The provision also allows for it to be debated six to 12 months after it has been published and launched, so the implementation or lack of implementation could be part of the debate with the Minister.

Anois, the Acting Leader to respond to the Order of Business.

I thank the Cathaoirleach and all my colleagues who raised matters this morning. Following the contributions from all Senators, I wish our colleague, Senator Nicole Ryan, the very best on the wonderful news of her new baby girl being born this morning. We all wish her well. Many of us in this Chamber understand the excitement and joy of a newborn baby coming into the world. It is such a special time for her and her family. I suggest we write, or the Cathaoirleach might write to her on behalf of all Members of the Seanad, to congratulate her on this wonderful news. She will have a busy time ahead, as many of us know, but I am sure she will manage the days and weeks ahead.

Senator O'Loughlin raised this morning an inclusion event in the Curragh Racecourse, congratulating and celebrating all the individuals from different abilities who are involved. She also spoke about water outages. This is obviously something that comes up in this Chamber a lot as regards the lack of communication from Irish Water. It is a real frustration for people in communities, particularly those that have a constant outage of water for one reason or another. The very least a member of the community would expect, if they did what Irish Water asked them to do, which is register and sign up to receive text messages or emails on when outages would happen and most importantly, when they were resolved, is to receive those text messages once they have signed up. According to the Senator, there are cases in Kildare where they have not and we will raise that with the Minister and ask for a debate. There have been many debates regarding Irish Water - committee debates and others - but we will raise it with the Minister. The Senator also mentioned the new Guinness plant being built down in Kildare. It is another great example of big investment happening outside of Dublin and creating jobs in rural Ireland. She gave two examples of that in her own area and obviously, that is to be welcomed.

Senator Duffy talked about being out meeting people in Dublin Central and Galway. I am sure he is meeting people in Mayo as well. He brought up a very interesting point. One of the challenges, and Senator Duffy and I have numerous friends in this position at present, is that people are looking to buy their first home. They are getting a mortgage from a bank, which is a challenge in itself for many but luckily, there are measures in place to allow people to get mortgages. They look for their dream home for where they want to live and they think they have a mortgage that fits the requirement to buy a house. However, it transpires that because of the competitiveness of it, they are sometimes not even close. I see houses in Tipperary that have an asking price of €360,000 and they are going for €540,000 and €550,000. It can be incredibly frustrating and I know many people who have gone through four, five or six competitive processes, have almost got to the end and have bid over what they can afford - they know it themselves but just want to have a family home - and are still losing. It can get very depressing for people. I am not sure of the countries that do it now, but it is certainly a very interesting suggestion and is worth having the debate with the Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, on it, whether that is a full debate on housing or a Commencement matter. That debate would be very welcome by many people in Ireland who find themselves in that incredibly frustrating position.

Senator Craughwell spoke today about a presentation happening in the audiovisual room regarding hypertension and stroke.

As he said himself, a stroke can happen at any age, not just his own. It is something that needs to be talked about more. There is a very good person in Tipperary, Mr. Martin Quinn, who holds a stroke conference every year in Cashel. Senator Clonan attended it this year. The conference focuses on the signs of stroke and the things that need to be done to recognise them. Support and recognition should be given by the Government going forward and I am sure a debate in this House would be helpful in that regard. Senator Craughwell issued an invitation to Members to attend an important discussion on the issue in the audiovisual room.

He also spoke about the purchase of four helicopters by the Defence Forces. Obviously it is important that the Defence Forces have money to buy much-needed equipment, whether that is helicopters or other necessary equipment. The type of helicopter purchased is a matter for the Defence Forces themselves and it is not for the Minister to get involved in that level of micro-management. However, as the Senator said, it is important that spending is in line with long-term Government policy in terms of supporting the Defence Forces. He outlined how all of this equipment has come from one country. In any expenditure decisions we make as a Government we should be trying to find ways to support Irish businesses, whether that is in the area of defence or any other area. There are lots of Irish companies, including one in County Louth, that would be very good in providing maintenance of Defence Forces equipment. The Government cannot buy helicopters in Ireland but it can give employment contracts to companies in Ireland for maintenance of equipment. A debate on that could be quite useful so I will contact the Minister in that regard.

Senator Joanne Collins raised the great news about Senator Nicole Ryan. She also spoke the EU Mercosur deal and Brazilian beef. As has been said, this is exactly the reason Government parties were not in favour of that deal. It would be helpful to have a full debate on the issues raised by the Senator. Mercosur was a very controversial topic before Christmas in the context of decisions made by this Government on the deal. This country has benefited hugely from trade deals but we also need to make sure that all food, beef in particular, that comes into this country is of a sufficiently high and healthy standard for the people of this country.

Senator Cosgrove raised the ambulance service and the issue of public services being given to private providers. We had a very good discussion in the Chamber yesterday on the Order of Business about the service that ambulance personnel provide across the country. A number of weeks are available between now and the next possible strike day to make sure that the concerns of ambulance staff are met and a compromise between both sides can be found. As the Senator said, if people are going into negotiations with preconditions, that is never helpful. Most negotiations should start with no preconditions. That said, I trust that both sides genuinely want to come to an agreement. A lot of the arguments that the ambulance service has put forward are very credible and need to be addressed.

