It is in reference to that, because this interpretation, as the Acting Chair will be aware, governs the entirety of the Act, including Schedule 2, which is being amended by amendment No. 340. I have not tabled an amendment to this effect but is it something to which the Minister of State could give consideration on Report Stage?

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. This is an important issue. This morning, I stood in the rain outside the Criminal Courts of Justice with my colleagues at the criminal Bar to demonstrate the importance of this issue. The reality is that cuts were made to the criminal legal aid scheme in the aftermath of the financial emergency in this country. Nobody had a difficulty with those cuts. They were taken in greater measure than many sectors, but barristers and solicitors who work under the crimina…

I appreciate the Minister of State’s sincerity in this regard, and what she said about recognising the importance of legal representatives and the role played by solicitors and barristers. I confess, having spoken to them outside the courts this morning, that they do not feel that importance is recognised and if a further withdrawal of services is to be avoided, there is a very simple way to do so. I recognise what the Minister of State said about not making budget announcements but the time is now to make that cha…

I join with colleagues in expressing my condolences to the family of John O'Mahony. I knew John, not from in here, but from politics certainly. Both he and my father were from Ballaghaderreen. He was a gentleman and somebody who was very understated in terms of his achievements and what he had done. I greatly regret hearing the news this week and I pass on my sympathies to his family. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. I recognise we are now 17 days from the Olympics. I note in particular the success of Irish sailing in …

I dtús báire, gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Butler, as teacht anseo, cé nach bhfuil an t-ábhar seo ina Roinn féin. Táim an bhuíoch di go bhfuil sí anseo chun freagra a thabhairt dúinn. Baineann an cheist atá agam inniu leis an nGaeloideachas, go háirithe i mo cheantar féin i gCoill na Silíní. Is rud an-thábhachtach ar fad é an ceart atá ag daoine oideachas a fháil trí mheán na Gaeilge. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil an-fhás tagtha ar Ghaelscoileanna ar fud na tíre le blianta anuas. Cé go bhfuil níos …

Tá an ceart ag an Aire Stáit - tá an-díomá orm leis an bhfreagra sin. Ní thuigim é, chun an fhírinne a rá. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil daoine de shíor ag iarraidh Gaelcholáistí dá dteaghlaigh. An fhadhb eile atá ann ná, seachas Coláiste Iosagáin agus Coláiste Eoin, níl Gaelcholáiste ar fáil idir lár na cathrach agus Bré i gContae Chill Mhantáin. Ní thuigim in aon chor cén fáth an bhfuil an Roinn ag rá nach bhfuil siad chun leanúint ar aghaidh leis seo. Tá na tuismitheoirí agus na teaghlaigh atá ag iarraidh Gaelchol…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach. Tá a fhios agam nach ligfeadh sé don Aire Stáit teacht chuig an Teach gan deis cainte a thabhairt dom. Cuirim fáilte roimh an mBille ar son Fhine Gael. Aontaím leis an Aire Stáit faoin tábhacht a bhaineann leis. Léiríonn an t-easpa leasuithe ag an gCéim seo an méad comhaontaithe atá ann ar an ábhar agus ar an Bille seo, rud atá tábhachtach freisin. I congratulate the Minister of State. It is important legislation, but I believe there are things that are not technic…

Gabhaim ar dtús mo fhíorchomhghairdeas leis an Leas-Cheannaire agus leas-cheannaire Fhine Gael, an Seanadóir Seán Kyne. Ba mhaith liom a rá go soiléir go bhfuilimid thar a bheith sásta dó go mbeidh sé sa phost sin. We know he will do a good job and look forward to the final few months of this Seanad. I raise an issue that relates to Gaeloideachas. A group was here yesterday, who I unfortunately did not have a chance to meet because I had another group of visitors. There must be a right to education through Irish. W…

