Section 64(4) provides that there is to be a report. It seems to be styled in terms of the publication of a report on implementation. Can the Minister assure us that the report on implementation will also be made public in Garda stations, libraries and post offices, as we have suggested, or will this not be the case?

I refer to section 65(13), which we discussed at length when we discussed the strategic plan under section 63 and its publication. Is it similar in that there will be some sort of right of reply? Will it be displayed in public? Will there be a right of reply for members of the public to the plan and a body that will accept any recommendations or submissions the public will have? In the absence of a community-type forum, members of the community, either in groups or individually, should be able to make some sort of …

On repercussions if the service plan is not met, I note there will be redress to the board and the Minister. What specialist advisers does the board have in this area and what redress will it have, if any, in respect of overspend or misfeasance in the annual service plan?

I will speak on the issue of capital planning. We all know that the process of budgeting resources for organisations is a budgeting process for their long-term future that includes projections for future projects. I commend the Minister and the Department. Around the country, we can see beautiful Garda stations. I think we have seen these in all our communities. I know the OPW can be involved a lot of the time in this work. Kudos must go to that organisation and to the previous capital planning within An Garda Síoc…

This section concerns the governance framework document for An Garda Síochána, which includes an outline of the guiding principles applicable to An Garda Síochána and the organisational structure of it. It almost indicates that there could be significant changes. It is very important for members of the public as well as us, as parliamentarians, to be informed of the organisational and governmental structures of An Garda Síochána. In other sections-----

I will start again.

I want to speak to the section on the governance framework document for An Garda Síochána and, specifically, the organisational structure of An Garda Síochána. As I said, it is important that members of the public and we, as Members of this House, are aware of the organisational structure. Section 70(4) states that the annual report will be laid before each House of the Oireachtas. There is no provision in the section for the governance framework document to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. I do not kno…

I welcome the review, especially as regards the means-testing of carer's payments, which is an issue we have raised in this House on numerous occasions. It needs to be looked into to ensure it is fair for carers and those they are caring for. The second issue I raise is the thresholds for the fuel allowance. There are many ancillary benefits available to people who qualify for the fuel allowance, so many people attend our clinics whose incomes are out by a small amount. I ask the Minister to allow for some flexibil…

I thank the Minister of State for joining us today. I also join in commiserating with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, on the loss of her mother.

It is always a good day when the Social Welfare Bill comes before us. This is one of the biggest budgets in the history of the State. I say that every year. This year's budget is €2.3 billion. Senator Craughwell talked about the important issue of class K, as he has every year. I am glad Fianna Fáil is part of this Government. In the next few weeks we are going to see huge lump sum payments to families who are hugely in need. There will be a double child benefit, a €400 working family payment, €300 in fuel allowanc…

I thank the Cathaoirleach for representing us so well yesterday in Westminster at the opening of the House of Lords. We owe it to Senator O'Loughlin that we have a bank holiday on St. Brigid's Day. I commend her hard work in championing that cause. I want to raise the issue of the Road Safety Authority, RSA, and the abysmal figures we are seeing. There is a huge increase in the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads due to speeding and people using their mobile phones. It is a huge problem, particularly…

As chair of the Oireachtas cross-party group on cancer, it was great to learn at the weekend that the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, will finally legislate to allow women undergoing cancer treatment during their maternity leave to defer that leave until their treatment ends. I do not need to explain to anyone in this House how important this is or what a huge difference it would make to these mothers, their children and their other family members. There was a hu…

I thank the Taoiseach for coming in to us today. It is great to have him in the Chamber. I just want to raise two big issues coming up to the budget. The first is disability and the hidden costs of disability. If someone has a child with a disability and he or she gets a diagnosis, there is a huge outlay in getting a private diagnosis because, as we all know, the assessment of needs system is not working. Then there is the huge cost of therapies because access to HSE therapies is pretty non-existent. There are 10,0…

I thank the Fianna Fáil group for this excellent motion. I congratulate An Garda Síochána and the Naval Service on their great work yesterday along the east coast. Listening to Senator Lombard, you would think gangland crime and associated murders were non-existent now. The huge haul yesterday only shows that the gangland criminal drugs industry is alive and well. Unfortunately, a lot of crime stems from that, especially in the area where I live, in Crumlin, Walkinstown and Kimmage, where such crime can be quite ba…

High visibility works. The Minister of State, Deputy Browne, and the Minister, while visiting Cherry Orchard about 18 months ago, put in place a plan to clamp down on the antisocial behaviour we had been reading about and attacks on gardaí. Since then, reports show that incidents of antisocial behaviour are not as prolific as they were at the time. On the issue of walking the streets of Dublin at night, as my colleague said, it is now considered a no-go to walk around town because it is just too dangerous. This is …

The Minister of State is Deputy James Browne.

I also wish to convey my sympathies to the family of Damien O'Reilly, in particular his fiancé Lisa, his children, Carly and Kyle, and his wider circle. Damien was a friend, and a colleague of many of us. He was a really happy-go-lucky guy and he will be sorely missed around this House by his colleagues and everyone in the Fianna Fáil Party. I also want to raise the issue of the childcare providers who are outside Leinster House today and who I had the opportunity to meet. From a parent's perspective, I am in the t…

I welcome the visitors from the university to the Public Gallery. I also join with my colleagues in thanking Martin Groves, Bridget Doody and all the team in the Seanad Office. People always describe the Seanad and the rest of the Oireachtas as being like a swan going along gracefully while underneath there is much going on that we do not see. I thank all the staff of the Oireachtas, including our ushers, caters and cleaners, who make this a beautiful place and a wonderful environment for us to work in. I thank eve…

I welcome the Minister. I thank the Labour Party for tabling this motion. It is really important and timely because we have the budget discussions. As my colleague said, there are 500,000 or more carers in the country. I have a son who has level three autism. He is non-verbal and has severe, challenging behaviours. I am constantly up at two in the morning, but I have a privileged life. I am a Senator. I have a great job, which I love, but it is tiring. I am here to represent those who do not have the privilege that…

In this Commencement matter, I call on the Minister for Health to provide an update on the pilot lung cancer screening programme and to indicate when a full programme will be rolled out nationally. Lung cancer is one of the biggest killers in Ireland, accounting for 22% of cancer deaths in males and 20% of such deaths in females. There are 2,500 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed every year and 1,800 deaths annually. Unfortunately, approximately 70% of lung cancers are currently detected at quite an advanced stage,…