I thank the 15 Senators who contributed to this morning's Order of Business. We started with Senator Kennelly speaking about the GAA, the upcoming match between Kerry and Donegal and the fact that it is behind a pay wall. There is no doubt that it will be spectacular match. It is sad that the volunteers who spend their time week after week helping support their local clubs, training, washing gear and providing food, may be precluded from watching the match because it is behind a pay wall. The GAA is made up of the best of volunteers. The president Jarlath Burns typifies the very best of volunteerism. Any time I have heard him speak over the past year, he talks about the grassroots of the organisation. It is wrong that the match is behind a pay wall. The GAA gets plenty of State funding. I did a quick search while the Senator was speaking. Through the community sports facilities fund alone, about €97 million goes to GAA clubs, while Croke Park itself receives other specific funding. We will ask the Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Deputy McConalogue, not just to look at this but to take it very seriously and to contact the GAA. The Senator is right and I am happy to fully support him.

Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee spoke about International Nurses Day today and was supported by Senators Cosgrove and Ahearn. It is important that we recognise the contribution of the wonderful nurses working in so many different settings. Some of them are working in clinics, while others work in hospitals. Many of them work in nursing homes and schools as well. The fact that we have 92,000 nurses on the register means that we have to say "thank you" multiplied by 92,000 to recognise the huge contribution all of these nurses make.

Senators Clifford-Lee, Cosgrove and Ahearn spoke about Ireland's reliance on nurses from abroad. Sometimes a figure of 20% is bandied around. Statistics given by Senator Clifford-Lee show that it is far higher than that, with 22% alone coming from India and 8% from the Philippines. Compassion is a global language and I think nurses speak it fluently. They show up every single day with skill, patience, compassion, courage and resilience. It is completely shameful to see some of the racist comments that have been made. Senator Cosgrove spoke specifically about Helen Ogbu suffering racial abuse. We need to call it out. It is shocking. From what I have seen, Ms Ogbu is a very fine person and a very fine candidate. All of us stand in solidarity with her and say that is completely wrong.

Yesterday, I heard just a little of "Liveline", on which Suad Mooge, a medical student who has been chosen as the Dublin Rose, was speaking about the racial abuse she received. We have to call it out where it happens.

Senator Clifford-Lee asked for the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy James Lawless, to come to the House to speak about opportunities so we will not be completely reliant on those who are coming in, even though we are completely thankful for that. The Minister has given us a date – I think it is in the last week of May – to come here to speak about opportunities in further and higher education. We will certainly ask that he address this matter during that debate.

Senator Aubrey McCarthy spoke about the hantavirus. We were all very concerned when we heard the breaking news about the cruise ship. The Senator wished to commend the Taoiseach and the Baldonnel team, whose quick action ensured the two Irish citizens were brought home. It was a very difficult situation, particularly when countries started to refuse the ship permission to dock. We have to call for global compassion in cases like these because we cannot have ships simply left at sea when very serious circumstances arise. The two Irish citizens are now in quarantine and, as I understand it, they are doing well. We certainly wish them well.

Senator McCarthy also spoke about the supports being withdrawn from Ukrainians. The supports were very much needed when put in place. The associated payment was called the beneficiary of temporary protection, BOTP, payment for a clear reason. It was never intended to be permanent; it was always intended to be temporary. We do not want to see anybody homeless, whether they come from Ukraine or Ireland and regardless of their background. We want to see protections and supports put in place to ensure nobody becomes homeless.

We have to acknowledge that more than 1.2 million of the Ukrainians who left their country have gone back. They see a future in their own country despite what Putin is doing. The Ukrainian Government and President have called on people to return to rebuild their country. That has to be respected. Listening to debates on the radio this morning and yesterday, it was clear that the Government wants to put a plan in place to support those who wish to return to Ukraine, to ensure vulnerable people are supported and to recognise that many Ukrainians who came here and who wish to stay are in full employment and are able to pay for their own accommodation and resources. It is about putting a response in place to support affected people in their various scenarios. I know we will see some of the measures unfold over time.

Senator Conor Murphy spoke about the election results in Britain. Obviously, strong engagement is important to the relationship we have with the present and future British Governments. Only this morning, members of the UK trade committee were here. I believe they met members of six Oireachtas committees. I met one of the groups with members of the EU affairs committee. It was very good to see such strong engagement on our relationships going forward and I certainly agree with the Senator on that. We need to ensure Ireland does not become collateral damage. Cross-party engagement is exceedingly important.

I understand that the next UK-Ireland summit will take place in the next month or two. Again, that is important. The UK-Ireland summits are extremely important in terms of how we go forward. We have to acknowledge the shared island funds and supports being provided in conjunction with Northern Ireland.

Senator Cosgrove spoke about the 110th anniversary of James Connolly and Seán Mac Diarmada being sentenced to death, and what they spoke about at the time which was the need for the tradition and the need for change. There is always a need to honour the past, but there is also always the need to move on.

Senator Scahill spoke about the ambulance services, as did several other colleagues - Senators Gallagher, Boyle, Tully and Conway. We had several people speaking about that. In opening the debate, Senator Scahill spoke about the responsibility and training those who work in our ambulance service undergo. I acknowledge the incredible work ethic of our ambulance service. Thank God, I have very rarely had to engage with them on a personal basis, but when I have, the kindness and compassion in serving either myself or family members was absolutely second to none. We acknowledge all the workers.

