Next Monday.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 19 be taken before No. 1. I am introducing the Employment Equality (Amendment) (Non-Disclosure Agreements) Bill 2021 in the Seanad. If passed, the Bill will restrict the use of legal non-disclosure agreements, NDAs, in the workplace following incidents of sexual harassment or discrimination under the equality legislation. It would ensure that the only NDAs that would be legally enforceable after such incidents would be those that were requested by the victim…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to restrict the use of non-disclosure agreements as they relate to incidents of workplace sexual harassment and discrimination.

Next Friday.

I move amendment No. 16: In page 8, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following: “(7) No action taken under the provisions of this section should be to the detriment of the provision of social housing by a housing authority.”. The amendment is straightforward and states that the provisions of this section should not be to the detriment of the provision of social housing by any housing authority. It means that when we create narrative on legislation, and a huge amount of conversation has gone into affordable ho…

Today I rise to ask for a debate. I am unsure how specific it should be. It may be to talk about green spaces in general or limited to the 2018 cross-agency group set up by the Department of Justice. The group maintains the problems is caused by scramblers but for me it is about trying to reframe the conversation. The reason I am bringing up the matter today is because over the weekend I read the plans and proposals for a park in Tallaght and the reinvention of the park there that has become completely void of use …

Before Senator Mullen speaks, what amendments are in this group?

Our amendment, No. 3, is part of this grouping. It relates to the extension of the emergency measures by resolution. The emergency measures introduced by the Health (Preservation, Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 and the other relevant Acts last year are extraordinary. They are unlike any other emergency legislation we have seen in recent history. Although they may be necessary, there is no doubt but that they amount to a substantial restriction on human rights and civil libe…

People might be aware that a few months ago in the Chamber I called on the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to look into a scoping exercise on St. John Ambulance. This has moved along and the Minister has been very proactive. I have a huge amount of confidence in the process, particularly with the appointment of Dr. Geoffrey Shannon. What I no longer have confidence in is the fact that St. John Ambulance has stated it will carry out this review but, according to my investigation, it has not advertised this investigation …

I do not think I need to formally second the amendment No. 1 but I echo the support for it and for what Senator Hoey said regarding the PUP and SUSI. I am already getting many emails about young people being pushed out of university because they cannot stay on their SUSI payments. The latter is unintended of Covid-19 which needs to be remedied quickly. When I think about young people, it is such a big subject. How does one begin to talk about young people? I always need to take it back to who I was as a young perso…

I move amendment No. 1: After the third paragraph under “calls on the Government to:” to insert the following paragraph: “- facilitate the direct political participation and empowerment of young people by lowering the voting age to 16;”

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business to remove the guillotine on the Education (Leaving Certificate 2021) (Accredited Grades) Bill. There are only five amendments and mine is the last. Since the number of amendments is very small, a guillotine is not needed.

Is the debate going to adjourn?

Yes. I am seeking to adjourn or finish the debate but that is up to the House.

I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Frankie Feighan, for his engagement yesterday. I am the Chair of the Oireachtas cross-party group on drug policy reform, which I set up during my previous Seanad term after spending some time in Westminster looking at its very active and effective cross-party group on drug policy reform. We met with the Minister of State and his officials yesterday and it was a good engagement. There is only so much we can highlight in the Chamber during Commencement…

I am pressing the amendment.

I move amendment No. 10: In page 13, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “Legislative review 10. (1) The Minister shall, not later than six months after the Leaving Certificate 2021 takes place, carry out a review of the operation of this Act. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the Minister shall consider— (a) the introduction of a system of accredited grades for the Leaving Certificate Examinations on an ongoing, annual basis following the 2021 examinations, (b) the degree to whi…

We only have one minute left and I wonder if there will be time for the Minister to come back on the amendment.

Today, I will raise a local issue, something I tend not to do. It is so local that it involves my community in Killinarden. The reason I raise it today is that we have had little progress in trying to deal directly with the Department of Social Protection on the issue, which is the hot school meals programme. Killinarden is one of the largest, if not the largest, housing estates in Tallaght west with some of the highest rates of poverty. The local schools are Sacred Heart junior and senior schools, Cnoc Mhuire juni…

I thank the Minister for being present and for bringing the Bill through the House. It is strange the level of emotion that the leaving certificate evokes in me. I will try to control the anger and rage. One might think it is just an exam or it is a way for us to progress people through the education system, but it is really a huge bugbear for me in terms of how we measure the capabilities and abilities of children, how they are, who they are in the world and in life. Every year, politicians, celebrities and others…