My apologies, a Chathaoirligh. I am sharing time with Senator Gavan. I welcome the Minister into the Chamber, and having listened to him this morning and having read the Bill, he will be glad to hear that Sinn Féin is happy enough to facilitate the speedy passage of this Bill through the Seanad today. That said, I concur with what has been said on the legislative process and the fact we have been forced to push through significant legislation over the past number of weeks. Given the loophole in which we find oursel…

I begin by repeating what I said in the Seanad yesterday and, indeed, many of my colleagues have been saying over the past number of days, that is, that Sinn Féin in opposition wants to achieve the same thing as the Government in relation to this pandemic. We want to see the virus brought under control in the interest of saving lives and we want to be constructive in opposition. However, as we have been saying over the past number of days, the level of co-operation between the Government and the Opposition over the…

I made a different point.

I would rather go through to the other amendments.

I move amendment No. 3: In page 4, between lines 36 and 37, to insert the following: "(e) The Minister shall, before prescribing a fixed penalty provision in regulations under this section, recognising the emergency nature of these regulations, consult with and seek approval of a majority of the members of both Houses of the Oireachtas.". This is getting ridiculous. There have been two occasions in one day where, because of the way legislation is being shoehorned not just through this House but both Houses over the…

I do not accept what the Minister of State is saying. I am not even sure he believes what he is saying, if he were honest with himself.

Yes.

I move amendment No. 1: To delete “9th day of June, 2021” and substitute “9th day of February, 2021”.

Before I begin, I wish to offer my party's thanks to the many thousands of health workers who have been working tirelessly for the past number of months. I have spoken to a number of people in recent weeks, and there is no doubt that they are stretched beyond the call of duty. Our thanks and appreciation continue to go to everyone across all levels of the health service. Since the beginning of the pandemic, and much like many other countries throughout the world, our society has been in a state of emergency for man…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete “9th day of June, 2021” and substitute “9th day of February, 2021”.

Is amendment No. 24 included in this group?

I would like to speak to amendment No. 24. Many Senators have spoken about various experiences - some of the personal experiences and others the experiences of people they know. I was struck by what I was told by a colleague an hour or so ago regarding the experience of one of his neighbours. I am sure that like me every Senator has been inundated with thousands of messages from people pleading with them to ask for their voices to be heard. I have worked in a number of institutions. I am well used to lobbying and l…

My point relates to information. Information is key and, therefore, access to information is vital. That is what these people are looking for. They do not understand, nor do they appreciate, technicalities. Frankly, neither do I. I am a mother. I know my background. My children know who I am and they know their grandparents, which, I suspect, is the situation for many in this Chamber. That fundamental right has been stripped from these women. If this Bill passes in its current form, people will continue to be strip…

I welcome the Minister to the House and congratulate him on his appointment. I look forward to working with him in the term ahead. I will begin on a positive note by referring to work on which I and many others have been involved for a number of years. I welcome the Government's commitment to provide €500 million in the years to 2025 for opportunities for North-South co-operation. This is a welcome first step in the right direction and lives up to the commitments that were made by the Irish and British Governments …

We all know the name of the biggest party in the country is Sinn Féin.

I thank my colleague for bringing forward the motion to the House. For us, the motion is not solely about Shannon Airport. It is not even only about Limerick or, indeed, the mid-west region or the west of Ireland. It is about a policy to create prosperity for all of the regions throughout the entire island. The motion is about planning so the entire island develops economically with a long-term strategy of balance rather than what we have had, which is short-term and shortsighted imbalance. If Shannon Airport fails…

I welcome the Minister of State. She is here to present the plan but it is a little late in the year to be doing so. She is aware that Sinn Féin made proposals in August and there are many people wondering why months were allowed to elapse over the summer when this work could have been done. The plan has some good points but it appears that these are mostly aspirational rather than being part of an effective strategy. It lacks detail and, in some ways, it is a little underwhelming. The plan is full of temporary mea…

I welcome the Minister of State. There is no doubt that it is an extremely busy time for him and his colleagues so I appreciate his coming here today to discuss a very important issue. The Minister of State will know too well that the New Decade, New Approach agreement that was signed in January comes on the back of intense and sometimes painstaking negotiations that had been taking place for the year previous. It is worth acknowledging that at the time of signing the New Decade, New Approach agreement there was a …

In relation to the expansion of the Ulster University Magee campus in Derry and the possibility of the Government working with the Executive in the North, I ask that the issue be placed on the agenda of the next North-South Ministerial Council. There is continuing engagement between Letterkenny Institute of Technology and the further and higher education establishments in the north west but I am sure the Minister of State will appreciate that what we need now is leadership to bring forward proposals for full expans…

Michael Kelly was 17 years old when he and 12 other people were massacred by British Army paratroopers on the streets of Derry on Bloody Sunday 1972. In total, 13 people were shot dead. John Johnston died later from his injuries and a similar number received serious wounds. Michael's brother, John, has campaigned for truth and justice for almost 50 years. Responding yesterday to the shameful decision by the North's Public Prosecution Service not to prosecute those soldiers responsible for the killings, John said: W…