I once more raise the issue of trolley numbers at University Hospital Limerick, UHL. Today, according to the INMO, there are 105 patients in UHL who do not have beds. That is double the number in next nearest hospital, University Hospital Galway, where 54 people are waiting for beds. Unfortunately, the numbers in this regard have been tracking upward again in recent weeks. I ask that the Minister for Health come before the House to provide an update on the welcome news regarding the site that has been acquired near Dooradoyle in Limerick at which more acute beds are to be delivered. The first step to bring this forward would be for the hospital project board to be constituted. I would like an update from the Minister on progress in that regard.

There were a number of questions. Senator O'Loughlin referred to the 1926 census, which was released this week. There have been 20 million hits on the website, which is phenomenal. Most families have been talking about it. Members of my family have been discussing our ancestors. There was a discussion in my house about how there were four in the family working full-time on the farm in 1926. The farm is now twice the size it was 100 years ago, and we have two people working part-time on it. Lifestyles and work are different, but people have a great interest in what they are finding out from the 1926 census. It is important that there is going to be a roadshow across ten centres, and, obviously, Naas, County Kildare, is an important area for Senator O'Loughlin.

The Senator also spoke about Kildare getting the lowest funding per capita in the country. I will speak with the office of the Minister, Deputy Calleary. There has obviously been a lot of funding put into rural Ireland over the past seven or eight years, but we need to have future-proofing for areas with populations that are growing faster than those in other areas. I will ask the Minister's office if the Minister is available for a debate.

Senator Scahill spoke about a radio interview he was listening to this morning during which the Roscommon Community Sports Park group came up. He is right that it is important to have good sports facilities in Roscommon and in other places across the country for a number of reasons. The Senator spoke about an athletics track. I know about this from experience. Four or five years ago, we built an athletics track in Clonmel, County Tipperary. It was done through moneys provided by the Department of housing from urban regeneration and development fund. Money is also available through the rural regeneration and development fund if a town has a population of less than 10,000. This is a prime example of putting funding into what is not a major sport in this country but that is important for people in an area. At the sports committee, a number of smaller sports groups and organisations came in to discuss funding and how we can support them.

The Senator also spoke about the rural-urban issue, which has been the subject of discussion over the past 24 hours or so. It is important that when individuals are speaking in the media or in rooms like this, they do not try to create a further divide between people.

Most of the points that were made are just not factually true. One of the really important points to make, which the Senator understands as well, is that all those subsidies he talked about actually come from Europe and date back to when we joined the European Union. One of the main reasons for subsidies in farming and the farming community is to lower the price of food. That benefits everyone. It is disappointing and is certainly not a position held by me, by the Senator or, I am sure, by any elected representative in either House. It is unfortunate but it is not a position we hold.

Senator Keogan spoke about Escort Ireland advertising for sex. She mentioned that there are almost 900 people who are essentially being trafficked and used, albeit that they are classing themselves as independent escorts. A lot of work has been done on this by the National Women's Council but we have never had a debate like that in the House. It is something that should be discussed and I will raise it with the Minister for justice.

Senator Keogan also mentioned the online abuse of Senator Flynn. A number of others in the Chamber also spoke about that. It is absolutely disgraceful. We can all have different views and opinions in this House but that anyone on any side of this or the other House would be subjected to that type of abuse is utterly unacceptable. I know for a fact that no one here agrees with it. The Senator is very strong herself. I know that this must be difficult but she is well-respected and well-regarded in this House by all Members. We hope and we know that she will continue to do the good work she has been doing since being elected. Senator Keogan mentioned that Senator Flynn got the most female votes in the country. I know that to be true because she was on my panel and she was way ahead of me. She is well-respected across the country, obviously.

Senator Conor Murphy spoke about the spring economic statement, the surplus of €9 billion as opposed to €5 billion and how that can be used in terms of cost-of-living measures. First, it is important to note that we have a surplus and, at the very least, that gives us options. It has given us options over the last number of weeks in the measures that have been brought in by the Government to the value of €750 million to try to ease the immediate pressure on different sectors of society. It also gives us the option, if required over the summer or in the budget, of introducing additional measures. The cost of home heating oil, for example, is an issue for many people, particularly pensioners who need support. The important point is that we have the flexibility because of a strong, growing economy and because of decisions that were made in the last number of years to put money aside for situations like this, albeit most Opposition parties did not support that at the time.

Senator Noonan spoke about the traditional farm buildings grant. He is right that it is a very popular grant. I know that from my own county of Tipperary. He said that the funding has been cut by 50%, which seems like an awful lot. I will ask the Minister to come in to discuss it. He will be in later today for a discussion on the supports that have been announced as part of the cost-of-living measures. I am sure if the Senator sees an opportunity to raise it as part of his contribution to that discussion, the Minister will respond, but I will talk to the Minister to see if it is possible to have a debate on the matter.

Senator Flynn spoke about kinship care and how there are 12,000 children under that service, which is phenomenal. We often talk about carers and children being cared for through adoption. Senator Keogan and I talk a lot about fostering as well, but this is an area that does not get the same discussion and one that certainly needs support. I will speak to the Minister for children to see if a debate is possible. A Commencement matter might be a good way to go in getting information. This is work that is being done predominantly by relatives, whether they are aunts, uncles or grandparents. If it were not done, the State would have to step up and pay an awful lot of money to do it. When it is relatives taking on that care responsibility of parents who are deceased, it keeps that structure in place for the child and enables them to keep progressing because they are in a caring family environment, which is crucial for them. It is a good topic for a discussion and debate with the Minister for children.