I want to raise an issue that has not received much attention in Ireland, namely, the aggression of China in respect of the international waters around it, specifically the Second Thomas Shoal, which is an area of natural resources within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. This is not something I am asserting; it has been established by the arbitral tribunal established by the United Nations. When the tribunal was asked about this in 2016, it made it very clear where the Second Thomas Shoal lay in term…

Last week in this House, I raised the issue of an allegation of an attack that took place in Phoenix Park. I acknowledge that the Garda has taken swift action in response to that. A number of organisations have been involved in supporting the young men at the centre of that attack. It is very important that an arrest has been made. I will make no further comment on it. However, it is important to point out that in recent days, I and others have received a serious amount of abuse on social media telling me that this…

The Chair was asked to instruct the Member to withdraw their remark-----

-----and the Chair did not even address the request.

I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

I assure the Acting Chairperson that I will not use the bell in terms of what I have to say. While I welcome the Bill on behalf of the Fine Gael group and it does important things, there is a lot of technical stuff in it. Let us be honest: there is nothing sexier than superannuation when it comes to passing legislation. I will start with the Title, which I am sure could be snappier, but Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 is probably an unnecessary mouthful. I am …

As a practising barrister, I believe deeply in the value of juries. It is very important that people have an opportunity to go before a jury of their peers to put their case to people who are not jaded, who have not heard it all before and who are not preconditioned to have a particular view on it. I agree with what Senator McDowell has said about the difficulty that district judges face in this regard because they have to deal with things on their own and they are seeing the same offences, day in, day out, sometim…

Go raibh maith agat. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Chambers, and déanaim comhghairdeas leis as ucht an post nua atá aige ina pháirtí féin. Go n-éirí leis sa ról sin. Ba mhaith liom a rá inniu gur cheart go mbeadh cosaint ann do dhaoine an síneadh fada a úsáid agus iad ag déileáil leis an Stát nó le heagraíochtaí eile trí Ghaeilge. Tá a fhios againn go bhfuil an-tábhacht ag baint leis an síneadh fada. Tá a fhios againn freisin nach raibh an t-eolas sin ag gach éinne sa Stát ar feadh blianta anuas. Cu…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as an bhfreagra sin. Aontaím leis maidir le tábhacht na hoibre atá déanta ag an Rialtas agus ag an Stát ar an ábhar seo. Ag an am céanna, agus cé go bhfuil an-meas agam ar an dlí a deireann go mbeidh 20% den fhógraíocht trí Ghaeilge agus cé go bhfuilimid ag déanamh na hoibre agus ag dul ar aghaidh leis an bhfadhb seo, táimid i gcónaí ag labhairt faoi eagraíochtaí poiblí. Ba cheart go mbeimid ag labhairt faoi gach aon eagraíocht, ní hamháin eagraíochtaí an Stáit. Mar shampla, is a…

This is Pride month, as we all know. Dublin Pride will take place on Saturday, 29 June. We have come so far as a country in acknowledging the special nature of people who have pride in their sexuality and are showing that to us. We have acknowledged their right to equal access to marriage and other things in this country. It feels like we have come so far and yet we also know there are people in this country who do not acknowledge or accept it. We see reports far too regularly of people being attacked because of th…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit leis an rún tábhachtach seo a phlé agus cuirim fáilte roimh an rún freisin, ar son an ghrúpa Fhine Gael. I welcome the motion on behalf of the Fine Gael group and I hope it will pass because it is an important measure. The reality of our situation is that we are an island on the periphery of Europe. Having joined what was then the European Economic Community in 1973, we have seen nothing but benefits from our membership of the European Union. We benefited initially, primarily from …

It is a nonsense term that is absolutely designed to instil fear in people about foreigners as they come here. That is what it is. It is low-level racism towards people coming to this country. Of course they are not vetted, but we know who they are. It is not the case that many people are floating around Ireland from other countries and we have no idea who they are. That is not true either. Let us cut out that misleading language. They are people who are coming here, just as Irish people who went to the United Stat…