Martin Conway
Administrative Panel · Independent · Ireland
“I too would like to welcome Leryn to Seanad Éireann. It is a very special trip back to Ireland for her and I hope she enjoys her time here. I also echo the good wishes and the thanks to Martin and all his team who make life so much easier for us here, and I hope all colleagues across the House have an enjoyable summer.”
“I have come across a number of examples lately that are quite distressing. I have to do further research but if the information that has been brought to my attention is correct, it is very distressing. I also seek a further debate on tourism. We have the Walker Cup coming to Lahinch in September and people are very excited about.”
“Finally, I commend Cara Darmody, someone the Leader knows very well, who is at the gates of Leinster House doing her two-day protest. I think it is her second in the last year. I commend her on what she has achieved through her advocacy and her campaigning and what she will achieve. I know the Leader would agree with me on that.”
“I support Senator Harmon in her call and proposition regarding Bessborough. I did not realise that planning permission had been granted. It is horrendous. With all the land throughout the entire country, surely to God, we can deal with a housing crisis in a more humane and respectful way than granting planning permission on that site.”
“If they did, I have no doubt it would raise awareness. It would develop a respect for the water and save many lives. I also believe every young person should undergo first aid training before they leave school. Again, it is not a difficult thing to provide.”
“I acknowledge the work that has been done to improve things in Limerick and the announcement by the Minister for Health in recent weeks that there is going to be a completely new hospital built, which will be co-located with UHL and will have its own emergency department. That is extremely welcome. I am a realist.”
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“I agree wholeheartedly with Senator Boyhan regarding the Minister's attendance here to discuss HIQA. The mid-west and the situation at the hospital in Limerick have been at the top of all representatives' agendas for some time now. Along with me and others, the Leas-Chathaoirleach has been to the fore in this regard. I hope we will see good attendance. I thank the Leader's office for facilitating and organising that debate. We finally have a roadmap to increased capacity in the mid-west. That is very welcome. I am very keen to hear what the Minister and my colleagues have to say. I would like to have a debate in the House at some stage on the winter readiness programme and being weather-ready. We have seen very inclement weather recently.”
“I express my sympathy and condolences to the Carey family on the passing of former Minister, Deputy and Senator, Donal Carey. Donal served the people of Clare with distinction. He was a Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas for a long time and a Minister in rural development. I would say he was the first Minister for rural development. That was back in the rainbow coalition Government between December 1994 and 1997, when a lot of significant work was done to prepare rural Ireland for what we experience today. Donal was a great man and an assiduous constituency worker. A lot of people in Clare benefited from his service over the years. It is a very sad day for County Clare. I offer my condolences to our former colleague Joe Carey, his sister Leonora and his brother Donal Óg on the passing of their father. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”
“When it comes to early diagnosis the Government has a huge role to play. Investment in early diagnosis is clever because it saves money in the long run and it gives quality of life to our citizens. That is most important. I look forward to a debate on the national cancer strategy and perhaps also a debate on screening for sensory loss.”
“Cancer supports in this country overall are actually excellent and when cancers are caught in time the results and what can be achieved are amazing. However, when they are not caught in time, there is the problem. Something that was not achieved in the current cancer strategy was early diagnosis of some cancers, pancreatic cancer certainly being one of them. I know that whatever the condition is, whether it is people losing their eyesight or having a hearing impairment, if it is caught in time, there is some chance that a lot can be saved. For example, four in five people who lose their sight in this country do so unnecessarily because of lack of early diagnosis. Something probably needs to be done to encourage people to do more screening of their health in general, but certainly of their senses.”
“I, too, would like to wish Senator Wilson a happy birthday. Reaching the new figure of 21 is always wonderful and I know he will enjoy himself as he always does. We wish him well. The debate on last night's Private Members' motion was very powerful and some of the contributions were outstanding. I commend the House on having a good quality, respectful debate and it was good to have the Minister for State, Deputy Brophy, in for it as well. Along with the Leas-Chathaoirleach, the Leader and others, I attended the audiovisual room this morning for a powerful presentation on pancreatic cancer. I second the proposal that the House have a debate specific to the national cancer strategy. We need due diligence on the strategy we are coming to the end of and a briefing on what is proposed for the next one.”
