Its influence and power in the world have reduced since it left the European Union. Part of the reason the United Kingdom left the European Union was it wanted to assert more control over immigration and migration in its countries. It has not been able to do that. We need to be careful in recognising that. There are advantages to being part of a bigger bloc in the world at present. The world is breaking down into different power blocs. I heard somebody accurately describe it on the radio the other day. There was a …

I will not keep going on. I disagree with the Senator. There are a lot of funds available for us to apply to. We are now a net contributor to the EU. Let us consider the benefits we get out of it as well. Our economy has been transformed from being a member of the Single Market and the EU. The reason all of these businesses are coming here is we have access to the EU. We do not want to find ourselves in a situation where we go back to the 1950s where we stood alone bravely but it was not a great time financially fo…

I am very pleased to present the Bill to the House. As Senators will be aware, Article 36 of the Constitution provides that the number of judges of the various courts shall be regulated in accordance with law. Accordingly, the maximum number of judges of each of the courts is prescribed in legislation. The primary purpose of this legislation is to increase by 21 the number of judges who will sit in our four courts of jurisdiction, excluding the Supreme Court. I am not proposing to add to the number of judges who ca…

I thank Senators Rabbitte, Cathal Byrne and Nicole Ryan for their contributions. I am very pleased there is agreement that the Bill should pass through Seanad Éireann. Everyone recognises that appointing extra judges will have an impact in increasing efficiency and speeding up cases. I listened very carefully to what my colleagues had to say. In response to Senator Ryan, it is important to acknowledge that the administration of justice operates effectively in Ireland every day. I do not accept that the system is no…

I move the following Supplementary Estimates: Vote 2 — Department of the Taoiseach (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplementary sum not exceeding €3,389,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Department of the Taoiseach, including certain services administered by the Department and for payment of grants. Vote 6 — Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplem…

I welcome to the Visitors Gallery the women who have campaigned very vigorously to stop violence against women and girls. It is also very appropriate that this House is discussing the issue of violence against women and girls today, which, as Deputy Farrell says, is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. That is a day that is not just recognised in Ireland but is recognised internationally. One of the things I have come to appreciate more since I became Minister for justice is that the sco…

I was reading section 46 of the sexual offences Act.

I am pleased to commend the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 to the House. No amendments to the Bill have been tabled on Committee Stage. I particularly acknowledge the co-operation and support that has been given to the Bill by colleagues and party spokespersons across the House. I also extend my thanks to the Oireachtas staff, in particular the staff of the Bills Office for their assistance. As the House is aware, the purpose of the Bill is to provide, by amendment of various Courts Acts,…

I thank Deputy Ward for his contribution. This is an amendment that was mentioned previously by Deputy Carthy. The purpose of it is to try to provide for the payment to jurors of travel and subsistence expenses, and for reimbursement for financial losses incurred in the exercise of their responsibilities as jurors. It is important to point out that jury service is a very important civic duty. In many respects, it is a bit like voting. It is one of the requirements we demand of a citizen. Deputy Ward may say that wh…

I move the following Supplementary Estimates: Vote 20 — Garda Síochána (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplementary sum not exceeding €20,424,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Garda Síochána, including pensions, etc.; for the payment of certain witnesses’ expenses, and for payment of certain grants. Vote 21 — Prisons (Supplementary Estimate) That a supplementary sum not exceeding €2…

I move: That leave be given by the Dáil to introduce the following Supplementary Estimates for the service of the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025: Vote 32 — Enterprise, Tourism and Employment ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 33 — Culture, Communications and Sport ( Supplementary Estimate ). Vote 34 — Housing, Local Government and Heritage ( Supplementary Estimate ).

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. I am very pleased to be back in Seanad Éireann on Committee Stage of the defamation Bill. As the Leas-Chathaoirleach indicated, when I finished on the previous occasion I was dealing with amendment No. 11 from Senator Keogan, which was an amendment to section 19 in respect of the anti-SLAPP provisions within the legislation. As I indicated on the last occasion, I am seeking to transpose into the defamation Bill the defamation aspects of the SLAPP directive to ensure that the directi…

First, I thank Senators Higgins, Craughwell and Byrne for their contributions. I thanked Senator Keogan on the last occasion for her amendment also. Before I start dealing with the amendments that have been spoken to by Senators, it is important at the outset to remind Members here of the powers which exist at present within our courts system. Sometimes as Members of the Oireachtas, we assume all sources of the law derive from our Houses, but in fact, as people will know, the common law exists in this country and t…

That would be hard.

Senator Craughwell asked whether I would consider amending section 34A(d). I will always consider what is said in this House and I will reflect upon it for Report Stage, but my own view at this preliminary stage is that, when I look at section 34A(d), what is set out there is comprehensible. The Senator says I should stop at "the use in bad faith of procedural tactics". What is also included is: such as delaying proceedings, fraudulent or abusive forum shopping or the discontinuation of cases at a later stage of th…

In the first instance we are talking about the new section 13 I am including in the Bill. The purpose of section 13 is to provide another defence. This time it will be referred to as a live-broadcast defence. The purpose of this defence is that a broadcaster broadcasting a live situation will have some level of protection in response to a guest on the programme who utters something that is extremely defamatory. Obviously in this context, the person who utters the statement can still be held liable for the statement…

I will be brief. This is a provision that I am introducing, which I hope the Oireachtas will support it, for the purpose of facilitating the freedom of expression side of the balancing act. Section 27A will be a worthwhile amendment once it is put into the Defamation Act. It will facilitate live broadcasts. We have to be careful as politicians stating whether we think live broadcasts are a good idea. We should not be getting into that territory. That is a matter for broadcasters to determine. However, it can be the…

I will try to be brief. At the outset, I will consider all the things that have been referred to here during the consideration of whether I need to bring forward Report Stage amendments. This is no effort by me or the Government to curry favour with the media. As I said previously, the purpose of defamation law and amendments to the Defamation Act is to try the balance the sometimes competing rights between the right to one's good name, on the one hand, and the right to freedom of expression on the other. It is a d…

I thank Senators Nelson Murray, Keogan and Cosgrove for their amendments. Senator Nelson Murray has withdrawn her amendment. It is very much in line with the general thrust of the amendments put forward by Senator Keogan, and Senator Cosgrove to a lesser extent. Defamation actions vary in their seriousness, impact and nature. In many respects, they are similar to personal injury actions. You could have a very minor personal injury action where somebody trips over and sprains their knee. Similarly, you can have an e…

The amendments the Senator is putting forward are amendments she is proposing in respect of section 19, which will insert a new section 34A into the Defamation Act 2009. As we generally refer to it, this provision I am putting into the new defamation Act will have the effect of giving effect to the SLAPP provision contained within European Directive No. 1069 of 2024. This is the defamation Bill and further requirements are imposed by that directive on me, aside from defamation proceedings. In this defamation Bill, …