I move amendment No. 1: In page 9, to delete lines 29 to 35, and in page 10, to delete lines 1 to 10 and substitute the following: “(2) (a) The Minister shall prescribe in respect of a loan (other than a running account) under a high cost credit agreement— (i) the maximum rate of simple interest chargeable per week (being a rate less than or equal to 0.75 per cent), and (ii) the maximum rate of simple interest chargeable per year (being a rate less than or equal to 36 per cent). (b) A maximum rate of interest presc…

I thank the Minister of State for his lengthy response. The interest rate restriction that we have proposed in this amendment is one that the moneylending sector can bear as it moves towards a more digitised and professional business model through which its labour costs are reduced. Our amendment ensures that the total cost of credit that a moneylender can charge would reduce from six to three times the average cost of credit on an equivalent credit union loan. I am disappointed that the Minister of State will not …

I will share time with Senator Buttimer if he would like.

I thank Senator Boyhan and the Seanad Independent Group for bringing forward this Private Members' motion. Sinn Féin is very happy to support it. It is relevant to every county and to most hospitals. I commend Senator Boyhan on using this Private Members' business to move this motion. I will use my contribution to call on the Minister for Health, the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, whom we worked well with during our shared time in the Seanad, the Department and the HSE to ensure the recruitment of these 100 neu…

I welcome the Government's commitment to a HIV and AIDS national monument. The Department of the Taoiseach and the Office of Public Works have announced a competition for the monument. I commend the Government on backing the campaign that has been under way for almost a decade. Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, more than 70 million people around the world have acquired the infection and 35 million people have died from HIV and AIDS. It is 40 years either last week or this week since the first cases of HIV a…

The Senator would want to look at the invite.

The invite mentioned the general secretary or a nominated person.

I have to correct the record.

I just had to correct the record.

I have forgotten what I was talking about at this stage.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. We can only achieve a thriving democracy when all of society has a stake in the process. I want to focus on widening the franchise. This House has done considerable work on seeking to lower the voting age to 16. We have retabled the Electoral (Amendment) (Voting at 16) Bill in this term. We were joined in that campaign by Senator Malcolm Byrne from the Fianna Fáil Party who also tabled a Bill to lower the voting age to 16 in local and European elections. We have the abi…

I commend Senator Norris and the Independent Group on bringing forward the Bill. I also welcome the Minister of State to the House. I will make a couple of points. I have been a member of the culture committee for years and heritage was taken away from us by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I welcome the increases that have been given to the Heritage Council by the Department. I think it was given €14 million in recent times. That figure had lingered at around €1 million, €2 million or €3 m…

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill on behalf of my colleague Senator Gavan. The problems in the insurance industry are well known to all of us. My party and others - I am thinking particularly of my party colleague Deputy Doherty - have worked hard over the years to highlight the exceptionally high premiums and the rip-off nature of insurance in this country. His Bill from 2021 is unfortunately being blocked by the Government. We welcome that this Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill has been brou…

I welcome our friends from the United States. They are very welcome. Tomorrow marks Irish AIDS Day created to raise awareness of HIV and the resulting AIDS epidemic. Since the beginning of the epidemic more than 70 million people have acquired the infection and about 35 million people have died. Today around 37 million worldwide live with HIV, of whom 22 million people are on treatment. It is 40 years since the first reports of HIV and AIDS in Ireland in 1982 and much has changed since then. People are now living w…

I appreciate the Minister of State's statement. As some of it was not included in the initial announcement, I will further analyse that. I will need to write to the Taoiseach and the OPW. I find it a bit unusual there is not a public consultation process but the statement indicated the committee will be engaging in that work. Ultimately, I want to know what the legacy of the project will be. Will we have a monument that is well signposted and well delivered, that will historicise the past, that will acknowledge los…

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.