and they do not care if the State is buying the treatment in. They are children. Many of us have children and we would not want our children suffering from scoliosis and the agony these children have to endure.

I thank the Senator. I hear what he is saying about the question not being answered in respect of the Commencement matter. The Senator might send that in to me because a number of Members have raised the issue of Ministers reading out replies that do not answer the questions they have asked. I call Senator Vincent Martin.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 19 be taken before No. 1. At the appropriate time I will formally move that request. No. 19 is the introduction of my legislation, the Protection of the Irish Native Honey Bee Bill 2021. Ireland is fortunate to have a pure population of its own native honey bees, which is perfectly adapted to this island, climate and flora. However, it is coming under sustained, ongoing and serious threat from the importation of non-native honey bees. They are less frugal, more aggressive, prone to swarming and they have an adverse impact on biodiversity and ecosystems with the resulting introgression and cross-breeding of the Apis mellifera mellifera.

We are one of the last strongholds of this pure native bee. It is under serious threat. Last year, we reported a documented 327% increase in the importation into this country of non-native honey bee queens. After more than ten years of campaigning, the Native Irish Honey Bee Society will be pleased. This is a step in the right direction. The society is not, however, getting carried away. Complacency will not set in. The society is not going away. It is going to stick at this until it gets a permanent satisfying result. I acknowledge the work of its wonderful chairperson, Ms Aoife Nic Giolla Coda, secretary, Loretta Neary, and so many others engaged in that volunteerism. They do this at their own expense as they are committed to this cause. I thank the Climate Bar Association, an independent expert body, which has reached the conclusion that to amend the law in this way is not repugnant to EU law. I am also grateful for the cross-party support which this Bill enjoys. This is where the future lies. If leave to introduce is granted, Members will see on the Bill when it is published shortly thereafter the names of colleagues, who come from each and every political grouping in this Chamber, and that is the way forward. With that in mind I anticipate my proposal will be seconded by Senator McGreehan, who is representative of the cross-party approach we are taking to this.

I listened with interest to some of my colleagues speaking about the roadshow that Deputy McConalogue is currently undertaking. I wish he would include a stop in this House as part of his roadshow because I cannot get a response to the emails I have sent to him. I have requested a meeting with him three times regarding the lack of enforcement of animal welfare laws, particularly in respect of dogs.

This is not the first time I have raised the issue in the House. I raise it again because anybody who watched the BBC's "Spotlight" investigative report last night will have been deeply disturbed by the fact that Ireland, as an island, is being used to smuggle puppies into Britain from its ports. This is enabling criminal gangs to make millions of euro and depriving Revenue of millions of euro in tax and it is down to a complete lack of enforcement of the existing laws. While we need better co-operation between the authorities North and South, there is a raft of animal welfare laws in this country and they are just not being enforced. That is not good enough. There are fake microchip numbers, fake dog-breeding numbers and fake seller numbers on websites. Illegal adverts are reported daily by animal welfare organisations but, as yet, even though the regulations have been in place since 2020, not one enforcement case has been taken against an illegal advert on online platforms. It is not good enough. The Minister needs to answer the case.

In June of this year, on my request, Dogs Trust appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Its representatives outlined how simple it would be to fix this. There could be a pre-verification system and a national database including the microchip, the dog-breeding licence number and the online sales licence number. That advert would not be able to be posted until it was pre-verified, which would save the welfare organisations all the work of having to manage these sites. Equally, a microchip system could be put in place just like the system for cars. After a number is entered, the system would identify the breed and age of the dog and the name of the person to whom it is registered. This is not rocket science.

The programme for Government promised to strengthen guidelines and dog-breeding regulations but that is not forthcoming. In light of last night's television programme, there is an anomaly in the Animal Health and Welfare Act, which the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, DSPCA, one of the authorities that, unfortunately, has to seize these puppies at the ports, has outlined. It will come before the Oireachtas committee in November to outline the anomaly. When it seizes these puppies, it cannot rehome them within five days, as it could if it had seized them under the Control of Dogs Act. Instead, it has to hold on to the dogs for up to 18 months while the legal proceedings happen. That is bad for both the dog and the animal welfare organisation.

I would welcome the Minister coming before the House. The Leader might write to him inviting him to appear in order that we can have a debate on animal welfare and the lack of enforcement. I cannot get an answer from him, so perhaps this House can.