I wish to speak again about the music and entertainment industry, more specifically the impact this dreadful pandemic is having on the lives of individuals employed in that industry in Ireland and, ultimately, on our heritage and our culture. I understand totally that we need to take action to curtail the spread of Covid-19, but I believe that the music and entertainment sectors have shouldered more of the burden than any other sector in this society and that this treatment is unfair. More significantly, it risks s…

The Minister is very welcome to the House. I commend him and the Department on the work they have done on this issue. I also commend Senator Chambers on the work she has done on Brexit. It has been phenomenal. Her dedication has been brilliant. I welcome this opportunity to contribute to the discussion on the protocol. No doubt about it, the starting point must remain Brexit. No one should ever forget the North was removed from the European Union against its will. The people do not want Brexit. It was imposed upon …

The Irish Government has an obligation to plan and prepare for the Border poll that is promised in the Good Friday Agreement. The Government has the necessary resources to undertake the research on what a new Ireland, a new Ireland that is a warm house for all, would look like in areas such as health, education and housing. It is legitimate to promote the idea of reunification of the island - it should not be seen as negative to use that phrase - and to have a clear vision of what the new Ireland would look like---…

-----so that when people are asked to vote, they will do so with as much knowledge as possible. Let us plan for a better future for everybody on this island. We must defend the protocol, we must embrace the many opportunities it provides and we must prepare for a better future together on this island within the European Union. I would love to see the establishment of a cross-party Oireachtas committee for planning on preparing for the future. It would be brilliant. Last week, Ireland's Future held a very good event…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I broadly welcome the Bill and commend the Minister on the efforts that he and his Department are making to promote the development of a more sustainable housing system in Ireland. I am aware that much positive work has been done but we have a great deal more to do. I look forward to engaging constructively with the Minister and his Department to ensure that we achieve a housing system that is more fair, equitable and sustainable. I eagerly await the day when the word "housing" will not…

On behalf of the Civil Engagement Group, I, too, would like to pass on my deepest condolences to our Seanad colleague, Senator Currie, and her family on the passing of her dad, Austin Currie. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. I also want to commend the Independent Group on the wonderful tribute it made today to the father of the House, Senator Norris, who is a wonderful man and an inspiration to us all. I want to speak briefly about a report that was published earlier in the week by the Tallaght Drug and Alcohol T…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: “(b) by the deletion of subsections (4), (4A), (5) and (6),”. The purpose of this amendment is to remove presumptive minimum sentencing from the Firearms Act 1925. I am here on behalf of my Civil Engagement Group colleague, Senator Ruane. She spoke last week of an opportunity here to create a fairer and more caring judicial system, one that is built on the idea of justice for rehabilitation. For the Minister of State's part, he reco…

I am just a little concerned because the word "gangland" speaks to why we tabled these amendments. I have to stress that these are not ganglands; they are communities and they need support and rehabilitation. Now more than ever, by removing the minimum sentence we would acknowledge the fact that they need support and rehabilitation rather than further punishment. We do not need to collate minimum sentences with crime; we should instead collate support and investment in communities in which these crimes are taking p…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, between lines 16 and 17, to insert the following: “(ii) the deletion of subsections (4), (4A), (5) and (6),”.

I move amendment No. 3: In page 4, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following: “(ii) the deletion of subsections (4), (4A), (5) and (6),”.

I move amendment No. 4: In page 4, between lines 26 and 27, to insert the following: “(ii) the deletion of subsections (4), (4A), (5) and (6),”.

I move amendment No. 5: In page 4, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following: “(ii) the deletion of subsections (4), (4A), (5) and (6),”.

I move amendment No. 6: In page 5, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “(b) by the deletion of subsections (3C) and (3D),”.

I move amendment No. 7: In page 5, line 11, after “subsections” to insert “(9), (9A), (10), (11),”.

I move amendment No. 8: In page 5, to delete lines 14 and 15 and substitute the following: “8. The Criminal Justice Act 2007 is amended by the deletion of section 25.”.

I welcome the Minister. I am glad to see him here this evening as we debate this important legislation, which, I hope, will be an important piece of the puzzle in terms of addressing the housing crisis. I broadly welcome the Bill which, in my view, addresses many of the issues that existed in the SHD legislation it will replace. I took serious issue with many of the elements of the SHD process, including that it allowed property developers to circumnavigate the traditional two-step planning process. This limited th…

The Minister is very welcome to the House. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of the Bill, along with my Civil Engagement Group colleagues. I commend Senator Gavan on introducing the Bill. I also commend Together for Safety on drafting this important legislation and its advocacy for the introduction of safe-access zones. As the Minister well knows, following the 2018 referendum to repeal the eighth amendment, where two thirds of voters in Ireland voted for free, safe, legal and accessible abortion, there was a commitmen…

I warmly welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank her for all the work she is doing in this area. I am very aware she works extremely hard and no better woman for the job. I agree with my colleague, Senator Seery Kearney, that there should be a full Cabinet Minister with responsibility for disabilities. As we work towards a national reframing of services for disabled young people and those requiring specific educational support through the progressing disabilities services programme, it is vital that we …

I would like to address the issue of the designation of six Palestinian human rights groups as terrorists by the Israeli Ministry of Defence on 22 October. This designation by the state of Israel is a clear attack on civil society organisations working in defence of human rights and international law. Such actions do little to challenge the view of Israel as a repressive, apartheid regime. Israel and pro-Israel organisations have for years been going after donors to cut off funding to these Palestinian human rights…

I am here today to raise the same issue I raised two weeks ago, namely, adult safeguarding. I stated then that we are in desperate need of adult safeguarding legislation. That week I was responding to a horrendous report in The Irish Times , which revealed that more than 108 instances of abuse were experienced by adults in a HSE care facility in Donegal and that the HSE not only failed to stop this abuse, it also covered it up. I am back in the Chamber to raise this issue yet again because in the space of those two…