Sorry, I did not hear you.

I move "That Committee Stage be taken now."

Next Tuesday.

At 1 p.m. next Tuesday.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, who, I can only imagine, was a both gifted and talented student himself. I acknowledge the long and dedicated work of a former Member of the Seanad and a personal friend of mine, Dr. Fidelma Healy Eames in this area of identifying and supporting gifted children and helping them to blossom. Her seminal work in this area, The Gifted Learner: How to Help, was a trailblazer and has been very important. Gifted and talented students are a frequently overlooked, yet critic…

I want to say respectfully to the Minister of State that I am heartened by his saying that this issue has been incorporated into a policy statement that was published yesterday. There is an onus on boards of management and the primary curriculum is new in this regard. I agree with the Minister of State about the differentiated teaching approaches. However, I say respectfully to the Minister of State that all of this is a theoretical framework. It is there in writing but, truthfully, in reality in schools across thi…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House for the second time in a couple days. The protections outlined in the Bill are both important are long overdue. Our laws must develop to accommodate the intricacies of modern crime while also ensuring the safety and dignity of all citizens. This law represents a critical step in that direction. One of the most significant elements of the measure is the increased anonymity of victims and defendants during sexual assault prosecutions. By barring the public from the courtro…

No.

When I thought the Cathaoirleach was going to call me out of turn earlier, it brought to mind a story involving an illustrious former member of Cavan Urban District Council. One day when he was called early he stood up and said "I don't remember what I got up to say but I'll keep talking until I think of it". I do not intend to use that approach. As the immigration debate goes on and people encounter this issue on the canvass, it might be no harm to reassert what this debate is not about. It is not about the 80% of…

I pay tribute to the Minister of State for his tenacity in sticking with the legislation and doing the right thing. I also pay tribute to his officials for producing a very comprehensive Bill. The Bill is multifaceted. Its big objective is to establish a gambling authority and place the gambling regulator on a statutory footing. The Bill also establishes a social fund and goes through various regulatory matters. We cannot stress often enough the perniciousness of gambling. It results in family breakdown, financial …

I agree with Senator Byrne's idea and I suggest it be given some thought. There is merit in having Lyric FM broadcast at critical moments in here and in the other Chamber as well, as a backdrop.

I think it offers great potential and could be very useful. A wonderful thing that was previously in the pipeline has been announced today and is coming to fruition. From next week, children's allowance will be paid to young adults over the age of 18 who are in full-time education. This is a critical intervention. It is an important payment of a considerable sum of money to families. It is a universal payment, in that everybody gets it, and it amounts to €140 per child, per payment. That is significant. Many childr…

I am on a similar theme to that raised by Senator Clonan but with a different focus. One of the most welcome initiatives of our new Taoiseach, Deputy Harris, has been to set up a Cabinet sub-committee on disability issues, with a particular focus on children with disabilities. The sub-committee is up and functioning and being chaired by the Taoiseach in an active way. It is a very important initiative. Before I come to my substantive point, I wish to put on the record that, at numerous meetings between Cavan parent…

At the outset I welcome the Minister of State, who is really on top of this issue and has moved quickly within days of his appointment. That is absolutely admirable and typical of him. I know he is genuinely empathetic and concerned about the people there and trying to resolve it. I appreciate that. Please God, knowing his form, he will ultimately succeed in resolving it. I again join my colleague, Senator Kyne, in congratulating Senator Dolan and Senator Murphy on their persistence in this matter. I concur that Se…

I have the honour and responsibility of representing my very able colleague and spokesperson in this area, Senator Garret Ahearn. That is my function today. I join colleagues in expressing delight in the Minister of State’s appointment. I have known her on the backbenches and worked on a few projects in common with her, most of them to do with the horrific situation in Gaza. In that time, I discovered both her passion for the truth and her absolute sincerity as a public representative. She did not seek to take popu…

I suggest, with your permission, Acting Chair, and the permission of the House that I will share time with my distinguished colleague, Senator Cummins.

I did not realise there is time for both. I got the impression that there was not enough time. I am sorry. I apologise. That is even better. I welcome the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, to the House. She is my good neighbour from home who is, sadly, in exile in Dublin, but we still claim her up there.

It is a pleasure to welcome the Minister here and, as others have done, to commend the work she has done in this sphere and her commitment to reform in this area. I congratulate my colleague, Senator Seery Kearney, and her assistant with the motion, Senator Dolan, on the work they did to prepare it. I thank them for it. I am not sufficiently narcissistic to claim that I might even have submitted the amendment or that I would have written it myself. I thank them for that great work. I also thank other colleagues lik…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chathaoirleach as ucht an ábhar seo a phiocadh amach. Tá sé iontach tábhachtach. Tá fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Browne. Is deas é a bheith linn agus ar ndóigh, cuirfidh sé an méid seo in iúl don Tánaiste. I thank the Minister of State for being here. I rise to address an issue facing our Reserve Defence Force, namely, recruitment and retention. As it stands, our Reserve Defence Force, RDF, faces significant challenges in both attracting new recruits and retaining existing members…

I thank the Cathaoirleach and I welcome Congressman Swalwell. I will make a number of further comments. It was a recommendation, as pointed out by the Minister of State, from the Commission on the Defence Forces in 2022 that there would be a regeneration plan for the RDF. It is in the works but my frustration with it, and indeed the frustration of many other people who know a great deal more about this than I do, is the slowness of it. I say that with great respect to the Minister of State as this is not his brief …