Yes, we can do that now, if that suits.

I have followed regulations at each point but I am against the concept of reintroducing the mandatory wearing of masks in certain settings. It is not about being anti-mask but rather about acknowledging or realising what stage of the pandemic we are in now compared with before. I am more than happy to wear a mask on a train or bus or if I feel I am in a crowded place. I am happy to do that because I am an adult and I can take personal responsibility for that. At this stage we should not be turning around to say we …

I am here today to welcome a really progressive and ambitious project that we are embarking upon, which is the youth travel scheme. For those who do not realise it, the youth travel card is providing 50% free cost of travel to those aged between the ages of 17 and 23. The reason I am standing in the Seanad today to raise this in the Commencement debate follows on from a very important meeting I had yesterday with Paddy Matthews, who is the founder and managing director of Matthews Coaches, which operates buses from…

I thank the Minister of State for the clarity. The commercial bus operator sector is central in providing an effective and inclusive public transport system. We need to have private operators along with public sector operators. Commuters from my town who get the Matthews bus to Dublin will be discriminated against between 9 May and whenever the Government decides to introduce the 50% reduction for people who avail of private transport. This is the crux of the issue that I want to get to. I accept that the Governmen…

I agree with a lot of what Senator Dooley said. He referenced the concept of the average punter. I talk about that a lot in this House. What does the average man or woman on the streets of provincial towns like my town, Dundalk, want to be able to do? We all realise there is a climate crisis and everyone wants to be able to play his or her part, but it is about making it financially viable and easy for people to play their part in moving towards sustainability and dealing with the impact of the climate crisis. That…

This is one of the sadder contributions I have had to make in the House. It is to pay tribute to the late David Hill, who was playing with the Scottish Parliament against the Dáil and Seanad team on Saturday and tragically passed away during the match. We had come to know David immensely well over the past three or four years, both from going to Edinburgh to play and from them coming here. David was an incredibly nice young man. He had worked for the Scottish Conservative Party for a number of years. He was well re…

Amendments Nos. 7 to 12, inclusive, and No. 17 are related. Amendments Nos. 8 to 12, inclusive, are physical alternatives to amendment No. 7. Amendments Nos. 7 to 12, inclusive, and No. 17 may be discussed together by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Amendments Nos. 15 and 15a are related and may be discussed together by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Amendments Nos. 16 and 27 are related and may be discussed together by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Amendment No. 18 is out of order as it is not relevant to the subject matter of the Bill.

Amendment No. 19 is out of order as it is in conflict with the principle of the Bill.

Amendments Nos. 20 to 24, inclusive, are related. Amendments Nos. 21 to 23, inclusive, are physical alternatives to amendment No. 20 and amendment No. 22 is a physical alternative to amendment No. 21. Is it agreed that amendments Nos. 20 to 24, inclusive, be discussed together? Agreed.

Amendment No. 28 in the name of Senator Higgins has been ruled of order as it is in conflict with the principle of the Bill.

Amendment No. 29a in the name of Senator Higgins has been ruled of order as it is in conflict with the principle of the Bill.

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach-----

I pay tribute to Mr. Stanislav Lapko, who many of us have seen on our national broadcaster over the past couple of days. Mr. Lapko is from Dundalk. He is a Ukrainian national who came to our town and set up a life there. Just two and half weeks ago, he was working in PayPal in Dundalk. He is now on the front lines fighting a Russian oppressor in Ukraine. He is there with a number of other Ukrainians who have left Ireland to go back in defence of their native country. The greatest act of bravery and heroism is to ru…

This week, I have focussed all of my comments on Ukraine. I have talked about how it should be granted immediate accession to the European Union, how we should ensure that if it wishes to join NATO it can do so, how Ireland's policy of neutrality is ridiculous and that we should be sending weapons to defend against the murder of women and children on the streets of the European Continent. Today, I want to focus on another angle that is two-fold. I commend the Russian people who in their own country are standing up …

I have a very different view when it comes to Irish neutrality and there must be a discussion on this issue. The international scene and international relations have changed fundamentally as a result of Russian aggression, so the time will come to have a mature debate about that in this country. Looking at the refugee trains leaving Ukraine for Poland, those same trains are going straight back to Ukraine full of men. Approximately 80,000 Ukrainian men have returned to their country to take up arms against a Russian…

The biggest fear in Russia and Putin's Moscow is a free and democratic Ukraine as then people in Russia might look to Ukraine and ask why they cannot have what Ukraine has when they share so many culturally close ties. I have absolutely no doubt Ukraine will be Putin's legacy but it will not be the legacy he intended. It will be the legacy of a stronger and more united European Union and European Continent than has been known before. We can ensure Putin's foreign policy ends in total and utter failure. I do not say…

This is an important debate and I am happy to give people a bit of latitude as they are speaking.