I call on the Leader to respond to the Order of Business.

To respond to Senator Higgins, a number of requests for debates were made last week and this week and some have been carried over from before Christmas. I will put together a list and send it to the relevant Ministers to remind them of the requests that have been made. I will add requests for debates on Yemen but also on Afghanistan. It is important we have a debate on events there, not just because of the serious famine conditions the population is living under but also because of the damage being done before our eyes to the female population.

On Senator Blaney's point, it is important that we have a debate on the amnesty he mentioned, an issue other Senators have raised previously. I will make that request as a matter of priority, and I am happy to support the Cathaoirleach's call at the meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight, CPP, this evening that we would hold a minute's reflection tomorrow, on the 50th anniversary. It is appropriate that the Senator brought to our attention the events being held from Thursday to Sunday and asked people to support them, so I thank him for that.

Senators Cummins and Ahearn spoke about the absences from the review of the national development plan that was announced before Christmas. I made a request last week to the Minister for Transport to appear before the House for a debate on the plans. To be optimistic about it, perhaps the backloading of the money from that Minister's Department is a reason for the absence of the roads from the list that was published before Christmas. As soon as that debate has been scheduled, I will let both Senators know, although I am sure it is of interest to many other people throughout the country. Senator Carrigy's area also has an important road to talk about.

This is not the first time the issue raised by Senators Maria Byrne, Conway and Gavan today has been raised. I say this advisedly so as not to get myself or anybody else into trouble. It arises in the House almost every other week, and it is surprising nobody else is talking about the same issues in their local hospitals to the same extent as the three Senators. If it is not arising in Beaumont Hospital, the Mater hospital, Letterkenny University Hospital or wherever, there is a reason for that, although we do not know what that reason is. As Senators Gavan and Conway said, there have been announcements of spending commitments at the hospital in recent years. It is not that the State is not putting the money there but that it seems to be just gobbled up, and as soon as new beds are provided, they seem to be gobbled up too and the problem seems to return. Not only do I concur that a debate is needed but we need a wider examination of the exact problems. On behalf of the three Senators, I will write to the Minister for Health today, conveying their serious concerns on behalf of everyone in that part of the country and will revert to them.

I wish to acknowledge the contribution on apprenticeships that was made by Senator Maria Byrne. For far too long in this country and somewhere after the 1980s, and maybe when the Celtic tiger came in the 1990s, we all got a little above ourselves thinking that we all had to be brain surgeons or stockbrokers. The traditional professions that had been the backstop of hardworking, decent people in this country were suddenly uncool and yet we find ourselves at the moment with not enough bricklayers, carpenters, electricians and mechanics because they all left or did not train. So it is certainly welcome that young people are looking at those professions again.

I saw an article the other day on how people pick their careers and research shows that people with a higher intelligence quotient, IQ, are usually employed by people with not as high an IQ. Moreover, we have far more entrepreneurs in the sectors that have been mentioned concerning apprenticeships than we have in any other part of Irish society. It is welcome that we have got back to our roots and basics.

Senator Dolan spoke about the welcome announcement by the Minister for Transport yesterday on active travel. Sometimes when these announcements are made, people say that we always talk about greenways or cycling but the bread and butter of yesterday's announcement is to fix the pathways in housing estates that are 20 and 30 years old, which are uneven because of trees growing. It is the real, normal bread and butter stuff that county councillors work on day in, and day out, and lots of us here were county councillors. It is not just about the wonderful advantages that we are going to have from a tourism perspective or even the exercise and health perspectives because of the greenways, walkways and blueways but is also just about the normal common or garden problems that we have in all of our villages and that are going to be solved by this money, which is great.

I wish to say to Senator Joe O'Reilly that I was struck by Fr. Murphy last week because of the hurt and the pain that young Eden's passing caused him. He really did reach out and not just to the family and the wider community. I refer to how touched Fr. Murphy was interacting with that young man and the devastation caused by the passing of Eden's life. The Senator is right, and Senator Keogan has mentioned it here before, that people are very quick to stand up and give out about religious staff and sometimes that is deserved but not always, and certainly not everybody. It is very few and seldom that we see people laud the work that they do in communities. I know for sure from my own parish, and the priests who were in our parishes but who have gone to different parishes, and Senator Keogan will probably know who I am talking about, they are wonderful men who support communities and they certainly do not get the praise they deserve. I thank Senator Joe O'Reilly for bringing up this matter.