“The one thing no one wants to see is a situation where a perception might be created that migrants are being treated in a different or more compassionate way than Irish people, because that is not true. We have to ensure that we push back against that narrative and ensure that our society is fair and respectful. That goes to all strands of our society. I wish the Minister of State well. It is not that I hope he does a good job but, rather, I know he will do a good job.”
“I met the Argentinian ambassador this morning. There are approximately 6,000 Argentinians in this country, of whom 3,500 to 4,000 are working in the hospitality industry. People from the Philippines are populating our health services and if it was not for them, we would have an even worse crisis in our health service compared with what we have now. I support this motion. It is appropriate that it is discussed here. It is absolutely appropriate that the Minister of State is here to discuss it. I have known the Minister of State for nearly 40 years at this stage and I know he is the right man to lead the conversation and the necessary changes in order to make the system fair.”
“They are the only differences. At the end of the day, most human beings are essentially the same. Most human beings are decent, humane people. They have a sense of justice and fairness about them. Sadly, in some cases, circumstances tend to create a future and narrative that are not where we would like them to be. The whole sense of equality sometimes depending on your set of circumstances does not resonate in the manner in which we would like. The Irish people, in general, overwhelmingly welcome people to this nation. Why? It is because millions of our ancestors and forefathers travelled the globe and contributed to many of the developed countries of the world, whether it was Australia, America, England or Europe. They made a significant contribution in the same way that people from the Philippines, Brazil and Argentina are now.”
“They come to seek sanctuary from war-torn situations where people are literally hounded out of their homes, potentially facing murder and all sorts of crazy things. People come here for that sanctuary. In more recent times, we have people coming here to get away from the war in Ukraine. Some 80,000 to 100,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Ireland and they were welcomed with open arms by the vast majority of Irish people. To me, there is not a huge difference between the people from Ukraine seeking sanctuary and those from South Sudan, which is ravaged by war at the moment. It is the same thing and they are the same people. They are the same type of people. They are human beings, the same as us all. There is nothing different between any of us except the colour of our skin, the shape of our body, our appearance or our language.”
“I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I apologise for my throat but I will say a few words because it is an important motion. I thank my colleagues for tabling this motion and bringing the Minister of State in. I have listened to the Minister of State being interviewed on this on many occasions and he has showed empathy, humanity and practicality in dealing with the issue. The issue is complex, difficult and challenging, but it has to be embedded in compassion, empathy, decency and doing the right thing. By and large, we, as a nation, have done the right thing when it comes to looking after and supporting people who come to this country from the most troubled parts of the globe.”
“That was a major boost at the time, because back in 2015 we were still in very difficult times. The one industry that did struggle and earned its stripes then was the arts industry. The opening of the State art exhibition was a huge boost not just for the Courthouse Gallery and Studios, but for the town of Ennistimon in general. Most of those present know that north Clare is rich in traditional culture and music. I hope that we will see a lot more films made in the north Clare area. Probably the most famous was the "Father Ted" productions that took place in the general Kilfenora-Ennistimon area in the 1990s. The legacy is still going strong to this day and it is a major tourist attraction. People who come to visit our area all want to see the Father Ted house. The spin-off businesses that come are absolutely fantastic.”
“Some of them love the area so much, they keep coming back. That is one tangible example of where the film industry has supported communities in a real way. The arts and the film industry are so important for this country. I would like to give a particular shout-out to the Courthouse Gallery and Studios in Ennistimon, County Clare, which is largely funded through voluntary contributions and by volunteers and supported by the arts office in Clare County Council. It is a space where many films have been shown over the years. It is also an art gallery. We had the State art exhibition there in 2015. We were delighted that the Tánaiste, when he was Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, came to Ennistimon and opened the State art exhibition.”
