It is not. The legislation does not discriminate against any individual in society. The legislation treats all renters and all citizens equally. I want to raise the issue of withholding of rent. It is important that the legislation does not discriminate against any member of society. It is important that we remember that small landlords are citizens as well. I want to share with the Minister of State a real-life example of a landlord and his experience with a tenant withholding rent. This was a man in his 60s who e…

The Senator cannot-----

On a point of order, it is not acceptable to call Members liars.

It is not acceptable to say that we are only lying.

We are not lying in this House and the record needs to reflect that.

This is an important point of order, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. This House is not lying and is not passing legislation that discriminates against anybody. That is a fact.

Now.

Now.

I move: That pursuant to subsection 2° of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concurs with the Government in a request to the President to sign the Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Bill 2022 on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to him.

I wish to raise the issue of antisocial behaviour and public safety. I draw the House's attention to a public transport safety survey that my colleagues and I conducted over the summer months, to which we had more than 1,300 respondents, largely from across the Dublin area. Of those who responded, 93% had witnessed antisocial behaviour on public transportation; 36% were victims of antisocial behaviour; 63% said they did not report the antisocial behaviour; and almost 80% favoured our proposal, which is to have a de…

As politicians, we often give out about our health services. I went out for a run this morning, tripped, fell on my face - I am fine, though it is not obvious - and ended up in the Mater Hospital. I give huge thanks to all the staff in the Mater's emergency department. They are just tremendous given what they deal with and we are very lucky to have them and everybody who works in our health service. I also wish to address the commentary that has been going on all week about O'Connell Street. It is our country's mai…

I would like to talk about public transport in Dublin Central. Obviously, every senior citizen in Dublin Central can avail of free travel and young people up to the age of 24 are enjoying a 50% discount on public transport. That is welcome. Does the Leader know that feeling when one has been standing at a bus stop and has been waiting and waiting and the next thing three buses all come along at the one time? It is infuriating, although one is delighted and wonders which bus to take. What is happening in Dublin Cent…

I second that.

I would like to know what is going on with the Intreo office for Dublin 7. I have raised this issue a number of times. I have written to the Minister and requested a meeting with him. Indeed, I asked the Leader to request that the Minister meet members of the local community. More than 1,500 people have signed a petition calling for the Intreo office for Dublin 7 to be reopened. The office serves the communities of the Navan Road, Cabra, Phibsborough and Stoneybatter. I am sure Senators are familiar with the area, …

It is frightening that we have to debate this motion. I am honoured to second it on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Members of Seanad Éireann, but it pains me that people in any part of the world have to debate this issue and that girls, women or any other human beings are living under such fear and oppression. Our motion unreservedly condemns the abuse of Mahsa Amini by the Iranian morality police and we utterly condemn her death in custody. We dispute the false narrative that is being used to explain her death and we c…

I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for bringing forward this important Bill. It is important, at a fundamental and basic level, that we responsibly manage our water resources in a sustainable way. To do that, we need to know what is going on with them, how much water we are abstracting, where it is being abstracted and how it is being managed. On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Members of the House, I welcome the Bill and we support it. We particularly support the fact that the Bill aims to modernise and bring…

I congratulate everybody involved in the breast cancer awareness campaign for the month of October. I also congratulate everybody who has survived breast cancer or cared for those with breast cancer. I encourage everybody to care for their pair and to be breast aware. I also raise the issue of crime in the capital, in particular crime in communities like mine in Dublin Central, as well as safety and people's sense of safety in our capital city. The Minister for Justice has a pilot running in the north inner city, t…

Like other speakers, I welcome today's budget, which will protect families, individuals and businesses and invest in social infrastructure. It is important. I would like to raise with the Leader the ongoing closure of the Dublin 7 Intreo office. It is located on the Navan Road at Cabra Cross and serves Cabra, Phibsboro, Stoneybatter and the general Dublin 7 area, with a population of more than 10,000 people. It was closed last year for refurbishments and upgrading, but has remained closed. It was an important servi…

I thank the three MEPs, who are very welcome. I thank them also for all of the work they do on behalf of the people of Dublin. I appreciate that they do it in the context of the European Union community but it is very important that we have strong representation within the European Parliament. I want to make a particular reference to the pandemic. How quickly we all forget. It is great that we can, as humans, put those things behind us. The European Union provided very strong leadership throughout the pandemic. It …

In their responses, I would like to hear how the MEPs think the European Parliament and the European Union in general can support Ireland to accelerate our achievement of our offshore wind energy goals.