Galwegians would not be welcome there.

I find myself wanting to agree with most of what Senator Chambers just said. We need a debate here on childcare. There is not a family, particularly in cities, which is not finding it extremely difficult. I compliment her on the conference on women's health. Maybe some of my younger male colleagues might do something similar for men. I am a bit over the hill myself. The bit about Mayo I can just about stomach but we will get over that. We are coming to a time when the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Dep…

The wrong Gerard.

I compliment you, a Chathaoirligh, and the Ceann Comhairle on what you organised today and off camera and in a private room downstairs, where you entertained the ambassador and some refugees. Your empathy with people was remarkable, a Chathaoirligh, and I compliment you personally on that. It was wonderful to see. There have been many fine words about the situation in Ukraine and we have provided some support to the people there. I must say that I agree with my colleague, Deputy Berry. We need to provide what weapo…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. I thank the Minister for clarifying the position and for confirming that he is committed to the Bill, to what it proposes to do, and that he is prepared to put the resources of the State behind the bringing forward of any amendments that are required to make this Bill work. I am a former member of Óglaigh na hÉireann and am very proud of that. I thank Senator Malcolm Byrne for doing something that should have been done a long time ago to enshrine the name "Óglaigh na hÉirean…

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear. Well said.

For the moment.

Yesterday, I was asked to support Senators McDowell and Boyhan on the invitation to the Russian ambassador to the House tomorrow. I rejected it because I thought the ambassador should be here as the embodiment of Russia. I have changed my opinion because I have been contacted by a number of people, some of them in the diplomatic corps. They say the ambassador should not be here. He would take away from the event and become the focus of attention. I will be supporting that amendment today with Senators McDowell and …

This morning I rise to inform the House that Quartermaster Sergeant Michael Tighe passed away yesterday. Michael Tighe was one of the Jadotville heroes who have been neglected and ignored by this State for the past 65 or 70 years. It breaks my heart to think of Michael going to his final resting place still unrecognised by the State. Michael was one of the three people who attended Enda Kenny's office some years back and convinced him to have An Bonn Jadotville. It was a campaign medal awarded to all those who serv…

That was a rather robust exchange. Thank God I am an Independent Senator and free from all of those constraints. The Deputy Leader will have a particular interest in Cancer Care West and the presentation, which is going on across the road since this morning, with respect to the requirement for cancer services in the west of Ireland, particularly given the age profile, the incidence of cancer and the outcomes for those on the west coast who suffer from cancer. It is all very well for a service to be mentioned in the…

My colleague, Senator Moynihan, mentioned the tent village that is about to be created, or has been erected, in Gormanston. It is horrific to think that families who come here must live in tents. As I said the other day, tents are fine in the summer if the weather is good but if one gets a bad summer then tents are terrible places to be. I agree that the tents are a short-term solution and I hope that this is a very short-term solution. However, such a situation brings into sharp focus the lack of investment in the…

First, I welcome the fact the Taoiseach has asked the Russian ambassador to expel a number of officials from this country. Sadly, it is only four. We are not following the example of other countries across Europe. That leaves somewhere in the region of 28 or 29 still here. Why we need that many in this country I do not know. It is not unknown that I am pretty active on social media. This weekend somebody decided to attack, using my wife's name and my children's names. That, to me, is totally unacceptable. I contact…

The Minister is welcome to the House. I think this is the first time I have spoken to him since he took up office. It is a bit late to be congratulating him on his appointment. I congratulate him on the speed at which he picked up the problems associated with where we are right now. He has moved from one crisis into the next crisis. He has done well and shown himself as somebody who is willing to get out there and speak to people on the ground. The picture we are painting here today is pretty frightening. It is no …

The Air Corps is 100 years old today. They have just flown over the city of Dublin and out to south Dublin. The Air Corps has never been found wanting in its 100-year history. Any time it was called upon for mercy flights, or to carry out vital operations to deal with forest fires and so on, it has never ever been found wanting. It would be a matter of great regret to me that it will not be forming part of the next search and rescue contract for this country because that is a vital service in which we should have t…

Hear, hear.

The Deputy Leader will be aware of the fact that I wrote to all Members of the House yesterday regarding the need for a debate on Ireland's status in terms of whether we are neutral, militarily non-aligned or militarily aligned. It is time that the debate took place and I appreciate that the middle of a worldwide crisis in Ukraine is not the best time to have it. I was rather disappointed to see one of our colleagues, in the other House, bring forward legislation, which they hope to bring into the Dáil in the next …

I have been requesting it now for over a year.

So did care workers.

Maybe the officials were coming off a 12-hour shift.