“I welcome the Minister of State to the House. As has been said, the Bill gives respect and credence to an industry that has served us very well over many decades, but very much so over the last decade. Going back 40 or 50 years, Cong in Mayo became famous through film. There are so many other fantastic examples. Down where I live in County Clare, people will know it is particularly quiet in the months of November, December, January, February and March. However, a number of years ago, three seasons of a television series "Smother", which went on to be very successful both here and abroad, were filmed there over a number of winters. Hotels that would normally be closed during those months were able to stay open and provide accommodation. We had the full cast and crew living in the area.”
“There are a lot of people suffering, some in silence. Resources need to be deployed in a more targeted way. I would welcome that. I agree with Senator Craughwell about the taxi industry. We need a review at this stage, particularly regarding knowledge of the city of Dublin, for example. More often than not, taxi drivers use Google Maps, which is not necessarily the best way of understanding the city. There is a lot of work that can be done in that area. It is time for a review. I recall I was working in Dublin - I was not a Member of the House at the time - when deregulation happened. It was a godsend because you could not get a taxi at all any night of the week before deregulation. Within six months, that situation had changed but it has probably gone in the other direction now. A debate and a review would be welcome.”
“I congratulate the former Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, on his new position as managing director of the World Bank. It is testament to the standard he brought to his political roles as public expenditure Minister, finance Minister and Minister for transport. He is one of those giants of politicians who did his business right, made hard decisions, said "No" quicker in many ways than he said "Yes" but always had the public interest at heart. The fact his appointment has been welcomed across the board is testament to the skills and qualities we benefited from. A lot of people are sorry to see him go, as am I, but I am still very glad that he gave a commitment to politics for 20 years. Politics is the better for that commitment. I support Senators Flynn and Nelson Murray on the call for a debate on COPD. It is very important.”
“I am in unison with my two colleagues on this. I believe we need to withdraw our support for this directive, specifically when it comes to the car rental fleet. We need to make it abundantly clear to President von der Leyen and her team that this is not acceptable, it is not going to happen, and we are not supportive of it. We cannot turn around and decimate the car rental fleet and, by extension, have a serious impact on certain important elements of our tourism industry.”
“They tend to go into villages and towns and, ultimately, create a better spread of the tourism spend. If we have a situation where that is no longer feasible, then we have a problem. When something does not make sense, it should not happen. I would encourage the Minister of State to engage in this and to clarify, as my colleague, Senator Kyne, said, whether this was a Government decision or a decision of a Minister on a solo run. Either way, it has to be reversed and clarity needs to be brought to it.”
“I agree with my colleagues. The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. The greening of the corporate fleet is a good idea; there is no point in saying otherwise. However, elements of that which do not make sense should not happen. The car rental business is going to be decimated if this directive is introduced and if we are required to green all of our car rental industry. Car rental is particularly important in counties that the Senators raising this matter and Senator Kennelly are from, such as Kerry, Clare, Galway and Limerick. County Cork benefits as well. If that industry is decimated, it is going to have a negative effect on tourism in this country because people who rent a car tend to spend more money. They tend to go to places where the tours do not generally go. They tend to be out and about.”
“We managed to go ahead with the event because people flew in the day before. There is a huge amount of further work that can be done to ensure we are weather-ready and ready for such emergencies. A debate like that would be very useful for Members.”
“We need a real-time instantaneous response, which happens most of the time, because we have phenomenal people in all of our emergency services and local authorities who all end up working together when these situations present themselves. The co-ordination unit in the Department of agriculture does a superb job. It is worthy of further examination and discussion in this House. Would it be possible at some stage in the not-too-distant future to have the Minister in for statements and a discussion on emergency planning to share with us the more inner details on our readiness and what needs to be done to be even more ready? Met Éireann has done great work in improving its forecasting and facilitating more localised forecasting, which is even more important. I recall hosting an event here when there was a red weather warning in 2023.”
