I wish to remind the House of what is happening in Türkiye and Syria. More than 17 million people in that area have been affected. There is talk about more than 38,000 people having died already. The costs will run to in excess of €100 billion. When we go about our daily business we need to keep that in mind. I acknowledge the Government's donation of €10 million towards the emergency response. I commend all the NGOs and all the people who are working on the ground. I want to ask that all of us be kind to refugees …

No, there is plenty of ball involved. I say good luck to Ms Sturgeon and her family. I thank her for her service and wish her well.

I would like to raise the issue of the campaign that is just over a year old now in Drumcondra to save our hall. The Corpus Christi Hall, on Home Farm Road, has been a parish resource for the people of Drumcondra for decades. It was a place where young children and not-so-young adults learned to dance. Women got together in breast-feeding clubs and knitting clubs. All sorts of activities took place. Well over a year ago, the hall was closed. A group of local residents and parishioners who live and work in the area,…

I call for a debate with the Minister for Justice on the deployment of a dedicated public transport Garda unit. I have raised this issue many times in the House, including, most recently, on the Order of Business last week, following on from the debate in the Seanad on 25 January this year. I welcome the students in the Gallery. I am sure many of them use public transport in this city, including buses, Luas and DART services. All young people and everybody who uses public transport should be able to do so confident…

Senator Clonan is right. Society is measured by how it treats and values its most vulnerable. That is something none of us should ever forget. I am calling for a debate with the Minister for Justice on the motion passed unanimously in this House last week calling for a dedicated public transport Garda unit. My party campaigned on this issue in the last general election and included it in its manifesto. It did not make into the programme for Government but we have continued to work on this issue. Antisocial behaviou…

Comhghairdeas to you, a Chathaoirligh, on your new position. I am sure you will lead with distinction and courage. We are delighted to see you in the seat. Comhghairdeas also to our new Leader, Senator Chambers. I did not realise her good news, but I wish her a long life of love and happiness. She deserves both. Today we are joined by pupils from St. Peter's school in Phibsborough. It is one of Dublin's oldest and proudest schools. These boys and girls are great citizens of our capital city and they are great stude…

I move: “That Seanad Éireann: recognises that: - there is a recent increase in anti-social behaviour on public transport across the country; - this increase is dissuading the public from utilising the transport network; - young people, the elderly and women are particularly impacted; - this behaviour is undermining the significant investment and funding allocated to the public transport system by the Government; notes the: - exposure of public transport staff to regular threats of violence; - recent suspension from…

I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for coming to the House for this motion, which I am proposing, seconded by my colleague, Senator Ardagh, and the rest of the Fianna Fáil Senators. The topic is the issue of public transportation, and most importantly, safety on our public transportation. For the benefit of the House, I will start by reading the motion and then we can have some discussion on it. The motion states: That Seanad Éireann: recognises that: - there is a recent increase in anti-social behaviour…

It was disturbing. The young girl and her friends were harassed by a group and one of the group lunged at the girls repeatedly. They found it bizarrely amusing to intimidate and harass young women like that but they did so and the young girl fell onto the tracks. She sustained injuries but thankfully none of them were that physically serious. However, we need to stop and think about the mental and emotional injuries and the trauma that has to have inflicted on that young girl and on all who witnessed it. Back in Au…

I thank the Minister of State. I appreciate that he is deputising today for the Minister. It is disappointing that he cannot be here. I appreciate that he had other demands on his time, however. I thank everybody across the House for their support for the motion. It is a really important piece of legislation that speaks to a real need. It is not something myself or my Fianna Fáil colleagues dreamt up on our own; it is something on which many other stakeholders, be they political or non-political, have been vocal. B…

That will be a first. A Aire Stáit, maith thú. Comhghairdeas. Well done. This is a really good day. Is lá iontach agus stairiúil é. I am a woman like many other women and men who have put themselves forward to represent their communities. Our local government is the cornerstone of our democracy. If we do not have a vibrant, strong, well-functioning local government, our democracy is undermined. We are all willing to do anything we can to support our local elected members and local authorities. It is a great day tha…

Today, I think of the family and friends of Private Seán Rooney from County Donegal, who lost his life in the service of our country overseas. I live in the constituency of Dublin Central. We have McKee Barracks on Blackhorse Avenue, with which the Leader will be familiar. We also have the headquarters of the Irish United Nations Veterans Association on Arbour Hill. These are people who give of their lives selflessly. Obviously, the ultimate sacrifice was made last night. My thoughts and deepest sympathies and cond…

I will speak to the amendments and the Bill generally. As a member of the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, it is a real privilege to work with my colleagues from this House and from the Dáil, the Minister of State's Department and all relevant stakeholders. The joint committee completed pre-legislative scrutiny on this important legislation, albeit not with the most recent amendments. My colleagues and I see legislation as being an iterative process. The Planning and Development Act was fi…

Briefly on section 1, I acknowledge the ruling from the Cathaoirleach.

Just with respect-----

We have four and a half hours to debate these 50-odd amendments. Let us use our time productively. There is a housing emergency out there. Let us get on with this.

Now.

Now.

I wish to use my time under the Order of Business this morning to celebrate progress and success in Dublin's north inner city. I am very proud to come from Dublin Central. I am very proud of what the communities and people of Dublin Central are achieving, particularly in the north inner city. I have before me a copy of the north-east inner city communities' annual report, which was launched this week by our Taoiseach, Micheál Martin. I thank the Taoiseach for coming to the north inner city and supporting the commun…

I welcome the Minister. We have been discussing this legislation at the Oireachtas joint committee. We were in the process of trying to conclude pre-legislative scrutiny on the legislation. We had good engagement with the Minister's Department and with others. As a committee, we support the Government's and the Minister's objectives to deliver on Housing for All, which is the ambitious plan to deliver 300,000 homes, with a mixture of social, affordable, and private homes, and for the very first time the affordable …