Senator Cosgrove also spoke about contracts going to private providers and about big companies being involved in childcare provision. We all know that we do not have enough childcare providers at the moment. We have to make sure we have enough childcare spaces for people. We constantly hear of people, and I am sure it is also the case in Sligo, who cannot go back to work because they cannot find a childcare provider. That said, I understand the Senator's concerns in relation to the privatisation of services. I will take them on board and speak to the Minister but the real challenge is trying to find enough spaces across the country, whether in Sligo, Tipperary or anywhere else, particularly for children under the age of one. However, I accept that her concerns are genuine.

Senator Scahill raised an issue that he also raised last week, namely, fraudulent text messages and emails. Everyone has experienced this at some point, where a text message comes in asking one to send money to this, that or the other or to give bank details. The most recent example, which Senator Joe O'Reilly also spoke about last week, is a message purporting to be from one's son, on a new phone, asking for €50 to be sent on. It is a very easy trap for someone to fall into. Senator Scahill is right when he says the banks have a responsibility to make sure their customers are protected. Perhaps there is something the Government can to do in relation to that. We could have a debate with the Minister for Finance on what can be done. Some of these scams are just so simple and can easily catch people out. We need to do something. I am not surprised that the Senator has been inundated with emails and text messages from people who have been in that vulnerable position.

Senator Keogan raised the situation of clinical measurement physiologists, CMPs, and the fact that a lot of their workforce structures have not been updated in 40 years, which is phenomenal, considering the changes that have happened in the health service in that time. We were talking about the ambulance service yesterday, whose work structure has been updated twice in 60 years while that of the CMPs has not been updated in 40 years. That is certainly something that needs to be looked at and I will talk to the Minister for Health about it. I suggest the Senator raise it as a Commencement matter but I will talk to the Minister about it. It is good to hear that the Workplace Relations Commission is involved in trying to reach some sort of agreement. It would not be uncommon for the HSE to be seen as an organisation that is not as accommodating as it should be. It is important that the Senator raised that issue today in order to highlight it.

Senator Ní Chuilinn spoke about sports welfare and racist abuse. Like Senator Scahill, she has a full inbox in relation to the issues she has raised, which is very positive. Something that Senator Ní Chuilinn has been raising for quite some time now is a review of the Sport Ireland Act 2015 and the setting up of some sort of independent sports integrity unit to which sports people can go make a complaint, whether it is about racism or some other abuse, without fearing for their position. This has worked well in other countries, including Australia, for example, and it should be looked at here. I am sure that Senator Ní Chuilinn will work on this as part of the Oireachtas sports committee, of which I am also a member. I will invite the Minister to come to the House to discuss it.

Senator Nelson Murray spoke about energy costs and the real challenges they present for people. She related the case of a couple who one would not think would be under pressure with energy costs but who are actually going to their energy provider looking for a payment plan to get them through a tough period. That is replicated across the country because of the increases in energy costs, including electricity costs. That will continue, I suspect, over the summer and into the winter months. However, we have a budget coming up in October and the Minister for Finance is leaving all options open in terms of what can be done. That may include more supports for people to install solar panels, more options for retrofitting or direct support payments during the winter period. We have done it before during other crises and are lucky that we are in a position to do so again because we have a surplus that we can choose to spend on those who are most vulnerable and need most support. The Minister for Finance has outlined in the Dáil Chamber his openness and willingness to ensure that the budget in October meets the needs and demands of people through the winter months.

Senator Clonan spoke about the Minister for Defence, Deputy McEntee. I disagree with him when he says that she is totally out of her depth. He quoted something she said in support of Ukraine. I presume he supports the Minister's statement. He did not say so but went off on a different tangent. For the last four and a half years, this country has been totally supportive of Ukraine. We welcomed the fact that, because of recent elections in Hungary, the EU is now able to give a €90 billion package to Ukraine that was being held up by the former Prime Minister of Hungary. It is important to call out what happened last night in Ukraine in terms of the number of attacks.

We were given a false sense of security that there was going to be a three-day ceasefire but, clearly, that has not happened. When that is the case or when a ceasefire is broken, there is a responsibility on the Minister for foreign affairs to express on behalf of the people of Ireland our outrage that, in this case, so many bombs are landing on people in Ukraine. It is right and proper that this was done.

Senator Lynch raised the announcement last night by the European Union in relation to Brazilian beef and other food not being allowed in from 3 September. As she rightly outlined, this is a very good example of why there was caution within the Government, as I mentioned earlier, in terms of the Mercosur deal. We support trade deals, obviously, but if one of those four countries is not compliant with the requirements, as is the case with Brazil, that proves the case for why we were concerned. The Senator also mentioned, which is important, the investigative work by the IFA and the Irish Farmers Journal in Brazil to highlight these issues before President von der Leyen ever made that decision yesterday. Senator Collins also raised this issue. It is very apt that we ask either the Minister for trade or agriculture to come to the House and speak on the important decision that was made last night.

