Amendments Nos. 5 and 6 have been ruled out of order because they would impose a cost on the Exchequer.

The Senator should speak to the amendment first and then he can speak to the overall section.

I ask the Senator to await the Minister of State's reply to amendment No. 7.

Since there are no more contributions, we will move on. The question is that section 8 stand part of the Bill. Is that agreed?

Sorry. I asked whether anyone else wanted to contribute but no one registered a desire to do so. I am not stopping the Minister of State from-----

Of course.

I call the Acting Leader.

I call for a debate on cross-Border tourism. The reason I do so is the work done by the Social Democratic and Labour Party, SDLP, in the Newry, Mourne and Down regions. In particular, my good friend Mr. Killian Feehan, who I met last week, outlined the work the SDLP is doing in advocating and promoting the inclusion of counties Armagh and Down in Ireland's Ancient East. A unanimous motion was passed by all political parties, including the Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, two weeks ago at Newry, Mourne and Down Distr…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, for taking this Commencement matter. I am sure we will all agree that the issue of our time is the energy transition necessary to balance climate change, sea level rise and the pace of change required to reach net zero by 2050. For political leaders who are continuing to legislate for these changes, we must maintain the support of the people at every stage and show them that this transition will mean jobs and opportunities with green tech, the green economy and so…

That is excellent. The whole point I am bringing forward is to get the Government thinking about this technology. I am pleased to see it is willing to do that. The Minister of State has come to the House to say it is not accessible as of today but, as we progress along our climate action targets for the rest of the decade and beyond, it will become more feasible. It is very important, similar to our hydrogen strategy, that the Government starts planning for it now so that, when it becomes more financially viable, w…

When is it proposed to sit again?

Before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, 46 Irish citizens were studying in university in Ukraine, all of them studying medicine. Naturally, when the war broke out, they all came back to Ireland. One of the provisions introduced by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, quite rightly, was that, because there simply was not space for these 46 people to go straight into medical courses in this country at that time, they were told they could continue their stu…

I would like to ask for a debate on Irish Water at some stage, hopefully between now and Christmas. I ask for this because of the quality of water in my town of Dundalk, a town of 42,000 people, over the past 18 months. Undoubtedly, Irish Water is very good at communicating with Oireachtas Members and councillors. We all get emails and updates every day. I cannot fault its level of communication, but what I can fault and want to call into question is the type of responses. For the past 18 months in County Louth, we…

When is it proposed to take Fifth Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Senators Kyne, Buttimer and Ahearn wish to share time. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I have just arrived in the Chamber as I was at a meeting and would like to read the Minister's speech. Could I ask if someone else could go ahead of me and I could come in after?

I thank my colleagues in the Labour Party for bringing forward this motion. This important matter first came across my desk in my office in Dundalk a number of months ago. It came across my desk because somebody's partner had passed away and they came into my office to see what kind of financial supports were available. I instantly thought of the widow's pension or something like that. I thought that this already existed and that there was already something for people who were cohabiting. That shows my total lack o…

I have tabled this matter after the Minister of State's recent visit to Dundalk. Two weeks ago she kindly came to County Louth and went to Coláiste Chú Chulainn and the CBS primary school. She met the principal of Coláiste Chú Chulainn, Thomas Sharkey, and she also met Maria Doyle, a teacher in the CBS primary school. Mr. Sharkey and Ms Doyle made some key points that day and I wanted to bring them back to this House. There is a real fear among the school community and parents in County Louth about the provision an…

Eighteen places. Three classes.