Is the Minister as shocked as I am - maybe I should not be shocked - to discover that some 70% of prisoners in Irish jails have literacy problems? Does she consider that an issue that must be addressed in an integrated way across government? What is she going to do about it?

I thank the Minister of State for his response but it focused entirely on the in-prison service, as though everybody looks at the situation in their own silo. It is shocking that so many people who have clearly been failed by the education system end up in prison. What is going to be done about that in a joined-up way? I recall a former prison governor indicating that the vast bulk of the inmates in that prison were drawn from an identifiable number of postcodes. Does the Minister of State consider he has a respons…

It is 70% of prisoners.

I am grateful for the reply of the Minister of State and the focus to which he referred, but his initial response to me and the House focused entirely on the in-prison education system. What I hoped would be focused on, which he indicated he was focused on while in opposition, is preventing people ending up in prison in the first place. A collaborative effort between the Departments of Justice and Education is needed to deal with that. What sort of resources and what level of priority are going into that prevention…

The past four weeks have witnessed the illegal and unprovoked war of extermination launched by Vladimir Putin's Russia against the people of Ukraine. The world, in particular Europe, has changed and nothing will be the same again and we have to give most serious consideration, both as an Oireachtas and as a people, to a broad range of issues that will flow from this terrible aggression. I wish to deal with our immediate response to the humanitarian crisis that has resulted in the displacement within Ukraine and acr…

I warmly welcome that, but it needs to be in place for tomorrow, which is when the next Cherbourg boat arrives. The Minister will recall that our response to Brexit was to put customs officials and agents on board ferry vessels so that, by the time truck drivers arrived here, all the paperwork had been done. Surely we need to put cross-departmental teams on board the ferries. The 18-hour crossing affords us the opportunity to undertake registrations, Covid tests and assess accommodation needs so that, when people a…

Questions have been repeatedly raised in this House about the expulsion of the Russian ambassador and the large size of the Russian Embassy staff here, which numbers more than 30. Today, the Polish intelligence services have asked their foreign ministry to consider expelling 45 Russian diplomats, some of whom have allegedly been working for Moscow's secret services under the cover of diplomatic work. Last week, the Baltic nations expelled ten Russian diplomats, declaring them personae non gratae . Lithuania expelle…

I have been long enough in this House to remember the tortuous and cumbersome extradition procedure that used to exist prior to the enactment on foot of an EU framework directive of the European arrest warrant legislation. The Minister of State is far too young to remember any of that, but I remember debates in this House and major battles in the courts before criminals could be extradited from here. It was a most welcome innovation, which began to match the pan-European law enforcement capacity with the growing pa…

I begin, as I have done in most of our debates on European Council statements, by decrying the shortage of time we have. It is not in accordance with the commitments we made after the Lisbon Treaty. All of the normal debates, issues and challenges faced at the European Council which we normally debate in this Chamber beforehand, have been eclipsed in the past four weeks following the illegal and unprovoked war of extermination launched by Vladimir Putin’s Russia against the people of Ukraine. The world, and especia…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Justice pursuant to Standing Order 95(3)( a ) and 178(1).

At this point, can I formally move that the Bill moves to Committee Stage?

I was informed last night that I could. That is all.

It is urgent. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle might come back to me on when I can move it.

Covid instantly changed everything. One would not think that from the Minister of State's remarks. What was impossible for all the reasons that we have heard for years became possible overnight: working from home, flexible working, working online, a new work-life balance. Things that were unachievable and undoable because of necessity not only were doable but worked. The discourse in recent months was that all has changed permanently because of what we have learned in the past two years about how we can do things d…

The House is asked to support the adoption of an EU Council proposal to extend the list of EU crimes to all forms of hate crime and hate speech, whether based on race, religion, gender or sexuality. The European Parliament and EU Council can establish rules concerning the definition of "criminal offences and sanctions", as they are recommending. The framework decision requires member states to criminalise hate speech, that is, public incitement to violence or hatred on grounds of race, colour, religion, descent, or…

As the House knows, we had hoped to take the remaining Stages of the Proceeds of Crime (Gross Human Rights Abuses) Bill this week. It passed Second Stage last December. It is a very short and concise Bill to extend the powers of CAB to deal with those abusing human rights wherever. It is particularly apt and important right now in the context of the past 12 days. It would have shown a clear signal of solidarity and our determination to stand with the people of Ukraine. It has not proven possible for, in truth, tech…

If we cannot do it this week, it is important that we have special legislation to deal with this. Since we will not have Private Members' time, will the Taoiseach undertake to give Government time to conclude the legislation speedily?

Will the Taoiseach address the question on the Magnitsky legislation?

We have none.

Amend it.