I move amendment No. 39: In page 11, line 37, after “retention” to insert “, career progression”. I will speak to amendments Nos. 39 to 42, inclusive. Amendment No. 39 seeks to amend section 9(1)(e) by specifying that it would be a function of the agency to support career progression. Currently, the paragraph only provides for engagement, retention and development of the skills and capacity of researchers of an excellent standard in the national system of research and innovation. We also need to be looking to caree…

I am disappointed that the Minister of State will not accept these amendments. Will he expand on what work is under way in his Department on the specific issue of precarity? Such work would be important and I would love to know what is happening.

Has the Department ever considered giving a direction under section 143(2) of the HEA Act on codes of practice to tackle precarious employment?

I will withdraw the amendment.

I move amendment No. 40: In page 12, line 1, after “State” to insert “and nurturing within the State”.

I move amendment No. 41: In page 12, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “(h) in co-operation with An tÚdarás, promote, support and develop quality employment in the research sector with sustainable career paths for researchers;”.

I appreciate what Senator Clonan said. He spoke with a heavy heart. I, too, speak with a heavy heart on Israel's genocidal war against the people of Gaza, which has now been going on for 200 days. Thirty-four thousand people have been killed and many more are missing. Today at Nasser hospital, Khan Younis, central Gaza, Palestinian Civil Defence workers are uncovering mass graves filled with hundreds of corpses. Some of these corpses have been found with their hands and feet bound and some are children. Israel has …

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I too thank the Sinn Féin Senators for bringing forward this motion, and I am very happy to support it. There is no doubt about it: we all know what a disaster the housing market is and the catastrophic impact it is having on so many people's lives. I think every single person in this Chamber would personally know many young families who are at the end of their tether. I certainly know many families who are at the end of their tether and who really have nowhere to go. I…

I move: That Seanad Éireann: deeply regrets and condemns: - the killing of over 28,000 Palestinians in Gaza in recent weeks; - that over 11,500 of those killed have been children, over 17,000 children have been left unaccompanied because Israeli attacks have killed their entire families; - that the number of children killed in Gaza in recent weeks has surpassed the annual number of children killed across the world’s conflict zones since 2019; - that over 1,000 children in Gaza have had one or both legs amputated du…

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. It is great to see him. I want in particular to thank all of my Civil Engagement Group colleagues for their support with this motion. I highlight the work of Senator Lynn Ruane in particular. She is not here this evening. She is at the OSCE in Vienna trying to get politicians from across Europe to support an immediate ceasefire. She is doing phenomenal work on that. Everybody knows that Gaza is a graveyard for children. That is the description given by UN Secretary…

Let me start by thanking the Minister of State and the Government for not opposing this motion. It is not often that we are unified on something here in the Chamber and I am just blown away by the fact that it is on Palestine that we are unified. I feel quite emotional, so I ask Members to bear with me. I have been very passionate about Palestine for many years, as my colleagues in the Civil Engagement Group have been. As I was listening tonight, I was thinking back to when I visited Gaza in 2018, the amazing peopl…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I thank the Cathaoirleach for organising this debate. However, I am disappointed that the Tánaiste is not here as I intended to address my contribution to him. We have not had statements on the situation in Palestine for some time and it has become so much graver in the intervening months. Coincidentally, the Civil Engagement Group agreed to use our Private Members' time tomorrow to submit and debate a motion on the situation in Palestine. I am hopeful that these bac…

I move amendment No. 3: In page 10, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following: "(4) Notwithstanding subsection (3) , the Minister shall commence the sections of this Bill necessary to the holding of an election for Mayor and for the functioning of that office within 3 months of the passing of this Act.". My Civil Engagement Group colleague Senator Alice-Mary Higgins has taken the lead on these amendments and is here to argue the case for them in detail. In fairness, there is no better person for the job. Unfor…

Yes. I am speaking to these amendments. The people of Limerick have voted for a directly elected mayor, and this is a choice that should be offered to the people of every city in this country. It is clearly better to have an elected official entrusted with the powers available to local authorities than unaccountable officials. In Dublin, we have seen how council CEOs can be totally out of step with the attitudes and wishes of the people they serve and how little recourse dissatisfied residents have when they feel t…

I am speaking to the amendments.

I hear what the Acting Chairman is saying. Like all politicians, local representatives need proper protections and supports so they can cope in a political environment that is increasingly fraught and dangerous. Those of us in this House who are members of the Seanad Public Consultation Committee are having a series of meetings on the future of local democracy. We have heard from many councillors and will hear from many more about their work and the challenges they face. People who get involved in local government …

I know the Acting Chairman is aware of that. They get involved because they care about their communities and have ideas to make change. Local councillors work so hard under challenging and frustrating conditions to serve the people of their areas. If given the support they need and properly empowered, councillors and directly elected mayors could represent the future of Irish local democracy and be transformative. I really hope the Minister of State will accept our amendments because they are very important.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House today. I acknowledge the courage, dignity and resolve of the campaigners and whistleblowers who brought this issue to light, the Women of Honour who are here today, the Defence Forces Justice Alliance and the Canary Movement. I am glad that Senator Clonan is in the Chamber to speak about this proposal. It is powerful to have someone who has shone a spotlight on this issue for so many years, at great personal cost, to be able to give his view as a parliamentarian. It is i…

I wish to speak in support of amendments Nos. 68 to 84, inclusive, from Senator Boyhan in this grouping. I sincerely thank Senator Boyhan for bringing forward these amendments. It is vital that the participation of councillors on local policing boards is protected in the Bill. I understand the desire of the Government to broaden the scope of who is involved in these bodies, and I support that. However, we need to centre the individuals who have a democratic mandate to represent and serve the communities which are b…

I also wish Tom Hickey well on his retirement. I thank him most sincerely for all his support down through the years I have been here. I speak on behalf of the Civil Engagement Group. He has been a great support and an absolute gentleman. He is professional to the core and I wish him well in his retirement. I also thank the Cathaoirleach for the work he has done this year and thank the staff, including Martin Groves and Bridget Doody in the Seanad Office, for the phenomenal work they have done. I also thank Orla Mu…