Cancer care west and defence tents
Senator Craughwell highlighted the need for improved cancer services in the west and then, linking to the Ukrainian accommodation issue, warned that the Defence Forces have been underinvested in for decades. He questioned whether the State has enough tents if needed.
That was a rather robust exchange. Thank God I am an Independent Senator and free from all of those constraints.
The Deputy Leader will have a particular interest in Cancer Care West and the presentation, which is going on across the road since this morning, with respect to the requirement for cancer services in the west of Ireland, particularly given the age profile, the incidence of cancer and the outcomes for those on the west coast who suffer from cancer. It is all very well for a service to be mentioned in the national development plan but, just like the point that was made this morning, we need to see design specifications and other things. I know that the Deputy Leader will take up the matter and she would be attending the presentation but for the fact that she must be here this morning.
Comment on this
My colleague, Senator Moynihan, mentioned the tent village that is about to be created, or has been erected, in Gormanston. It is horrific to think that families who come here must live in tents. As I said the other day, tents are fine in the summer if the weather is good but if one gets a bad summer then tents are terrible places to be. I agree that the tents are a short-term solution and I hope that this is a very short-term solution. However, such a situation brings into sharp focus the lack of investment in the Defence Forces over the past 30 years. Do we have more tents if we need them? Will we be able to erect them? Have we got sites for them if we need them? How quickly can we get tents if we need them?
The humanitarian side is all fine and dandy but unless the Ukrainians can knock tanks out then they will continue to suffer attacks in their home country. We have AT4s and Gustaf 84 equipment in the Curragh. Again, I ask the Deputy Leader to raise with her party the idea of sending these weapons. The story that weapons do not travel is a nonsense. The issue of neutrality is constantly being bandied around these days. The moment we supplied anything to either belligerent in this conflict we gave up any neutrality that we had. So let us send the weapons and give people the power to protect themselves. That is not a whole lot to ask.
Finally, again, I would like to have the Minister, Deputy Coveney, in here to discuss the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. It is a simple win right now to allow PDFORRA and the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO, if it wishes to go there, to affiliate with the union. That should be allowed straight away.