“I want to follow up on a very good contribution made by my colleague, Senator Cathal Byrne, regarding the situation he experienced in Wexford in 2021. I can recall similar experiences on Christmas Day in 2009 and 2010, which other colleagues will remember. One was a flood and the other was a freeze. We have an orange weather warning and orange and red warnings are becoming more prevalent than ever before. I ask the Leader if the Minster, Deputy Browne, who is the lead Minister for emergency planning, could come in for a debate on that specific issue. We have improved hugely when it comes to planning for emergencies but there is always work that can be done to improve it further.”
“The Minister might think I am being harsh but I have been a Member of the Oireachtas for 14 years lobbying, putting down Commencement matters, raising matters on the Order of Business and speaking on Private Members' motions and remembering my own experience back in the nineties. It is very frustrating that it has only changed slightly.”
“It was only for last summer's June exams that people who studied using a laptop because of their disability were finally able to access their exams in a digital format. By God almighty, it was desperate that we had to campaign for years and years. I acknowledge Féach and other organisations that did huge work in that regard. I also acknowledge Niamh Kilcawley, the student in Dungarvan, County Waterford, who could not do her junior certificate using the digital formats she had studied and learnt through. She was able to do her leaving certificate through that format last June. She is now studying law in UCC. She was able to achieve her potential because she was able to do her exam in the format in which she had studied and learnt. The State Examinations Commission has to get real.”
“For 14 years, we have had a mixture of Labour Party, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Ministers for education who have experienced pushback from their Department. It is now time for a powerful push to make the Department change so that this pilot scheme will be the last and that, from here on in, if people have impairments, dyslexia or another disability that means they need a little bit of extra time to put on paper or onto a computer or to speak the knowledge they have, we should provide that. We should not be having this discussion here. We should be doing what other countries are doing and what the universities are doing. For whatever reason, however, we have had to fight to get digitally accessible exam papers for the leaving certificate.”
“That it does not want to change and does not appreciate the fact that everybody deserves to play on an equal, fair and balanced playing pitch is absolutely reprehensible. I do not know who the people in charge of special accommodations in the State Examinations Commission are but, up until a year or two ago, they have should hung their heads in shame. I do not have a huge amount of faith in this pilot scheme but people like Senator Curley, Senator Nelson Murray and the rest of the people who have spoken on this will push to make sure this happens. The one hope and the one positive in this is that I know the Minister is committed to making her Department change. If it does not want to, she will make it. She has proven time and again that she is a Minister who leads from the front. Senator Scahill is right.”
“In college the approach was very different. They took account of the fact that I spelled phonetically and gave me 20 minutes per hour. I prospered in college because of that particular provision. Let us fast-forward to 2025. That Senator Curley has to table this motion is an indictment of the Department of education. To be quite frank, for whatever reason, the Department of education does not want to change culturally. It has a culture of constantly pushing back when it comes to State examinations for people with disabilities. I know of two twins who had the exact same condition. The State Examinations Commission gave special accommodations to one and refused to for the other even though there was absolutely no difference between their two conditions. That happened only a few years ago. The Department pushes back.”
“I commend Senator Curley on taking the initiative and tabling this critically important motion. I am sorry to have to say it but the State Examinations Commission's special arrangements for people with disabilities are not fit for purpose. I did my leaving certificate in 1992 and I got extra time of ten minutes per hour because of my vision impairment. I typed my exam. I missed getting into UCD by ten points. Back then there was no higher education access route, HEAR, programme so you had to get the points. I repeated the leaving certificate the following year and used a word processor. I got ten minutes per hour. Because of the fact that I read so little, I spell phonetically, so I had to run a spellcheck which took about 20 minutes of the 30 minutes I got for a three-hour exam. I got the points, thankfully, and went to college.”
