I will be brief in my contribution. First, I congratulate the Minister. Senator Dooley made the point about the Minister's refreshing contribution. It was brilliant. The Minister, in his speech this morning here without a note, spoke in a simple way. I hope the Houses of the Oireachtas will take what the Minister said and replay it widely to the students and, as Senator Chambers said, to older people. That speech today, I believe, will bring people on a further journey because it is about the conviction the Ministe…

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I join with Senator Lombard in paying tribute and in remembering the late Seán Hales. I commend Senator Lombard and the committee which has produced a wonderful booklet for next Sunday. It is fitting, as we celebrate and remember yesterday and today, that in the words of John L. O'Sullivan, Seán Hales was "a truly great man". He had no wish to annihilate anybody. He was a man of peace and was doing the job that he was asked to and wanted to do, with the least loss of life on both sides. T…

I welcome Terry's family to the Gallery and thank them for being here. He would be very proud of the fact we are celebrating his life today. Senator McGahon gave a very eloquent and touching tribute for which I thank him most sincerely. Terry Brennan was a friend and a colleague, but above all he was a person you were proud to say you served with. For many of us in the period of 2011 to 2016 there were difficult decisions made, but the Scobe stood tall and held the line with all of us. In particular, when I came ou…

I support my colleagues in putting forward this recommendation. I commend the Minister and the Government on the help-to-buy scheme at a time when criticism is being levelled at the Government regarding its housing policy. We accept we have a road to go on this issue and there are challenges to meet. Up to the end of November, 37,300 help-to-buy claims had been made, of which 36, 500 were approved. That is an extraordinary figure. As Senators Kyne and Byrne said, these are people being helped to get on the ladder a…

I commend the Minister and the Minister for Defence on their extension of the seagoing credit for Naval Service personnel, which is covered in sections 10 and 11. As somebody who comes from the constituency Cork South-Central, which includes Ringaskiddy, the Naval Service base and Haulbowline at the core of its operations, I commend the extending of this tax credit and congratulate the Minister in that regard. It is important that we have in these Houses an honest conversation about our Defence Forces, including th…

I welcome Michael Coghlan to the Gallery. He is the son of our friend, former Senator Paul Coghlan. I wish them all well and particularly Paul. This is a very important issue for me. I have spoken about it at parliamentary party level and I have spoken to the Minister on it. The living city initiative has been successful but it can be improved. I know we have made changes to it, as Senator Maria Byrne noted. My overarching aim is that the scheme is accessible, that it is not complicated or burdensome and that it en…

I second the recommendation.

I support what Senator Maria Byrne said and welcome the changes made thus far. Given the new weather advisory for tomorrow, in the short term this will not help us, I know. We will not get the Bill through by tomorrow. Given that climate change has become part of our world and we must take it seriously, there is an urgency about making houses more energy-efficient and improving their energy rating. In this recommendation, we are seeking information on efforts to incentivise retrofitting to make the schemes more inc…

Very briefly, on a related digression, if I may, I commend the Minister on the changes in the digital gaming tax credit. In Cork, we are very proud of our gaming industry and sector. I know he is committed to making Ireland a digital gaming hub of world renown and I commend him on that.

I welcome the Minister to the House and thank her for her stewardship of the Department of Social Protection. In his contribution earlier, Senator Kyne rightly book marked where we have come from with where we are today. In this evening's debate we should acknowledge the importance of the Fine Gael, Labour Party Government over a five year period. It stabilised the country and created a platform to enable us to get where we are today. Senator Wall is here as a Labour Party representative and his party should be giv…

I welcome Councillor Barry Sweeny to the Gallery. I join others in welcoming the centenary of the establishment of the Irish Free State. We are here today on the backs of great leaders. It was not the State envisaged by the leaders of the 1916 Rising but on 6 December 1922, Ireland became a free state, independent of Britain.

I had the privilege of visiting Goldenbridge Cemetery this morning and quietly paying tribute to W.T. Cosgrave to thank him and those who led our country. The testimony to their vision and leadership is that for 100 years, despite turbulent and contentious times - and Senator Ó Donnghaile is correct that we have a way to go yet - we have had democracy, the right to vote and the right to self-determination. Those things are precious to us on this island. We should salute those men and women today. As Senator Conway …

I encourage Members of the House to wear the glow red badge or lapel pin for World AIDS Day on 1 December. In the 40 years since 1982, we have made gargantuan progress yet we have a road to travel still. As a nation and as a world, we are still fighting the stigma of HIV and we are standing up for people living with this illness. I ask the Minister of Health who has responsibility for the national health strategy to come to the House to have a debate on the new sexual health strategy. I ask this out of concern that…

I welcome the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, to the House. I welcome the debate we are having tonight. I will put on record that I am neither an owner or breeder of greyhounds or horses. I am, however, an extraordinary supporter of the industries on which we need to have a balanced debate in these House. To listen to some of the discourse tonight, one would think the men and women who work in our greyhound and horse racing industries have no care or concern and are only motivated by one thing, which is very unfair. …

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

That is a great question.

Fianna Fáil is not efficient.

How do I follow the contribution made by my colleague, Senator Conway? I welcome his contribution on the organ donation and human tissue Bill. I also welcome the approval from Cabinet today. I commend the Leader of the House, Senator Regina Doherty, who was with me on the health committee. I, too, lament that it took so long for the legislation to reach this point. Senator Conway asked the very good question why it took so long. However, we will celebrate the fact that today the lives of so many people who await or…

Hear, hear. We should let bygones be bygones because today is a good day. I congratulate the Government on its decision. In the good mood I am in today, I also welcome the decision by the Cabinet to defer until July the ridiculous proposal by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, to increase toll charges. I ask that the Cabinet ensure that increase is not carried through in July. Hard-pressed motorists, hauliers and bus companies are under pressure. Tá siad faoi bhrú. The decision by the Government to defer the in…