I call the Deputy Leader to respond.

If there is definitely no one else coming in the door.

There is, actually.

Senator Currie is just in time.

Senator Currie timed it so she would have the distinction of stopping the House in action.

I wonder what I am walking myself into. Perhaps I am missing something.

I give my condolences and sincere sympathy to the family of David Hill and his colleagues, and to our own colleagues who have spoken so eloquently today and from such a heartfelt place. It could not have been easy for any of them, so our thoughts are with them as well. I am a big supporter of any kind of cross-community sports. I think sport is a great leveller and it brings people together. In fact, this Sunday, in Seaview in Belfast, the Limestone United under-16s football team from north Belfast will take on Palmerstown Football Club, who are from west Dublin, close to where I grew up. That is being supported by the Cathaoirleach and the Mental Health Commission chief executive, John Farrelly, and there will be an emphasis on mental health on the day. Sport is a great leveller and a way we can come together. I know there was a shared island dialogue on this recently as well.

I also want to reflect on the 800 P&O workers who were brutally and shamefully sacked a few days ago without any consultation or advance notice. It is owned by a Dubai-based company called DP World and the action has not been taken under Irish law, but there are an estimated 25 workers from the Republic and 35 from the North. A strong message needs to go out from this Government that that is just not acceptable. Is there any opportunity to engage with our counterparts in the North on this issue? As I said, the message needs to go out that it is not acceptable that they would be replaced by people who are going to work for less. We need to take that very seriously in terms of provisions here so no other companies can take the same steps.

I call the Deputy Leader to resume responding to the issues. It is hoped we will be able to succeed on this occasion.

I better get going quickly before I get cut off again. I thank all the Members for their contributions on the Order of Business. Just as I was getting to my feet, a number of contributors walked in in a similar fashion, so Senator Currie and I were joking.

Senator McGahon kicked off the Order of Business by speaking about the really sad passing of David Hill. I extend my sympathies and, on behalf of the House, those of the other Senators to David's family. We will have a minute's silence after I conclude my remarks. To Senators McGahon and Horkan and anyone else who was there, I say that I cannot imagine what it would have been like to be there. It was a really shocking event. Our thoughts are with David's family, friends and colleagues and everybody who was there at the time. Senators McGahon and Horkan spoke very eloquently, and I could not have put better their comments on the man and the impact he had. May he rest in peace.

Senator Dooley spoke next. He raised a couple of issues. He wanted first to pay tribute to Paul Kavanagh, who served in this House, and to extend our sympathies to Paul's family, including his wife Anne-Marie.

Senator Dooley also spoke about the rising cost of fuel, as did Senator Warfield in the context of the cost of living. The cost of fuel is becoming a massive issue and it is going to continue. We have to acknowledge that this is not just an Irish problem but an issue globally. Oil prices are going up and the war in Ukraine is exacerbating the issue, so it is not just being felt here. There is a cost-of-living debate happening in many other countries. That is not to say we do not have a job to do here as public representatives to try to deal with it, but it is important to be honest with the public that this is not an easy issue to fix or to solve quickly. The Government, however, is working hard to try to resolve it. We saw the fuel allowance lump sum of €125 in the last budget. We have seen a reduction in the cost of diesel and petrol through excise, 15 cent on diesel and 20 cent on petrol. I know it is not a lot in the wider scheme of things but it is an attempt to try to bring that cost down. There was also the energy grant and the €200 rebate to every household in the country, and now we have €100 a week for every haulier to try to reduce the cost of their fuel to do their jobs, to put food onto our shelves and to keep the country running. The Government is doing its very best to try to manage the rising cost of fuel and the cost of living, which is impacting every household and every business. We are monitoring it very closely because we know how severe the impact is on so many households.

