I move amendment No. 10: In page 12, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “(3A) Any procedures which the Minister may regulate for under subsection (3) (f) shall be consistent with the procedures set out in Part X of the Act of 2000.”.

I move amendment No. 11: In page 12, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “(3A) Any procedures which the Minister may regulate for under subsection (3) (g) shall be consistent with the procedures set out in Part XAB of the Act of 2000.”.

I move amendment No. 12: In page 12, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “(3A) Where the Minister has failed to make regulations under subsection (3), the ordinary provisions of this enactment shall apply.”.

I move amendment No. 13: In page 12, to delete lines 8 and 9.

I move amendment No. 15: In page 12, line 14, after “road,” to insert “where such roads are accompanied by appropriate cycling or pedestrian infrastructure,”.

As the Minister of State will be aware, a new planning application was recently lodged for an apartment scheme on the former Bessborough mother and baby home site in Cork city. This application is one of a number of live planning applications for developments across this estate. This recently lodged application for a 92-unit scheme was lodged by the same developer who had previously been refused planning permission from An Bord Pleanála following an oral hearing in 2021. The refusal at that time was because the boa…

The Institutional Burials Act failed Bessborough. We talk about general provisions but we are also talking about specific sites. Bessborough was known to be one of the areas where concerns have been raised about inappropriate burials and where we have more than 800 children unaccounted for. These children are known to be dead but are unaccounted for. Choices were made in this regard. During the debate on the legislation, we were assured that Bessborough would be covered and that there was no need for amendments. In…

I join in the expressions of concern about what seems a relentless attack on the democratic aspects of our planning infrastructure. I always tell people that policy-making and politics are about the decisions we make about how we want to live together. An important aspect of the decisions about how we want to live together is that people have a say in their local development plans and in planning. It is vital that we protect it. The concerns around the terrible proposals being flown at the moment should not distrac…

I welcome the Minister of State. I join others in welcoming the nomination of the four new members of the commission. I congratulate them on being successful in achieving these nominations. They bring a good and diverse range of skills which will assist the work of the electoral commission. To highlight one question, I am aware that Professor Fennell brings a particular expertise in respect of gender, which is important in the work of encouraging wider engagement in our electoral system in the context of gender equ…

I wish to contribute on the back of that amendment in respect of the Land Registry. My point relates to a matter we discussed previously. The Minister of State will be aware of the key role that the PRA was likely to have played if, as planned, it had moved ahead with the proposal to have any rights of way or profits à prendre not registered with it expire automatically last autumn. There was a very welcome decision by the Minister in response to me and others raising the issue to ensure no mass expiry of rights of…

I have not tabled any amendments to this section because the matter I am raising has been provided for. My concern with regard to the transfer of functions from Ordnance Survey Ireland, OSI, relates to the fact that a new board structure will come in. There will be many new ideas. There will be huge pressure in relation to property registration, in particular. Things like zoned land will be key issues. I am a little concerned because it often happens when two bodies merge that some of the functions may not be as pr…

The transfer of land and other property comes up in a couple of places in the Bill. The Minister of State has heard about the value of the physical archive, and we will come to the content of the paper archive in a minute. The records are one piece. However, there are things that are not necessarily records. All archival material should be construed within the definition of "property". The particular property which is a great resource to the public and historians, when transferred, should maintain its function. I h…

In respect of the transfer of staff, I welcome that the rights, terms and conditions of the staff will be maintained, including their superannuation, pension rights and so on. That is appropriate. I am concerned that we need to ensure that pension rights will be properly maintained. I am looking at the intersection of subsections (4) and (5) in that regard. The Bill seems to state that the terms and benefits will be no less favourable than applicable, but subsection 4, which guarantees the continuation of pension r…

The Minister of State identified this section as relating to records. Records can be interpreted in a very narrow or wide way. Documents, maps and files are records, but the source documents which may have been involved in the creation of Ordnance Survey maps and materials input are also relevant. In many cases there is a huge historical archive in the process of mapmaking that OSI has undertaken. We know, for example, that place names are a key issue in Translations . OSI has had a particular mandate in terms of I…

I want to begin by commending Senator Boylan on the Bill. It is well drafted and thought through. It shows the sign of somebody who has been passionate and thoughtfully engaged in issues of animal welfare throughout the time I have known her into Seanad and far beyond that. It is something that would make a significant difference. The Bill contains concrete and practical proposals. We want to move away from the idea of giving dogs as Christmas presents, but something we can give to dogs would be not only passing th…

I move recommendation No. 1: In page 66, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: “Report on wealth tax 25. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the potential revenue raised from, and distributional impact of, a wealth tax of 1 per cent on all households with assets of over 15 million euro.”

I was not able to engage in the full Committee Stage debate, but this is one recommendation upon which I had a good exchange with the Minister. In light of that, I will not reiterate all of the arguments made previously. The concern I have is that we continue to look away from what is very much a pooling of wealth towards the top end of society. We know that Ireland has one of the highest levels of income inequality but also that when it comes to wealth inequality, the bottom 10% of the population has €600 or less …

On the Minister's general point, he will be aware that we are not in a position to suggest concrete amendments to the Finance Bill because of the potential cost to the State. Therefore, when we make these recommendations, in many ways we are seeking to influence next year's budget. The budgetary process in Ireland tends to focus on the reveal of budget day and the pressures in advance but very strong ideas could be offered, not just from the Opposition benches but from across the House, in terms of areas that merit…

I move recommendation No. 2: In page 66, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: “Report on private pension tax reliefs 25. The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on private pension tax relief, specifically in relation to gender impacts.”.

We have had a lengthy discussion in respect of pension policy and private pension tax relief and whether it is an efficient use of the State's resources. It costs €2.9 billion a year when a universal pension would cost €3 billion. We had that discussion. While I may not agree with him, the Minister responded on a lot of the other aspects of the private pension tax relief. However, the crucial part remains unaddressed, which is an analysis of the gender impacts. Such research as we have shows that 70% of the benefit…