I express my condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Gerry Collins. I also send condolences to the friends and family of Ciara Mageean. It was devastating for the entire nation. She was clearly an elite athlete. Unlike a lot of elite athletes, she was not afraid to raise her voice, call out genocide and stand up for the Palestinians. It was a huge credit to her. She was a courageous athlete, but she was equally courageous in life. I acknowledge that.

Yesterday, my colleague Claire Lambert and I were on Rathmines Avenue. There are approximately 80 flats there. There are four blocks. There are boarded up flats in the middle of a housing crisis. There is a serious infestation of mice. One resident has caught 25 mice in the past couple of months. The lack of maintenance at Rathmines Avenue is unacceptable. There is mould. There is dampness. There are leaks. There is sewage.

For the honour of living there, the council has put up the rent. It is extraordinary to expect people to pay extra rent to live in increasingly worse conditions. The maintenance by Dublin City Council is unacceptable. We need to ensure that residents like those at Rathmines Avenue have decent, quality accommodation. Dublin City Council and the Government have failed to deliver quality housing for residents on Rathmines Avenue. People assume that because Rathmines is in Dublin 6, it is affluent.

However, within Dublin 6, the residents of four blocks of flats are living with an infestation of rodents. It is unacceptable. We need the Minister to come to the House to explain the plans for proper regeneration of flat complexes around Dublin.

Before I call the next speaker, I welcome to the Gallery the guests of Deputy Ivana Bacik, a former Member of this House, from the Teresian School. They are on a tour and are most welcome to Seanad Éireann.

I would like to be associated with the offers of sympathy to the families of the late Ciara Mageean and Gerry Collins, including his wife, Hilary, his sister, Mary Carroll, and the extended Collins family, including our colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins. Gerry served for over 30 years. He was a Minister, TD and MEP. It did not matter where you were from, you were always treated with the greatest of respect by him. He was to the forefront. He was a lovely man. I pass on my sympathies to his extended family. I know what an impact he had on the whole family.

Senator Fitzpatrick raised the fact that it is Diabetes Awareness Month. I will add to her call for a debate on diabetes awareness and highlight the issue of income protection. Many people who have chronic illnesses find it difficult to get income protection. In the UK, people can get income protection but the majority of people who are going for mortgages and other things cannot avail of income protection in Ireland. We in Ireland need to look at that issue. The person does not choose to be sick. Many of these chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, are treatable and people respond well to the treatment. We cannot discriminate against someone who has a chronic illness. We need to consider that issue. I support the call from Senator Fitzpatrick for a debate on chronic illness and diabetes, and I look forward to it.