It was deliberate.

I am trying to raise a very important issue and we are talking about semantics. I have an individual-----

It has just been raised in the Dáil and the individual raising it there was not interrupted. I am speaking about a deliberate act done to a totally innocent individual. Two things are important. The first is the importance of segregated cycleways to offer protection to cyclists. I would like a proper debate on that. The other thing is we see now why what was done in this budget with a further increase in gardaí to properly police and protect our streets is even more important. This was a terrible act done on an ent…

We are now dealing with the committee and remaining stages of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2022. On section 1, we are now dealing with amendment No. 1 in the name of Senator Doherty. Amendments Nos. 1 and 2 are related and may be discussed together. Is that agreed? Agreed.

When is it proposed to take Report Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

When is it proposed to take Fifth Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Last Friday, I attended the launch of the renaming of Braymore Wind Park as Setanta Wind Park. This is going to be located 9 km off the coast of Clogherhead in County Louth and will be of great benefit to counties Louth, Meath and north Dublin. The whole point of this wind farm is that it is going to generate 1 GW of renewable energy annually, which will power more than 1 million homes and offset 1 billion kg of carbon each year, which is incredible. There is going to be a revolution in renewable energy here in the…

When is proposed to take the next Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Fianna Fáil was not listening.

As we approach Christmas, it would be timely to have a debate on the retail sector and how important it is to the Irish economy. Coming from a Border town like Dundalk, I have seen over the years how resilient both the retail sector and consumers have to be. Over the decades we have had to deal with currency fluctuations on both sides of the Border, Covid and Brexit. An example of how we have become very resilient and developed individual ingenuity is the shop local voucher scheme that was initiated by Dundalk Cham…

Last week in my home town of Dundalk the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, was present for the announcement of €11 million for the advanced manufacturing training centre. That brings the total amount of Government funding for the centre to €25 million. This is the only centre of its kind on the island of Ireland. It is the brainchild of Martin O'Brien, the chairperson of the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board. The centre is allowing Ireland to comp…

I wish to discuss the concept of cross-Border health. The emergency department at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, is coming under more pressure because of the large population boom in north Dublin and parts of Meath, including Navan. The Border is causing a major problem in areas like Dundalk and Newry, particularly for Daisy Hill Hospital. The NHS views Daisy Hill Hospital as being on the edge of the world, which is why it is redirecting more services to Craigavon Area Hospital. It does not make sense that…

I would like to provide some historical context as to Ireland’s neutrality. I provide that by quoting from the Viscount Cranborne, who was the British Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs and wrote to the British War Cabinet on 21 February 1945. He outlined 13 examples of how the Irish Republic was assisting with the Allied war effort. Some of those 14 examples were: 3. They have arranged for the immediate transmission ... of [all] reports of submarine activity received from their coastal watching service. 4. Th…

Senator Murphy has been here long enough. He knows it goes on rotation. It was Fianna Fáil and it is now Fine Gael.

I would not dare to doubt the Leas-Chathaoirleach's impartiality. I would not dream of doubting it. It is great to have pupils from CBS Primary School in Dundalk here. They are members of the students' union council and are doing some wonderful work with Maria and Hannah. We saw this morning that the Limerick to Foynes railway line is to be reopened. That process has started. I know the Deputy Leader is an avid rail user in order to get from Mayo to here. We need to come to a situation where we are encouraging publ…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, to the House.

Amendment No. 3 has been ruled out of order because it would impose a cost on the Exchequer.