Everything I had intended to say has been already said. The basis of the amendment is the inclusion of local authorities, councillors and representatives in the process in order that they can keep up to date with regard to it. As a former councillor, I know that there are many ways to engage. This provision drives that home a little bit better. It gives more of a statutory basis to that engagement in that councillors and the local authorities will have to be informed. It is pretty straightforward. Previous speakers…

I move amendment No. 27: In page 9, to delete lines 7 to 11 and substitute the following: “ “(1B) Where a planning authority receives an application for permission to which section 32A(1) applies it shall— (a) notify the elected members of the planning authority of the making of the application, of where the application is available for inspection, and of such other information as may be prescribed, and (b) at the next meeting of each Area Committee concerned, or of the municipal district members for each municipal…

I move amendment No. 32: In page 9, after line 38, to insert the following: “Limit of duration of permission 6 . Section 40 of the Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (3): “(4) Notwithstanding subsection (3), where a planning authority grants a permission to which section 32A(1) applies— (a) ‘the appropriate period’ means the period of 12 months beginning on the date of the grant of permission, and (b) section 41 shall not apply in relation to the permission.”.”. W…

I thank the Minister of State for being here. We had a lengthy couple of days earlier in this Seanad term to discuss this issue. We are back to discuss it again. As a member of the agricultural panel, I feel that afforestation is a method of decarbonisation that we do not really utilise enough in the fight against climate change. Given that we have the spectre of COP26 looming large over all discussions about climate action in Ireland and around the world, we are all hyper-focused on it. Everyone saw the clip of ou…

I thank the Minister and everyone involved in making Science Week happen. It is fantastic and gives us an opportunity to celebrate the role of science in our everyday lives. I commend the Creating our Future initiative by Science Foundation Ireland to encourage members of the public to make submissions into the public call for sources of research topics. I also echo Senator Warfield's comments with regard to the Science Gallery and the dismay many people felt on hearing it is closing. I would be interested to hear …

I want to start my contribution by recognising the tireless work of the Limerick-based group, Together for Safety. It is a very visible, open and transparent group of campaigners who have been fighting hard to get this issue back on the political agenda.

It is a grassroots organisation of activists who have spent their weekends, evenings and even break times in their work day to promote this issue. The organisation published a very comprehensive Bill and lobbied us all in advance of this debate in recent months. It is often a lonely station when doing this work. Many of us in the Chamber have been those foot soldiers before, but the group's dedication to it is immense and so impressive. The Bill, as proposed by Senator Gavan, with cross-party support, is clear and …

I support Senator Gavan's comments on Palestine and the really disgraceful changes in categorising groups as terrorist organisations. It is dreadful. Not so long ago I was outside Leinster House with activists and other campaigners commemorating the senseless and tragic loss of life of Savita Halappanavar that was caused by Ireland's restrictive abortion laws at the time and fears of legal responsibility. We gathered to say "Never again". Outside Leinster House there was "Our Maternity Hospital" campaign, which is …

I thank the Minister of State for providing a copy of her statement. It is great to hear her positive outlook for this programme. I am hopeful there will be a positive future with high-quality, timely, much-needed services for the sector. I was distressed to hear the recent contribution from Senator Seery Kearney regarding the discussion at the Oireachtas disability committee when it was recounted that neurotypical persons were advised to mask symptoms of autism when in public. I thank the Senator for sharing that …

I thank the Minister for coming to the House. We are rapidly hurtling into winter. It is getting chilly. We can see the numbers of people interacting with our health service. The health service and our hospitals are very busy every year, but this season will possibly be busier than we have seen before. Our system is going to be under enormous pressure because of the impact of the ongoing pandemic. People also have continuing regular healthcare needs. There is also a backlog which seems to be eternally growing. Our …

I wish to reference the student nurses and midwives who are outside Leinster House with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, supported by the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland, PNA, SIPTU and Fórsa, about student nurses and midwives' pay, which is an issue that I ever so briefly mentioned in the House previously. We are back at it again. There have been hints in the media that some of this will be resolved and that students in their fourth year internships are to receive an increase in their pa…

Obviously, I wish my great colleague and friend, Deputy Bacik, the very best. She has been an enormous inspiration to me and throughout the student movement. It is wonderful to have had somebody with such tenacity and commitment in this House and now to see her represent us in the Dáil. I wish to discuss the fact that July is Disability Pride Month. The month originated in the USA and has spread globally. The annual event seeks to shine a light on physical, learning and hidden disabilities and mental health conditi…

I want to raise an issue which has been discussed in this House before but has yet to be resolved and that is the issue of pay disparity in Leinster House. For years now, secretarial assistants have been working with their union to try to resolve the issue of unequal pay and as of yet, the Minister for Finance has not even met with them to discuss the matter directly. The Leader's party leader, the Tánaiste, spoke publicly about how Fine Gael is in favour of a living wage and yet the largest cohort of political sta…

I raise again the issue of eating disorders and the woeful lack of supports in place in Ireland. I do not know if any of the Members heard the report on RTÉ Radio 1 this morning, which outlined the ghastly situation facing those suffering with an eating disorder in Ireland and the difficult position in which their families find themselves. Very powerful testimony was provided by CARED Ireland. If Members have the opportunity, I suggest that they listen back to it. It was horrifying to hear that there are no nationa…

I want to follow up on an earlier point. When we are talking about the national maternity hospital and religious ethos, it is worth pointing out that only nine of the current 19 maternity hospitals provide abortion services that two thirds of the people voted for. We still have a very long way to go to get the abortion services two thirds of the people voted in favour of. I want to highlight briefly again the fact the Student Universal Support Ireland pandemic unemployment payment issue has not been resolved. I hav…

I commend the Union of Students in Ireland, USI, on its Education for All campaign. Other Senators may have passed representatives of the union outside the gates of Leinster House this morning. At €3,000, Irish students are now paying the highest fees in Europe. When I was president of USI in 2015 and 2016, we campaigned against an increase in the student contribution fee. It is, obviously, a position about which I still feel strongly. I agree with the USI and the demands its representatives made outside Leinster H…

Unfortunately, I do not have any personal experience of getting the vaccine yet. I hope I will have that experience soon. I can speak very highly of my dad's experience. The first time we talked about vaccines in the House after Christmas, I recalled how my father and his friend, who are both hard of hearing, roared down the phone at each other about getting the vaccine. They are both long vaccinated now. As I said last week, there is certainly a lot more spring in people's step. They are looking forward. I agree w…

I welcome the Minister to the House. I will begin by saying something about the vaccine roll-out. I am starting to hear of more and more friends and family getting their calls to get a first jab. Some are getting a second jab. There is certainly a sense of buoyancy about the place. People have more pep in their step. My vaccine seems a million miles away but I am sure it will come. When I was hobbling through town today, I saw more light in the air, literally and metaphorically. It has to be commended that people a…

I welcome the Bill from the Labour Party group leader, Senator Bacik, who, I believe, has now introduced and has had more Private Members' Bills passed than any other Senator, which is a record to be proud of. This Bill is fundamentally practical, useful and timely. As we begin to emerge from the strangest of times for the organisation of working time for the entire country under Covid-19 restrictions, it is prime time to discuss how we structure our working lives, which must interact in a flexible and, ultimately,…

I am sure many Senators have been contacted by students or their parents and families about the SUSI grant and the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP. Parents and students alike who were close to the threshold limit are being told they no longer qualify for the SUSI grant because they accepted the PUP. I raised this issue last year and asked that the Minister not allow it to happen. In the period since, the Minister has spoken about SUSI a number of times. There has even been a public consultation on SUSI reform. H…