“As a matter of fact, many of the proposals within that report are as relevant today as they were ten years ago. I would encourage the Minister of State's officials to give him the executive summary of that report and he might find something in it that would be worth pursuing. We have all been in situations where neighbours have lost their lives through farm accidents. I can remember that at the very start of the lockdown, a 14-year-old boy lost his life. He was a neighbour of mine. It was horrific. I will 100% support the Minister of State on anything that he and his Department can do to reduce and, hopefully, eliminate deaths on Irish farms.”
“What we suggested was that the GAA, which is a national organisation that has a club and activists in every parish and community in this country, would be encouraged to run farm safety awareness days. That suggestion came from a club in west Cork where somebody had tragically lost their life in a farm accident and the club had taken the initiative of having a farm safety day in the clubhouse where it brought in various different interested parties and had talks on farm safety, etc. It was seen as very progressive and successful. We recommended at the time that the Government would partially fund a farm safety officer to be based in Croke Park, who would roll out such a programme around the country. Following the publicity that the report got at the time, many clubs themselves ran farm safety awareness days. That could be looked at again.”
“We had a lady who had written children books in the space of farm safety to try to raise awareness among children on the basis that children, by having good knowledge, would pass on that experience and knowledge to their parents - in other words, the converse of what normally happens. There was also a proposal at that time that there would be a scrappage scheme for outdated and old farm machinery that had seen its better days, and that that would be done through the budget and through a financial measure. Back then, however, as the Minister of State will be aware as he was here at the time, the circumstances were poor in terms of resources and it was hard to get any such budgetary measure over the line. It was also proposed that there would be a partnership with the GAA.”
“In 2013, I was privileged to be the convenor of a subcommittee that looked at farm safety in this country as part of the Seanad Public Consultation Committee that was established then under Seanad reform. We looked for public submissions of ideas and suggestions on what could be done. We received over 60 written submissions at the time and we brought ten of their proponents in here to the Chamber on a Monday. Some of the suggestions and ideas were outstanding. The work that was being done by Embrace Farm at the time was particularly moving in terms of what it was doing to try to raise awareness.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, is most welcome to the House. I know that he fully understands the challenges when it comes to farm safety. This year so far has outpassed last year in terms of the numbers of people who have lost their lives on Irish farms. Unfortunately, the profile of the people who have lost their lives shows that nine of them were over 65, which epitomises the age profile in farming generally. That would follow on to another conversation entirely about the inheritance system and passing on farms. Obviously, we need to do more in that space. I know the Minister of State and the Government are very much committed to that. It is not easy. It is challenging. It needs to be streamlined as much as possible, with as much encouragement as possible as well.”
“We need to just remove the red tape, remove the bureaucracy and create an environment where developers are not sending skilled construction workers abroad to work on projects because of the difficulties here. We need to see people want to work here and people coming from other countries to work here in order to achieve the target of 600,000 in six years. It is something I very much welcome and we in this House have a role to play in scrutinising the proposed plan.”
“It is terrible to think that there is planning permission granted for thousands of houses that cannot be built because of the punitive increase in construction inflation and various other challenges. Also, there are villages like Lisdoonvarna in County Clare, for example, where there is land available but the current guidelines only allow for so many new houses whereas the infrastructure is in place in terms of treatment facilities and so on to accommodate a huge amount of development. We could build dozens of houses there because the sewerage system is up to standard. It was built about 15 or 20 years ago. There needs to be a whole-of-government response to this and I sincerely hope that is what we will see. Certainly, when it comes to the easing of zoning of land we need to see a lot more land being zoned residential.”
“I very much welcome the Government's proposed new housing plan that is at Cabinet today and will be launched tomorrow. I welcome the increased targets that form part of this plan. I note the Taoiseach said on his way to Cabinet this morning that it will be more ambitious than any other housing plan and that it will deliver. I sincerely hope it does. I call on the Leader to organise a debate on the new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, in the next couple of weeks so we can get into the teeth of it. Every one of us in this House is frustrated at the slow pace of development in general in this country but certainly when it comes to the building of houses.”
