I welcome to our Distinguished Visitors Gallery the newly appointed US consul general in Belfast, Mr. James Applegate, who is joined by our colleague and friend, Deputy Fergus O’Dowd. The are also here with Ted Danowitz and Peter Glennon from the US Embassy in Dublin, who are no strangers to us. Mr. Applegate is very welcome to Leinster House. I hope his tenure in Belfast is successful. I commend Deputy O’Dowd on his chairmanship of the Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and the great work…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, for attending.

You may not do that, unfortunately. You may keep going. You have another minute and 45 seconds.

On behalf of the Civil Engagement Group, I call Senator Flynn.

I welcome the members of the Association of Marine Pilots Ireland, who are guests of Senator Craughwell, to the Visitors Gallery and thank them for the very important work they do on our behalf, especially around the Port of Cork. We now move to the two-minute slots with one item. I call Senator O'Loughlin.

I will not. It is a two-minute slot with one item.

I am not.

I thank the Senator.

To clarify, it is one item per Member in the two-minute slots and that is the item the Senator has raised. I am being consistent with the application of the Orders of the House.

I am not having a row.

Senator, it is a two-minute slot now and Members can raise one item. I am applying that consistently across the board and not being unfair to anybody. Thank you, I appreciate the Senator's co-operation. It is not just me but that is the way of the House and if the Senator wants to change it then I have no problem with that. Has the Senator concluded?

Go raibh maith agat.

Next is Senator Maria Byrne and she has two minutes on one item.

We would all agree with the Leader and Senator Maria Byrne that the display by the Irish rugby team over the past few weeks has been phenomenal. While the players were defeated on Saturday night, they have left a huge and impressive legacy. We salute and congratulate Johnny Sexton and Keith Earls on their retirement.

We will now have statements on the final report of the independent scoping exercise into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell. I welcome the Minister, Deputy McEntee. She has ten minutes for her opening statement, with group spokespersons having eight minutes each and all other Senators three minutes each. The Minister will be called no later than 8.20 p.m. to reply to the debate and statements will conclude at 8.30 p.m. Before the Minister begins, I welcome to the Public Gallery two great…

I have received notice from the following Senators that they propose to raise the following matters: Senator Mary Fitzpatrick - the need for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide an update on the redevelopment and provision of 163 new homes at St. Mary’s Place, Dorset Street, Dublin 7. Senator Tom Clonan - the need for the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to make a statement on the gap of €307 million in core funding for the third-level sector …

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell, and thank him for his attendance.

I call the Leader to outline the Order of Business today.

On that point, as a member of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, Cathaoirleach of the House and somebody who asked for measures to be taken following the event recently, I support the Senator's call for the right to protest. However, the barricades yesterday were not to preclude or exclude, but to protect members of staff, Members of the Houses and the democratic institution that is the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Senator is quite free to talk to me at any stage about it, but it was not to exclude anybody. …

To be fair, the Leader has intimated that she asked for a debate to be put on the schedule for next week or the week after. She will reply to that later, however. I thank the Senator. I welcome the ladies of Lusk Irish Countrywomen's Association, ICA, who are visiting Leinster House today. I thank them for being here and congratulate them on all their great work. They are guests of our colleague and friend, Senator Clifford-Lee, who is representing them admirably in the House. Does the Senator wish to say a quick w…