I raise the issue of illegal pushbacks across the European Union and the devastating effects they are having on the victims themselves but also on the values that we so often hear proclaimed regarding the European Union. I want to quote directly from a report from the Greek Council for Refugees that was published two weeks ago and has not made any news on this side of the media. Regarding about 37 Syrians, including 17 children, who were effectively abducted by the Greek coast guard and Greek police, it states:

Once again the people were separated into a group of women and children and a group of men. They were ordered to take off their clothes, under wear and shoes. The women and men were mocked and harassed by approximately four men in military uniforms who used a stick to scratch their genitalia. Afterwards, they used the same stick to rape the men, while they used their fingers to rape the women in front of the children. Subsequently, they assaulted them by throwing ice cold water on them. A woman in police uniform led the women and children inside the building and ordered them to put their clothes back on quickly. They never got their shoes back. The men got back only their clothes, and were taken inside the building to a small room with a squat toilet, which could not be used. Soon after, men, women and children were locked up in one room. Everyone was asking desperately for water and food, but to no avail.

It is a horrific example but there are a host of more examples in this report. I confronted the Greek minister for migration directly in September in Athens. He used the phrase “fake news” regarding the appalling abuse. We should also remember our fellow Irishman, Seán Binder, who remains there on charges.

What is happening across Europe is absolutely disgraceful. It flies in the face of the values that we all claim to believe in. I ask for an urgent debate on the issue. I also would request that the Acting Leader would write to the Greek ambassador. Someone has to cry “Stop”. Someone has to cry “Halt". I feel confident that everyone in this room would be equally horrified by what I have read into the record today. The problem is it is going on and no one is saying anything about it. It is time that we cried "Halt" to these horrific abuses of our fellow human beings.

I support Senator Gavan’s call for that debate. What he read into the record is horrific. I think all Members would support such a debate as soon as possible.

I also support Senator Malcolm Byrne. The Acting Leader will be familiar with the Defence Forces issues. She raised them a considerable number of times. I support Senator Malcolm Byrne on the navy shortages experienced at the moment. It is time that this House got the chance to debate the commission’s report and also talk about the working time directive, which I and others in representative unions believe is affecting the number of people who wanted to join the Defence Forces. There is also the issue of retention in the Defence Forces. I support Senator Malcolm Byrne on that.

I want to bring up the report published last week by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, SVP, on energy poverty entitled Warm, Safe, Connected. The report draws on CSO data as well as the experiences of SVP members. The SVP is supporting households facing bills they simply cannot pay or are finding it impossible to keep the meters turned up. The SVP reports that requests for help with energy are 40% higher in 2022 than they were in 2021. The reason I bring this up today again is that in my own clinic on Monday last, I dealt with two pensioners. One's bill was €970 and the other's was €1,050.

When I rang one of the energy providers, the best I got from the staff member, after 40 minutes of discussion, was a suggestion to contact the Money Advice & Budgeting Service, MABS. That is simply not good enough. That pensioner was not in a position to spend 40 minutes on a phone call to be told at the end that the best the person could do was contact MABS. Can we invite the Minister to appear before the House to discuss this? It is happening more and more regularly in the clinics I hold throughout my area and I am sure other Senators are having a similar experience. It is not good enough.

I raise also the recent abuse of referees and match officials that was reported over the weekend. Will the Minister of State with responsibility for sport come before the House in order that we can discuss the matter? We are all, no doubt, looking forward to a summer of sport, but if the officials and referees are not there, it simply will not happen. This is occurring in all sports and something has to give. We need to talk to the Minister of State and we need intervention from the Government in the form of a campaign to stop this behaviour. I ask the Acting Leader to ensure that will happen.