I wish everyone a happy St. Brigid's Day on this fine spring day. Although we have had two debates on mother and baby homes, I feel I have to raise the issue again. We learned over the weekend that the audio recordings of the testimonies of survivors of the institutions had been destroyed. Many survivors have expressed anger at this latest development, saying they were not informed when giving their testimonies that they would be destroyed. It was shocking to hear that the majority of the 500-plus audio recordings …

Will the Minister come in to talk about Bessborough House?

Like previous speakers, I congratulate the Minister on becoming a grandmother. I can guarantee it is the best feeling in the world. I have two grandchildren and I know the Minister has many happy days and joy ahead. I also commend her on the phenomenal work she and her Department have done in the past year. Who would have thought this time last year what was ahead of us? Nobody knew it. I know the Minister has done phenomenal work. Nonetheless, there are a number of issues I will raise, primarily in respect of the …

I would like to wish everybody, including the staff here in Leinster House, a healthy and peaceful new year. I will not get an opportunity to speak in the debate this afternoon because of Covid-19 guidelines but I want to address the inhumane treatment of the people who were the residents of the mother and baby institutions. Their treatment has been compounded by the leaking of the report before it was seen by the most important people, that is, the survivors themselves. It is important that we all acknowledge the …

I will be sharing my time with Senator Flynn, if the House agrees.

I welcome the Minister to the House and I also congratulate her on her wonderful news. I am very proud today to co-sign this legislation with my colleagues from the Civil Engagement Group. This Bill provides proportionate protection to the 469 people who have received deportation letters in the midst of this Covid-19 crisis. This legislation accurately recognises the threat of Covid-19 to the most vulnerable members of society, which undoubtedly include those 469 people who are subject to deportation. In the curren…

I welcome the legislation in its attempts to ground us in some certainty in these nebulous times as we face the onset of Brexit and all that the next few months will present. In particular, I commend the attempts to protect the important spirit of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 and to mitigate, where practicable, the potential disturbance caused by the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. I also commend the Bill on its objectives to reduce the possibility of a serious disturbance in the econ…

On Monday last, I was disappointed when the British Government rejected the calls to carry out a full and thorough inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane. This rejection just compounds the pain and trauma of the Finucane family. Geraldine Finucane said it was an insult that the investigation was refused. I cannot begin to imagine the pain experienced by the family and friends of Pat Finucane since his assassination. In February of last year, the UK Supreme Court ruled that previous investigations into the murder w…

I wish to highlight today the Government’s White Paper on ending direct provision, which is scheduled to be published before the end of 2020. It is essential that we put pressure on the legislators to use the key recommendations of the groundbreaking report by Catherine Day. We must see an end to direct provision, an end to institutionalised living and an end to congregated settlements. While the Government is committed to ending direct provision, the new recommendations are not legally binding and thus the Departm…

I would like to share time with Senator Higgins.

The Minister is welcome to the House and it is good to see him here. I also extend a warm welcome to John Finucane. I commend Senator Ó Donnghaile's motion calling for a public inquiry into the assassination of solicitor Pat Finucane in 1989, which I am delighted to have signed. It is great to see such cross-party co-operation. As people have rightly said today, Geraldine Finucane is an inspiring, powerful and dignified woman. Geraldine and her family have been campaigning for over 30 years to obtain the full truth…

I raise an issue which I have previously brought to the attention of the House. It is a very important matter. It is essential that we discuss the plight of the Debenhams workers and their appalling treatment by the company in their redundancy dispute. The Irish branch of Debenhams, which operated 11 stores, was put into liquidation on 9 April. The stores' closures came once the UK parent company entered administration and ended its financial support to the Irish business. I have been in contact with a number of wo…

There is no doubt that it is now more apparent than ever that we have an urgent need to introduce hate crime legislation in Ireland. I say "Well done" to Senator O'Loughlin for introducing it. We need to protect all minority groups in Ireland. It is essential that the silence is broken on these crimes and people actively report racism and other hate attacks in order to address and stop their occurrence. Freedom of expression should never extend to hate crimes and Irish people need to accept that. It is great to see…

I welcome the Minister to the House. Members of the Civil Engagement Group wholeheartedly support this motion to recognise the gallantry of the soldiers of A Company who fought bravely and professionally in the siege of Jadotville in 1961. It is paramount that after 59 years we finally recognise and honour the bravery, professionalism and gallantry of the 155 Irish soldiers who fought and defended themselves during this failed peacekeeping mission in Katanga. I cannot begin to imagine the fear and terror experience…

I will start today on behalf of the Dublin contingent by congratulating Mr. Joe Biden on his election to the US Presidency. I also congratulate Senator Kamala Harris on her election as US Vice President. Mr. Biden is a great friend of Ireland, as we all know, and he has stated categorically that the Good Friday Agreement cannot become a casualty of Brexit. That is a fantastic stance. The destruction of the homes of 80 Palestinian Bedouins in the occupied West Bank under last week's blanket coverage of the US presid…

I express again the grave concerns of hundreds of musicians who have contacted me since the budget, many of whom are struggling to meet their financial commitments. I have raised the crisis in the music industry several times and have offered my ongoing support to the Music and Entertainment Association of Ireland, MEAI. It is an amazing organisation which works voluntarily to help struggling colleagues in every way, including mental health in some ways. Workers in this sector have been in lockdown since March with…

I speak to amendment No. 7. Our duty is to ensure that survivors of these institutions are satisfied with their treatment in this legislation. I do not want to see them retraumatised by being denied access to their statements, and I am sure neither does the Minister. He is a good man. I will read a letter I received today from an independent councillor, Francis Timmons, who was in a mother and baby home and who wrote of his fear that this is another exercise in brushing things under the carpet. It is important that…

I support Senator Boyhan's amendment to the Order of Business. Yesterday at the Joint Committee on Health, we heard from representatives from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association and the Irish Medical Organisation and it was shocking to hear what they had to say. We heard about the disgraceful treatment of student nurses during this pandemic. Student nurses are exhausted. They are expected to work over and above their undergraduate status, they are exposed to the da…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and wish him well in his new role. I commend my colleagues, Senators Ruane and Higgins, on this Private Members' Bill which is absolutely fantastic. I would consider myself an activist. I am the founder of a charitable organisation and understand how difficult it is to raise funds, particularly in the absence of Government funding. Civil society organisations work to influence public policy for the benefit of people living in this country. The advocacy work of civil soci…

I apologise as I missed the Minister of State's speech. I thank Senator Mullen for introducing this wonderful motion. What is happening to the Uyghur people of China is horrendous and Ireland has an obligation to highlight human rights abuses wherever they occur. As a member of the UN Security Council, we have a forum to raise the issue of the denial of human rights of the Uyghur population in China. The mass incarceration and reported abuse of these detainees must be condemned. According to Amnesty International, …