I welcome our new colleague, Senator Nikki Bradley, to the House, which I did not have the opportunity to do previously. I know she will add a new and important perspective to our debates. It is wonderful to have her here. She is a neighbour of mine in Ulster, from the neighbouring county. I have huge affinities from childhood with Donegal and I look forward to working with her.

I support the remarks of Senator Gavan in relation to the Cathaoirleach, Mr. Martin Groves, Ms Bridget Doody and all of the staff, including all of our ushers. I wish them all a good summer and thank them for the good work that is done here. Things do not just happen by accident. There is a lot of background activity and I thank them all for that.

The good budgetary situation we are now in and the fact that a special Cabinet subcommittee on disability has been set up provide us with a unique opportunity to combine financial input with whatever background administrative changes are necessary through the office of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, who is very engaged with these issues.

This should be the budget, the year and the Government to bring an end to the waiting lists for assessments for myriad conditions, including autism, dyspraxia and dyslexia. A whole lot of assessments are required for young children to bring an end to the waiting lists for child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS. The opportunity is there because of our budgetary position and the will to do it should be there. I am proposing that when we return from the recess, there should be a set of debates before the budget or as the budget takes place, but ideally before it, on the issue of waiting lists. In a country with the wealth we have, those waiting lists are a scandal that needs to end. We have the opportunity to do that now and right-thinking people want it done. It behoves us to go about doing so. I ask the Leader to get the Seanad to be a leader in this area.

Like Senator Dolan, I express my congratulations to Gaillimh on its great win, and to Armagh. It will be a sensational all-Ireland football final. Of course, the hurling final will be played between the Cathaoirleach's county and County Clare. The combinations are a bit different this year, which will make for two good all-Ireland finals.

I will briefly return to the issue of crime in rural areas. I will speak about an issue I have been reluctant to talk about. Over recent months, I have come under enormous pressure on the issue of antisocial behaviour in Ballinasloe. Galway County Council works hard to allocate housing to people but when it allocates the housing, the people who are going to be the tenants will not take it up because of antisocial behaviour in the area. People do not want their children to grow up in those surroundings. It is appalling. I investigated myself and the antisocial behaviour is out of control. I do not like saying that. Community policing needs to be looked at. I spoke last week about the Minister coming into the House in September. We need that to happen.

As Oireachtas Members, we all have a responsibility. I am not having a go at the Minister, as I said last week. This is not me having a go at the Minister. As Oireachtas people, we have a responsibility and a duty to speak out on these issues. In parts of Ballinasloe, Galway County Council has allocated housing to people but those people have told me they cannot move into those areas. There are serious issues with alcohol and drug abuse and people are telling me that they cannot be expected to bring up their children in those types of surroundings. As I said, I investigated myself and it is happening. We must speak out on these issues. It is appalling that houses in some of our towns are being left closed up because of antisocial behaviour. We must tackle the issue. In September, we should seek a meeting with the Minister in the Chamber to discuss those issues.

I share in the thanks that have been extended to the Cathaoirleach, the Leas-Chathaoirleach, Mr. Martin Groves, Clerk of the Seanad, Ms Bridget Doody, the deputy clerk, and the entire parliamentary community for the work they do on our behalf. As others have said, it is a mammoth task and is getting more difficult and challenging all the time. We appreciate that and hope people get a break over the summer.

When we come back in September, the likelihood is that it will be for a short period. I would like a specific debate on the role of carers. A lot of background work is taking place within the Government to adopt a new approach to the carers and the work they do. I look forward to that because we have an opportunity now, as the budget cycle begins, to do something significant to support the thousands of carers who are caring for the elderly, people with disabilities, people with special needs and children. A scheduled debate would be useful.

Mr. Bernard Gloster confirmed on the radio yesterday that the report of Mr. Justice Frank Clarke into the tragic death of Ms Aoife Johnston is with him. I believe it will include recommendations to improve things. I also understand from statements that were made last April and May that the terms of reference that are going to be given to HIQA to carry out its short and sharp review of emergency facilities in the mid-west were contingent on this report.

We are coming to the end of this Oireachtas cycle. This HIQA report was promised last May. I want a timeline for when we are going to have this report. Following on from that, we need a debate on that report. Over the summer period the Leader could perhaps engage with the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, to clarify the timeline so that we can have that debate and hopefully improve emergency services in the Midwest.

I will start by thanking the Chair and the Leader of the House for their support over the last term. I thank the staff of the Seanad for their ability to work with this House in such a wonderful way.

This afternoon, we heard significant debate on whether or not we should have the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, brought before the House to discuss issues of law and order and the justice system itself. A debate of that nature might be appropriate if we take into consideration where we are in making sure that certain parts of the State when it comes to the Judiciary, get through the Houses of the Oireachtas. I speak of the Special Criminal Court which is a really important tool. It has been passed in both the Houses of the Oireachtas and passed in this House at the end of June. It is a significant tool that needs to be supported.

As we are all here to support An Garda Síochána and the Minister, it was unfortunate that certain elements of the Oireachtas voted against that. It should be acknowledged that elements of Independent Ireland and People Before Profit voted against that issue. We need to have political debate on whether you are for or against this Special Criminal Court or totally opposed to it. I was shocked to think that two parties decided to vote against such important legislation. A debate with the Minister in this House is important. We need to flesh out the views of Michael Collins's part in Independent Ireland on the issues of why he has a problem with the Special Criminal Court. The court has done so much to ensure that we have a safe society.

We need to take into consideration why it was set up in the first place. It was to prevent the State from falling into rack and ruin regarding issues related to Northern Ireland, gangland murders and everything else, yet they still vote against this proposal. A debate in this House about those issues is important because we need to flush out the people who are speaking from both sides of their mouth when it comes to law and order. You are either in favour of it or you are not. You are either supporting the Garda Síochána and judges or you are not. It is quite obvious that Independent Ireland and Michael Collins is not supporting them.