I facilitated a really important meeting with the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and representatives from 120 businesses in Clonmel recently. The chairperson was Mr. William Burke, and Mr. Richie Gleeson, Ms Aisling Kilroy and Ms Nuala Hickey came to meet the Minister. The meeting was about Irish Water and water services in Clonmel. It is a huge issue for businesses. Essentially, there is a long-term plan which will be to use the River Suir to bring new water into the town but that is a 15-year plan. In between …

There was a welcome auction on Friday and on Monday of about €500,000 worth of goods that have been seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau, CAB. Rolex watches, Louis Vuitton bags and other assets were seized from some of the highest criminals in the country. CAB is an organisation set up by Fine Gael to attack criminal organisations and such people as the former Sinn Féin councillor, Jonathan Dowdall. When we talk about Fine Gael supporting stronger, safer communities, this is exactly what we mean. We are going right…

I welcome the Minister of State to the Seanad. I am always delighted when she comes in to respond to Commencement matters. She dealt with two of my issues previously and both have been solved. I have said this to her privately but I want to put it on the record of the House today. I raised the case previously of a woman who is an amputee but who did not have a medical card. Following the Minister of State's intervention, the woman ended up getting a medical card and she now has a new leg. Her life has been transfor…

Absolutely, the Minister of State has, and that is exactly it. It is about public consultation, bringing it in on a phased basis and making sure that we reassure people working in that sector that they are being recognised. In the Minister of State's contribution, she said that the settings and the particular type of childcare they provide will be taken into account, and it will be proportionate. That is really important. The Minister of State gets it. She totally gets it, and I have full faith in her and this proc…

I do not always agree with Senator Clonan but I agree with almost everything he said about things that have been amplified by people across the country, including people in both Houses. That needs to be addressed. Everyone here is coming from a very genuine background and believes what he or she is saying is correct, but there have been contributions even today saying "violence" and "unsafe" about ten times as if that is actually factually true in this country. Sometimes when people make contributions they talk abo…

As I was saying, the Minister showed in Clonmel how her intervention, working with the Garda, can change things. We have seen it from the Government response in Limerick before. We need the same response the Minister made in Clonmel and previous Governments made in Limerick, which is to show force. As she said on TV, these people need to be held accountable for their crimes and locked up.

I also wish to be associated with the comments about the former Cathaoirleach, Tras Honan. She was a trailblazer in her own right and had connections to my home town, Clonmel and Tipperary. Her sister Carrie Acheson was also a TD for a period. I offer my condolences to her family and her extended family, including the Barlows in Clonmel, on her very sad passing. She was inspirational to so many people right across the country but in particular in Tipperary. In my own family, my mother was young starting in politics…

They should be convicted.

Can we have a debate with the Minister for Education or the Minister for Transport, whoever is in charge of it at the moment, concerning the request that over-70s be able to drive school buses? We have a critical situation in Tipperary. We have a shortage of people able to drive buses but we have businesses contracted with Bus Éireann which have people aged over 70 who would be able to drive those buses but are not allowed. There is no sense to it. We have a staff shortage and we have people who are qualified, who …

I request a debate with the Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Byrne, on the sports capital grant, the timelines and when clubs will know more about whether they have been successful. This is obviously an important year and the Government has been very good to support sports clubs during the past three years but for obvious reasons, councillors in particular, who have worked very hard alongside their local clubs, want to make sure these clubs are suppor…

I follow others in their congratulations to the junior certificate students on their results this year. I congratulate their parents and teachers as well. It is a very proud day for them. I will speak on education, so I have not moved topic at all, the Cathaoirleach will be happy to know.

I am learning. I acknowledge the announcement by the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, on Project Nore yesterday. Would the Leader agree that this Government has significantly invested in education, particularly in school buildings? Project Nore is a large-scale new building project of €250 million for seven new schools across the country – two in Mullingar, one in Newbridge, three in Kilkenny city and, most importantly, one in Tipperary, which is the Gaelscoil in Carrick-on-Suir. It will be eight new classroom…

I will be brief because I pretty much agree with what Senators have said. I welcome the Bill. I welcome the Minister of State and thank him and his officials for the work they are doing. As Senators have said, this is an important Bill which has to be passed. There is always a fear about more cumbersome work that has to be done by multinational companies. Obviously, a large number of people work for these companies. It is easier for them than it is for small farmers to do such work. That is different. It is importa…

Now.

I welcome the new strict Cathaoirleach here today.

The Cathaoirleach will notice that I will be very obedient.

I welcome the announcement yesterday in the budget for businesses and the funding the Minister, Deputy Coveney, has secured for the €250 million grant to be given to businesses in the first quarter of 2024. This grant will be half of the rates bill that they paid in 2022, up to €20,000. Of the €20,000 they had been paying in rates, they will be able to claim half of that back in the first quarter of 2024. We have spoken to businesses. The important thing they told us was around the challenge with some of schemes th…

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber again and thank him for the work he and his officials have done on this Bill and in general throughout the year in the Department. As Senator Crowe said, this is important legislation. It has come through the Dáil already. It is a technical Bill but important nonetheless. The aim of the Bill is to streamline and strengthen Ireland's existing export control framework and ensure Ireland fulfils its EU and UN obligations in respect of the exports of controlled goods. The …

I am trying to do so. It is a business-related issue. While the Minister of State is before the House, I will raise the issue of work permits and people in the workforce. There is a real problem whereby people apply for work permits and get accepted, but are refused a visa and then cannot be reimbursed for applying for their work permit. Surely, there is something we can do for businesses, whether by reimbursing them or by crediting them for the next time they apply for a work permit. I thank the Cathaoirleach Gnío…

Will Sinn Féin stop it straight away if it gets in?