I thank the Minister of State for his kind words. Solving the housing crisis is our number one priority. The work the Government and the Minister of State do, and which all of us can do to support the Government to achieve that outcome, is a privilege for us. I acknowledge in the Minister of State's reply the fact that the croí cónaithe grant can be used in combination with the SEAI grants. In providing both grants combined, this can provide up to and in excess of €100,000 to convert vacant properties into liveable…

I ask the Deputy Leader to ask the Minister for Justice to introduce legislative protections for retailers to protect them from spurious and vexatious defamation claims. The Deputy Leader and I are aware that shopkeepers are up early in the morning, providing essential front-line services in all of our communities. A recent survey of retailers found that 94% of them have been impacted by shoplifting in the past year alone. This will not come as any surprise to anybody looking at the CSO crime statistics which recor…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, for coming to the House. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire Stáit on her appointment. I am sure she will be very successful in her new position. I am disappointed that the senior Minister is not here to take this matter, but I genuinely appreciate the Minister of State's time and the support from the Department. I am seeking two things. First, I am seeking clarity on what actions the Department and the Minister are taking to resolve the supply side shortages r…

I acknowledge the work being done by the Department, the Minister of State, the Minister and all of the stakeholders. It is good news. Women will be pleased to hear that there is a date of 7 March for Estradot transdermal patches. That in and of itself is really positive news. I ask the Minister of State to go back to the Department and ask for a date by which HRT will be made available for free. I appreciate a negotiation has to take place between the Department, community pharmacists and the Irish Pharmacy Union …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire Stáit on his appointment. I am sure he is wondering why a Senator from Dublin Central is asking about rural housing planning guidelines, but he knows my remit and that I was elected by councillors from around the country. He is also familiar with the fact that this is an issue that was considered by the previous Oireachtas joint committee on housing. It is of great concern to councillors around the country who are trying to represent their consti…

I thank the Minister of State. He articulated the complexity of the issues very well. I recognise that complexity, as do councillors around the country. We all appreciate that the balance between housing, economic, social and environmental needs has to be got right. All of these elements need to be accommodated and protected. We need to be careful not to allow perfection to be the enemy of the good in this instance. It is now going on 20 years since the guidelines were published. A sense of urgency from the Ministe…

I join the Cathaoirleach and the Deputy Leader in offering our best wishes to the people of Bulgaria on their national day. This week marks three years since Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. We in the Upper House and the Lower House marked that and reaffirmed our solidarity with the people of Ukraine. I acknowledge the great leadership being shown by our Taoiseach. I understand he is to meet with President Zelenskyy, who is due to travel to Washington in an attempt to broker a deal with the support of the US. I be…

Absolutely. I apologise for not respecting that. It was not my intention. I will not continue on the subject. Go raibh maith agat.

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Aire. I wish him luck in his new role. I am sure he will have a transformative effect on all matters related to transport. Public transport is essential for our economic, social and environmental progress. It is critically important. The importance this Government places on it is a budget of almost €4 billion, almost half of which is in public transport. That is very important, not just in urban areas but, as has been enunciated by other colleagues, in rural areas too. The social conne…

I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for discussing community safety with us. It is a request other Senators and I have made. The people who live, work and visit my community just want to feel safe. This is not an unreasonable expectation to have or an unreasonable request to make. I congratulate the Minister of State on his appointment and Jim O'Callaghan on his. Trying to improve community safety is something I have been engaged in for a number of decades. I am a founding director of one of the first com…

Comhghairdeachas to the Cathaoirleach and to everyone who has been elected. It is a great privilege for all of us to get to serve in this House. I start by thanking everyone who voted for me and who supported me. I particularly thank the Seanad staff, including Martin Groves in the Seanad Office. Without their work none of us would have been elected and they did it with great professionalism, patience and accuracy. I thank them for my count alone. I thank my sister Niamh, Niall Butterly who has worked with me, my h…

I thank the Minister for being here this morning. I have tabled this Commencement matter on behalf of those who have been diagnosed with dyslexia, their families, teachers and friends, and the society that represents those with dyslexia and dyspraxia. I am asking for an update from the Minister on what engagement the Department has had with the SEC on their request for extra time for students with dyslexia or dyspraxia to complete exams. When we think about it, we have all got our own challenges, abilities and disa…

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I welcome the fact the SEC acknowledges the increasing complexity, particularly in terms of special educational needs and examination of students with special educational needs. I also welcome the fact the SEC has committed to undertaking and will undertake a full and comprehensive review of the arrangements that are in place. The accommodations already in place are acknowledged by Dyslexia Ireland and all those who campaign on behalf of people with dyslexia. Those accom…

This is the last Order of Business for this Seanad and, on behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, I thank Martin, Bridget and all of the staff in the Seanad Office, the Head Usher and all of the ushers in both Houses for their courtesy, support, co-operation and dedication. It has been a huge privilege for me personally to serve in this Seanad and it has been a privilege for my colleagues. We greatly appreciate the support all of the staff have given all of us, individually and collectively, to complete our work. We are …

I thank the Senators for bringing the motion this evening and I thank the secretariat for drafting the motion so expertly. I sympathise with the proposer on his experience of the duplicity of a former Taoiseach. I cannot speak to that or account for it, or I certainly cannot apologise for it. I reject the insinuation that Chairs who are supported by Government are somehow impartial or of a lesser quality than those who are otherwise elected. Change is inevitable. That is one thing of which we are certain but this s…

I want to start by offering my condolences to the family and friends of Liam Payne. It was very sad news overnight and I extend my condolences. I welcome the update from the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Deputy Martin, on the work he and his Department are doing as part of UNIFIL to support our troops deployed in the Middle East and Lebanon. The Minister is working with 16 other countries to ensure they are protected and supported to carry out and complete their peacekeeping tasks. They are providing an import…

I will talk about Dublin Bus. It is an essential public transport service for those of us who live, visit and work in the city. For it to operate to the best standard, it has to be available, reliable and safe. I welcome the fact that Dublin Bus has taken on board the findings of the Fianna Fáil public transport survey on antisocial behaviour and crime and has commenced a 20-week pilot where it has deployed private security guards on its services in order to try to increase public safety on and public confidence in…

Like other Senators, I commend our brave and courageous peacekeepers in Lebanon. I welcome the news reports today of fresh advice from the Attorney General to Government on the occupied territories Bill. I do think it would be appropriate that we would have an early debate as soon as that advice becomes publicly available. Today I want to specifically echo the calls of the families of our peacekeepers. They have been publicly asking the telecommunications service providers Vodafone, Eir and Three to provide free ca…

Go raibh maith agat. I, too, welcome the pupils and students from County Offaly. I hope they enjoy their visit to Leinster House. I thank the Minister of State for bringing this legislation to the House. It is important legislation that amends the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 and deals with some core features and benefits of Housing for All in terms of how housing policy has evolved and changed under this Government. It speaks particularly to the increased role of approved housing bodies…

Now.