It is bit rich of the Senator to complain, three years on, about the result of the referendum.

I am not pro-abortion. I am pro-choice.

I thank the Cathaoirleach. This is an issue on which language is important.

We must remember the thousands of women in Ireland who have had abortions, their families, women who face crisis pregnancies and the awful catastrophic diagnosis that so many women and their families have faced in the context of fatal foetal abnormality. We need to be sensitive in our language. Talking about people as being pro-abortion, as Senator Mullen consistently does, is insensitive and does not reflect the reality. Those of us who campaigned for repeal are pro-choice. We want to see women having choice. Wome…

I did not interrupt the Senator.

I sat and listened to Senator Mullen. I sat and listened to his insensitive language and I responded, as is my right. I used my time on the Order of Business to do so.

I am not in breach of anything today. I sat and listened.

I sat and listened to you.

This morning, I sat through Commencement matters when the Senator consistently interrupted and barracked a Minister. This is his own pattern of behaviour in the House.

I welcome the Minister to the House and thank him for coming in today to take this important debate. It is one which I and many other colleagues called for last week but, very sadly, the conflict has escalated since then and, appallingly, we have seen even more killings of civilians, particularly of children, in the intervening period. It is even more important, therefore, that we speak now about this and we support the Minister's strong words in condemning the violence, calling for a united statement from the Unit…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, to the House to take this important issue on the provision of a timeline for the opening of autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units and ASD outreach classes in schools in Dublin 2, 4, 6 and 6W. In these areas in Dublin Bay South, there is a serious shortage of places in autism units and ASD outreach classes for children. This is a matter of intense frustration for the many parents, families and children affected. I know that the Minister of State is well aware of this. …

I thank the Minister of State for her response and I welcome her comments about being committed to better planning. I also welcome that, from September, there will be 1,200 additional places. However, I did not hear from her any commitment as regards places in Dublin 2, 4, 6 or 6W. These are the areas where there is a pressing need for local places. Children are being bussed out of their areas. That is not acceptable and a source of immense frustration. It is to the detriment of those children and their families. T…

I wish to take strong issue with the comments of Senator Mullen just now as to the reporting of RTÉ. Senator Mullen needs to remind himself that in 2018 the people voted by a two-thirds majority to repeal the eighth amendment having had sight of the legislation proposed to bring in legal abortion in Ireland. That legislation was sorely needed for the reproductive health needs of all women in this country. I wish to remind Senator Mullen of that. People were not, and should not have been, in any way perplexed by the…

On a point of order, data are kept and there are specific provisions in the 2019 legislation to ensure data are kept on terminations of pregnancy.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is always a pleasure to see him back here with us. I commend Senators Seery Kearney, Conway and their colleagues on putting down this important motion and I am delighted to lead the Labour Party response to it. In advance, I wish to second the amendments being proposed by Senator Black. She is due to speak on and will be proposing these. They are very much complementary to the motion itself, add to and enhance many of the aspects of it, and I will speak to those. Thi…

If Senator Black is agreeable, I will move the amendment and she can second it with the agreement of the House.

I move amendment No. 1: In the second paragraph under "calls on the Government to:" after "Department of Social Protection;" to insert "similarly, to demonstrate legislative progress on delivery of the programme for Government commitment to a statutory home care scheme;".

Like others, I welcome the news we will be seeing some careful reopening today not only of golf courses, although there has been a focus on golf, but also the restart of other outdoor sports, including tennis, and, in particularly welcome news, we will see the return of outdoor training for underage kids in pods of 15 or fewer. That is welcome because its absence has been a loss for many children and teenagers for more than four months. That has been a gap in the programmes for the health and well-being of our youn…

I know colleagues on all sides of the House who cycle in daily will, like myself, be anxious to know why we are not seeing better provision for cyclists and cycling, especially during a pandemic and as we face a climate crisis. It is long overdue. I cannot understand why it has taken the commission and the OPW so long to move on this. I urge those at the meeting today to let us have decent bicycle parking facilities and encourage more Members of the Oireachtas to cycle to work.

We are green with envy.