I welcome the Minister of State. The two motions will be debated together but decided separately. I call on the Acting Leader to move the first motion.

Before we move to our next speaker, I welcome to the Gallery some special guests from the Athlone Flower Club. They are looking blooming lovely if they do not mind me saying so. They are guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran. I hope they have a wonderful day here. They are looking smashing. It is a gorgeous day out there.

As there are no other speakers, I call the Minister of State to conclude the debate.

I support what Senator McCormack said about the horrific Women's Aid statistics published earlier. Domestic violence in this country has reached epidemic proportions. I remind the House that we had an extensive debate on the matter with the Minister for justice on 12 May but I agree with the Senator that we must do anything we can to stop the violence. Last week, I made an impassioned plea regarding the proposed closure of the 14 step-down beds at the Cottage Hospital in Drogheda, saying that it must not happen. Fo…

I also congratulate, formally, Senator Ahearn on his appointment. He has been doing a sterling job so far and I know he will into the future. I look forward to working with him. I warmly welcome his family, who are rightly proud today. They will always remember this date. There are other dates that are permanently etched in the minds of generations of people. It might be the assassination of JKF or the passing of Elvis, but for a young journalist working in the Dublin in the mid-90s, it was definitely the senseless…

I have spoken to the Minister, Deputy McEntee, about this in person. I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to come to the House today to discuss what may, at first glance, seem an unconventional proposal, but I urge him to hear me out. It is one I believe warrants serious consideration. In recent days when I have mentioned the possibility of a maritime or naval facility in Drogheda, some people have pointed to the tidal nature of the River Boyne, navigational constraints and the challenges associated wi…

We all have to acknowledge that the threat to Ireland's security is real, and we must, at all costs, secure our coast and keep our citizens safe. I am encouraged and thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive response. I am encouraged that my proposal was not dismissed outright. The Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, and I are working hard on this to see if it is a possibility. We understand Dún Laoghaire is currently being used. It is a temporary measure. We believe that Drogheda Port, with all of its …

I am very shocked and quite angry at some of the news that is coming from Drogheda, County Louth, today. The 14 step-down beds in Cottage Hospital are under threat. These are vital beds that at times serve very vulnerable and elderly people who are freeing up beds in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital but who cannot go directly home. The beds in Cottage Hospital are to assist these people in making it back home again. The thought that these people might have to travel to Dundalk or even further is just unthinkable. There…

It is too late.

It is closing.

Ten minutes.

Actually, as long as you like. My apologies.

The Minister can wax lyrical.

I thank the Minister. Before concluding, I welcome some very special guests to the Visitors Gallery. We have a group of students and teachers from the Presentation Girls’ School, Maynooth, County Kildare. I see a group of very bright young women. Welcome to the Seanad Chamber. They are guests of Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil. As is customary, there will be no homework for the rest of the week. I hope they enjoy the rest of their visit.

When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

When is it proposed to sit again?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

The first worrying report I will talk about is one I saw on the RTÉ website this morning. Forty-one people are due in court on shoplifting offences. That is 41 people in one court alone in Dún Laoghaire. It warrants a wider conversation on retail crime. There are 15 children included in those 41 people. For the first time, it is being highlighted that meat, at a very high cost, is being shoplifted en masse . As a journalist, I have sat in many courtrooms over the years. There used to be petty crime and usually it w…

Like many of my colleagues, I thank the Minister, Deputy Browne, for listening to my impassioned pleas and helping me deliver a vital piece of infrastructure to south and middle Louth. There are now almost 3,000 houses unlocked, thanks to an injection of almost €40 million, which is something really vital. It is not only going to bring housing but other developments, like the potential for a second railway station, sporting facilities and plenty of jobs. While I am standing here and very unsubtly wearing my County …