I thank the Minister very much for coming to the House. I join with Senators Malcolm Byrne and Gavan in condemning the protests outside every Government Minister's house, and in particular the Minister's own house. It is simply not acceptable in our democracy that the families of public representatives would be targeted in that way. I express that solidarity. As the Minister will know better than the rest of us, a number of very serious changes were announced this week. There was the sudden abandonment of the subsi…

I thank the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, for coming into the House. He has ten minutes.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth for coming to the Chamber. I also thank the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, for his presence earlier. When the Minister, Deputy McGrath, came before the Joint Committee on Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach last week, he made a number of comments, some of which I would like to pick up on. He highlighted that the national development plan sets out the broad direction for the investment priorities over the coming decade, that at its core, the …

I also attended that very powerful meeting this morning. The mark of an employer is how well they pay and treat their workers. It is a stain on all of us here in this House, as employers, that our secretarial assistants are paid at the current rate. We cannot control their pay, but there are things that we can do to make sure it changes. Senator Gavan eloquently set out all the arguments. When I look at the figures, I see that a secretarial assistant is paid 41% less than a parliamentary assistant to a Deputy. Anyb…

It is very clear that there is not. In 2018, SIPTU lodged the pay claim. In 2019, we had the motion in this House. It is now 2021 and there has still been no progress. We must figure this out right across the House. As Senator Gavan said, we cannot allow this Seanad's term to conclude and have secretarial assistants still being treated so shamefully by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. Today is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. We had domestic violence, rape and other forms of …

Hear, hear.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. At this point, there is a very real and serious problem with families being able to register the births of their newborn babies and get a birth certificate for that child. A child born in Cork today will have a birth registered in two to three days. If that same child were born in Dublin the wait for an appointment for registration would be weeks and in some cases months. I know of a child born four weeks ago and the date for the registration of the birth is 16…

I thank the Minister of State. I am conscious that he is responding on behalf of the Minister for Social Protection. I thank her for the response. I originally submitted the matter to the Minister for Health but it was redirected to the Minister for Social Protection. I am glad to hear from the reply submitted by the Minister for Social Protection that this is a performance issue. Indeed, it is a performance issue for the HSE to address and, therefore, it is one for the Department and the Minister for Health, who h…

I am passionate about improving breastfeeding supports in this country. I have been pleased to see that there has been an improvement in supports this year. That is very much due to the work of Bainne Beatha and Ciudiú and is a result of this Government listening to women talk about the need to support those who want to breastfeed. I must put on the record that I am appalled at the attitude within the Passport Office at the moment with regard to what it classifies as a medical emergency. To give some context, we kn…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, line 26, after “ 2021 ” to insert “may not occur in the period of 36 months from the commencement of that section and”. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. I broadly welcome the concept of this legislation, especially the acknowledgement that using the harmonised index of consumer prices, HICP, as the benchmark is now appropriate and that a new benchmark for increases in rents within rent pressure zones must be put in place, which, as is set out in the Bill, is …

I move amendment No. 2: In page 3, lines 28 and 29, to delete “the relevant percentage” and substitute “2 per cent”.

I move amendment No. 5: In page 5, between lines 31 and 32, to insert the following: “(f) by the insertion of the following after subsection (5B): “(5C) A dispute between a landlord who seeks to rely on subsection (5) and a tenant as to the appropriate increase in rent following upon a substantial change in the nature of the accommodation provided under the tenancy may be referred to the Board for resolution under section 76.”.”. A key part of this Bill is to strike a greater balance in the rights between landlords…

I move amendment No. 6: In page 6, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following: “ State deemed to be rent pressure zone 5 . The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 24BA: “ 24BB . With effect from the date section 10 of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 2021 comes into operation and notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 24A, orders under section 24A(5) shall be deemed to have been made in respect of the administrative areas of every hous…

I move amendment No. 8: In page 6, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following: “(c) in the Table— (i) by deleting paragraph 3, and (ii) in paragraph 5, by substituting “, no reasonable measures can be taken to maintain the dwelling fit for human habitation during the refurbishment or renovation” for “in a way which requires the dwelling to be vacated for that purpose”, and”. Across the House, we have all dealt with individuals and families who have been served with an eviction notice or a notice to vacate on …

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Ar son Pháirtí an Lucht Oibre sa Seanad ba mhaith linn fáilte a chur roimhe inniu. As a proud Cork woman, who has been based in Dublin for 20 years, I have to admit to a certain pride in having a Cork Taoiseach although I should not probably admit to it. I thank the Taoiseach for taking the time to come to the House. We are all extremely conscious of the huge remit and the demands on his time. He occupies a very important place in government. What is critical is that when so…

Before coming into the Chamber, I received a telephone call from a nightclub operator. To say that he is gutted about the announcement with regard to the coming into effect of the early closing time from this Friday is an understatement. I do not propose to dwell on the rights and wrongs of these changes. It is absolutely vital that the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, is reinstated. It is ironic that the second in a series of cuts to that payment comes into force today. The €350 payment is now down to €250, whi…

By this weekend we expect the outcome of the COP26 negotiations, a profound set of words and commitments it is hoped will demonstrate that developed countries are taking this climate emergency seriously. Profound words are one thing but real action is another. I welcome the declarations the Irish Government has signed up to in recent days on aviation and car transport, but I also question why Ireland did not expressly add itself to a declaration signed last weekend on a just transition. That declaration was signed …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit don Seanad agus roimh an mBille tábhachtach seo. Cé go bhfuil stádas ar leith ag an nGaeilge i mBunreacht na hÉireann mar chéad teanga na tíre, tá difríocht mhór idir an stádas agus an scéal i measc an phobail. Is léir go bhfuil géarghá ann chun níos mó acmhainní agus tacaíochtaí a chur in áit ar son forbairt na teanga sa tír seo. Mar sin, tá áthas orm go bhfuil an Bille seo os ár gcomhair um thráthnóna. Níl sé foirfe. Is oth liom a rá nach bhfuil dóthain spriocdhátaí nó sonraí mai…

I welcome the Minister and I call Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee to speak on behalf of Fianna Fáil.

Senator Conway, please allow Senator Keogan to continue without interruption.