On behalf of Sinn Féin, I welcome the motion. We are all in agreement about the crucial role the post offices provide in our local communities. It is not just rural communities; they are a vital service in urban communities as well. That said, the network has suffered from years of neglect by successive Governments with hundreds of closures and the loss of vital outlets right across the country. There are only so many cuts that the system can take. The postal service has been blighted by closures and hobbled by cut…

Given that Senator Dooley has expressed his support, I am sure he will facilitate that amendment passing. We know the post office network remains a highly valuable national asset, which contributes hugely to our economy and society. It must be protected. Unfortunately, however, we know that is not what is happening. Over the past number of decades, we have seen the encroachment of a business mentality into the provision of public services in this country. This approach demands that our public services constantly ju…

I move amendment No. 2: To insert the following paragraph after “recognises that:”: “- post offices provide a crucial service, particularly in rural Ireland, and with major banks now closing hundreds of branches, people in rural Ireland will become even more reliant on their local post office;”

I move amendment No. 3: To insert the following paragraph before “believes that:”: “notes: - the findings of the ‘Review of the economic contribution and financial sustainability of the Irish Post Office Network, 2020’ ; ”

I move amendment No. 4: To insert the following paragraph after “acknowledges that:”: “- the Irish Postmasters’ Union have called for a public service obligation of €17 million per annum to be introduced to sustain the post office network;”

I move amendment No. 5: To insert the following paragraph after “and calls on the Government to:”: “- introduce a public service obligation to secure the future of our post office network and prevent further post office closures;”

I welcome the Minister of State's statement on gambling control. We all know Ireland is the wild west of gambling and successive Governments have done nothing to rein it in. We have been talking about a gambling control Bill since 2013. Today, I will particularly focus on the issue of underage gambling and the impact of gambling on young people. We know that in our nearest neighbour the number of people aged 11 to 16 with gambling problems has quadrupled in the last few years. Gambling rates there are higher in you…

On a point of order, Senator Higgins is not in the Chamber.

Senator Buttimer is referring to Senator Higgins-----

Does Senator Buttimer think it is right that-----

I reiterate what I said before the Easter break about the urgency required on the part of the Minister for Justice in signing the statutory instrument to put in place a waiver for legal fees for the families of victims of the Stardust fire. This is a matter of urgency. I will use my time to refer to an article in the weekend newspapers regarding the microchipping of dogs. The article rightly pointed out the absolute need for microchipping and to encourage all dog owners to ensure that their family pets are microchi…

I welcome the passage of this legislation. The anomaly that arose was not foreseen and, thankfully, has now been resolved. I hope that it will give comfort to those families affected, especially those impacted by the restraints. The passage of this Bill should serve as a template for instances where obvious political consensus exists and where the early passage of a Bill will have an immediate impact. The Bill was not railroaded through but some of the more cumbersome aspects of the legislative process were removed…

I add my voice to the welcome for this motion brought forward by the Green Party. It opens by stating that Seanad Éireann "recognises that clean water is a basic human right of every inhabitant of this country". I completely agree, but it is incumbent on states to give effect to such rights. In 2010, there was a resolution before the UN General Assembly and, unfortunately, the Irish Government, of which the Green Party and Fianna Fáil were both members at the time, abstained on it. Thankfully, it passed without the…

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I too thank her for being honest and up front about her horror at the "RTÉ Investigates" programme. The findings of that programme were extraordinary in that at the same time as families of children with autism are fighting to ensure their children get proper access to services to which they should be entitled, the Department of Health is gathering information to be used against them. We know from the documentary that the information gathered, as others have said, was o…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, for the second time today. I, too, would like to start by extending my condolences to the families of those who have lost loved ones to Covid. As a State, we should look at how we can properly commemorate them in the future. Today, our focus is on what will come out of the Cabinet sub-committee which is meeting to discuss what might be feasible for 5 April in terms of restrictions. People are waiting with bated breath to see what new freedoms they may have in terms …

It gives me no pleasure to raise this issue. I thank my colleague, Senator Gavan, who was due to speak today and has given me his speaking time. On 12 February, I raised the issue of funding for the Stardust inquest. I spoke of how the Department of Justice had been warned repeatedly that the legal aid route was not the appropriate mechanism to address an inquest of this size and public importance. Those warnings were ignored. In its wisdom, the Department insisted on going down the legal aid route and called for t…

I condemn any threats that have been made against any elected representatives. We all agree such threats are inappropriate and should be condemned by everybody, no matter what political background we come from. I will address the 105th anniversary of the Easter Rising. I commend the work of my colleague in Dáil Éireann, Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh, on a Private Member's Bill to create a cultural quarter on the Moore Street and surrounding areas battlefield site. The Ceathrú Chultúir 1916 Bill 2021, which is a vision f…

Everyone of us became more aware of the issue of plastic pollution over the last number of years. This is not just because of the unsightly nature of it but because we are now very aware of the knock-on impacts plastics have on all manner of wildlife. When I worked on the EU single use plastic directive, we were told that period products are the fifth most common item found in marine litter and that on average a person who menstruates will use on average 150 kg of tampons, pads and applicators in their lifetime. Ho…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I welcome that he has confirmed Ireland is pushing at an EU level to change the VAT rules. However, there needs to be urgency on it given the level of plastic pollution and the fact that cost is a real barrier to accessing these products. I welcome the fact that the VAT rate was reduced but it is still higher than the 9% VAT rate on restaurants, pubs and the hospitality sector and three times higher than the rate for trading animals. Our priorities need to be reflecte…

I apologise for arriving late and for trying to do two jobs.