Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire and I thank him for his time. I also thank all of the Senators for their contributions over this session and the last one.

When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I wish to share my time equally with Senator Seery Kearney.

I am sure that the Minister of State, who is in the House, can see how much this issue affects every single person who has made a contribution here today. It affects men, women and their partners. This is an important topic and I am sure that he is taking our contributions to heart. I thank Senator Sherlock for her contribution and openness, which will support so many. She is very brave. I thank Senator Bacik for the opportunity to speak on this legislation. I thank all the Senators for their excellent contribution…

The menopause is the taboo subject. Today, I am speaking on the subject on behalf of someone very close to me. I am giving her a voice and a voice to all the women who are going through it. Last week, on RTÉ Radio 1, Joe Duffy offered two women from the Irish Menopause group a chance to raise this subject. Talking about it really helps to make the stigma fall away. The average age of the onset of the menopause is in the 50s, but it can start for some women much earlier, for example, when they are in their 30s. This…

I second the motion. I welcome the Minister and thank Senator Seery Kearney for her work on this matter and the passion that she always brings. The motion acknowledges the contribution of young people through volunteering and advocacy, and the way in which they have built reserves of resilience that inspire us in the face of this pandemic over the past year. During the year, I thought about how I would have felt facing a pandemic in lockdown if I was a teenager or in my 20s. I remember the period of transition from…

I will say more later.

The Bill already indicates that there will be due process so candidates will have an opportunity to present before the State Examinations Commission. Therefore, I do not believe that there is any need for the amendment.

I have contacted the Department of Education to confirm that candidates have been notified through this whole year and through this process about the regulations around canvassing. This process has to be fair for all students. It is heartening to hear, as the Minister has pointed out, that the candidate will be able to make his or her case, if it comes to that. It is positive that notification has been given out to candidates all this year regarding canvassing over these exams.

I very much agree that we need to support the socioeconomic side. However, I believe the senior cycle review is the main focus of this Bill. We want to see continuous assessment and we also need to see measures such as hot school meals and a DEIS resource identification system being rolled out. That will support people to move through the school system.

At 10.30 a.m. next Monday, 17 May 2021, in the Dáil Chamber.

There is great and wonderful news today for Roscommon and Tuam. A total of 50 jobs were announced for Roscommon this morning as well as 20 jobs for Tuam. It is really wonderful. The company is Westcare Homecare. It is a female-led company driving job creation in the west. It will be fantastic. Anyone in the region of Roscommon will be able to apply for these jobs. It will be broad because a person will not be in one location and carers are going to be all across the counties of Roscommon and Galway. It is phenomena…

No need to boast.

I will share two and a half minutes with Senator Ward. I welcome the Minister. It is great to have him in the Chamber to update us on the future of banking. Today's world is different compared to the world of one or two years ago when we had an economy with close to full employment and everything had been done to bring it back to financial stability. The Minister spoke about how he had acted to support businesses and people in terms of banking over the past year. The payment breaks were welcome and had an impact. T…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, to the House. I thank Senators Blaney and McGreehan, and all colleagues, for bringing this motion forward. I strongly support the Good Friday Agreement and the full implementation of this international agreement. Respect, equality and partnership are at the heart of how we move forward. I have a clear commitment to the protection of the rights of all people who live on this island. I lived in Northern Ireland - in Portstewart and in Belfast - prior to the Good Friday …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Foley. In her opening speech, she mentioned that she was nominated on 27 June. It is phenomenal to think of what has happened and what has been achieved in that year. It was a steep learning curve for the Minister. As Fine Gael spokesperson on education, I support this Bill to amend the 1998 Act to allow the State Examinations Commission powers to operate the accredited grades system for the leaving certificate examinations for 2021. From speaking to leavi…

At 10.30 a.m. next Monday, 10 May 2021, in the Dáil Chamber.

It is welcome to have the Tánaiste in the Chamber today. It is great to see a safe and sure plan for reopening. Of course, I encourage remote work and investment in the west, which would be brilliant.

I ask everyone to note we have to keep to time if we are to allow everyone to speak.