I want to indicate that while an amendment by Senator Boyhan was ruled out of order we may bring back more amendments on Report Stage in terms of allowing for subject matters contained within section 4.2 to be subject to further consideration beyond the cessation date of the Act. That relates to section 4. While we are not opposing section 4 at this point, I do want to indicate that Senator Boyhan had wanted to give the Minister powers to amend Schedules 1, 2 and 3 by regulation and had looked to certain areas that…

I move amendment No. 15: In page 8, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following: “Report on operation of Scheme 7. (1) The Minister shall, within six months of establishment day, cause a report on the operation of the Scheme to be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas. (2) A report under this section shall consider the following matters: (a) options to require persons engaged in the management, administration or operation of relevant institutions should be required to contribute to the cost of making payme…

I am particularly concerned about this because the chief deciding officer will have a hugely important role. I acknowledge the Minister has no say in deciding whether amendments are in order. It is very surprising and presumptive that amendment No. 16, put forward by the Sinn Féin Senators, has been ruled out of order. It proposed that the Minister, from among all his or her officers, should select somebody who is a suitably qualified, trauma-informed professional. The really important aspect, which absolutely is w…

The vote we had was on the establishment of the chief deciding officer, which is a crucial role. I note there is also a deputy chief deciding officer. We discussed some of the issues in connection with section 10. We may well bring amendments, as the capacity and competencies are going to be key for both of those roles. Section 11 allows certain persons to be given some of the functions that are given to the chief deciding officer, and it allows "the performance by a person of a specified function of the Chief Deci…

I am sorry we have to press the Minister so on this. I have been paying attention and we have been listening closely to his responses on other sections. What he did was outline in some detail the process whereby the decision on the six months was reached, including the facts that the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation made even worse recommendations and would have excluded more people, that the high-level departmental group wanted to exclude both women and children institutionalised for under six mon…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time". I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am very happy to able to move this amendment Bill today. I will be sharing time with my colleague, Senator Ruane. The Bill before the House addresses very outdated and narrowly commercial mandates of Coillte and Bord na Móna, two extremely important semi-State bodies. Between them they are responsible for vast amounts of our national land. Coillte is responsible for 7% of the land in the State while Bord na Mona is re…

I thank the Minister of State. I am glad she and the Government are not opposing the Bill. To have done so would have been a real pity, given that the Bill represents something that was committed to in the programme for Government and that has been called for across the board. The citizens of Ireland, whenever they have been consulted, have talked about wanting this different remit. The Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss was very clear. I acknowledge the NGOs that have been supportive of this Bill, including t…

Next Tuesday.

I support the points made regarding the Inagh river. What has happened is a tragedy and also a crime. It is a terrible thing when we lose nature in that way. The time we have to regain and protect it is running out. As well as enforcement of the laws and EU directives on protecting our waterways and habitats, it is important that we ensure all the bodies and instruments of the State are doing their part on climate action and biodiversity. To that end, I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 18 be …

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Turf Development Act 1946 and the Forestry Act 1988 in order to reflect obligations regarding climate action and the protection and enhancement of biodiversity in the mandate and functions of the organisations established under those Acts.

Next Tuesday.

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I wish to share time with Senator Ruane. I welcome the Minister to the House. We are proposing this legislation today to address a number of the key issues and gaps in terms of our electoral law with an overarching aim of enhancing democratic participation and voting rights. As we celebrated Vótáil 100 only a couple of years ago, the look to how we expand our franchise and how we increase and evolve democracy is something we all should be taking very seriously. I w…

The Minister may be looking forward to ongoing discourse. I am quite tired of ongoing discourse because, with respect, the discourse has moved backwards. In the last Oireachtas the Government pretended it wanted to deliver Seanad reform. In the current Oireachtas, the Government has removed it from the programme for Government. It is clear it has taken only the action it has been forced to take. I have listened to the comments over a numbers of years, including before I entered this House, because I also campaigned…

I say that with absolute personal respect for the Minister. I know the Green Party would have liked this to be in the programme for Government, but frankly that is why we will have to press this. I think an opportunity has been missed to bring light to this issue, and to move it forward. The Minister should bear in mind that every time the public has been asked the question, in 2013 and in 1979, the clear message has been to widen and engage. There was the 1979 referendum. There are also provisions in the Constitut…

That is what is happening. I welcome the Minister's engagement on the vote at 16. In terms of timelines that is urgent, because we have elections coming in May 2024. As my colleagues have mentioned, this is not just something that has been proven to work. The European Parliament has asked countries to ensure that 16-year-olds can have a say. I was part of the future of Europe process where the mandate again came from citizens across Europe to say they want younger people to have the vote so they can shape our Europ…

I welcome the Commissioner to the House on Europe Day, as we are reflecting on the 50th anniversary of Ireland's membership. When we look to what is valued by citizens in Ireland and why there is that trust of Europe, it is that legacy that Europe had in helping create the collective momentum for change in areas such as gender equality, workers' rights, LGBT rights and environmental protection. This is something I saw echoed - the Commissioner was part of this process too - in the future of Europe process. It is th…

I move recommendation No. 1: In page 7, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following: “Report on evidence for special rates of VAT 6. The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the evidence base for the extension of the 9 per cent rate of VAT on the supply of certain goods and services in the hospitality and tourism sectors, which shall include analysis of the financial health of the sectors and profits in the sectors over the last th…

The reason I do not oppose this section is I think there is a question of ensuring, going into this summer and thinking of seasonal locations and operators, that there is no negative impact in the immediate future. When we did a blunt financial analysis, both times it led to the VAT rate going up but what is needed is a sectoral analysis that is more nuanced and would include the sectoral employment order issue as well as looking at how we support seasonal operators, small businesses and those in the hospitality se…

I move recommendation No. 2: In page 7, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following: “Review of impact of 9 per cent VAT rate for hospitality sector 6. The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the impact of the 9 per cent VAT in the hospitality and tourism sectors since its introduction, with particular analysis of the impact on wages of workers in the sector, prices for consumers, and profit margins for providers.”.

I move recommendation No. 4: In page 8, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following: "Report on increase in rate of Vacant Homes Tax 7. The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on options to increase the rate of tax from 0.3 per cent of the value of a property to a rate of 5 per cent of the value of a property.". I may have to leave shortly. If I do Senator Gavan will move the other recommendations in my name. Recommendations Nos. 4 to …