Senator Carrigy talked about the warmer homes scheme and the fact that we need to examine measures to speed them up. I will write a little note to the Minister this afternoon to ask him to come back to us with the plans for the short and medium term. I take on board the use of language that he raised here this morning. The language that we use is very important but it is something that has become accepted now but it should not be and should be challenged. I thank the Senator for bringing the issue up this morning.

Senator Gallagher and others talked about the leaving certificate today. I nearly feel sick listening to myself talk about it but that is probably because I have a young man at home who is studying and he will not let me forget about it. My son constantly quotes to me what Deputy Barry says every single day because he is so impressed by him.

It is wonderful that 17 and 18-year-olds in the last couple of weeks have become politically attuned to what it is that we do because they are interested in the decisions that we are going to make, as they have a direct impact on them. We read, periodically, how political parties are going to engage young people. When one talks about what is important to them then they get engaged and that has really been shown in the last couple of weeks. What is crucial this week is that we show that we have listened to young people and have heard what they have had to say. I hope that the Minister and, indeed, the steering group really do understand the effects that stress due to Covid has had on them in the last number of years. While we all welcome the fact that today we are going back to whatever the new normal is, their normal has not been anywhere near normal for the past 24 months and we need to take that into account.

Senator McGreehan sought a debate on the future of SNAs. At the moment the unions have a campaign on respect for SNAs. We have spoken about this issue here before and it is something in which we should engage. The 18,000 people who look after the care needs of children in school, and do it so well, should be applauded and supported, so I would agree with that.

Senators Lombard and Hoey spoke about the Russian interactions and intentions over the next couple of weeks. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, is obviously far more diplomatic than I would be when he described these things as unwelcome and unwarranted. I think that there is something incredibly sinister and menacing about the actions. We all know that this is far more than training with live missiles off the coast of a neutral country that does not have the monitoring capabilities.

Whether it is from a sonar perspective, as Senator Higgins has spoken about, from an ecological perspective or to pick up the tab for the damage it will potentially do, we all know something sinister is going on. It is far from innocuous training that was going on. I will leave it the Minister, Deputy Coveney, and his far better diplomatic skills to deal with it and to ensure we have the support of the European Union. To that end, this morning I asked for a debate, because it is timely, and I have no doubt that they will not pull out between now and next week. As soon as I have a date for that I will organise it in the schedule for next week.

Senator Horkan asked for a debate on remote working. There will be one because the heads of the Bill that were passed by Cabinet this morning will go to the committee for pre-legislative scrutiny but it is probably important that we have a debate here to highlight all the good measures we have seen over the last two years and to weed out some of the harsh practices employers sometimes use. We should make sure we see them coming before they sneak up. I will organise that in the coming weeks.

Senator Currie has been speaking about remote working for years, long before it became cool during Covid. It has accelerated people’s acceptance of it and their appreciation of the fact that the two hours most people spend commuting every day do not need to be so spent. The appreciation of being able to spend more time with our families is lovely. One thing that was nice about the last two years was that participation in the workforce by women, or returnees as we call them, has increased by 3%. That is massive and it is to be welcomed and worked upon.

Senator Fitzpatrick talked about O'Devaney Gardens and the welcome news that the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage got the go-ahead from Cabinet this morning to proceed with those 1,000 plus homes that are so badly needed in that area.

I am sorry to say this to Senator Craughwell and I hope he understands but I cannot accept his amendment to the Order of Business only because I cannot get anybody today. In the time since he raised the issue – and Senator Keogan first proposed it - I have secured a debate for next Wednesday on the search and rescue tender. I have also instructed that without having the business case in our hands before the debate then the debate is fruitless. To that end, I have also extended the time for the navigation Bill in order to get the Minister here for the afternoon. I ask the Senator to accept that I will have that debate next Wednesday but not without the business case, which has been altered on the basis of the announcement that was made for the Cabinet this morning. We all need to see it and I am surprised that the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications has not received it yet, given that it had requested it. I hope that suffices and that we will have the debate next week.

