I welcome the clarification given yesterday evening that the €1,000 tax-free bonus for health workers will be extended to home helps. We very much value the role home helps play in keeping people safe in their own environment, especially keeping them safe from Covid so that they did not have to go into nursing homes or hospitals. That is very welcome. I appreciate there are calls from many other groups and organisations that cannot be met. I would like to suggest something, however. Many different organisations act…

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate the gesture. Deputy English is very kind. It is important to thank Deputy Bacik for initiating this Bill and Senator Sherlock for leading it through the House. It is certainly an important Bill and I would hope that any obstacles that are in the way from the Minister of State's point of view will be looked at and taken out of the way. It is important that this proceeds and gets to the next Stage and is initiated. For too long, there has been a taboo about speaking about m…

We gather here today with a sadder and number sense of public representation since the last day that we spoke due to the horrific murder of Ashling Murphy. We cannot and will not ignore what happened. The women and men of Ireland came together in solidarity with the Murphy family and many of us attended vigils outside of Leinster House and all around the country last week. All of those vigils were very moving. The hurt, anger and sorrow was palpable. Thousands of people had gathered but one could hear a pin drop. A…

I thank the Cathaoirleach and I support the Order of Business, as outlined by the Deputy Leader. I would like to wish everybody a very happy new year and say how pleased I am that we have had the formal announcement today that we will have a St. Brigid’s bank holiday, starting in 2023. We know, of course, that it will be 18 March this year which will be a day of commemoration, sadly, of all of the lives lost during the Covid-19 period. It is a great recognition for our matron saint of this country. Brigid’s values,…

I move: That Seanad Éireann notes the Report of the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science entitled ‘Report on the Impact of COVID-19 on Primary and Secondary Education’, copies of which were laid before Seanad Éireann on 20th January, 2021. It gives me great pleasure to propose this motion. I welcome the Minister to the Seanad. We are very pleased to have her listen to our deliberations on this report. I also welcome Deputy Kehoe, the Chairperson of the committ…

I support the Order of Business as outlined. I have just received my booster vaccine and I feel relieved and privileged to have it. I wish to put on the record my appreciation of the Minister of State, Deputy English, taking on board the very valid views of all the Members of this House yesterday and withdrawing the countermotion and supporting the motion Senator Alice-Mary Higgins tabled. I wish everybody a very happy Christmas on behalf of the Fianna Fáil group in the Seanad. We wish all Members health, in partic…

I support the Order of Business as outlined. I want to give a shout-out to St. Joseph's in Shankill, which specialises in dementia services. In fact, St. Joseph's is the only dedicated nursing home for people who suffer Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The staff there do an incredible job. They have put together a really exciting project and received Erasmus funding together with the European countries of Portugal, Spain and Greece, and Turkey, which is in the wider European area. The work done by the staff of St.…

Minister Gavan, would you like to respond? Senator Gavan, would you like to respond?

You have been promoted.

How does the amendment stand?

Amendments Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, are related. Amendments Nos. 4 and 5 are physical alternatives to amendment No. 3. Amendments Nos. 3 to 5, inclusive, may be discussed together, by agreement.

Would Senator Clifford-Lee like to make a contribution?

Would Senator Keogan like to respond?

Amendments Nos. 6 and 7 are related. Amendment No. 7 is a physical alternative to amendment No. 6. Amendments Nos. 6 and 7 may be discussed together by agreement.

Amendments Nos. 8 to 10, inclusive, are related and may be discussed together. Amendments Nos. 9 and 10 are physical alternatives to amendment No. 8.

Amendments Nos. 11, 12 and 15 are related and may be discussed together. Amendment No. 12 is a physical alternative to amendment No. 11.

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after “That Seanad Éireann:” and substitute the following: “acknowledges that: - universal and equitable access to vaccines is crucial in the global fight against Covid-19 and Governments in the developed world must do more to ensure this; - international trade is a competence of the EU under the Treaties and in exercising that competence, the European Commission engages fully with the Member States, including Ireland, through a variety of Committees and Working Parties/G…

I second the Order of Business as proposed by Senator Chambers. I wish to bring up a few issues today. Under the Order of Business last week, I brought up the lack of gardaí on the streets of Newbridge. Making our streets safe and secure is a huge issue around the country. When comparing three towns within the midlands, I mentioned that Portlaoise and Tullamore have 160 and 73 members of the Garda, respectively, while Newbridge has 44 gardaí, of whom ten are in a regional unit and so, effectively, only has 34. That…

I welcome the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to the Chamber. I wish to advise him that he has ten minutes to address the House.

The Minister is very welcome to the Seanad. Our party certainly welcomes and supports this debate. I compliment my Kildare colleague, Senator Martin, and the Green Party on tabling this motion. It is very important that it is supported in the interests of maintaining international peace and security and promoting international co-operation for the benefit of mankind as a whole. The three Government parties are committed to collective climate action, including through engagement in multilateral forums and as a focus…