I express solidarity with the more than 1,000 workers who are out on strike yesterday, today and tomorrow across a number of section 39 organisations and community employment schemes in Cork, Kerry, Galway, Mayo and Donegal. Most of these workers provide vital health and disability services to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and yet they have had no pay increase since 2008 and nobody to negotiate with. They cannot negotiate with their employer because the employer receives a fixed amount from …

I want to raise the issue of the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs. It is a good scheme when it works. However, I know of families who were told on 15 August this year that they were eligible for the school transport scheme, yet five weeks on 12 children with special educational needs in new autistic spectrum disorder, ASD, classes in Dublin 15 do not have school transport. There have been repeated calls to Bus Éireann but people have heard nothing back. These are children coming f…

I thank the MEPs for attending the Seanad today. Workers' rights is probably one of the areas where the EU has one of the proudest records and it has undoubtedly been a driving force in progressing workers' rights, particularly in this country. I want to start by acknowledging the very important work done on the directive on adequate minimum wages, particularly by the European Parliament. I do not believe that any of the three MEPs present is on the employment rights committee, but I know their vote was obviously c…

I thank the Minister of State for coming into the House. On 3 August the Minister of State promised to sign the employment regulation order, ERO, for the security sector into law by the end of the month. The Minister of State will know that this ERO is the culmination of three torturous years of trying to get a pay increase for security workers in this country. It was 2019 when they last saw a pay increase. These are the security workers who we lauded as vital front-line workers during the pandemic. They are the wo…

I thank the Minister of State for that reply. It is still not clear why the Government has not gone in to try to lift that injunction placed on 24 August. To be frank, it is telling that there has been nothing from the Government to lift that injunction in the weeks since then. This is about a modest pay increase of 40 cent-----

I appreciate that and that the court's role is to adjudicate but it is the State's role to go out and challenge an injunction that has been placed on it and the State has done nothing. It has lain down and done nothing and that is unacceptable for those workers because what is in question here are three modest pay increases: 40 cent in phase 1; 45 cent in phase 2; an allowance for unsociable hours; and 40 cent in phase 3. At a time when workers are crying out for pay increases the Government has not even bothered t…

Today marks the day when the employment regulation order, ERO, for early years education and childcare workers comes into effect. This is a huge victory and progress for the thousands of workers who give so much of themselves day in, day out to looking after and educating young children in this country. I want to say a huge congratulations to the SIPTU Big Start campaign and to all who worked tirelessly over the years, including Darragh O’Connor, Eilish Balfe, Deborah Reynolds and the thousands of others who have g…

I thank the Minister very much for coming to the House. I very much welcome the publication of the report in July and thank the members of the commission. It is very clear from the 258 pages of the report that an enormous level of analysis and research went into the report and we owe a debt of gratitude to the commission members for their work. Notwithstanding the 50 recommendations, some of which were very detailed, this is only the start of what needs to happen. I do not doubt the Minister's determination to enac…

We have spent many hours discussing this Bill, and rightly so given the importance of getting this legislation right. It is important to acknowledge that progress has been made with the Minister of State since amendments were originally tabled. I will make two points. First, the gap between the Minister of State's amendment and what man of us are looking for with regard to peer support is not great. Second, while I accept what the Minister of State said about delegating the operation of what we are asking for to th…

No, I understand it will be in legislation; it is the detail within the peer supports as set out in the amendments here. The gap is small.

I am speaking to amendment No. 53. This is a very straightforward amendment. The lesson from the mica experience over recent years has been that it is only with the passing of time that people realise there is even greater damage than what was previously thought to be the full extent of it, with damage even into the foundations. The treatment of the foundations within this Bill has been a source of distress to many. We are looking for a report on the implications of this section because, as Senator Boylan has said,…

I move amendment No. 53: In page 29, between lines 24 and 25, to insert the following: "(9) Within seven weeks of the passing of this Act the Minister shall lay before both houses of the Oireachtas a report on the implications of this section on relevant owners whose initial grant was for demolition and rebuilding of a relevant dwelling and whether an ancillary grant option should be made available where further damage has been discovered, for example in the foundations or infill aggregate of the relevant dwelling.…

I move amendment No. 58: In page 34, to delete line 19.

I move amendment No. 59: In page 35, line 2, after “completed” to insert the following: “, save where with the prior written consent of the planning authority any deviation is considered in the opinion of the planning authority in the interests of the proper planning and sustainable development of the area”.

I move amendment No. 60: In page 35, line 6, after “dwelling” to insert the following: “, save where with the prior written consent of the planning authority is considered in the opinion of the planning authority in the interests of the proper planning and sustainable development of the area to vacate an applicable condition”.

It is.

As the proposer of the amendment, I will allow Senator Gavan to respond. I notice Senator Mullen wishes to speak also.

The Senator may still speak to it.

I call Senator McDowell. We will be suspending at 4 p.m. so he has two and a half minutes.

I thank Senator McDowell. As it is now 4 o'clock, in accordance with an order of the House we will adjourn this debate.