I thank the Leader.

The Senator is dead right. If nothing else he has the passion to keep bringing something he cares about to this House and to everybody’s attention every week. I have no doubt, whether he is right or wrong, that his bona fides will be appreciated by the end of this.

Senator Seery Kearney talked about the massive increases in remote working hubs she will see in Dublin 8, which is welcome. Again that forms part of the requirement for a debate on remote working. Senator Murphy talked about the active travel money announcements yesterday. He also talked about the paths and dangerous bends on our roads. These are the bread and butter issues that we know mean so much to the people in our communities so I thank him for bringing that up.

I was not here last week to welcome Senator Flynn back and I know she is not in the Chamber at the moment but like Senator Murphy I would like to welcome her back. She is a massive addition to this Chamber. We have probably been talking about leaving certificate reform since I did my leaving certificate and that is not today or yesterday. It was appropriate and it stuck in my mind when she said the end of our school days should be about rewarding learning abilities and not just rewarding people who have good memories. Unfortunately that is the way our leaving certificate model is established.

The CAO points and the fact that there are only ten places for 25 people even though we need 30 nurses are bizarre and bonkers. The last couple of years have forced our teachers' unions and the entire school community to do something they would have never done in a million years if we did not have to and if we did not have Covid. It is a difficult task and I do not envy the Minister for Education because it is a difficult job. Where there are people and negotiations there is always difficulty but we have shown that we can do it and that we can do it fairly. There is grade inflation and that is the downside to it but we must increase the number of places we have on offer. We acknowledge that if we had 1,000 new nurses tomorrow the HSE would be able to employ them and yet we only train 400 or 500 every year. It makes no sense. Let us find the places because we need the resources of the young men and women who want to be in those professions. I welcome Senator Flynn back and thank her for her contribution.

Senator Hoey talked about the Russians and I will organise a debate on that issue.

Senator Ó Donnghaile spoke about welcoming Dáil tours back, whether it is active age groups, school tours or Tidy Towns organisations. It really will be lovely to see this place buzzing again the way it used to be over the last four years. As the Senator said, a number of people who have been elected to both the Dáil and Seanad in the last couple of years have never experienced this place when it is at full tilt so it will be really welcome.

Senator Keogan asked about bringing the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, into the House to make a statement about Covid certificates. She is absolutely right. I will contact his office this afternoon to try to arrange a date and come back to the Senator. She is right, however. Some of the things that have happened in the last number of years such as outdoor dining would never have been accepted in the psyche of Irish people. We have always been these cold creatures who would sit outside and freeze. The reality has been entirely different. People have genuinely enjoyed the pedestrianisation and friendly family atmosphere that became evident in their towns and villages, and long may it last. Whatever extensions to legislation or by-laws that need to be done should be done. I will certainly bring it up with the Minister of State.

The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, talked about green shoots and her plans and ambitions for tree planting in this country which, again, is very welcome. When somebody is talking about something they love, the passion just exudes from them and comes naturally, which is great.

Senator Ahearn spoke about passports with equal passion. Again, we talk about the bread and butter issues that people bring to us. It was an unprecedented disaster last year and given what we know about the pent-up backlog, I am not even sure that 300 staff will be enough. It is welcome but as the Senator said, we absolutely need to see them now. We need to see them immediately. We need to see accelerated processes because the priority passports are no longer priorities. People who apply online get them within two or three days while the priorities are waiting weeks. As Members will know, a person cannot do his or her first application online when it comes to new children, plenty of whom have not been outside of the country in the last few years. I will certainly bring the request for statements to the Minister as a priority.

Senator Malcolm Byrne opened today by encouraging those people who can afford to do so to go out and look after the people who have been absolutely crippled for the last couple of years, whether it is going to Copper Face Jacks, a local burger joint or even just out for a pint - a real pint of Guinness as opposed to a home-made one. It is something we should all do to genuinely enjoy the company and sociability we have missed so much for the last 24 months. There is an awful lot to be catching up on. On a more serious note, the Senator talked about the online safety and media regulation Bill and the need for the Minister to come back with reassurances on points that he and his committee colleagues made. I will certainly send that note to the Minister today and hopefully be able to come back to the Senator as soon as I can.