We are again talking about gender violence and that poor girl Jennifer, who lost her life this weekend. This Government must lead on the change that needs to happen, from our young sons to grown men, so that we can respect one another, men and women, to prevent gender violence and abuse, including on our streets. There were two girls on the radio this morning who spoke about being stalked. There is so much work to be done and there must be a whole-of-government response. I would love to have a debate on that in the…

I wish to speak about and congratulate the young women and girls in Maryfield College, Drumcondra, who along with Amárach Research conducted a study on how young girls and women are being intimidated by catcalling. They call for legislation and for this to be made illegal. The Seanad is mostly male. I am sure the Leader is very well aware of how intimidating unsolicited shouting, whether that be so-called compliments, whistling or whatever the case may be, can be to a young woman, or any woman, who is walking down …

I thank the Minister of State. I was very glad to hear her comments. It was only human for all of us, including me as a mother and spokesperson on disability, to be absolutely horrified when we watched the report last week indicating that we have a Department that has been holding private medical records for decades for no reason other than that those concerned are involved in litigation, and that we did not act. I read the letter from the Department's Secretary General. It reads: [We] regret the distress that head…

The Minister of State is very welcome back to the House. We are here to talk about living with Covid. We are kind of coping with Covid. Our families, our children, our young people, our old people, people who have lost their jobs and people who are losing their businesses are all on tenterhooks. We are all just waiting with bated breath for our vaccines. I am taking to prayer. Let us hope to get more supply. Everything seems to be hooked on the supply of vaccines. We must try to come up with a plan B. I ask that se…

I second Senator Byrne's amendment to the Order of Business. I will talk about the Irish Cancer Society. I pay tribute to all of those we have lost, those battling cancer and those who will, in the future, get a cancer diagnosis. There has been positive news on this island with the establishment of the All-Ireland Cancer Consortium. Last week saw the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Northern Irish Government, the Irish Government and the US. This consortium is a research organisation which will …

I second the proposal.

We have three speakers left and not much time. Would Senator Conway share time with Senator McGahon, particularly as Senator Ward is not in the House? They will have two and half minutes each.

When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

This week marks national tree week. It would be remiss of me not to mention this, my real passion for trees and, in particular, native Irish trees. If one does not plant a tree this week, I would urge one to learn about the folklore behind each and every one of them. Alder is this month's tree. Alder was seen in old Irish traditions as the first tree from which man sprang. We can blame the alder for that. It was also used to make shields. I always thought the Red Branch Knights of Ulster was a strange name for an a…

I extend my best wishes to everyone on St. Patrick's Day. It will be a different St. Patrick's Day this year, like last year, but hopefully we will make the most of it. This morning, I want to raise the issue, again, of gender-based violence. This week, like most weeks, we have heard horrendous stories about women being raped, sexually assaulted and beaten up. The victim might then be blamed if people say she should not have been walking down that road or out in the first place. The problem is not about somebody wa…

It is great see the Minister in the House again to discuss this positive issue. It is timely that this Bill is before us on international women's week. Many parents have been contacting us about increased adoptive leave so it is great to be able to give a timeline to them. To respond to Senator Mullen's comment that a family is founded in reality when it is a man and woman, that view is founded in a reality of prejudice. A family is a family, whatever way the child is brought into the world, loved and taken care of…

As a sufferer of endometriosis, I know it is a tremendous disease. It takes over one's body and mind. One deals with pain several times each month. It is incredible. I am one of the lucky ones because I know what is wrong with me. There are thousands of women who do not know what the problem is. They are told by their doctors that it is a normal pain. It is not normal. As Senator Chambers stated, they are told to buck up and get on with it and that this is part of being a woman. Pain is not part of being a woman. T…

I want the Minister of State to bring the issue of the €2.5 million in funding for the critical care unit in the Rotunda Hospital back to the Minister. It is the world's oldest maternity hospital and that is all that is needed for it to move forward to the next stage and to get its standard of care up to a modern level. Some 3,000 people are on the waiting list for care in the Rotunda Hospital and I would ask the Minister of State to move on funding for the critical care unit.

I stand here as a very proud member of mná na hÉireann, a descendant of our ancient warriors and modern rebels, from Queen Maeve, who battled in the mountains above my home to secure ownership of the Brown Bull of Cooley, to Granuaile the pirate queen, who proved her might on sea and was a formidable force in politics, to the more recent day heroes of my party, Fianna Fáil, such as one of our founders, Constance Markievicz. When I first learned of this woman and the other women of the early 1900s, who fearlessly fo…

Today, I will discuss the "RTÉ Investigates" report televised on Wednesday night. It brought to light more atrocities and heartbreak. When one looks at the people affected, one can see the heartache and exhaustion on their faces. The story of our dark past is absolutely relentless. As a Christian and a Catholic, I always separate the institution from my faith. It was very hard to see that these people who espoused Christianity and decency, hounded women for money which they did not have to pay. It was a disgusting …

I thank the Senator. I might bring in my own sewing machine some day to help out. I call Senator Black.

Like my fellow Senators, I want to raise the issue of endometriosis awareness month. I have made no secret in this House that I suffer terribly with endometriosis. It is absolutely infuriating to be ignored for so long by the medical profession and be told it is in one's head. When I got a diagnosis after an operation, I was asked on the operating table if I was sure I wanted to do this and was told they thought I was grand. It then came out that I had a stage 4 diagnosis after all the doubts and questions about wh…

It is good to see the Minister of State here. We all very much appreciate her time. I asked for this Commencement matter because of the frustration and worry of parents of children with special needs and those of children with additional needs. The Minister of State is well aware they are at their wits' end. Parents are seeing their children's development regress. The ability of these children to behave socially has been affected and they are struggling to cope. The stories I have heard are devastating. We were all…

I know that if the Minister of State could click her fingers we would have all our children back to school. Part of my thought process on this issue is about special classes. There is a very individual, school-level approach to the reduction of the hours being provided. What do parents do if they are told they are supposed to get their child back to full-time education when they are not getting that? One hour and 40 minutes, which is what they will have next week, is certainly not full time for special classes. I a…