Senator Dooley also spoke about the discussions at Cabinet level today about the possibility that Ireland could see up to 200,000 refugees, which is a phenomenal number of people, come into our country. It will be an extremely difficult task. I know from conversations I have had with my local authority in Mayo that we are looking at contingency beds in public halls and any hotel space we can find. The difficulty is that some hotels have capacity midweek but not at the weekends. We do not want to shift mums and their children from place to place on a Thursday and back again on a Monday. This will really push our country and our citizens, every inch of this island, to the limit, but I have no doubt but that with the humanitarian response, the charity and the love we will show people who have arrived here and who will arrive here, we will get through this. It will not be easy, however. It will be really difficult. It is really important for public representatives of all parties and none to try to refrain from any populist commentary that might inflame the situation or speak of it as though it is easy to deal with and easy to solve. I know most will refrain, but there will always be one or two. This is not an easy thing to deal with. It is important that all of us band together during this time because this will not be fixed in the next six weeks. We are talking months and years of dealing with this issue. It will expand and become more pressing, so it is important we all collectively, as a country, work together to try to support these people as best we can and hope to God they can get back to their own country as quick as possible and that they have homes to go to. However, when we see the devastation, it could be some time before Ukraine can be rebuilt and people can be got back to their homes, but that is the ultimate aim. I know from talking to the Leader of the House that there will be statements on Ukraine dealing with all aspects, whether higher education, education or health, of this matter. We will deal with this issue in this Chamber on a weekly, rolling basis. Whatever comes along, there will be an opportunity for all Members to have their say, to contribute on the floor of the House and to work with the Government and our Ministers to try to deal with this issue collectively.

Senator Boyhan also spoke about the refugee issue. He acknowledged the work of our Cathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly, and our Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, in the US over St. Patrick's week, and all our Ministers who went off to represent our country and our people in what is a really important week, not just an important day, for our country in putting Ireland on the international map and building on the immense goodwill we have in so many countries across the globe, something we should never take for granted.

Senator Warfield also paid tribute to David Hill. He also spoke about the cost of fuel in particular but also the cost of living.

I dealt with that in my earlier contribution. The Senator spoke about how people are cutting back on their central heating. We certainly have to keep an eye on that issue. For low-income households this can be the difference between putting food on the table and heating their homes. We have to be very cautious.

Senator Sherlock spoke about the P&O staff who were let go, as did Senator Currie. I concur with both Senators that the manner in which those staff were let go was shocking. I join with Senator Currie in remarking that we should send a message that it is not acceptable in this country. The company's location makes it more difficult but we extend our solidarity to the workers North and South. It is a shocking way to treat any staff member regardless of the reason behind letting them go.

Senator Horkan paid tribute this morning to David Hill and called for a minute's silence which we will do after this. The Cathaoirleach will facilitate that.

Senator Buttimer requested a debate on customer care and customer service and the role of ComReg. He spoke in particular about the frustration many consumers feel in trying to contact businesses when they need customer services. Many businesses make them go through lots of hoops before they can speak to a human being. We will certainly request that debate.

Senator Craughwell spoke this morning about the need for a debate in this House on neutrality. That debate was requested by a colleague a couple of weeks ago. We are working on it.

I have been requesting it now for over a year.

Perhaps the Senator has. I will cede to that. I might add that the debate has already happened among the public. On many issues, the Oireachtas can be way behind where the people are at. Nonetheless we have a job to do and it is timely that we would have a debate in the House on that issue. It will probably be a rolling debate that will evolve over time. Certainly it is something we need to do.

Senator Craughwell also spoke about the €1,000 payment to front-line workers. I am aware that the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, said that if there were challenges or issues where certain workers were excluded, they would look at that. The attempt that was made by the Government, which was a difficult one to solve, was to try to identify those front-line healthcare workers. I think in particular of those working in intensive care units in hospitals who were at the front line actually caring for Covid patients at a time when they were unvaccinated and there was pressure on personal protective equipment, PPE.

So did care workers.

That is a certain level. They were trying to strike the balance. There were so many workers on the front line including in retail, delivery drivers and every aspect of healthcare, but there was a certain level where they put their lives on the line in a very real way. Trying to identify those was not an easy task but I take the point the Senator is making.

Maybe the officials were coming off a 12-hour shift.

Senator Craughwell, please.

I have no problem there, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. I take the point. It is a difficult one to get 100% correct.

Senator Malcolm Byrne raised the issue of the boil water notice in Wexford town. There was 11 days of a boil water notice there. I recall that the Senator raised the issue in respect of Gorey last year in that E. coli situation. It is no secret that Irish Water is in need of additional funding. It is certainly worthwhile to have a debate on its role and the work it needs to do. We will request through the Minister's office to get that at the earliest opportunity.

The Senator also requested a debate on the implications flowing from the Ukrainian situation for education and higher education. I have put that request in today as well and will seek it at the earliest opportunity. We will probably split the debate in two between education and higher education and request both Ministers to come in and answer the questions the Senator raised. The situation will test our education system at all levels; there is no doubt about it. I cannot answer the question about the Ukrainian students currently here or Irish students abroad. Logic would dictate that if there are Ukrainian students here, they should be treated the same. If there are new rules, they should apply to all. That would be my view.

