The real Seanad.

I think Senator Clifford-Lee should be first.

I thank the Minister for his words, which are much appreciated. It is a busy day and we welcome his first trip to the real Seanad. I also welcome our former colleague and good friend, the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, who will ably represent him. It is important to start, as I like to do, on a positive note. I am a great proponent of positive politics. The Seanad espouses positive politics more than our colleagues in the other House. Yesterday's news that Pfizer has made progress on the vaccine is very, very w…

I thank Senator Ward for sharing time. I was listening to the debate in my office. In the first instance, I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, to the House. I do not know him very well, but I have followed and always admired his career. I look forward to working with him on an interesting portfolio. My first time to attend this House was in the mid-1990s when Maurice Manning, who was my then lecturer in UCD, brought us to the House. I am not sure if Senators Byrne or Higgins were there at that time, when…

That is for sure. Reform is needed, of that there is no doubt, but we should not dismiss the positives that influence the discourse and thinking of this House.

That is true.

Mr. Biden is highly regarded in Clare.

I join colleagues in calling on the Minister for Foreign Affairs to engage with the World Health Organization in support of Taiwan. It is a most hospitable country and one which does its business right, as we see in its record in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis. We can all learn a thing or two from it. Speaking of Covid-19, I hear Members calling for exemptions for various activities and many of the cases they are making are strong. However, I suggest that there will not be any changes or any further dilution for …

I want to raise the issue of mica and pyrite, particularly in County Clare. There are 33 houses in the county that we know of that have been declared to have issues with pyrite. As the Cathaoirleach will be aware, pyrite is a harmful mineral found in quarries. Sadly, there are particular periods when houses were built from stone that contained this mineral. Over the past decade or so, in particular, many houses in County Clare had insulation installed and beads pumped into the walls. Unfortunately, when this minera…

I welcome the Minister to the House and congratulate him on his appointment. I have found him to be extremely courteous over the years. I often felt he was ahead of his time in some of his ideas but now time has caught up with him and he has a great opportunity in government for the next three or four years to deliver on some of his great ideas. We look forward to exciting times ahead in that regard. As somebody who does not drive because of my eyesight difficulties, I use Iarnród Éireann on weekly travelling to Du…

What of Crusheen railway station?

She is fit.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, to the House. I also welcome this Bill because a more graded approach was necessary. We will have a step-up, step-down system of fines, more realistic fines and more workable fines. Of course, we do not want to see people being fined at all. We just want that as a deterrent. We want to see the majority of people continue, as many are, abiding by the necessaries to eliminate this awful virus. As unpalatable, as difficult and as challenging as it is, I support the deci…

I formally second Senator Ward's amendments. It is clear-cut. I was in the House with Senator McDowell when the dogs dinner came in and found myself in the very unenviable position of representing the Government but not agreeing with the Bill. It was extraordinary. Thankfully, the Bill did not see the light of day, which was because of the commitment of Senator McDowell, the father of the House and a couple of other Members, who were doggedly determined that the dogs dinner would never see the kitchen table.

The Senator might bear that in mind with her own contributions as well. I would point out to the House that it is not the end of the world if Dáil Éireann has to be reconvened - I very much agree with that sentiment - but I would like to hear from the Minister of State at this stage. If he wishes to consult his officials to get their perspective on it, he can do so. Senator Ward has identified a clear definition that has been tried and tested for a long time in dealing with television licences, which are very much …

He is the Acting Leader.

Today, we moved to level 5, which will place a huge burden on many citizens. My sympathies and heart goes out to the people who are sick with Covid, the people who have lost loved ones and the hundreds of thousands of people who today find themselves having to resort to the pandemic unemployment payment.

As a society, it is incumbent on all of us to do everything that we can to combat the spread of Covid-19. As we are leaders in our communities and in this country, we all need to show leadership. What happened with contract tracing over the weekend was regrettable. I note that when Paul Reid was interviewed on radio today, he expressed his regret and apologised for what happened, which is commendable. I suggest that we invite the Minister for Health here to specifically debate Covid halfway through the six weeks of…

I move: That Seanad Éireann resolves that the amendments effected by Part 3 of the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No. 1 of 2020) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on the 9th day of November, 2020 and ending on the 9th day of June, 2021.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, back to the House. Of course, we would prefer if she was here in better circumstances. We think back to last March, when we passed the emergency legislation in the Seanad. The sunset clause was an amendment that was put into the legislation and we were looking at a timeline of November. That was how optimistic people were that we would get this virus under control, and that this public health emergency would be under control and well on the way to recovery, but, sadly…