I move amendment No. 5: In page 25, line 18, to delete “in respect of the delay in the conclusion of” and substitute “arising from a claim that”.

I move amendment No. 6: In page 25, line 19, after “concerned” to insert “were not concluded within a reasonable time”.

I move amendment No. 7: In page 25, line 20, to delete “against” and substitute “against the State or”.

I move amendment No. 8: In page 25, line 21, to delete “in respect of the delay in the conclusion of” and substitute “arising from a claim that”.

I move amendment No. 9: In page 25, line 22, after “concerned” to insert “were not concluded within a reasonable time”.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle and I, too, welcome Her Excellency, Ambassador Gerasko, who has done fantastic work over the last couple of years in highlighting the atrocities that have been happening in Ukraine. It is important we do not forget that when people say we should do more for peace in Ukraine, peace could happen in the next five minutes in Ukraine if Putin just withdrew. He is the aggressor here. It is clear from the attendance of the TDs today and the engagement that Irish support for Ukraine remains stea…

On behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, I thank the Senator for raising the Garda vetting process and improving the system. The primary purpose of the employment vetting carried out by the Garda National Vetting Bureau is to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. I am sure we can all agree on the vital support for this task and the need for it to be carried out thoroughly and correctly. The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012-2016 provides that the vetting system is m…

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. It can cause a lot of frustration for people throughout the country. Every TD and Senator is very much aware of the frustration that can arise as a result of multiple vetting applications. I assure the House that the Minister understands and appreciates the current system of vetting, as laid out in the National Vetting Bureau Acts may cause frustration for people, particularly those genuinely wanting to provide valuable voluntary service to their communities. T…

As the Senator will know, Ireland has been a long-standing supporter of UNRWA, which provides essential services to the Palestinian refugee populations in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon and Jordan, which is some 5.9 million people. I visited UNRWA in Jordan only last year. We fully support the decision of UNRWA Commissioner-General, Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, to immediately terminate the contracts of a small number of employees in Gaza suspected of involvement in the brutal terrorist attack on 7 October. These allegatio…

The Minister for Finance does not propose to accept amendments Nos. 2 and 4 as the existing text mirrors, and is consistent with, the approach taken in legislation on the Statute Book, which contains similar reporting requirements for guarantees that the State has entered into, for example, the financial provisions Covid Act 2020 and the European Financial Stability Facility Act 2010, where the requirement in legislation is to report to Dáil Éireann. The Minister for Finance does not propose to accept amendments No…

The Senator is indeed right to point to Ireland's leadership in relation to cluster munitions, and there certainly will be no change in policy from the Government in regard to this matter or concerning investment into those types of horrific munitions. The memorandum of understanding entered into by the European Commission and the Ukrainian Government makes it very clear that the objective of the MFA is to support Ukraine's macro-financial stability given the acute financing needs triggered by the war circumstances…

Similar to the previous group of amendments, the Minister for Finance is not proposing to accept these two amendments, as the democratic accountability in the oversight of the MFA operations takes place at a European Union level, where the European Commission is obliged to report to the European Parliament and the European Council. With specific regard to the issue of conditionality, the relevant EU regulations on the MFA operations to Ukraine are already in force, and stipulate the conditionality that attaches to …

Slava Ukraini. The conditionalities have been decided through EU regulations. The Commission is obliged to report to the European Parliament and the Council about those conditionalities and how Ukraine disburses and uses the funding. The funding has been disbursed so what we are deciding here is whether Ireland will participate in something that has effectively happened. It is important that Ireland is a participant in this. Ireland has always been to the forefront of ensuring, at European level, that socioeconomic…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I welcome the opportunity to introduce the Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024. The Bill is a necessary interim legislative amendment pending a broader review of the Coroners Act 1962. It should be considered against the backdrop of a public consultation process which concluded on 19 January. The Coroner Service provides an important service to bereaved families who are often going through the most difficult time in their lives when engaging with their local coroner. Th…

I thank the Deputies who contributed to the debate. I welcome the general agreement on the importance of the Bill and getting it passed in a timely manner. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, certainly will bear in mind the various issues raised by the Deputies in preparation for Committee Stage examination of the Bill. The changes made by this urgent Bill are important to ensure there is a sufficient number of coroners and an appropriate level of service for bereaved families. I concur with Deputy Mythen's comments abou…

I am pleased to bring the Criminal Justice (Engagement of Children in Criminal Activity) Bill 2023 before the Seanad today. This Bill addresses a very specific issue: to recognise and make punishable in law the harm caused to children by drawing them into a life of crime. Two programme for Government commitments are being delivered through this Bill. The first is to legislate against the coercion and use of minors in the sale and supply of drugs and, second, to criminalise adults who groom children to commit crimes…

I thank the Senators for their valuable contributions. The provisions in the Criminal Justice (Engagement of Children in Criminal Activity) Bill 2023 will make a real difference to the lives of vulnerable children who have been groomed into criminal activity. The Bill will introduce important new measures to enable us to tackle adults who groom children into a life of crime. For the first time in Irish law, it will be an offence for an adult to compel, coerce, direct or deceive a child for the purposes of engaging …

I welcome the opportunity to introduce the Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024. The Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024 is a necessary interim legislative amendment pending a broader review of the Coroners Act 1962 and it should be considered against the backdrop of a public consultation process which has recently been launched by the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee. The Coroner Service provides an important service to bereaved families who are often going through the most difficult time in their lives when engaging wit…

On behalf the Minister, Deputy McEntee, who regrets she cannot be here in person today, I thank all the Senators who have contributed to this important debate on the Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024. There is general agreement that there needs to be reform, more efficiency and for the coroner to be more reflective of society and more comprehending of people who have to attend before them. I also note however, that a number of serious concerns have been raised by the Senators. These will be brought to the attention of…

I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on immigration. While I recognise it can often cause concerns, particularly around housing and services, it is important we understand the overwhelming benefits inward migration brings. With an ageing population and an economy at almost full employment, we need overseas workers to fill labour shortages and continue to drive our economy. Some 20% of those of working age were born outside of Ireland. These workers who come from overseas are essential to the functioning of…