Senator Cathal Byrne raised the issue of payments for family carers and the 16,000 people in Wexford who receive that payment. It is normally €270 a week but some people, because it is means tested, receive a reduced payment and, unfortunately, some do not receive any payment at all. Thousands of people across the country care for loved ones, whether parents, grandparents or children with disabilities. They are doing that work because the care is for someone they love but that is saving the State a lot of money it otherwise would have to pay through the health service, hospitals and nursing homes. It is important that we in this House always recognise the work carers do. The programme for Government that was put together when the Government was formed includes a commitment to abolish means testing and increase the payment from €270 to €325. Senator Byrne makes a valid case in asking for a timeline for the implementation of that commitment. I am sure everyone in this House and the Lower House is often asked when that measure in the programme for Government will be introduced, given the Government has been in place for more than 18 months and we have not yet seen a timeline for it. It is a very credible request by the Senator that the Minister come here and outline the timeframe for when this will be done. I will ask the Minister's office whether that is possible.

Senator Tully made a really good point in regard to school transport. I do not know whether it is the case, but I do not doubt her for a second, that where the children of medical cardholders go to the school closest to their home, they automatically do not have to pay transport costs. There are changes coming in this area and it would be helpful to have a debate on them. The Senator made the point that if a pupil secures a concessionary ticket and the parent has a medical card, there is a charge for that transport . That seems very unfair. I do not think it would be very costly at all to change that and it should be done. I suggest that Senator Tully raise this as a Commencement matter with the Minister. It seems very unfair that people in that situation have to pay because they have a concessionary ticket.

The Senator also referred to the increased cost of transport to primary school from €50 to €100 and to secondary school from €75 to €150. This was raised a number of weeks ago in a political sense but most people in this House are well aware that there are a lot of school buses across the country that are not full, with spaces being taken but not used on a daily basis. That is because, in effect, the buses were given for free. It means people are missing out who deserve to be on those buses. Although the increase is there, it is important to recognise that we must ensure we have space for people who really need those spaces and not just have them taken up by children who are not using them.

Senator Andrews raised the Dublin city task force, referring in particular to its role in regard to regeneration and housing. I am not too familiar with the areas he talked about but I acknowledge his suggestion of having some sort of consultation with those groups and people in terms of what will be done. The Dublin city task force was established with the idea of regenerating the city centre. It is a good thing to do. In a lot of other cities across the country, people want a task force similar to the Dublin task force to be set up for their city and to have joined-up thinking in terms of how to make our cities the best they can possibly be. I know that is the Senator's intention as well. I understand members of the housing committee are going out to visit one of those sites. The Minister should be playing his part as well in terms of having an open discussion with the residents of that area. The Senator has made a very genuine request and we will contact the Minister's office in that regard. As I said, housing committee members will be visiting some of the sites, which is important.

The final contribution, by Senator Mullen, concerned the publication by the media committee of its report on online safety. We had what might be called a robust discussion at the committee this morning.

We might say it was energetic.

In fairness to the Senator, he made some very valid points. Neither he nor I were at the important committee meeting last Wednesday as we were engaged in business abroad. His concerns are genuine and should not be dismissed, and nor should it be suggested that nobody on the committee is in favour of a ban. That is not the case at all. Senator Mullen outlined his concerns very well this morning. Deputy Carrigy and other members of the committee would agree with him. I am one of those in agreement with him when it comes to some of the issues, including pornography. There is a lot more that can be done. The publication of the report this morning is very important but it is not true that everyone had the same view on the issues. There very much were differing views.

The report is the first step and, as the Cathaoirleach said, we will have an opportunity in this Chamber to debate it. The Minister has decisions to make in his Department. Something needs to be done. We cannot wait for the European Union to act on this. It would be much better if it did so, and did so quickly, but I suspect that will not happen. Therefore, the onus is on the Minister and the Government to publish legislation that will go through the Dáil and this House and will allow for a good debate. There are differing views on the issues and nobody, especially not any of us, is an expert on them. Somebody asked this morning whether there was anyone in the room who had used social media when they were under 16. None of us put our hands up, obviously, but we can see the negative impact such access can have on children. There is an onus on us as legislators to make sure we protect them as much as possible. When that legislation comes to the House, there will be a good opportunity to discuss the issues further.

I welcome to the Gallery the transition-year students from Salesian Secondary College, Pallaskenry, County Limerick, who are guests of Councillor Tommy Hartigan and Deputy Richard O'Donoghue. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann. If they were getting homework, I would say they should be let off it for the rest of the week but, as transition-year students, I am guessing they do not have any. If they come back next year as guests of Deputy O'Donoghue, they might be excused from homework.

I also welcome the representatives of Fitbug Fitness in Blanchardstown, who are guests of former service officer John Cunningham. They are most welcome to Seanad Éireann and I thank them for being here.