That is the business of the day, so I am not going to go on a tangent, other than to say we should have focused on the two candidates before us.

They are two fine candidates. Private life does matter because without our private lives, we would not have the principles, convictions and visions we have. Many of our personal lives, the lives we have lived, the people we have loved and the people we share a life with are what drive us forward in this House and help us be good legislators. Therefore, to congratulate somebody and their husband on this is okay. To talk about Senator Boyhan as a councillor 22 years ago and the life he experienced before he came in i…

She nearly had a heart attack.

I am not sure if I will speak on the Order of Business again this week, so I thank the staff and everyone in the Oireachtas for their work all year and their help and support. I draw the Cathaoirleach's attention to how we can often take positions as being set. Over the past two and a half years, the Cathaoirleach has shown what it is like to be active in a role, to do other things and to take other initiatives. Yesterday was one part of that but, for the last two and a half years, we have seen many different occas…

I know I usually organise soccer matches, but this week, there will be a GAA match. I thank politicians for their participation all year when I have reached out to them to do community events with me, whether in the prison or in the community. It helps to break down barriers. Sometimes, we think of other groups without really knowing about them because we have never really spent any time around them. In the last few years, we have played against teams with players who have struggled with addiction or mental health …

I thank the Minister of State for coming in here today. I am not sure it is always a good idea to come in here and think out loud but potentially that is what I will be doing. I considered whether I should come to the Chamber today for the discussion on public order on safe streets. There is something wrong with that if my perceived idea is, because of some of the contributions I make or the groups for which I advocate, that when I come into this Chamber, the perception will be that somehow, I am okay with particul…

I join with Senator Hoey's words. It was quite upsetting to see what happened in East Wall over the weekend because you come from a community, you have a certain algorithm on your social media and you see that it is people you care about and people you love who are sharing some of those sentiments. It can be difficult to step into those conversations with people you care about while also having some sort of understanding as to what may have led to the position whereby they are sharing that stuff online or joining i…

The humanitarian response must be extended to them every day they are here.

I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, for attending the debate. We were not in this Chamber when we last spoke about this issue, which was in October 2020. We had worked with Mr. Finnegan and other people who have been impacted by it. There are many other victims we know of but we also know there are many other victims of whom we are not aware. We must keep them in mind when discussing this issue. When I brought the matter to the House in 2020, the Minister promised to commission the report. I commend him on doing…

We need to be able to provide funding for people who may have been with counsellors for years who may fall outside of those structures. They may need support in covering the cost of those things. We should not therefore limit supports to particular places, especially in cases where people have been ignored by the HSE and Tusla. Actually, to be fair to Tusla, its report found evidence to uphold that there was an issue and against an appeal. However, to give true advocacy and agency to people who have been through so…

The perpetrators do not care about age.

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. It is useful to briefly reflect on the fact these statements are taking place while COP27 is ongoing in Egypt. Sustainable and nature-focused forestry is essential to both climate action and biodiversity. In that global context, I welcome that President-elect Lula of Brazil is committed to the protection of the Amazon rainforest and I also welcome the fact that the world's three biggest rainforest nations, Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have f…

Did the Minister reference the accounting relating to sequestration?

I move amendment No. 34: In page 26, line 7, after “language” to insert “and Irish Sign Language”. Amendment No. 34 would provide that recommendations from the commission should reflect the need to ensure a sufficient number of judges with a proficiency in Irish Sign Language, ISL. The Seanad has a proud record when it comes to ISL. It is vital that users of ISL are able to equitably and fully participate in the legal system, both as judicial officers and as members of the public taking cases. There has been a lot …

I will briefly respond to those comments. I understand the complexities this requirement would bring in terms of the need for translation and interpretation. Irish Sign Language is recognised by the State as a language. It should not be the case that somebody is not able to fluidly communicate with the most powerful person in the room in a language fully understood by all present because, even if there is interpretation, nuances can be lost. It is about trying to equalise the participation of somebody in the court …

I move amendment No. 35: In page 26, line 10, after “language” to insert “and Irish Sign Language”.

That would never happen.

Unfortunately, I am going to withdraw my Commencement matter. I have huge respect for the function of this House that is Commencement matters, which is why I do not table Commencement matters every week asking Ministers to come before the House. This Commencement matter does not, with all due respect, fall under the brief of the Minister of State, Deputy Browne. To have a Minister respond on behalf of another, to me, makes the engagement extremely dishonest and inauthentic. The Minister of State has no idea what I …

I move: That Seanad Éireann:notes with concern that: - in 2021: - 11.6% of the population of Ireland, or 581,334 people, were living in poverty, of which 163,936 were children;- 4% of the population of Ireland, or 200,460 people, were living in consistent poverty;- approximately 16% of those living in poverty, or 93,013 people, were in employment;- approximately 19% of the population of Ireland, or 952,185 people, were at risk of poverty when housing costs were factored in, and that renters were the worst affected,…

Go on.