I welcome to the Gallery the visitors from the Men's Shed in Kells, County Meath, as well as the women's group from Claudy. They are very welcome to the Seanad.

It is an incredible honour to speak about John Bruton and to say he was the leader of my tribe. Senators McGahon and Ahearn have spoken about that sense of family in our party. Before I was a member of Fine Gael, I admired John Bruton as a politician and a man of great integrity, intellect and conviction. He gave hope to a generation of us who came out of school with very little hope, very few employment prospects and with very hard circumstances facing us. He sowed the seeds of the prosperity our country experienc…

I extend my welcome to the group here with the President of Tynwald, the honourable Laurence David Skelly. They are all very welcome to this Chamber. I rise to ask the Leader a question regarding the schedule of debates in this House. On 14 December, we saw Second Stage of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill. The Bill has completed its passage through the Dáil but we have only seen Second Stage. When will we see the Remaining Stages in this House? I am receiving very disturbing m…

I thank the Minister of State and he is very welcome to the House. I also welcome this Bill about which we have spoken on a number of occasions. The fact is that depending on where you are lucky or unlucky enough to be born, and the family into which you are born, you either have a lifetime of opportunity rolled out in front of you, with parents, families and networks supporting a life lived to the full or you can have an influence on your community and, in your family in many instances, which denies and steals fro…

Next Tuesday.

I move: “That Seanad Éireann: acknowledges that: - family carers provide a vital contribution in our society by the provision of care for their loved ones; - family carers provide this care at considerable personal cost in terms of their own lives and choices; - in 2020, the Irish Health Survey showed that there were over 500,000 family carers in Ireland and of that, 88,900 were in receipt of Carer’s Allowance and over 52% of carers worked outside of the home in paid employment in addition to their role as carers; …

Is that an allegation?

How do I follow that? Well done. I am very proud to have worked with Deputy Rabbitte as Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities and I absolutely stand by her. There is real ambition here. There is an understanding of what should be and what can be. There is no point in anybody standing up here and pretending that things can be fixed overnight but they can be set on a route that ensures a rights-based approach is delivered by this Government, and subsequent governments, on a consistent basis. There ha…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins.

This is an extremely pertinent issue. Well done, Senator.

I wish to be associated with the remarks on John Connor. My sympathies go to his family on the shock and suddenness of his loss which no doubt will be a terrible tragedy to his family and friends and all those who knew him. Over recent days that most elusive of things has occurred, that being that X actually managed to take action on an event that broke its community rules. It was an existential act on its part because the event happened to be the publication of deep fake photographs of Taylor Swift. Given her prom…

I will give everyone a moment to settle in.

How stands amendment No. 50?

Amendments Nos. 52 and 53 are related and may be discussed by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Amendments Nos. 54 and 55 are related and may be discussed together by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.

How stands amendment No. 54?

Amendment No. 56 was ruled out of order.

You and me both.

How stands the amendment?

Amendments Nos. 61 and 62 are related and may be discussed together by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.