Now.

I wish to discuss the horrific mauling of Alejandro Miszan and the seven or eight other such cases that have happened throughout Ireland this year, mainly to young kids. When researching this issue, I saw that a woman who had two small dogs with her had been attacked and severely disfigured by a listed dog. There is a list of ten restricted dog breeds. Owners are responsible for their dogs and control of same. We have the Control of Dogs Act 1986. The Act was updated in 1998 and other amendments have subsequently b…

I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on his very successful trip representing our country abroad. He must be praised for his work. I often avail of the train service from Mullingar to Dublin. It is something that certainly should be upgraded. Mullingar, as we know, is quite a large town. There is a serious upgrade of the line to Maynooth with more services being laid on and a slight follow-on to Enfield in the next while. There is only a single rail line beyond Maynooth to Mullingar, which is a problem for anyone trave…

I second what my colleague, Senator O'Sullivan, said about the banks and how they are treating people with regard to the interest rate. The Senator probably has a lot of money in the bank and God knows he could do with the interest to get a few bob. On a serious note, he is right. Up until very recently, if you had money in the bank, as Senator McDowell and many others would know through their business with deposit accounts and whatever else, those banks were charging-----

I am referring to the accounts he would have for clients.

They were charging negative interest rates. It is incredible what they were up to until a couple of weeks ago. Senator O'Sullivan's call is welcome and I certainly appreciate what he had to say.

Their attitude towards business in particular has been very mean-fisted. I refer to how they have been dealing with people who run businesses and who have other people's money, including that of clients, in their accounts. It has been scandalous to say the least. With regard to Croí Cónaithe, I have been dealing with the scheme for a number of months and we have found it to be a great success. There is certainly evidence that the scheme, brought in by the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is very helpful and very p…

Like everyone in the House today, I extend my condolences to the family and friends of Vicky Phelan. It is a very tough time, particularly for her young family. Senator Buttimer spoke about the report of the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, on insurance. I worked on that committee for a while. Much time and work went into that report and it would be a good idea to invite the Minister of State to come to the House to discuss it. It would be very worthwhile. As has been stated in the media, insurance premiums have …

I wish to raise today a matter that was recently brought to my attention regarding a little accident. Most of us grew up or have been around rural settings and farmyards. We would have learned our trade driving different machines and started off in tractors and all that sort of stuff. There have been great campaigns on safety with regard to machinery in recent years but there is something that deserves a debate and that we should thrash out. The licensing system for younger people to drive tractors does not differe…

I rise in support of Ukrainians and the struggle they face daily. I am proud we have been able to accommodate 60-odd thousand displaced Ukrainians. However, I have been disappointed by some recent negative comments about Ireland's attempts to accommodate Ukrainians seeking refuge. I was surprised some saw fit to criticise the State in the mainstream media in terms of all we have been doing. Like many here, I am at the coalface of it. Indeed, Senator Dooley even went as far as the front line in Ukraine to witness at…

I rise to raise a topic that has been raised by a number of Senators, that is, the stay on evictions and the greater and general topic of housing. I agree with Senator Gavan that it would be no harm to have a discussion on housing in this House. That would be informative for everyone. I welcome the Minister's decision to introduce a stay on evictions over the winter period. It is a sincere and well thought-out provision by the Minister and the Government. However, it will be important to follow on at the back end o…

I wish to bring up the issue of the burdens facing businesses in Ireland. There was a recent review that found that approximately 10,000 businesses are under financial strain and pressure at present. A lot of that is due to the warehousing of taxes from the Covid era. That has been filtering to an end. That is causing serious problems at a time when businesses are looking to a slowdown in our general economy, rising costs of power, staffing and spiralling inflation. The Leader might consult the powers that be in th…

I wish to raise an issue that is quite serious and has been a scourge in recent years, namely class A drugs. We really have to tackle the problem head-on. As we know, the types of drugs coming in have changed significantly. Even in rural communities, one would be shocked to see how common cocaine and similar types of drugs have become. Heretofore, such drugs were prevalent on nights out in large cities or towns but now they have ravaged their way through the whole of Ireland. Among the younger population, they seem…

I am delighted to welcome the Minister of State. As I discussed with the Cathaoirleach, I shared my time earlier with Senator O'Loughlin. I commend this very balanced budget. Several things have been pointed out by Senators. The funding towards childcare is a very prudent and forward step and is something I have talked about on numerous occasions in the House. To follow on from that, Senator Lombard mentioned the grants for college fees and also the free books scheme for schools. I believe these are three very prud…

Tomorrow morning at 10.30 a.m.

I will speak about Georgia's accession to the EU. This has come more to the fore with what we have seen of Russia's destructive acts in Ukraine. As we are aware, Georgia has already felt the brunt of Russia's forces in recent years. I strongly believe Georgia's accession should be dealt with in tandem with Ukraine's at present. Georgia has done quite a lot of work in this area. In 1996, it was part of the Interstate Oil and Gas Transportation to Europe, INOGATE, framework, which led to a five-year plan in 2006, so …

I thank the Minister of State and welcome him and his judgment. This Bill has been before the House previously and we discussed it at length. The Minister of State took on a lot of the practical complications that were involved in the Bill. Senator Ward put a lot of work into it and I commend him on what he is trying to do with the Bill. I have serious concerns with part of it as I have said here before. I made quite a strong case and I am delighted the Minister of State has listened to our case.

Now.

Now.

I support Senator Boyhan's request on this issue. It is a very practical measure and I hope the Minister will see fit to include it in the legislation.