I will make the point that while it is regrettable that SIPTU and Unite members have chosen to proceed with industrial action, we have to say the only real negotiation is done through dialogue. We absolutely have to have recognition of upskilling, and the pay structure has to be modernised. We also have to acknowledge there was a 3% to 14% pay rise agreement linked to reform offered, and this was on top of the 9.25% increase under the current public service agreement. We have to acknowledge that union leadership recommended this be accepted, but it was rejected following a ballot, which was the right of those union members to be able to reject that ballot.

While we want to see pay and reform, we need to acknowledge the right of those who have chosen to go out. There is a 24-hour work stoppage today. If we do not have agreement on 19 May, there will be a 48-hour work stoppage. If there is no agreement then, a 72-hour work stoppage will take place on 26 May. Hopefully, there will be some type of resolution before that, but contingency arrangements have been put in place. There is a reminder that the 999 or 112 phone service remains fully operational throughout the stoppages. Priority has been given by the HSE to patients facing emergencies, such as cardiac or respiratory arrest and serious trauma, such as those arising from road traffic accidents. However, we have to urge people to consider alternative healthcare options during the stoppage. We certainly hope that by the time 19 May comes around, negotiations will have ensured there will be no further stoppage there.

Senator Keogan spoke about inconsistencies in Commencement matters and responses. I have to say I have found the Seanad Office, particularly Carmel, very helpful in helping to suggest rewording of Commencements to ensure we get the proper and appropriate response, but I recognise the frustration that is there.

Senator Boyle spoke about givinostat for children. It is a very difficult situation, and we totally support that this should be given to those who need it. I acknowledge those who have raised it before, particularly my colleague Senator Teresa Costello and Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan, who have put a lot of work into this area.

I am not sure I acknowledged Senator Tully talking about the ambulance service, but she has also met with the ambulance services and is of course supporting those who work within the service, as well as supporting a settlement on that.

Senator Clonan spoke about the public consultation that is happening in Aviva Stadium tomorrow around a payment for those with disability. I have to say I reject the words that he is using. He called it a PR stunt and a photo opportunity. I totally reject that. People living with disabilities always say "nothing about us without us." Having a full piece of public consultation is something that Senator Clonan often asked for when I was a member of the disability matters committee with him. It is hugely important that those living with disabilities and those who represent them have the opportunity to come together on the scale that is envisaged at the Aviva tomorrow, to be part of the solution going forward. Absolutely, commitments were given in the programme for Government, and rightly so. However, there has to be a period in which to tease out all the different nuances that exist. I commend the Minister, Deputy Calleary and his team and those who are working on this. I have seen at first hand how committed the Minister, Deputy Calleary, is to this.

Hear, hear.

We need to spend a proportionate amount of time to make sure that we get it right. I think Senator Clonan is completely wrong in what he says.

Senator Sarah O'Reilly spoke about the Social Democrats' Bill in the Dáil. I acknowledge that it is a very difficult situation for any woman who has a crisis pregnancy. Our first thought must always go to that woman in relation to difficult decisions facing her. It is a difficult situation. There is no other area of healthcare where practitioners are exposed to criminal liability if things go wrong. In his response to this, the Taoiseach has said that the Government is committed to ensuring there is safe and equitable access to abortion services. Services for terminations up to 12 weeks are now provided in all 19 maternity hospitals. There are 491 community providers, following a sustained increase. That is important and it has to be recognised. I want to recognise here that there is a very broad spectrum of sincerely held opinion on the issue of legislative change on either side. Proposals of this nature require careful consideration. That is the only comment I will make in relation to that.

Senator Martin Conway looked for a national audit on vacant properties in the ownership of the State, where buildings that are now derelict can be used either for housing or, indeed, for community use. I completely agree with him. With the support of a Member of the Dáil, I submitted a parliamentary question on this in respect of my own county of Kildare. I certainly was not satisfied with the response I got. The information is not there and I was certainly aware of other buildings not mentioned in the reply. It is a huge piece of work but I support the Senator's call for it.

Senator Ahearn spoke about International Nurses Day and the ambulance. He spoke particularly about the nurses in Clonmel where he and his two children received the really important help that they needed.

And his wife.

Of course his wife, too. Senator Andrews spoke about the committee this morning at which My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue was present and the horrific situation in Rathcoole where a horse died while giving birth and both were sadly lost. It is shocking where we see neglect all over the country. My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue does incredible work in rescuing horses. Our animal rescue centres and the volunteers there do amazing work in rescuing animals, supporting them and trying to find new homes.

From the figures the Senator mentioned, thousands of dogs go in all the time to rescue centres but only 24 cases were brought to court. Along with puppy farms, etc., it is very sad to see the lack of consequences. The Senator has repeatedly asked for the Minister for agriculture, in particular, to come to the Seanad. It is an issue that cuts across the portfolios of the Minister for justice and the Minister for agriculture, but we will ask again for the Minister for agriculture to come. I think he needs to come in and talk about his Department's oversight and what it is doing. Following that, we can look for the Minister for justice to come. To be fair, he has been very good about coming to this House on issues of justice.

Those are my responses for today. I thank the Cathaoirleach.