I thank all Senators who engaged with today's Order of Business. There were a number of very positive comments regarding yesterday's event marking Seanad100 and thanks expressed to the Cathaoirleach for his leadership in organising that as well as all of the officials. It was lovely to see Senator Norris and former President Mary Robinson engaging with us on the relevance and importance of the Seanad as we move forward. There were a number of very warm welcomes to the ambassador for Lithuania. Senators wished him w…

I am making a point. There is no need to rehash the whole debate around the Together for Safety group or safe access zones because we had that debate in the House last week. The Minister has clearly indicated he is legislating for that and, in my view, rightly so. Senator Gavan highlighted the good news for Castleconnell regarding Nelson's Cross junction and sports funding. It is wonderful to see our Ministers providing so much funding around the country. Some €600 million in funding for roads was announced yesterd…

Our deepest sympathies go to Deputy Murphy on her mother's passing. Senator McGreehan spoke about improvements in services for victims of domestic abuse and referred to the details announced today for a new agency, an increase in the number of refuges in the country and the supports needed for those refuges. That is important. She highlighted the need for everybody to work together on this, including Opposition and Government and all of the different agencies. Senator Dolan spoke about regeneration for Castlerea an…

Senator Lombard was correct in raising the point about the significant burden on our communities and volunteers who are, for the first time in three years, getting ready for St. Patrick's Day events. Insurance should be affordable. We will refer this to the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, and try to get some type of response. Senator Sherlock raised the issue of an interview on "Morning Ireland" with the Leader. I did not hear the interview so I will not comment on it, although I will make a few points. Senator …

Senator Ward spoke about Liath restaurant in Blackrock getting two Michelin stars, which is fantastic. I know Blackrock well as I went to college there and have family living there. It is one of my life's ambitions to get to Liath. Chapter One also received two Michelin stars.

Numerous restaurants around the country received Michelin stars and awards yesterday, which is wonderful. We are encouraging visitors to come to our shores so having really high-quality food in restaurants is important. For those of us in the country, now that restaurants are open and back for business, it is wonderful to see the level of quality and high standards we have.

Senator Ward also mentioned the fact that we only have three pharmacy schools and we need a fourth. He asked for a debate with the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, but perhaps that debate should be with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris. In discussing the Cassells report and funding for higher level, we should include the matter in the brief that we could ask the Minister, Deputy Harris, to address. Senator Seery Kearney also congratulated Ou…

It is a great pleasure to speak again on this very worthy Bill. I spoke on Second Stage also. When we think of solar energy and the impact of having solar panels on our schools, what greater lesson and leadership can we give our young people, who are very often leaders in this area? It is a strong statement in any community when we see public buildings with solar panels, be they schools, Garda barracks, community centres or council offices. It is to be welcomed. I agree, of course, with the principle of planning pe…

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach, and I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, to the Seanad to discuss this very important issue. I welcome the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. There is no doubt that this will foster real debate and, indeed, has started to do that around the defence Ireland needs as a modern European country. This is very welcome. It is a substantial report running to 224 pages and making 69 recommendations. I commend all of those involved in this very comprehensive report. Th…

I thank the Minister of State for his response on behalf of the Minister for Defence. While I note the points that he made, to be perfectly honest, I cannot understand how the Minister needs five months to prepare his response. Nothing in the commission's report can be a surprise to him or, indeed, to his officials because for the past ten years we have been listening to the issues, challenges and problems, particularly around recruitment and retention. While much of the public commentary has unsurprisingly been fo…

That is certainly very welcome news. I have no doubt Senator Gallagher will have a positive response.

The Minister of State has the final word on it.

I congratulate the Cathaoirleach and thank him for the lovely event this morning to mark Seanad 100. It was very special to have Senator Norris and former Senator and former President Mary Robinson reflecting on the Seanad's role in society and politics and speaking about some of the issues that have been raised in the past and that we have to deal with now. The one element that really stuck out for me was the word "passion". Former President Robinson spoke about the need for passion when articulating the subjects …

I welcome the Bill and the opportunity to speak on it. The Minister is very welcome to the Seanad. I want to echo the comments and sentiments expressed by other Senators in terms of having a preference for more targeted measures. I accept the limitations of our ability to do that within a short period of time. It is important that measures are rolled out quickly to show the understanding of the impact of the rise in the cost of living on people. People are really struggling and the cost of living crisis has crept u…

To clarify, I am representing Senator Dooley, who is the Fianna Fáil spokesperson and a member of the committee. Unfortunately, he had other urgent business to attend to, so I am here on his behalf and that of the party. I thank all those involved on the committee for the tremendous work they did. I echo the support expressed for the committee Chairman, who did an excellent job of steering the committee. I am sure it was not always easy. As all present are aware, the science is indisputable. The effects of climate …

On the Commission on the Defence Forces, I wish to thank the 15-member commission and the chair, Aidan O'Driscoll, for their work. It is noteworthy that there were 500 submissions. About 1,000 military personnel were interviewed. The report is going to foster real debate about the Defence Forces that Ireland needs as a modern European country. There are 69 recommendations in the report, many of them very significant changes. The Minister is seeking the views of other stakeholders and will return with an action plan…

The Minister is welcome to the House to take this important Bill. I welcome it, and I commend all those, in this House and outside it, who have brought us to this point. We need to legislate for safe access zones at abortion clinics urgently. This issue is about respect and dignity. It is concerned with supporting women’s right to make these decisions and about supporting their dignity and their privacy. Sadly, legislation in this regard is undoubtedly needed. It is sad to think that we are in a position where we m…

The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the establishment of the special committee on autism, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, motion regarding the establishment of the special committee on international surrogacy, to be taken on conclusion of No. 1, without debate; No. 3, Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person (Amendment) (Stalking) Bill 2021 – Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 1 p.m., and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought…

I will try to get through this as quickly as possible. A number of interesting issues were raised. We started with Senator Crowe speaking about the judicial review on the Galway ring road. He said that Galway has been left behind in terms of infrastructure and the ring road is necessary both from the point of view of business, commuters and tourism. As somebody who has attempted to traverse the traffic in Galway, I agree with him 100%. As Senators Crowe and Kyne outlined, this was agreed in the programme for Govern…

Senator Ward spoke about water quality, especially the quality of water in which to swim. He is correct that many people took to the waters during the pandemic, which was wonderful to see and I declare that I was not one of them. The Senator spoke about the gap between sampling and giving results so people may find themselves swimming in water that is contaminated and that will have an impact on health. The Senator is 100% right that we need to narrow the gap. People need to know that it is safe to swim so we must …