“Billy's family have lost a hero but he is somebody who will always be fondly remembered by those of us who had the privilege to serve with him in Seanad Éireann and by everybody in the House. All the staff in the House had a huge regard for Billy and continue to speak very fondly of him. It is a privilege to be able to speak in the Chamber as part of the tributes to Billy.”
“Of course, when it came to anything to do with the United States, Billy was always our first port of call for advice. It was usually followed by knocking on the door of the Cathaoirleach. Billy had contacts everywhere. He knew people everywhere. He was a man who could get things done. He was somebody who respected politicians, respected public service and respected Ireland. He really endeavoured to leave behind him a better Ireland than the one he was born into. Despite the fact he had developed very successful businesses in the United States, the west of Ireland and County Galway was always Billy's home. That was always where he wanted to come back to.”
“It is with great sadness, in a sense, but also great pleasure I am here to say a few words about a person, Billy Lawless, I considered a true parliamentarian and a good friend. I extend my sympathies to Billy's family on their loss but they can take great solace from the fact that he lived a great life and did a huge amount in industry and business. I think his proudest time was his time here in the Seanad. He believed in equality and in treating everybody equally. He respected people irrespective of their background. I can speak very much on the whole area of disability because any time I ever had people with disabilities in here, Billy was always the first to talk to them to share his experiences, not just in this country but his knowledge from the United States.”
“I thank the Minister of State. With the greatest of respect to the Minister of State, who is just delivering the information, sometimes it is good to get a summation of facts we already know. My big issue here is the fact that it is next in line. Why can it not run in tandem with the one in Elm Park? That is the issue. Obviously, there is some necessary planning work taking place now that should have taken place heretofore. We are where we are, however. The maternity strategy covers the period 2016 to 2026. It is almost 2026 and this still has not happened. That is not the Minister of State's fault, but people will be somewhat disappointed with the reply. This is something that I will maybe address again when I am allowed to submit another Commencement matter in respect of this issue in six months' time.”
“That is why I am not satisfied that we still do not have a date to commence the move of the maternity hospital from its present site on the Ennis Road to its site in Dooradoyle. Everybody knows it is the right thing to do, everybody knows the medical reasons for the relocation and everybody knows that what is there at the moment is not fit for purpose. It is unfair on the professionals who are working there and totally unfair on the mothers in the mid-west who are giving birth there. I hope the Minister of State will bring some clarity to this on behalf of the Minister.”
“The Minister of State and the Acting Chair will often hear about Limerick and the challenges on national radio, which are acute and serious. Sometimes, because of the media attention that is focused on the emergency department and overcrowding, the maternity hospital can get forgotten about in the narrative. A new maternity hospital is earmarked for the St. Vincent's Hospital site. That is very welcome but just because that maternity hospital has not been built yet does not mean that Limerick and the mid-west should have to wait in line and, essentially, wait their turn. The needs of mothers in Clare, Limerick, Tipperary and Kerry are equally as important as the lives of mothers in the greater Dublin area.”
“It was during the summer and it was very warm but there was no air conditioning and, despite the heroic efforts of the nursing staff and the medical professionals who worked there, they could not make her any more comfortable. A proposal has been on the agenda for some time now that the maternity hospital in the mid-west be relocated to a site adjacent to UHL. That is best international medical practice because UHL is a university hospital. Having the maternity hospital on site means it would be beside the emergency department, intensive care and the high-dependency unit. It would be adjacent to all of the necessary supports and interventions that are very timely at times, as the Minister of State knows.”
