I am delighted to speak in favour of the motion. It is a brilliant idea and I have been excited about it ever since I first heard of the campaign when Senator Fitzpatrick invited the 1916 relatives association to Leinster House to promote the proposed naming of the hospital. I welcome the representatives of the 1916 relatives association to the Seanad. Dedication is an important part of commemoration and by naming places and pieces of infrastructure after prominent people from our past, we can communicate something…

Last Saturday, I had the honour of leading the 35th annual famine walk in the Leader's county of Mayo. It was organised by a wonderful group called Afri. This walk commemorates the suffering of Irish people during An Gorta Mór. It also serves as an opportunity, I believe, to reflect on the immense suffering that famine and war continue to inflict on people all across the world. As part of the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, we have heard speeches in both Houses of the Oireachtas …

Mr. Ahern is very welcome and I join with others in commending him on his very hard work and efforts to secure peace in Northern Ireland. There is no doubt we are in a much better place as a result of the collective work and his work to achieve the Good Friday Agreement. I am speaking today on behalf of my colleagues in the Civil Engagement Group. I welcome any chance to speak about the importance of the Good Friday Agreement on its 25th anniversary. When commemorating the Good Friday Agreement it is important to r…

When it comes to the Israeli apartheid regime's crimes against the Palestinians, the international community is stuck in a cycle of condemnation and inaction. The UN has condemned Israel for violations of international law thousands of times but nothing has been done, partially because of the US veto on the UN Security Council. This pattern has fostered a sense of impunity within Israel. Israeli leaders believe they can do whatever they want without facing tangible consequences and that is extremely dangerous. Just…

The Minister of State is very welcome. I want to start by thanking my colleague, Senator Higgins, and her policy adviser, Sárán Fogarty, who have done phenomenal work in this area, as have Senators Ruane, Warfield and McDowell. Many people have done brilliant work. I really believe this Bill is a celebration of democracy. That is what I think it is about today. We are fortunate to live in a country with peaceful democracy and a vibrant civil society. We cannot just rest on our laurels here, however. We need to be a…

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 21 be taken before No. 1." I want to highlight a wonderful event I attended last Friday in the European Parliament Liaison Office. It was the launch of a report making the case for Irish unity in the EU, which was commissioned by Members of the European Parliament and written by legal experts, Mr. Mark Bassett and Professor Colin Harvey. It is truly a great piece of work. The authors have excelled in the difficult task of making the notoriously technical an…

I move: That the Order for Second Stage for the Electoral Reform (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023 be discharged and that the Bill be withdrawn.

Cuirim céad míle fáilte roimh an uachtarán. I am delighted to welcome him and his family to the Seanad on behalf of the Civil Engagement Group. It is so wonderful that we in the Seanad can engage with such an important cultural and athletic institution. It is important that this Oireachtas reflects the people it represents. I am glad we can play a role in reflecting the great passion and joy our native games inspire in people. Undoubtedly, the GAA has gone from strength to strength. The network of clubs all over Ir…

I welcome the Minister to the House. It is my first time seeing him here in the Chamber. I am very glad that time has been set aside for statements on this very damning and devastating report. I have to say it is one of the most harrowing documents that I have read in my time as a public representative. I want to congratulate its authors on their diligent work which must have been extremely difficult and draining. I want to thank all the people who spoke to the authors of the report. Their brave decision to share t…

Hear, hear.

I welcome the Minister of State. I have to talk about the eviction ban today. The end of the eviction ban and the broader housing crisis is the central issue in Irish life right now. Most of the debate around it has been confined to the Dáil so I am glad that Members of the Seanad have this opportunity. We are very appreciative of that and I thank the Deputy Leader, Senator Regina Doherty, for organising this debate. We must ask whether a tenant should be no-fault evicted into homelessness during a period of comple…

I welcome this Bill and congratulate the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, in the strongest possible terms. It is an unalloyed piece of good news and it is important we celebrate these positive developments that everyone in the Chamber can get behind. Hospital charges for public patients undermined the entire philosophy of the public provision of healthcare and the €800 cap is a small comfort for the very ill people burdened by these charges. I am really glad the Government is taking action and that the…

I support Senator Ó Donnghaile's call for a debate on the eviction ban. Aside from homelessness, there are many sources of worry and anxiety in people's lives. One I hear about constantly is that of electricity bills. Prices have risen so rapidly in recent months that people are no longer able to estimate what their bills will be. Sometimes, the fear is so great that the envelope is left unopened on the kitchen counter because the recipient is too afraid to open it. We know that feeling. The envelope becomes a phys…

Like my colleague, Senator Flynn, I will talk about the end of the eviction ban. Tonight's vote looms large over proceedings here in Leinster House and for renters all over Ireland, it represents fear, anxiety, uncertainty and doubt. As Fr. Peter McVerry has said, the end of the ban will unleash a wave of misery onto ordinary people. Tenants who are diligent and conscientious and who make big sacrifices to pay crushingly high rents, will be evicted into homelessness because landlords want to maximise the returns on…

I am glad to be able to speak on the occasion of International Women’s Day. I know there are statements on it later today, where my colleague Senator Flynn will be speaking on behalf of the Civil Engagement Group. I want to use this time to propose a debate on the conditions faced by women workers. International Women’s Day was originated by Clara Zetkin, the German socialist feminist, in 1910. Clara Zetkin fought for the rights of working-class women, their political rights and their right to economic and personal…

The Minister of State is very welcome. I am glad to be here to support the motion. I thank the Senators of the Sinn Féin group for using their Private Members' business slot to allow us to debate this important development. Brexit and the resulting debates on the withdrawal agreement and the Northern Ireland protocol have caused a significant level of uncertainty and polarisation in the North. Northern Ireland did not vote for Brexit but it has borne the brunt of the fallout from the decision of the British elector…

I move amendment No. 10: In page 11, to delete lines 42 and 43, and in page 12, to delete lines 1 to 3.

I move amendment No. 12: In page 12, between lines 5 and 6, to insert the following: “(da) the potential impact that the rate of domestic violence leave pay may have on persons experiencing certain forms of domestic violence, in particular persons experiencing coercive control or financial control;”.

I move amendment No. 14: In page 12, line 6, after “opinion” to insert “, including that of service providers working in the area of domestic violence”.

I move amendment No. 16: In page 12, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: “(fa) the views of service providers working in the area of domestic violence;”.