It was remarkable for me to be at yesterday's event as the first serving Member from the Traveller community. I will not be liked for saying this but it is important to speak truth to power. It was a little embarrassing that no minority voices were heard yesterday. That is coming from someone from an ethnic minority group. I flagged this a few times but as my mother would say, "You can bring a horse to water but you cannot make him drink it". To be clear it was not about me as a person but if we are marking minorit…

I second the recommendation.

I second the recommendation.

I second the recommendation.

I second the recommendation.

I second the recommendation.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I support the Bill but, like others, I want to raise some important points. On the supports that are given to families who are struggling, such as the 20% of people who are at the bottom of society, those on low incomes and people who are most impacted by the cost of living, as a community development worker, I have to say that I was always told to empower people and support them. Did the Minister ever hear that if you catch a fish for a person, that person only eats for one day but that if you teach him how to fis…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to the House.

Out of respect for the debate, I ask visitors not to clap again. I welcome the leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Bacik, and all of her guests to the Gallery.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. As other Senators rightly said, it is after 8 p.m. and we are speaking about childcare. I thank my colleagues in the Labour Party for tabling this very important motion before the House. I am a mother of two young children. Lacey has just gone 15 months and Billie is three. I put Billie's name down for childcare when I was working in the National Traveller Women's Forum before I came to the Seanad. The reality is that if I had Billie in childcare and was also trying to …

I want to bring to the Leader's attention the Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018, which was passed in the Seanad in 2019 by former Senator Colette Kelleher. Oein de Bhardúin also did a lot of work on that Bill. We got it through the Dáil thanks to Deputy Pringle and we are looking at Committee Stage of the Bill. Unfortunately the money message has come into play with the Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018. We wrote to the Minister, as did Deputies, and unfortunately we have not r…

I want to discuss some of the work done in the past two years to make life better for the Traveller community. The Irish Traveller Movement is considering creating internships in public offices and public services for members of the Traveller community. Offices will be paid for giving Travellers equal opportunity for employment purposes, which is a plus. Recently, money was given to fund Traveller health and mental health services. That is also a plus. There has been some very positive action over the past two year…

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

It is appalling that there is discriminatory language in a Bill in 2022. Why is legislation that has discriminatory words in it being rushed through? We are not in agreement that the Bill is ideal. It is not listening to disabled people. Why is the Minister seeking to pass it through the House today?