Go raibh míle maith agat.

The Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, has four minutes to respond to the Senator.

I believe the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, will take Senator Boyhan's commencement matter as well.

That is a pity. The Minister of State would have enjoyed it.

I have been informed that no Minister is available to address Senator Boylan's Commencement matter, for which I extend the apologies of the House. I believe Senator Boylan has agreed to withdraw this Commencement matter and will submit it at a future date. Is that okay?

It is very disappointing but it is to be hoped the Senator's matter will be taken in early course. I take this opportunity to extend a very warm welcome to students from St. Mary's National School, Athlone, who have joined us in the Public Gallery. They came in at the end of Commencement matters, so I hope they got to see some of the action. They and their teachers are very welcome to Leinster House. Hopefully, they will enjoy their trip and it will inspire some of them to get involved in their communities and poss…

I almost missed my speaking slot because I was in my office fielding phone calls, text messages and emails from very happy people today. It was an excellent budget. There is a lot in it and we are all still going through what is in it. The really big headline measures that have jumped out for me are the IVF funding and the contraception scheme being extended, which are revolutionary steps forward. We were laggards in Europe with regard to IVF funding. This is excellent news and gives families and couples hope durin…

I wish to refer to the war in Ukraine. We are seven months into the conflict. I will focus on the sexual violence perpetrated on the women and children of Ukraine. We know sexual violence is a recognised weapon of war. There has not been much discussion in Ireland around this aspect of the war but we really need to have a conversation about it. Rape is recognised as a weapon of war. It spreads disease, destroys family ties, inflicts harm on generations and is used to terrorise, humiliate and subdue a population. It…

The Minister is very welcome to the House to discuss this very important issue. I am aware that she has been addressing it all day so I thank her for her attention and for the opportunity to discuss the school transport scheme. I am glad that a review of the criteria is taking place but I call on the Minister to confirm tonight that included in that review is the criterion of ethos. The school transport scheme does not allow children who are of no religious persuasion to avail of their nearest non-denominational sc…

When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I welcome the Minister for Justice to the Chamber.

I welcome the opportunity to raise the excellent report that was launched this morning. I was very proud to be a member of that committee along with some very dedicated Oireachtas Member. It is unfortunate that Senator Mullen is not present to hear my comments. He raised the issue of the surrogacy report. We all came into it with an open mind and listened to the evidence from leading academic experts, legal experts, medics, surrogates, children born through surrogacy and families who have gone through that process.…

I was very glad to see our local party members from Dublin 9 and 11 in the Chamber to witness part of this debate because they live within the vicinity of, and would be connected with, Beaumont Hospital. Senator Boyhan mentioned that there is a shortage of 15 neurological nurses in that particular hospital along with the many other shortages he outlined. I thank the Senator and Senator McDowell for their presentation. They were very instructive. I also thank the Patients Deserve Better campaign for the wonderful wo…

Before the Minister of State responds, I welcome the students from Gaelcholáiste Mhaigh Nuad who are sitting in the Public Gallery. They are very welcome to Leinster House and I hope they will have a lovely trip. Perhaps someday one of them will sit in this Chamber as a Senator.

I want to make a brief comment, which will be my only comment today because I am also concerned about the limited time we have. The sentiments expressed by colleagues across the House are very right and fitting. It is worth noting that protests outside hospitals not only intimidate the women, their partners and other support, who are accessing termination services, they intimidate everybody going into that facility. Pregnancy is a very complicated time in a woman's life. A lot of things can go right and a lot can g…

I said I would not make any further contributions but I feel compelled to comment further. I am happy to virtue signal my enthusiastic support for safe access zones. There is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with showing strong support for something. With regard to the issue of religion being demonised, that is not the case at all. I am a religious person, as I have always said, but I do not believe there is any conflict between my religious position and trying to support women accessing healthcare. …

We do not have to sit and listen to this.

On Tuesday, 26 April 2022.

Now.