“The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. It is good to have him here. I thank him for coming in and taking this Commencement matter because I understand the Minister is abroad. That is just the reality for a Minister in Government. The issue of the maternity hospital in Limerick has been on the health political agenda for some time. I am 51 years of age. I was born in Ennistymon Community Hospital. Maternity services then moved to Ennis and were then centralised in Limerick, but the building in Limerick is not fit for purpose. The most amazing professional consultants and people are working in the building but the building itself is not fit for purpose. I visited a friend of mine there a couple of years ago who had difficulty with her pregnancy. She was in a small room with two others and it was very difficult and distressing.”
“We have a wonderful community bank in the credit union, but there is scope for looking at the creation of more financial options through the post office network. That could perhaps be done where there is not a credit union in a town. I know the post office network has a good relationship with the AIB, but there is so much more that could be done in that regard. We really need to have a situation where we close no more post offices, and in actual fact, where appropriate, we should look at opening post offices to provide a one-stop-shop service for a town, village or community, including in an urban area that perhaps does not have certain services or facilities. The future of the post office network in this country has never been better, once we are creative, imaginative and our thinking evolves.”
“A lot of peace commissioners are not available when they are needed, so it is an obvious and simple thing for postmasters to become not just peace commissioners but commissioners for oaths as well. This would be a practical thing to help support postmasters. We must think outside the box, look at each post office on its own merits and identify what services are not in a community that could potentially be provided through a post office. A post office in one town might serve one purpose, while in another town that purpose may not be required and another purpose may be necessary. There are lots of ways, but of course the community bank is the obvious one. That is a big decision for the Government to create a community bank.”
“Where that is not possible, there are opportunities to create perhaps a digital hub or a tourist information point with audiovisual and touch screens. There is huge potential for post offices to be information points, tourism points, and points to access bus and rail transport information where people could perhaps have a booth for Internet access. A simple thing that was recommended in one of the reports was that each postmaster would be made a peace commissioner. It was never implemented, although it was a simple thing. I contacted all the postmasters in the north and west Clare area, and I suggested that they become peace commissioners, and most of them did. It is a service that makes sense, as somebody is available to sign a document.”
“Some postmen have never been busier, which is great. The physical building, as my colleague has already said, is not the main story about the post office. It is the places they are in and the people who man them that matter. Many reports have been done in recent years. Certainly over the last ten or 15 years, which is the length of time I have been a Member of the House, we have had reports from different organisations regarding the future of the post office network. One of the most timely interventions was from Deputy Carrigy, which did result in a significant financial investment on an annual basis to support the post office network. In most cases, post offices are part of a business. The business is supporting the post office and the post office is supporting the business. That is wonderful.”
“I welcome the Minister of State to the House. The post office network is exceptionally important. It is important for many reasons, but one is because of the indelible link that people have with their post office. People remember going to post letters as children and the green box and all of that. That has evolved. Sadly, there are not too many young people now posting Christmas cards, letters or anything like that, but they are getting parcels. They are booking online and the postman is bringing the parcels, so to some extent it has evolved and postal deliveries are experiencing a bit of a renaissance. We saw the sad news recently of a delivery company going out of business. An Post will be there to pick up the slack from that. In the next couple of months, on Black Friday, Christmas and so on, we are going to see a significant uptake.”
“I know the geopolitical situation is a bit tricky at the moment, but there are a lot of people in America who love coming to visit Ireland and would love to visit Ireland. We need to remind them of what we have to offer in this country. We need to have a debate on not just summer tourism but also winter tourism and tourism all year round because we cannot be weather dependent, as we know. If the Leader could arrange, in his own time, a debate on tourism I would be grateful.”
“From a business perspective, I would like to ask the Leader to organise a debate on the future of tourism in this country. As the only representative of County Clare in the Seanad, it is my duty to constantly remind the Chamber and powers that be of the importance of tourism in our county. I was concerned to learn that there is expected to be a decline in the number of American tourists visiting this country. The American market is extremely important for the west coast in particular because Americans spend quite a lot of money. We know that when a trend starts, it takes a couple of years for it to percolate its way to having an effect. Now is the time for interventions, in particular with the American market.”