I join with Senator Burke in paying tribute to the staff here as we come towards the end. We will be here a while yet but Senators will know what I mean. Obviously the Taoiseach will call an election very shortly so I thank the staff for the work they have done at all times. I thank them for their support and help, it has been a pleasure to work with them. I wish to raise the regrettable failure by the Government and the HSE to deliver a badly needed 20-bed rehabilitation unit at Roscommon University Hospital. Let …

I also welcome to Deputy Flaherty's guests today. I send my congratulations to Lisa O'Rourke, a fantastic boxer and footballer from a very sporting family in County Roscommon. Recently, she brought glory not only to Castlerea and Roscommon but to Ireland. She won the European under-23s championships, so I wish her well. I also congratulate our GAA club, St. Barry's, which won its first final in 17 years at the weekend. It was a junior final and there were great celebrations. I send my congratulations to the senior …

I thank the Cathaoirleach sincerely for giving me the opportunity to bring this very important Commencement matter before the House today. I welcome the Minister of State. He always seems to be the go-to person and he is always here to answer my questions. I understand the Minister for Justice is not available this morning. I thought long and hard before I brought this Commencement matter because, unfortunately, and I do not like saying it about my own county, in recent months there has been a crime spree. It is so…

I thank the Minister of State very much. I understand that he is subbing here. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, knows our county very well. I know her personally and I know that she wants to ensure people in the county are safe, but in the short term we must consider manning the bridges across the River Shannon coming into County Roscommon. We had to do it in previous years when we had issues and we need to do it again. I urge the Minister of State to take that suggestion back to the Minister. It is something I intend…

We must lock up those people and not let them out on bail if they have committed a second offence. I have gone over time. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his patience.

I welcome the Minister and his officials here today. This is a very important Bill and Fianna Fáil welcomes and supports it. Sometimes as a nation we forget how important the agrifood sector is to all of us. This is not just about agriculture. This is about jobs, families and income. The agrifood sector is our most indigenous industry providing almost 200,000 jobs and accounting for 10% of all Irish exports. I want to divert briefly. Over recent years I am up here very early in the city and in the mornings I would …

Hear,hear.

Next Tuesday.

First, I support the kind words of Senator Dolan to the Naughten family. I paid my tributes last week with a number of other Members but like many other people, I am still reeling with shock because I was very close to the man. Second, I support Senator McGreehan in relation to the horticultural industry. We are missing an opportunity here to develop this and put extra funding into it. A lot of jobs could be created and we could produce an awful lot more of our vegetables and fruit at home if the effort was put in.…

I want to seek a debate with the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, on what I can only call a crime spree in County Roscommon at the moment. I am not pointing the finger at the Minster in any way whatsoever, because I fully understand that the Garda Commissioner has responsibility for law and order. However, I cannot any longer stay silent on the matter. In recent weeks, at night, criminals have taken control of parts of the county. On one occasion it was the village of Tulsk. The Leader knows this road very wel…

Try keeping an eye on one of them.

I ask the Cathaoirleach to bear with me. Many tributes have been paid to Mary O'Rourke and John Naughten. The Cathaoirleach and the Leader know the Naughten family very well. The whole county of Roscommon is stunned at the moment. I got the news of John Naughten's death from a friend when I was attending a match on Friday evening. I could not believe it. I served with John for a long period. He watched my selection convention hoping that I would make it. All I can say about John Naughten is that he did not understa…

Like the Leas-Chathaoirleach, I am privileged to be asked to chair debates by the people who run this House. I acknowledge the importance of everybody's comments and their points of view. I am also conscious that the Minister and his officials have been here for two hours, and he has not been allowed to make one comment. I also calculated-----

Can I make my comments now without interruption? I do not interrupt people. I have also noted that we have probably lost the chance to have an extra 100 amendments put through because of so many long speeches. I am saying this to everybody.

If the speeches were cut, many of the Senators would get their amendments through. They can shake their heads all they like; it is a fact of life. I am calculating at the moment the amount of time that has been spent on long speeches. I am also looking at the document, which has quite a number of repetitions of amendments. That is fine. I acknowledge there is some good stuff in there. However, maybe we all need to look at this and the way we run our business and realise. The Senators can smile at it, but the facts …

I welcome the Minister and his officials. I compliment him and his two Ministers of State and their officials for at least bringing this Bill before the Houses of the Oireachtas to get something done about planning. This has been going on and has been discussed for years and little has been done. He is here and there has been a lot of discussion within parties and outside parties, and with local authorities and local authority members. I will make a few brief points because I am aware that other people want to spea…

Before Senator Cummins speaks, I welcome guests of Deputy Grealish from Galway to the Chamber. I believe they are from Ireland, the United States and elsewhere. On behalf of all the Senators here I hope they enjoy their stay and tour of Leinster House. I also acknowledge, because Senator Fitzpatrick told me so, Clemence and Ciarán from the North Strand in Dublin Central who were here earlier as guests of Deputy Devlin. If our guests see them somewhere they should tell them we said hello to them. I hope they have a …

I welcome more guests of Deputy Noel Grealish, all the way from New York. "New York, New York". They are very welcome. May they have a wonderful day. I hope they enjoy the workings of our Parliament. The weather is even good for them.

I am conscious that we are over three hours into the debate. The Senator speaks with passion, we all accept that and nobody is against that. I will give the Senator one minute for a right to reply because the Minister has had no opportunity to get near. The Senator is entitled to her right to reply.

In fairness, Senator, I allowed you in.