I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. I know my colleague, Senator Joe O'Reilly, has been a long-standing advocate of gambling regulation and will agree with what the Minister of State has been saying. I also agree. I particularly welcome the fact that throughout this discussion, both before now and today, we have used the word "gambling" rather than "gaming". The industry has attempted to use the more socially acceptable term "gaming" when what we are talking about is gambling. In recent years, the ga…

I want to raise the issue of the national lottery. We know that the national lottery provides a number of different products, from the lotto to scratch cards. What is very important is that it also provides a social dividend for the people of Ireland. Approximately 28 cent out of every €1 that is spent on national lottery products in Ireland goes back into a good causes fund that benefits communities and people throughout the country. That is very important. It is not true to say that of gambling companies or priva…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire ar ais go dtí an Teach. I congratulate the Minister at the outset. There are some really good common-sense, progressive measures in this Bill, stuff that will actually make it easier to run criminal trials. It will make it easier for jurors, complainants and people who are accused. I welcome the provisions of the Bill, which are common-sense measures that will help the flow of the criminal justice system. I will speak on the primary function of the Bill being the establishment of prelimi…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit chuig an Seanad. I agree with much of what has been said previously. There has been a focus on inland waterways, particularly on inland water courses. I might turn the focus on our coastal regions coming as I do from Dún Laoghaire. One of the major problems we have now in Dublin Bay, notwithstanding the fact that it is a UNESCO biosphere and that it enjoys the protection under planning legislation of being a special protection area, SPA, and a special area of conservation, SAC, is …

I echo what many previous speakers said about the struggles and difficulties we have had. So many Senators have acknowledged the large number of people who have lost family members, friends and colleagues. There is no doubt about the enormity of the tragedy that is Covid. In the context of living with Covid, it is extremely important that the Government take cognisance not only of the advice of NPHET but also of its own role in governing this country, having regard to the strong feelings people have about where we …

I agree with previous speakers that the measures in the Bill are a proportionate response to a difficulty. It is important to point out that no matter what happens, no legislation we pass will cover every eventuality. There will always be people who require protection and do not get it because it is almost impossible for legislation to conceive of every eventuality, circumstance and individual case. Every individual case will have its difficulties. My colleague, Senator Conway, referred to accidental landlords who …

Today is Daffodil Day and I acknowledge the enormous work done by the Irish Cancer Society. Every one of us has been touched by cancer. Today, I remember members of my family who have died from cancer and the work that the Irish Cancer Society did to support people in that regard. I encourage people to donate or buy a daffodil if they can. I wish to talk about water safety. The seasons are moving from spring towards summer and I hope there will be a slight relaxation of restrictions, although I do not know whether …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I will quickly raise two matters relating to the Bill. On the whole, it does good and important things in the context of the current challenges. Both matters relate to the protection of renters who find themselves in difficulty. I am acutely aware that St. Helen's Court in Dún Laoghaire in my area saw the eviction of a number of tenants from a development. They were not in non-compliance with any of the conditions of their tenancies, they were not behaving badly and they were not …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach agus cuirim failte roimh an Aire arís. Tá sí i gcónaí go breá iarchomhairleoir de chuid Chomhairle Contae Dhún Laoghaire-Ráth an Dúin a fheiceáil sa Seanad. I recognise the good and important work that is done by visitdublin.com , Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is sometimes omitted from the list of good things to see in Dublin. We are all looking forward to the resumption of tourism in Ireland and the removal of restrictions. We need to e…

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

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit ar ais go dtí an Teach agus gabhaim buíochas leis as ucht an méid atá ráite aige fós faoin mBille freisin. On behalf of Fine Gael, I welcome the Bill. It is important amending legislation that corrects a number of aspects of the personal insolvency legislation but also adds to what is there in terms of practical solutions to some of the issues have arisen in the past decade or so. The Minister of State correctly referred to the timeline of legislation in this area from 2012, includ…

Dé Luain seo chugainn.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus roimh an Aire Stáit. Ní minic go mbíonn Aire agus Aire Stáit againn sa Seanad. B'fhéidir go bhfuil sé ceart agus cóir i gcomhair Sheachtain na Gaeilge. Is cúis áthais dom í a bheith anseo le linn Sheachtain na Gaeilge chun cothú agus fás ár dteanga dúchais a phlé. Tugann an féile teanga seo deis do dhaoine an Ghaeilge atá acu a úsáid agus daoine a spreagadh chun na Gaeilge. Úsáidim an focal "spreagadh" toisc nach féile do lucht líofachta na teanga amháin atá inti ach is féile do luc…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Ba mhaith liom labhairt faoi Chuan Dhún Laoghaire, atá faoi Chomhairle Contae Dhún Laoghaire-Ráth an Dúin. The Minister of State will be aware that a number of years ago a policy decision resulted in the transfer of many harbours and ports to local authorities around the country. One of them was Dún Laoghaire Harbour under the charge of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, of which I was a member at the time. We welcomed the decision. It was a very important measure of local dem…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht an ráitis shoiléir sin. I am not sure exactly what the Government means when it says that no local authority should be unduly burdened. The reality is that, for the first time since local property tax was introduced, although opposed by Fine Gael councillors, the local property tax was increased in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council's last budget, notwithstanding that householders in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown pay the highest rates of this tax in the country. Part of the e…

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an gCathaoirleach as ucht a chuid Gaeilge a úsáid inniu. Aontaím leis go hiomlán gur cheart dúinn cúpla focal a úsáid, más féidir, an t-am ar fad agus i rith na coicíse seo, Seachtain na Gaeilge, ach go háirithe. Tairgim leasú do Riar na hOibre, chun Uimh. 11, an Chéad Chéim den Bhille um Rialáil Tacsaithe (Leasú), 2021, a thógáil roimh Uimh. 1. Tairgim an leasú seo ar son an Seanadóir O'Reilly agus ar mo shon féin. I move an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 11, the First Stag…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Taxi Regulation Act 2013 to allow for the transfer of licences.

Dé hAoine seo chugainn.

Gabhaim buíochas, a Chathaoirligh Gníomhaigh. Táim chun mo chuid ama a roinnt leis an Seanadóir Curry, trí nóiméad an duine. I welcome the Bill and congratulate Senator Wall and his colleagues on bringing it before the House. It is important that we set down a marker in respect of illegal dumping and this is one way, among others, in which we can do it. It is also important to recognise that there is capacity in local authorities to do this work. We cannot constantly rely on An Garda Síochána to be everywhere in th…

I am deeply uncomfortable with the provisions in this Bill which does not mean they are not necessary or proportionate in the current circumstances. I have read the concerns expressed by many organisations, in particular non-governmental organisations, including the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, ICCL. I welcome the fact it has looked into this even if it may not have had the time it would have liked to examine all the provisions. It is important to say that when somebody is in the custody of the State, be it t…