Senator Paddy Burke raised the issue of the wind farm in Galway and said that the ESB should pay the fines totalling approximately €17 million. I suggest that it might be worthwhile putting in a Commencement matter on that issue as it is quite a specific and niche question.

Senator Boylan raised the issue of blood donation and the lack of a public awareness campaign as changes are coming in on 28 March. She suggested that it has been handled as a low-key change. I am aware of it but perhaps that is due to being in the Oireachtas. Maybe there is a different level of awareness. I am not really sure. Certainly if there is a shortage we should be publicising that the system is now more open in terms of people donating. I tend to pass out when I give blood so it is something I cannot do as easily as others. We should not have to be importing blood if we can increase our supply here, which would be good for everybody. It is absolutely a worthwhile suggestion.

Senator Cassells spoke about the likelihood that Ireland along with the UK will host the European football championships.

I will not pretend to have vast knowledge of this whole area but I do think it would be a fantastic event for us to host. I am not aware of the particular issue around Hill 16. That was news to me this morning but it would probably be worth tabling a Commencement matter on it because it is quite a specific issue. Regardless of people's views on different sporting events, Hill 16 probably means something to everybody in the country. It is a famous terrace and I would hate to see a change made that was not logical or reasonable. What the Senator said was certainly news to me but it was very interesting and would be worth raising directly with the Minister as a Commencement matter.

Senator Carrigy spoke about July provision and put on the record of the House that the money allocated last year was not spent. This has been an ongoing issue that has been raised almost every year. Resources are available but, for some reason, schools are not availing of them and at the end of the day, students lose out. Reform of that system is long overdue. If resources are available, they should be spent and children should be prioritised. If there is a reason schools are not taking up that offer, it needs to be identified and addressed. It would be worth raising this matter with the Minister for Education - perhaps through a Commencement matter. Again, it is quite a specific issue. Doing so would be quite timely as we are heading into that period. I concur with the Senator's remarks on the need to exercise a degree of cop-on when it comes to how we deal with younger children who often have sniffly noses. However, this should not be conflated with having Covid. A balance must be struck because children must get their education. We cannot be overzealous in how we apply those rules and must ensure children can get to school within reason. I hope most schools are doing their best in that regard. I take on board the serious issue raised by the Senator. If children are being consistently told to stay at home, it is not an acceptable position.

Senator Conway spoke about the Ukrainian refugees and what everyone in Clare is doing. He spoke about the numbers coming to his county and the fantastic response from all the agencies there.

Senator Dolan spoke about the St. Patrick's Day parades. I concur with her remarks. I was also quite impressed with what people pulled together essentially in the space of two months. Normally they would plan a St. Patrick's Day parade a few weeks after the previous one. They only got the green light in January so hats off to all the parade committees across the country that managed to pull those parades together, get schoolchildren involved and get floats out and costumes made. It was really impressive. I walked in the parade in my home town of Castlebar and we had the largest crowd I have seen at a parade in years. It was phenomenal. For lots of younger children, it was the first parade they could remember going to so it was really important for the community. They did a great job at such short notice and it is worth acknowledging that.

Senator Lombard spoke about the discussions at Cabinet on the food ombudsman. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is working very hard on this issue. The appointment of a food ombudsman has been sought by farming organisations for many years. I think we will all agree that farmers should be paid a fair price for their produce and that the push for cheaper and cheaper food all of the time, which benefits consumers, can be very damaging to agriculture and the farming sector so we must strike the right balance, which is where the ombudsman comes in. The Senator posed questions about whether it is being watered down or whether it will have teeth. We have to trust that the Minister is listening to the farming organisations, and I know he is, and see what is produced in terms of legislation. We will judge the legislation when we have it in front of us. We cannot pre-empt what might come through those discussions.

Senator Currie finished the Order of Business by concurring with the remarks regarding David Hill and referring to Limestone United in Belfast playing-----

Palmerstown Football Club.

I wish both teams the best of luck and hope they enjoy the game. It is great to see cross-Border sporting engagements with younger people promoting mental health on the island. It is a fantastic event and there should be more of that. When a football is put on the ground anywhere in the world, people know what to do with it so it is a really great leveller. It is lovely to see those events going ahead. I also concur with the Senator's remarks on the P&O workers.

At the request of Senators Horkan and McGahon and others, and by acclamation of everybody, we will observe a minute's silence for the late David Hill. We offer our commiserations to his family.