Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. My Commencement matter relates to the back-to-work enterprise allowance, which has been dramatically reduced for persons with disabilities or disabled citizens. I wish to put a human face on this. The text of my Commencement matter refers to supports for people with a disability establishing businesses. This matter is drawn from one of hundreds of representations I received since my election from people in the disabled community. It comes from a man called Donal Coade who was a ge…

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response and his kind offer to assist in this matter. I am trying to make a more general point about citizens with disabilities. Equality does not mean treating people the same. It means treating people differently recognising and celebrating difference. We cannot treat disabled citizens in the same way we would treat other citizens who are able-bodied and who do not face the same obstacles. We must recognise the deficits in the disability allowance and the curren…

I want to raise an issue that has come to my attention through the national media and a number of representations I have received. I was approached by a couple, Michael Rynne and his wife, Jan. She was diagnosed with a blood cancer in 2011. It cannot be treated, but luckily she managed to get on a drug trial outside of the jurisdiction in Leeds that saved her life. She went from a 98% reading for cancer in her bone marrow down to approximately 1% because of a cancer drug that is not available in Ireland, even thoug…

Hear, hear.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I commend this legislation. I have an abiding interest in transnational crime within the European space. The Garda Síochána is the primary intelligence agency within the State, although we have new emerging structures. The discussion of this legislation prompts me to comment that we, as a House and a Legislature, need to be apprised of the development of that new intelligence entity within the Department of Justice and the Department of the Taoiseach, in partic…

I thank Senators Ruane, Higgins and Black for proposing this motion for debate. I want to do a kind of meditation on poverty, if I may. I will start by focusing on material poverty and then I will focus on poverty of spirit in this Republic. I will begin with an area of particular interest to me, that is, disability. That interest is borne out of my family's experience. We know the facts. These are the quantitative, measurable and deterministic facts. One in five persons with a disability in Ireland lives in consis…

-----proverbially in this country. The population here in 2000 was 3.8 million; it is now 5.1 million. Do the maths. Start building houses. I went to school with boys from those prefabricated houses. They were not perfect, but those boys went on to work at the gas company or became electricians. Some of the boys from my class are partners in some of the biggest law firms in the city today because the human capital had a chance. If, however, you are living in a family hub or a hotel, if you are going to school on a …

If we have a senior person who talks about an eviction ban as kicking the can down the road, where does he think those people are going to go? There is nowhere for them to go. What is he trying to do? Create the set of "A Christmas Carol"? Christmas is nine weeks away. There is nowhere for people to go. We have reached an absolute crisis point and we absolutely have to do something about it. The situation in which people like my son, people with disabilities, find themselves in this country is a microcosm of an ide…

I have a question. I want to move a motion and I wonder if I need a seconder.

I propose to move No. 114, motion 3. This is a motion related to the matter of the current pay claim sought under the scheme for Senators’ secretarial assistance to make a recommendation to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform that Seanad secretarial assistants be permanently regraded to the role and remuneration of parliamentary assistants. I hope I will have a seconder later.

Hear, hear.

I move: That Seanad Éireann calls on the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission in the matter of the current pay claim sought under the Scheme for Senators’ Secretarial Assistance to make a recommendation to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform that Seanad Secretarial Assistants be permanently regraded to the role and remuneration of Parliamentary Assistants.

We had interesting statements last night on the high-level action plan for the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces. I will make a couple of points about that. Before I do, I welcome Senator O’Loughlin’s mum. I lived in Kildare for eight years and have happy memories of it. I was made to feel welcome and at home there. Senator O'Loughlin has been a great mentor and colleague since I arrived here, as has everybody in this House. Senator O'Loughlin is a credit to…

Hear, hear.

I thank the Minister for coming in. I want to emphasise at the outset that the Commission on the Defence Forces and the high level action plan report reflect the Minister's authenticity and sincerity as Minister for Defence. I refer to the gender issue in particular and I know the Minister is personally invested in trying to encourage the recruitment of women into Óglaigh na hÉireann. I thank the Minister for this. The recommendations under LOA2 are badly and urgently needed in all their aspects. This being an oppo…

No, but there is an arrangement. The fact of the matter is that the RAF does enter our controlled airspace to follow, intercept and escort Russian aircraft out of the area. It is not a criticism; it is just an observation of the facts. We must do a little bit better to vindicate our sovereignty. The head of transformation and the head of strategic HR are going to report to the Chief of Staff. I welcome the Minister's mention of the changing of the status of the Chief of Staff to the Chief of Defence because current…

Could you just wait a moment, Acting Chairperson, so that I can clarify a matter because the Minister did interrupt me?

The Annapolis US Naval Academy is a fully accredited independent university. The Colorado Springs Air Force Academy where the air force is trained is a fully accredited independent university. It is the same with West Point. It is also the same with the French and the Germans. We need to have that intellectual tradition established in order that we can formulate proper defence planning and strategic planning to address the threats that arise. Finally, in relation to transformational culture, I look forward to the r…

I think that flows from much of the toxic culture I have alluded to. Most importantly, we need to pay our soldiers, sailors and the Air Corps in order to maintain them.

Most of all, I acknowledge the Minister's absolute sincerity and his utmost good faith in all of these matters. I witnessed it and I know it personally from the interaction we have had. I welcome the report. I wish the Minister the best of luck with all of the issues.