Senator Comyn also spoke in support of Senator Flynn. She then spoke about the Drogheda Boys and Girls Football Club, which has 21 teams and does phenomenal work. It has received a letter from Irish Water and a bill of €26,000.

It does phenomenal work but received a letter from Irish Water of a bill of €26,000. It is just not possible for small clubs like that to fund bills that come totally unexpectedly while at the same time trying to raise money when they look for funding for other things, it be whether sports capital grants or anything like that. They cannot keep going back to parents and members of their clubs to try to get money. The Senator is right about better engagement with Uisce Éireann in relation to clubs like that which are hit with bills. I will contact the Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Deputy McConalogue, to see if something is possible. A Commencement matter might be a good option for the Senator to discuss it in more detail.

Senator Andrews spoke about sulky racing. He mentioned Clonmel and being from Clonmel I know it very well myself. This is a real scourge on a lot of areas. It has been an ongoing issue in Clonmel for many years. In relation to the horse that died this year, everyone locally knows who the people involved are. There is a feeling within communities that not enough is being done. We have invested quite a lot in recruiting more gardaí but an issue is a lot of the gardaí are going to Dublin as opposed to across the country and this needs to be discussed. I will ask the Minister for justice to come in to discuss it. An animal care unit would be a good first step.

Senator Nelson Murray spoke about Navan and CCTV there. She said that Meath has the lowest number of gardaí in the country but thankfully over 100 new CCTV cameras are being put in the town. I hope that will give people from the Senator's community a sense of safety but as she said, there is only so much a camera can do. It cannot convict someone - we need gardaí, as I just said, outside of Dublin. There are rural towns, of which Navan is one - as the Senator said, Meath has the lowest number per capita - that need gardaí walking on the streets just to have a presence and be seen. While it is really good to have the CCTV cameras for prosecutions and making sure people who commit crimes can be found, we just need more gardaí in place. I know the Senator is doing a lot of work in Navan on that to protect the people there so they can feel safer.

Senator Craughwell spoke about Senator Flynn and social media and his own experience of that. We have had social media companies before the media committee. As I think Senator Conor Murphy said at the start, you would not have too much confidence in them. I would have to concur. Senator Craughwell also spoke about bullying in the workplace and his own personal experience of seven years of bullying. There is a real challenge for companies to have set criteria to deal with bullying in the workplace because it can be a real issue, particularly for women. Something needs to be done about that. Perhaps the Government could set out guidelines for what companies should do. When we talk about bullying in the workplace, this is a workplace and there was bullying in this workplace last week, predominantly against women. It was not in this House, thankfully. We conduct ourselves much better than the Lower House. It is a prime example of where bullying happens and there is no accountability for it. Senator Fitzpatrick spoke about the economic forecast and asked for a debate with the Minister for Finance. I hope to have him come to the House in the next couple of weeks. It is a perfect opportunity to talk about the forecast, the cost of living and the outlook determined across three areas in respect of where we might be, especially because of the past number of weeks with the war in Iran and the implications of that. It is a good opportunity for this House to discuss the long-term impact, where we are going in terms of the economic forecast, what decisions might be made in the budget and to try to influence decisions those made come September and October.

Senator McCarthy also spoke about the comments about Senator Flynn.

He also spoke about Mick Finnegan, someone he knows well from his time at Cedar House, and said he was a keynote speaker recently. Mr. Finnegan is a prime example, as the Senator said, of someone who got support, was believed and was able to turn his life around and have a good quality of life. The Senator has been involved in that for many years and knows it extremely well. What happened to Mr. Finnegan could happen to anyone and we always need to remember that. All that needs to happen is for two or three things to go wrong in someone's life and they could end up in the same situation. We should always be mindful of that.

Senator Gallagher spoke about the importation of 40,000 tonnes of beef and noted that we export seven times more beef than we import, most of which comes from the UK via the Border between the North and the South. The Senator also referred to poultry exports between the UK and Ireland. It would be good to have debate on the matter. I will ask the Minister for agriculture whether he is available. He is coming in later to talk about the measures announced last week for the agricultural sector to address the cost of living. I will talk to the Minister's office to see whether it is possible.

Senator Boyhan thanked the Leader's office for the additional time for today's debate on fuel. It is an important debate to have. The Minister is available, so it has been possible to extend the debate. That is good. It will be an opportunity for the Minister to outline the supports available to farmers because a number of measures are being brought in. It will also be an opportunity for Senators to raise any concerns. It is important that we have the debate today and that it is lengthy enough to be fulfilling.

Senator Boyhan spoke about the Galway by-election and rural housing guidelines. As he said, anyone from a rural community will understand that there can be a great deal of frustration about the guidelines relating to building houses in rural areas. The Minister of State, Deputy John Cummins, is doing a lot of work within his party on discussing which options there are going forward and which decisions need to be made. I am sure when he is available to discuss those matters with Members of this House, he will be more than happy to do so. The Minister of State has always been available, in fairness, to come to the House to discuss anything relating to planning. He is eager to try to ease the pressure on people who want to build in rural Ireland and who want to live in their villages or homes. I think he will be able to do that soon. I will speak to his office to see whether he will be able to come in.

Senator Dee Ryan spoke about trolley numbers in University Hospital Limerick. It seems that this matter is always on the agenda. I know about it because a lot of people in west Tipperary go to the hospital in Limerick. The numbers are not acceptable, at more than 100, and are more than double those in Galway, which is in second place. That is not acceptable. We had good news with the opening of the new section of the hospital and the new site, but the Minister for Health has not been in the House in some time to debate health issues and, in particular, University Hospital Limerick. I will speak to her office to see if it is possible to have a debate. There is good news for Limerick, which is positive, but those trolley numbers need to come down. It would be good to have an opportunity to discuss the matter.