The Minister of State is very welcome to the House to discuss my request that consideration be given to having a review of the compensation package for farmers for the cull of livestock as a result of the foot and mouth disease outbreak in Louth in 2001. I find this very difficult to speak about. It was a very upsetting time in all our lives in north Louth. It was 22 years ago but, given the hurt, it is like it happened yesterday. No one here or in the Department could ever imagine the upset and trauma the culling …

The crux of the issue is whether the Minister of State is happy with that two-tier compensation process. The Department states that the owners were appropriately compensated, but clearly that is not the case. There have been letters, correspondence and a legal case to state and highlight that farmers were not happy with the outcomes of what happened back then. I have to really stress that not one penny was spared by the Government at the time. Any money which was needed for overtime, accommodation or checkpoint sec…

Following on from Senator Lombard's contribution, I call for a debate on food security in this House. I would like to hear from Ministers in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. Considering that food security and the availability of high-quality, sustainable food is going to be one of the largest issues we have to face in the coming years, I think it is incumbent on us to have that d…

Before we move onto the next speaker I want to give a big welcome to the boys of St. Canice's national school in Finglas. They are very welcome to Leinster house and I hope they have a great time.

The Senator is straying from the topic of the Bill.

Before I move to the next speaker, I welcome the students from St. Louise de Marillac Primary School in Ballyfermot. They are guests of Senator Ardagh. They are very welcome to Seanad Éireann. I hope they are enjoying their day at Leinster House.

I would like to highlight a positive meeting that was held yesterday with Irish Rail. During the meeting, we were brought through a lot of the national plans and investment that will take place over the next couple of years, particularly the DART extension north to Drogheda. Mid-Louth councillor John Sheridan and I highlighted and put a strong pitch in for the reopening of Dunleer train station. Considering the growth in population in County Louth and all along the east coast, the investment that is needed into mid…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is our first time in the Chamber together since he took up his new position. It is nice to have the Minister of State here. In my Commencement matter, I am asking the Minister of State to outline the supports specifically for self-employed persons with disabilities. It is clear from speaking to self-employed persons with disabilities in my county of Louth and, indeed, in my engagement with people throughout the country that supports are not effectively supporting sel…

Even a little bit.

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I am in no doubt about his good faith and he is a huge advocate for people with disabilities in the workforce but there is a big difference between equality and equity, which is the problem. Everyone can access the grants but built-in equity in the system creates an inclusive society. People start at different levels as we have acknowledged on numerous occasions in this House. The Cost of Disability In Ireland Report, which was compiled by the Department of Social Protec…

I have mentioned that.

I thank the Minister of State.

I welcome the Tánaiste to the House. It is with great humility and sadness that I stand before him today to address the subject of the extreme and vile sexual violence in the Irish Defence Forces. As a nation, we have always prided ourselves on the honour and valour exhibited by our military personnel. We have a very proud legacy but, sadly, like many organisations, it has a desperate stain on its history. We must acknowledge that this report and our statements here today are not about the persecution of the Defenc…

At 10.30 a.m. tomorrow.

The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. I am speaking on behalf of my colleague, Senator Aidan Davitt, who is unable to attend due to a personal issue. It is my pleasure to speak today and to welcome the Second Stage debate of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022 in Seanad Éireann. Fianna Fáil very much welcomes and supports this Bill which will pave the way for strengthening Ireland's lobbying laws. It is a complex policy area, and I commend and congratulate those involved in bringing this …

The Senator is naming an awful lot of people who are not present in the House and are not able to defend themselves. He has continually used the names of people who are not here.

The Minister is very welcome to the House. I have asked for this debate for a long time, and I have had the Minister in here several mornings for Commencement matters. We know that we need far more supports for the sheep sector. Sheep are synonymous with our landscape, our heritage and our tourism. It must be stated that only 4% of our sheep farmers are under 35. The average sheep farmer is 56 years of age. We are not encouraging new young farmers to get into a really important agricultural sector. We know there ar…

I welcome the Minister to the House. I also welcome Ms Sheila O'Byrne and all of the people in the Public Gallery. I am glad that we are finally debating this Bill. We know we have needed it for a long time. Redress is one of the ways in which we are dealing with the mother and baby home legacy. We know mother and baby homes represent a dark chapter in our history. Thousands of women and children were subjected to unimaginable suffering and cruelty. Those so-called homes were there to provide care and support for u…

Absolutely not.

I agree with the Senator though.