I wish to briefly speak in support of Senator Gavan's comments about the need for trade union rights of access. I also support his concerns about the conditions in meat factories in particular. Clearly, that is a very pressing issue, one of which we are all well aware. Trade union rights and, in particular, rights of representation for workers is one on which this House has a good record. We passed legislation on a cross-party basis in the term of the previous Seanad that went on to be passed by the Dáil. The Bill …

I welcome the new protocol on the wearing of masks in the Chamber. I thank the Leader and the Seanad Office for putting down the motion on conclusion of the Order of Business for the restoration of two Bills to the Order Paper. For the information of Members, those are Labour Party Bills which were both introduced and passed by the previous Seanad on Second Stage. The first is the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018 which would restore certain citizenship rights to…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins, to the House. It was a pleasure to serve with him on the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence in the lifetime of the previous Oireachtas. I wish him the very best in his important new role in this new Department. I speak as a Senator for Dublin University and follow my Labour Party colleague and spokesperson on education, Senator Hoey, who has outlined the party's position on this legislation and our support for the formation of the new Dep…

I commend the Cathaoirleach, Leader and staff for enabling us to meet here in the Leinster House complex, following the meeting of the leaders and Whips on Tuesday. It is very good to see the constructive resolution of the difficulty of ensuring the Seanad can sit and fulfil its democratic and constitutional function while observing social distancing. We all appreciate this and look forward to working constructively to ensure we can continue to fulfil our constitutional function in an efficient and safe manner. I r…

It is good to be facing back into the resumption of legislative business in as near to normal a setting as we can. I am delighted to speak as the leader of the Labour group and to welcome our four other members, all new Senators - Annie Hoey, Rebecca Moynihan, Marie Sherlock and Mark Wall. We are a group that is 80% women, four out of five, so I am delighted about that. This is a Seanad that is 40% women. That is something that is worth stating and being proud of because the Dáil remains stubbornly unrepresentative…

I am proud to speak on behalf of the Labour Party group of Senators, my colleagues Senators Sherlock, Hoey, Moynihan and Wall, and to express our congratulations to you, Senator Daly, on your election as Cathaoirleach. I have served with you in a number of Seanad terms and while we have not always agreed on issues I know very well your tenacious persistence in campaigns that are close to your heart and your hard work in particular on behalf of the Irish deaf community and Irish Sign Language. I pay tribute to you f…

I welcome the Minister to the House and join others in congratulating her on her recent appointment and on her great work in her previous role. I am glad to see four great women nominated as Ministers but I am sorry there are not more women in Cabinet. In this incoming Seanad, 40% of Senators are women and that is a notable high, which I am glad to see. Many of us will keep pressing for greater participation of women in politics and greater recognition in Cabinet because we still have very poor overall numbers of w…

I would like to join with the Cathaoirleach in extending sympathies to Senator Ruane on her loss. I am very sorry to hear that at such a difficult time. On behalf of Labour Party Senators, I would like to express condolences to the families of the ten people whose deaths were so sadly announced last night, to the 19 families who had been bereaved so far in this jurisdiction and the 29 on this island. I extend my sympathies to all those who have been affected either directly through illness themselves, the illness o…

On behalf of the Seanad technical group, I join all others in expressing sincere sympathies to all those who have been so terribly affected by this awful virus. I look forward to the debate on the emergency legislation, which we in Labour will be pleased to support and engage on constructively.

I would like to welcome the Minister, Deputy Harris, to the House. Along with so many others, I express my sincere sympathies to those who have been so terribly affected by this horrific virus, and in particular to the families of the three people in this jurisdiction and the four people on this island who have sadly died, to the 557 individuals in this jurisdiction and the 634 individuals on this island who have been diagnosed with Covid-19, to their families and to all of those affected. I would also like to expr…

I am conscious that under sections 6 to 8, inclusive, the Minister is given extensive powers to make regulations. In this context I seek clarification on a point raised by me and other Members on Second Stage, which is about the employers' top-up amount. It is a real matter of urgency whether or not employers who pay full wages to people, when those staff are hopefully being temporarily laid off, will be able to recoup the weekly payment of €203. There has been a bit of confusion and some uncertainty about that.

I raised on Second Stage the concern that we need to see adequate safeguards in place for the exercise of the detention powers under section 11. I am conscious that one particular safeguard would be to provide for right of information about the right to be able to trigger a review on request. I felt that this could be done through regulation rather than by amending section 11 of the Bill. That would be an important safeguard. I am referring to the right of information not only for the detained person but, if he or …

I am delighted to speak-----

We do indeed. Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. I am delighted to speak on behalf of the Seanad technical group as the group leader on behalf of myself, Senator David Norris, and my Labour Party colleagues, Senators Kevin Humphreys, Gerald Nash and Aodhán Ó Ríordáin. I wish them the very best of luck in the general election, along with other Senators who are running, of course, and along with all of the Labour candidates in particular. We have 32 candidates running in the general election. This is an historic d…