I join in expressing sympathy to the family of our former colleague, Deputy and Senator, Professor Brian J. Hillery. I offer my condolences to his family who are grieving at this time. It is great to see Senator Norris back in the House and I am glad that he is recovering well. I must point out that the same loophole on fobbing in applies to Members who have had a baby recently, or what the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission deems as those Members who are on sick leave, as the Commission determines it. The certifi…

I second the proposal.

I, too, join with colleagues in saying it is very appropriate that Senator Boyhan is in the Chair today. I thank him for taking time to do so.

All of us waited for the publication of the report, but no one more so than the survivors and relatives of the survivors of the mother and baby homes. The treatment of women in Ireland in recent history and, obviously, in the timeframe of the mother and baby homes can only be described as one of abandonment, distress, grief, loneliness, heartbreak, trauma and pure unkindness. The sight of the children in cots and on beds brings tears and a great deal of emotion about the distress these women must have gone through.…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach. I also thank Senator Craughwell for bringing these amendments forward. On the face of it, it seems to be manifestly unfair that those who pay PRSI contributions have no benefits stemming from it. In the past number of years where we have had a particular influence in this House the public have become aware of the fact that one needs one's social welfare credits to continuously accrue if one is to be entitled to one's contributory pension down the road. I see my colleagu…

I wish to discuss the housing assistance payment, HAP. Nearly 59,000 households are supported by means of this payment and many of us on the ground know that those in receipt of it are struggling to pay their rent. Many of them are topping up their HAP to their landlords so that they can stay in their homes. Topping up HAP was never meant to be the case. The system is significantly flawed. Unfortunately, landlords are reluctant to take on HAP tenants. The system does not give tenants any security of tenure. We need…

I thank the Minister for coming to the House. Fianna Fáil welcomes this Bill, which gives effect to unprecedented levels of expenditure in budget 2021. Aside from the enormous levels of expenditure, the Bill also provides that the change to the State pension age previously planned for 1 January 2021 will be deferred. The pension age will remain at 66 pending the report of the commission on pensions. The planned increase from 67 to 68, which is scheduled to happen on 1 January 2028, is also being repealed so that th…

I support the extension of the help to buy scheme. The figures show that 16,412 people applied for the help to buy scheme from January to November and even more people have applied in the last few months. If the Senator were successful in removing the section, can he imagine how many first-time buyers would be let down by him and Sinn Féin? The UK has brought in a similar scheme, which is a tax-free loan of up to 40% for first-time buyers. In Ireland we are only giving them up to 10%. It is not ideal that we have t…

I thank the Minister for coming to the House and I congratulate her on her good news. I commend the Civil Engagement Group for tabling this Private Members' legislation. It is probably one of the first times we have had the start of a meaningful debate on immigration in this House and we must have many more debates like it. I refer to immigration and its impact on us as an island and a member of the European Union. Most of us are familiar with the asylum process and the subsidiary protection process. We all also kn…

I would like to raise my disappointment at the reconfirmation by AIB that it plans to reduce its workforce by 1,500 people by 2023. Not only is this hugely disappointing for a huge amount of staff but it is also disappointing for people who use AIB's banking services locally. The reduction is not only of people but also of branches. It is closing down its Crumlin Cross branch and moving it to Crumlin Road, to the detriment of many elderly people who would use AIB's face-to-face services on a daily basis. What is mo…

I thank the Minister of State for coming in to address this issue. I have worked with the Dublin 12 campaign for ASD inclusion and the Involve Autism groups since their inception. These are groups of courageous and dynamic parents who campaign for autism units in their local schools. More specifically, the Dublin 12 for ASD inclusion has campaigned since 2018 for an autism-specific school in Dublin 12. Over the years we have had huge difficulty in obtaining the exact figure for those diagnosed with autism in Dublin…

Can I not come in again? Everyone else had the opportunity.

I thank the Minister of State, but I asked for a specific update on Scoil Colm. I would like to know where we are in regard to the discussions. What the Minister of State has said is very unclear. We need to know what is the future for Scoil Colm. What is going on is very cloak and dagger but the Department should give parents a proper update on the position of the school. They want to know what state the negotiations are at and what stage we are at in the ongoing process. It is hugely unfair to lead people up the …

I agree with some of the statements made by Senator Ruane on Senator Mullen's language today. It was completely inappropriate.

Today is international day for the elimination of violence against women. This is against the backdrop of reports where we have learned that one in eight women suffers violence during pregnancy and that one in five women who are in an intimate relationship suffers violence. Domestic violence did not go away during the lockdown, where one might have thought it may have. This shows that a huge amount of violence is happening within people's homes. Today the director of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Noeline Blackwell…

We all know about the pending Covid vaccines, which are very welcome. They are not a panacea and there is a long road ahead, but I am cautiously optimistic. I see them as, it is to be hoped, a pathway to the rejuvenation of the economy and some sort of normal life. Those who are vulnerable and front-line workers will be the first to be vaccinated, but we should have a proper debate on whether teachers should be included as a priority when the vaccine is rolled out. We have to acknowledge the huge amount of work the…

We are well aware that the tourism industry has taken a severe battering since March due to Covid-19. Prior to Covid-19 the tourism industry employed 265,000 people and was worth €9.2 billion to the economy. The tourism industry is resilient and it can recover but we need to do everything we can to help. Today, I wish to raise the challenges facing St. Patrick's Cathedral, which is undergoing restoration to its roof. I visited the site several weeks ago and saw at first hand the intricate work and detail that is be…

I raise again the untimely death of Shane O'Farrell. This tragic killing has been discussed twice in this House and the Dáil since 2017. Shane O'Farrell died in a road traffic accident nine years ago in August. He was hit by a car driven by Mr. Zigimantas Gridziuska, who had 42 previous convictions and was at large while on bail. He should have been in prison for breaching many bail conditions but was dangerously out on this day, killing beautiful young Shane O'Farrell, aged 23 years, in August 2011 near Carrickmac…

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House today. We in Fianna Fáil support the extension of the sunset clauses for both Part 5 of the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 and Part 3 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020. Regrettably, the ongoing presence of Covid-19 still presents a significant public health emergency and poses a considerable threat to human life. The latest Covid figures, as the Minister of Stat…

I also wish to be associated with your comments on the UN, a Chathaoirligh, and those of Senator Chambers, regarding the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. I am delighted that you, a Chathaoirligh, are flying the flag in this House today, so go raibh maith agat. I thank the Taoiseach for going to the south-west inner city yesterday. As we know, the area faces tremendous challenges and struggles. Without simplifying it, these struggles include a high level of drug use, over-saturation of service…