I suggest that the Senator looks at Part 3, which deals with the search of premises. Section 16 deals with the definitions. Section 17 deals with an application for a search warrant to the District Court and sets out the offences specified in respect of it. Section 18 then deals with the issue of a search warrant. Section 18(1) states: "A judge of the District Court ... may, on an application, issue a search warrant ... if satisfied by information provided by ... the application that— (a) there are reasonable groun…

Journalistic privilege still exists. We have got into this habit of-----

I thank Senators for their contributions. Senator McDowell referenced section 10, which is in Part 2 dealing with stop and search. Part 3 deals with search of a premises. Regarding the type of scenario that stop and search deals with, I am trying to give statutory powers and statutory limits to gardaí when they find themselves encountering the commission of an offence. The Senator referred specifically to section 10. It is about a power to search persons and vehicles for evidence of an offence. The section applies …

I thank the Senator for tabling the amendment. I will not support it. The main reason I will not support it is the guidelines he asks that the legislation should implement should also be published and only approved if the Houses of the Oireachtas agree to them. We need to recognise that policing is a complicated and professional task. It requires expertise. There are many people out there, whether they want to threaten the security of the State, are organised criminals, drug dealers, who want to import weapons to I…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am very pleased to introduce the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2026. This Bill upholds a fundamental principle that those convicted of the most serious crimes should not retain automatic legal authority over the children left behind. This Bill delivers on the programme for Government commitment to "examine proposals to remove guardianship rights from those convicted of killing their partners or a parent of their child". This Bill is not about additiona…

I thank the Deputy.

I thank colleagues who have spoken and contributed to the debate. It is notable that everyone who spoke and every political party represented in this House - indeed, every Independent TD - is supportive of this legislation. That is unusual. The reason there is such support for it is significantly because of the memory of Valerie French. The campaigning of David French and his sisters is something at the forefront of the minds of legislators when we are considering this issue. It is generally the case that when ther…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration pursuant to Standing Orders 103(2)( b ) and 188(1).

I thank Senator Stephenson for raising this important issue. As she will be aware, access to justice is an absolutely fundamental corner-stone of our justice system. In order for laws to operate effectively and for people to get the benefit of the laws we enact in the Oireachtas, there has to be a mechanism by which they can seek the administration of justice through our courts. As the Senator recognises, nowhere is this more significant than in cases where victims of domestic violence need the court’s support. Civ…

As indicated, my objective is to implement the majority report. I do not have sufficient funding to implement the minority report, to be frank with the Senator. In regard to what I have got to do, if I increased the thresholds, and I hope to do that, it will necessarily result in there being more work for the Legal Aid Board to do. I have to ensure there are sufficient resources within the Legal Aid Board to be able to do that. As the Senator will be aware, a range of supports are available for people experiencing …

Like the Senator, I want to see CCTV rolled out throughout the country. It provides a great source of protection to members of the public. It is also a very helpful tool for An Garda Síochána in ensuring that it can police an area thoroughly and professionally. As the Senator knows, community safety is a top priority for me, the Department and the Government. Everyone has the right to feel safe in their communities. CCTV in public places has a role in giving people a greater sense of security. It is also effective …

As the Senator identified, the local authority plays a vital role in respect of this in its collaboration with the Garda, but also my Department does have funding available. We provide grants of up to €40,000 for capital expenditure and up to €5,000 for maintenance. I am informed, and the Senator will be very pleased to hear, that grants worth €45,000 have already been awarded to Monaghan under this scheme. That is something we will just need to continue to roll out. Everyone, as I said, has the right to feel safe.…

Why is that?

I thank Senator Costello for raising this important issue. Obviously, it is within the ministerial responsibility of the Minister, Deputy James Browne, and the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan, but I am very happy to be here today to answer it and to take the opportunity to update Senator Costello and the House on the issue. At the outset, I absolutely agree with the Senator. It is fine for people who live very close to the place where they work or who have all the facilities around them to say they…

One thing I did not respond to earlier was the issue the Senator has just raised at the beginning of her second contribution, which is about removing car parking spaces from our streets. It is important to note that under the local government Acts and the Road Traffic Act, the responsibility for making by-laws rests with local authorities. They are responsible for the control, management and regulation of the on-street parking of vehicles. Obviously local authorities must be very careful about the fact that they do…

Before we go through the amendments, I want to acknowledge and thank Deputies for their engagement on the Bill on Committee Stage and now on Report Stage. I have noted and considered the issues raised by Deputies on Committee Stage and I look forward to working constructively with the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and Members of the House to ensure this important Bill can be passed.

I thank Deputy Ward for moving his amendment. As he indicated at the outset, we are dealing with group 1, which comprises amendments Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, and amendments Nos. 11 to 14, inclusive. As Deputy Ward indicated, they are all in respect of issues associated with crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes. Deputy Ward is being specific about saying these amendments are focused on the IDF. I have to point out, as I did on Committee Stage, that this legislation is about transposing the 2017 terrorist …

As I said, it is already an offence. If individuals involved in armed forces are engaged in war crimes or crimes against humanity, there is a consequence to that down the road. In terms of the enforcement of this, all we in Ireland can do is set out in our legislation what we believe should be the appropriate standard of international law applied domestically. We have done that. We criminalised genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Interestingly and importantly, we will also criminalise the crime of agg…

I move amendment No. 7: In page 4, to delete lines 3 to 11 and substitute the following: "(d) by the substitution of— (i) the following definition for the definition of "terrorist activity": " 'terrorist activity' means— (a) an offence specified in Part 1 of Schedule 2 committed with the intention of— (i) seriously intimidating a population, (ii) unduly compelling a government or an international organisation to perform or abstain from performing an act, or (iii) seriously destabilising or destroying the fundamenta…

The Bill we are dealing with is terrorist offences legislation, the primary purpose of which is to protect people in Ireland from terrorist attacks. It is for the purpose of transposing the 2017 EU directive on updating the laws in respect of terrorism. That arose predominantly because of the attack on the Bataclan theatre and other very significant terrorist attacks that took place in Europe from 2015 onwards. The primary purpose of the legislation, and the reason I am bringing it forward, is to ensure Irish peopl…