I thank the 15 contributors. Senator Fiona O'Loughlin spoke about the success of the Bloom festival, which has been a success ever since it started over a decade ago. It has increased in size and it is a good opportunity to have a debate on horticulture, something we have not had in the Chamber for quite some time. I will contact the Minister's office to see if that is possible. She also spoke about the Palestinian dancers who need visas. It is an obvious thing that we should be able to accommodate. The Minister sh…

That is true. The Senator spoke about Serca Darcy. As public representatives, unfortunately we all know of people who get very sick due to breast cancer or other long-term illnesses, look for supports and do not know where to go. All of us advise people in our constituencies on what they are entitled to or could get. There is uncertainty. It is important that someone with a young family who loses a wage can access help. It can be very stressful. The woman the Senator mentioned should be able to qualify for medical …

The VAT rate was introduced to support hairdressers in particular. I accept people who are out of work for a long time do not know where to go or for what they qualify. That is our job. We should promote that more. I find that is what we do when we are in our constituencies. Senator Pauline Tully spoke about ash dieback in Cavan. A Commencement matter with the Minister would be worthwhile because there is a financial support package for people who have ash dieback. It does not apply to hedges along roads. It could …

The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (Designation of Carlow County Council) Order 2026, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business without debate; and No. 2, Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2025 - Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 5 p.m. and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 8 p.m. by the putting of one question from the Chair that shall, in relation to amendments…

I thank the 21 Senators who made contributions. Senator Fiona O'Loughlin spoke first, on the green light for palliative care for the midlands hospice, which is very welcome news. She outlined the process and how difficult it was. That people came together, including her, to make it happen is very positive for the midlands area. The Senator also spoke about Jennie's law and the announcement this morning of Cabinet approval. The Bill was drafted by the Senator and others. As she said, there was a void in legislation …

There was a 5.5-hour debate on the Bill on Committee Stage. We will have another three-hour debate on it tonight. There are only 34 amendments and about a third of them have been ruled out of order. Some of them might be paired. Three hours is a significant amount of time to talk about it, in our view. That will be happening tonight so I will not be accepting the amendment.

The Ireland match starts at 7.30 p.m.

No, 7.30 p.m.

Coverage is at 7.30 p.m.

In the greater scheme of things, this has been debated quite a lot. There has been a lot of debate, in this House and the other House, on it. It is important that we make decisions at the end of that debate. We do have an important match tonight. In relation to the FAI, I said it the week previously and I will say it again. This is a decision for the FAI in conjunction with FIFA and UEFA. It is not for Government to get involved. In fact, if Government gets involved, there are rules in place within FIFA and UEFA. I…

-----not being involved in competitions, whether men's competitions, women's competitions, underage competitions, club, country. It has an impact in terms of hosting events, whether that is-----

-----hosting the Euro 2028 or the women's champions league final. It is not as simplistic as just having a boycott on this and there being no repercussions other than the six points and maybe a small fine to deal with. That is not the way to look at it and it is not a true reflection of what could happen. All that being said, I hope decisions will be made by the end of the week on this. It might not be to Senator Andrews's satisfaction, but certainly it will be done in terms of the safety of people more than anythi…

I move: That Seanad Éireann – - expresses its deep sadness on the death of Ernie Caffrey; - conveys its sincere condolences to his family; and - expresses its gratitude for his notable contribution, as a member of Seanad Éireann, to Irish public life and for his dedicated service to the people of Ireland.

I move: That Seanad Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (Designation of Carlow County Council) (Parts of Administrative Areas) Order 2026, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 12th March, 2026.

The Senator should speak on the amendment.

The Senator is nowhere near the amendment.

The Senator is so far off the amendment that he does not know where it is.

Dexcom.

Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

I also commend this motion put forward by Fianna Fáil Senators and Senator O’Loughlin. The suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement is something we have been calling for as a country and as a Government for a long time. It was really only Ireland and Spain who were the lone voices at the start. Thankfully, we have a number of countries now that are open to it. I think there are 17 or 18 countries open to it, but it is incredibly frustrating after seeing what has been going on for almost three years. The at…