The drums of war are beating across the European continent once again. Death stalks the land once again and things will be totally and utterly different from now on. Things will not be the same as they were just a number of weeks ago. There can be absolutely no legitimate return for Vladimir Putin to the world of political respectability after this is finished. He must be treated as an outcast and he must be confined to the same depths of depravity as the other dictators who haunt our history. An attack on a democr…

Like colleagues, I recognise Ukraine is a country that wanted to develop closer ties to the European Union. It wanted to join the European Union and NATO. An attack on Ukraine, as initiated by Russia, is an attack on anyone who is a believer in democracy around the world. That is what is at stake here. Democracy and the way of life we all believe in and support are what is at stake. Although I am not asking for a debate or calling for any particular action, I wish to make reference to a committee meeting I attended…

Last week, the EU proposed and approved new targets for renewable energy. We want to hit 40% in the EU by 2030. That is very ambitious. Two elements stand out to me where Ireland is concerned. First, the EU wants to increase the number of cross-border energy connections. Second, it wants to accelerate the approval process for renewable energy projects like wind farms. This will be beneficial to Ireland. The European legislative process has just started and Ireland should use it to look for further funding from the …

I offer my apologies on behalf of Senator Carrigy. Over the past year and a half, he has worked hard on the committee with colleagues. Unfortunately, he cannot make it today. I am happy to fill in for him because this is an issue in which I have taken a personal interest for the past 18 months in terms of big tech and the algorithms that are being used. I watched Ms Frances Haugen's testimony to the US Congress, the European Parliament and the House of Commons. Given how big tech has been so beneficial, Ms Haugen g…

Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.

The electricity costs emergency benefit scheme we are talking about forms part of a package of budget interventions put forward in October 2021 by the European Union, including the Commission's toolbox of interventions that allow member states to go about tackling rising energy costs. I ask everyone to read the supporting documentation today. It is really interesting. The tools will serve as an important part of our arsenal, not just in the next 18 months but also over the next eight years as we move towards our ta…

Next Tuesday.

I move: That Seanad Éireann shall take note of the Report of the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 7th February, 2022, pursuant to section 6B(2) of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Acts 2015-2021 regarding the carbon budget, which was laid before Seanad Éireann on 6th December, 2021, pursuant to section 6B(1)(a) of the Acts.

I thank the Minister for his attendance and for taking two debates one after the other. I pay tribute to Deputy Leddin. As Chairman of the Oireachtas committee for the past 18 months, he has done a tremendous job of steering landmark legislation through the Oireachtas. Senators Higgins and Pauline O'Reilly and other committee members will agree that at all times Deputy Leddin has tried to do so in a very collegial and consensus-based manner. We do not agree all of the time. That is the way politics and the world of…

It has probably been mentioned but the one-stop shop element of the announced retrofit programme is even better than I expected. The concept of a one-stop shop in this respect is absolutely incredible, as it will organise and project manage the work. It will carry out an assessment of the home and tell people exactly what is the best type of stuff to go into that home. These people will come back out after the work is completed to ensure the work is up to a very good standard. We are achieving two goals with this r…

Senator Horkan, without interruption please.

Point taken. I call Senator Boyhan.

I thank the Senator. I now call on Senator McDowell to conclude the debate.

Senator Mullen has had six minutes-----

I call Senator McDowell. The Senator has five minutes.

It is great to see Senator O'Reilly in the Acting Leader's chair today. No doubt she will do an excellent job. The issue I will raise again, which I have been talking about for a long time, is the concept of the three-day taxsaver flexi ticket for commuters. The National Transport Authority, NTA, wrote to me last Friday to say that after 18 months of telling me it was going to introduce it, and telling me as recently as 18 December that it would do so at the end of the first quarter of 2022, it is not going to intr…

I do not usually do this but I must respond to a few points made by the previous speaker. I have the ultimate respect for Senator Keogan and many of the viewpoints she brings to this Chamber so I do not mean this contribution in a negative way or anything like that. However, I feel it is my duty to respond from a Fine Gael perspective. We have been here for two years. If one looks at the list of speakers who will contribute to this debate, the majority are Government speakers. At no stage over the past two and a ha…

I thank the Cathaoirleach for his indulgence in allowing me to make those points before I move on to talk about passports, which is an important issue. The other issues that Senator Keogan raised are also important issues. At every stage, important issues are being discussed. I would never consider saying to a Sinn Féin Senator, an Independent Senator or any other Senator, that the issue they wish to bring up in this House is invalid or is not of importance compared with other issues. Senators have the right to rai…

That is your fault, Minister.

I wish to discuss an issue that affects people across the board and across all local authorities. I want to ask for a unified approach from government or a directive from the Department about how local authorities should approach this matter because it is different in every local authority. I am referring to the way people are removed from the housing list. I can only speak for my own area and what happens in County Louth in this regard. It is deeply unfair, and I have felt that it has been deeply unfair ever since…