I thank the Oireachtas Members who attended a briefing I hosted yesterday with two of the most experienced and courageous human rights defenders in Israel and Palestine. I was delighted to see so many people there. We had Hagai El-Ad, the executive director of B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and Raji Sourani, the director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights. They both travelled to Ireland to speak about the ongoing Israeli assault on Palestin…

Last Tuesday, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, brought the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2021 to Cabinet for approval. It is a glaring and worrying omission from the soon-to-be published Bill that people who are involuntarily detained under the Mental Health Act 2001 will not be afforded their human rights. As Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Sub-Committee on Mental Health, over a period of months I have chaired meetings as part of the p…

Amendment No. 173 takes the language from Part 5 of the Bill about how the public health interests of children must be a key consideration of how the media regulator regulates advertising and transposes it to the section covering digital media. At this point, I would like to thank Kathryn Reilly of the Irish Heart Foundation for her assistance with this amendment. One of the important features of the Bill is its attempt to bring the regulation of conventional and digital media into the common legislative framework.…

I move amendment No. 176: In page 82, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following: “(2A) Provision made for the purpose referred to in subsection (2)(d) may prohibit the inclusion in programmes of commercial communications relating to foods or beverages considered by the Commission to be the subject of public concern in respect of the general public health interests of children, in particular those foods or beverages which contain fat, trans-fatty acids, salts or sugars. (2B) Provision made for the purpose ref…

Last week in this Chamber I spoke about the murder of Shireen Abu Akleh and the shameful attacks on her funeral procession. I said that it was part of a pattern of Israeli violence and repression employed to suppress the voices of those highlighting human rights abuses in the region. I called for accountability and meaningful repercussions of the violation of international law. There is an update to this saga. A European Parliament delegation to Palestine, which includes Irish MEPs Chris McManus and Grace O'Sulliva…

Amendment No. 124 seeks to insert "or alcohol" into the section dealing with potentially harmful products so that the commission may limit commercial communications in the public health interests of children. I thank Alcohol Action Ireland for its diligent work in this area and its support in drafting this amendment. The regulatory impact analysis for the Bill stated that alcohol marketing is dealt with under the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018. However, this is not the case. That Act does little to protect childr…

I have to disagree with the Minister. The Public Health (Alcohol) Act says nothing about online advertising. Section 14 of that Act prohibits the advertising of alcohol, but in tiny places. It has nothing to do with online advertising. Again, the content element of the legislation has not been implemented. While I am on the subject, I will return to the WHO report. I must put on the record today that the report states: One of the biggest changes in recent years to alcohol marketing is the use of sophisticated onlin…

I move amendment No. 124: In page 53, line 22, after "sugars" to insert "or alcohol".

I move amendment No. 126: In page 53, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following: "(5A) Provision made for the purpose referred to in subsection (2)(d)(ii) may prohibit the inclusion in programmes of commercial communications relating to gambling considered by the Commission to be the subject of public concern in respect of the general public health interests of children.". This would explicitly empower the commission to regulate the advertising of gambling with the public health interests of children in mind…

I am honoured to speak today on behalf of my colleagues, Senators Higgins, Ruane and Flynn of the Civil Engagement Group. I warmly welcome Congressman Neal here today along with the congressional delegation and the ambassador. His dedication and his commitment are deeply appreciated by the people of Ireland. The deep ties between our countries are well known and enduring. Human connections of family and friendship bind us forever together. We never take their support for granted and they will always be welcome here…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I support this Bill. I want to express my respect and admiration for my Civil Engagement Group colleague, Senator Higgins, for the diligent research and massive effort that went into the Bill. I want to speak to this section, which details a procedure for the Minister to produce guidelines for the qualitative, environmental and social human rights and equality considerations that arise in procurement for use by bodies that would be regulated by this Bill. It would be…

It is great to see Senator Buttimer in the hot seat. Like my colleague, I want to highlight the horrendous killing of Palestinian journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed by an Israeli sniper last Wednesday while covering an Israeli military incursion into Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. It is a territory administered by the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo peace agreement that has been invaded by the Israeli Defense Forces, IDF, once again. Shireen Abu Akleh was a household name in Palestine…

These killings are connected to Israel's attempts to outlaw Palestinian human rights organisations, like Al-Haq, by smearing them as terrorists. They are connected to the brutal beating of Hani Nassar, a researcher for Defense for Children International, a Palestinian NGO, who was violently attacked a few days ago, first by Israeli settlers and then by IDF soldiers near the illegal Israeli settlement of Homesh, south of Jenin. This is a concerted attempt to use violence, intimidation and repressive legislation to s…

The Minister is very welcome to the House. It has been over two years since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Globally, it has taken more than 6 million lives. On the island of Ireland more than 10,000 people have died. Thankfully, however, because of the Minister's and the Department's work and the miraculously swift vaccine roll-out, many lives have been saved and we have been able to return to some kind of normality. I must mention, however, that these miracle vaccines remain inaccessible in much of the wo…

I too raise the Sadaka conference, which it was a privilege for me to attend. It was hosted by Sadaka, the Ireland Palestine Alliance. As my colleague, Senator Gavan, said, Michael Lynk, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Palestine, presented some stark findings from his latest and final report on Palestine. His assessment is damning. He concludes, in agreement with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other organisations, that Israel is an apartheid state subjugating the Palestinian people and d…

I also extend my condolences to the Fitzpatrick family on this very sad day. I agree with my colleague, Senator Gavan, on the Yemen situation, which is horrendous. I would love to see a debate on the issue and I would love it if the Minister would come in to discuss it.

Yesterday, members of the Joint Committee on Health heard from researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, who have brought out a report on hospital doctor retention and motivation. They surveyed and interviewed almost 1,200 hospital doctors working in the health system about their experiences and they interviewed 51 Irish-trained doctors working in Australia on why they had left Ireland and if they planned to return. The findings are shocking and I was shocked. Even though I knew it was bad I did no…

The Minister is welcome to the Chamber and I wish him and his Department well in his work on this ongoing crisis. I would like to show my solidarity with the Ukrainian people, those who are fleeing war and those who are still in their own country. I am proud that Ireland is standing in solidarity and supporting the Ukrainian people at this awful time. I warmly welcome the Ukrainian people who have arrived in Ireland and those still making their way here. They have suffered an immense loss and I hope they find Irela…

The Minister of State is welcome to the Chamber. I commend my Labour Party colleagues, Senators Wall, Sherlock, Hoey and Moynihan on this legislation, especially Senator Wall. It is great and a very timely initiative. Advertising is everywhere and it permeates almost all aspects of our culture. Sporting events are sponsored, the television coverage of those events is interspersed with advertisements and our commentary about the events is uploaded to social media, which is displayed alongside yet more advertising. W…

I warmly welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. This is a very important debate on which I am glad to make a contribution. I thank Senator O'Loughlin for all her work in this area. I also commend and acknowledge the ongoing work of the all-party Oireachtas group on dementia, which I believe was established by the Minister of State and former Senator Colette Kelleher. I know this is an area about which the Minister of State is very passionate. She has done phenomenal work in the area. There are many people ac…