As someone who lives in Kildare, I know the Deputy Leader is very much aware of the Defence Forces and everything to do with them. It is a matter of concern to me that Ireland is one of the few countries that did not apply for the funding that was made available through the EU SAFE fund, with €150 billion set aside to assist countries to bring their militaries up to speed given the level of threat that exists in the world today. As we approach Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, in light of t…

I move: That Seanad Éireann: acknowledges that: - Ireland's current approach to pre-radiation oncology dental care and post-surgical dental rehabilitation is under-resourced, under-staffed and unsafe. Adequate pre-radiation and post-surgical dental services are essential components of cancer care; - immediate investment and legislative action are necessary to ensure that patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) receive timely, equitable and safe treatment; - HNC patients in Ireland face significant and avoidable ri…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor. This is the first time I have addressed her since her elevation, on which I congratulate her. We are joined in the Distinguished Visitors Gallery by the chairman and the CEO of Dublin Dental University Hospital, along with staff involved in the treatment of head and neck cancer. I speak on this matter not only as a legislator but as a parent. My daughter Rebecca's journey through head and neck cancer has been one of unimaginable strength and quiet suffering.…

I know the Minister of State has a meeting to go to and deferred that to be here. I thank her for that. Somewhere in Ireland today, tomorrow or next week a family will get the same message we got. I remember Rebecca was 19 at the time and her maxillofacial surgeon did not want to tell her what the diagnosis was after the biopsy. He rang me. I went home to Helen, my wife, and said we had to go to see the surgeon. We knew the news was bad. When Rebecca heard us whispering, she came in and said, "I am over 18, and wha…

The Minister of State is welcome to the House. In his opening comments, he addressed the uncertainty in the world we currently live in and the problems that exist on our eastern flank and in various other parts of the world. It is only right and proper that, as a member of the security and defence committee and a former member of the Irish Defence Forces, I concentrate my comments on matters relating to security and defence. I welcome the allocation of €1.49 billion in the budget for Votes 35 and 36 for 2026. Takin…

Hear, hear. Well said.

I will follow on from my colleague who spoke about social media. It has become an extremely toxic environment. We are all now used to the whipping-up of mass emails to us to support this, that or the other. The senders do not even do us the courtesy of referring to us by our names. They address us as "Dear Deputy" or "Dear Oireachtas Member". I am not a Deputy; I am a Senator and I am Gerard or you can call me Craughwell if you want. I throw the gauntlet down to the Cathaoirleach because he has done some pretty goo…

How do I follow that wonderful piece of publicity for Fianna Fáil? My good God, it was amazing - a history lesson along with all of the compliments. This is the first time I have addressed the Minister since he took over the Department. Slightly off the subject, as director of elections for my former good friend, Jim Gavin, I wish the Minister well as he heads out into the hustings with a very fine former member of the Defence Forces, a man I was proud to have met many times. I really do wish him well. I am sorry t…

I am nearly finished. I have always tried to work on the basis of not asking a question unless I had a fair idea of what the answer was going to be. Similarly, when it comes to the Minister's Department, I would like to see it come out of the doldrums of being the devil incarnate in the corner and be seen as somebody who is minding the State and looking after State resources.

I thank the Minister of State for being in the House today. I think it is the first time I have addressed him since his elevation. I congratulate him. He was a great Senator when he was here and I am sure he is doing equally well as a Minister. Respiratory syncytial virus, RSV, is a common and highly contagious virus that affects the lungs and respiratory tract. While it can affect people of all ages, older adults, particularly those over 60, face a significantly higher risk of severe illness, hospitalisation and d…

I thank the Minister of State for the results regarding children. I hear that the take-up is not as good the Minister of State and the Department would like so, like him, I would encourage parents to get their babies immunised as quickly as possible. The last paragraph of the Minister of State's reply is the one that really counts for me. Among people over 65 years of age, an equal number, if not more, are being admitted to hospital with RSV and many of them die as a result of it. Let us hope that we get that resea…

I congratulate the interview board for the new Clerk of the Seanad because they made life very easy for me. I will just keep calling him Martin. I congratulate Martin Hughes and I am delighted to have him on board. If he is looking for an example of perfect discipline in the House, he should look towards me. He will see I obey all of the rules all of the time. The issue of the Tricolour was raised a few moments ago. As I was walking into the House this morning, I looked at the Tricolour that hangs over Leinster Hou…

Today is the first opportunity I have had to stand in solidarity with the Bosnia-Herzegovina Association of Ireland to commemorate the genocide at Srebrenica, the 30th anniversary of which passed on 29 June. In making that statement, I want to recognise what has become for me the normalisation of the war in Ukraine. Ukraine has slipped down the agenda and is not seen as the genocide that Gaza is, yet there is a significant level of destruction of public buildings in Ukraine. The difference is that in Ukraine the de…

I welcome the Minister to the House. This is the first time I have addressed him since his elevation. I congratulate him on his new post and I think he is doing a fine job where he is. I rise today to speak on behalf of ISME. My lovely speech has been ruined because several people have already adverted to ISME's critique of the Bill. Nonetheless, I feel obliged to put the association's concerns on the record. The first thing raised with me is the no-harm test. This means individuals who have not actually suffered a…

-----which benefits from maintaining Ireland's astronomical levels of defamation litigation. Even as claims fell to 289 cases in 2024, this remains higher than the 250 cases in England, as already pointed out. There is no judicial justification for this disparity. The Courts Service's annual report only scratches the surface. Defamation actions generate an estimated €30 million to €50 million in fees each year for a small group of lawyers. By the way, I do not object to people making a living. I am representing the…

Am I not next according to the list?

The list I have says the Independents are first.

I am sorry. Senator Rabbitte should proceed.

I welcome the Minister to the House. This is the first time I have addressed him in his current role. I congratulate him on his position. Before I get into reading my notes, one of the questions that crosses my mind when I come across a case like John O'Meara's is why the State forces a family to go the whole way to a Supreme Court judgment in order to fix something that was morally wrong in the first instance. I know it is not the Minister's fault or the fault of his officials; it is the way the system works. The …

That will give me plenty of time to think while the Minister is gone.