Now.

Next Tuesday at 12 noon.

In March 2000, the then Minister for Health and now Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, launched the commission on assisted human reproduction, which reported. In 2009, we had a decision in the Supreme Court regarding assisted human reproduction with regard to surrogacy. In 2012, the then Minister, Alan Shatter, produced guidelines for international surrogacy. In 2015, we had the publication of the Child and Family Relationships Act and all the hoo-ha that led up to it, which resulted in surrogacy having to be severe…

I rise to support you, a Chathaoirligh. It began with a specific instance where, perhaps, a specific victim might have been referenced. I listened carefully and agreed with Senator Crowe's statement to the House, to be fair. He moved it to the policy issue. I would extend that to say that perhaps we need mandatory requirements regarding specific categories, home invasions and so forth. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions always has the opportunity to appeal the severity or lack of severity of a sentence, a…

Hear, hear. Well said.

And they want to.

Last Friday, Senator Ruane and I had the honour of participating in the launch of a short film called "Turning Down the Volume", which was produced by our respective drugs task forces. Senator Ruane is the chair of the Canal Communities Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force and I am the chair of the D12 Local Drug and Alcohol Task force. First, we must remind ourselves that the drug task forces, as we all commonly refer to them, are actually drug and alcohol task forces. We recognise, particularly following the entry i…

That adds to the problem.

I completely agree with the Minister. To express carbon emissions so thoroughly within a Bill is inappropriate. However, it would be remiss of me, as a member of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters, not to highlight the fact that witnesses have come before the committee to report that building regulations are not centred on their needs. Their ability to visit properties is catered for but their ability to stay over is not. People can come and visit but there is no requirement for their needs to be catered for…

I was hoping Senator Ruane would be before me. I thank the Minister for coming here today to take these statements. I thank Senator Ruane for raising this matter and giving us this opportunity. There is no doubt that there are exceptional foster families, individuals, couples and family situations that are fantastic. There are many people who would probably like to be foster carers. Because I am involved in IVF, surrogacy, fertility and other such groups, fostering comes up in discussions of alternative pathways. O…

There is a definitely something there we need to address. Strangers are caring for a child and can terminate that placement within 28 days. When we review, and clearly we are in a review phase, we must also review what happened before, what leads to that point where a child comes into care. Twenty-three years ago a group of us who were new people working in the City of Dublin YMCA came together and had the idea of building supported social housing, a foyer type project where accommodation was provided together with…

It is lovely to see the Minister of State. I hope he is on a good road to recovery. All the eloquent speeches in the world are not as good as the words of a mother so I will put on the record of the House an email I received this week. I am writing to you as an upset, anxious parent of my child, Callum ... living with scoliosis waiting for spinal rod treatment. The delays in treatment times have now become a children's rights issue that was a problem long before covid and the cyber-attack. This has made the orthopa…

I refer to what occurred at the meeting this morning of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters. Four witnesses attended who all have distinct chronic illnesses. They talked about their experience of having to grapple with an illness for which we do not have a consultant or specialist in the State. While grappling with their illness, they are charged with the requirement to go from Billy to Jack explaining to various specialists how their illnesses affect their nervous system and various organs. I call for the cr…

I associate myself with the remarks from Senator Ward on China and the Winter Olympics next year. I rise today to speak to two related matters, both concerning our attitude to public transport, its provision and how the National Transport Authority, NTA, engages with communities. On 28 November this year there are changes in bus routes being effected under BusConnects in Dublin city. One example is the changes that will occur in Chapelizod and such places. In town, people have a variety of bus routes to get to Chap…

I raise awareness about a partnership between Women’s Aid and the Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation Ireland, HABIC. The two organisations have come together to bring about an awareness campaign on domestic violence. The campaign will assist hair salons in being able to identify the ten common signs of abuse. The salons are being supplied with resource packs. It may well be that the only time a woman is out of the home and away domestic abuse is when she is getting her hair done. This is an opportunity to recei…

Amendments Nos. 7 to 13, inclusive, and amendment No. 17 are related and may be discussed together. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Amendments Nos. 14 and 19 are related and may be discussed together by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Amendments Nos. 15, 16 and 27 are related and may be discussed together by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I wish to raise two matters. This morning, the Joint Committee on Disability Matters heard from the mother of a man with an acquired brain injury and from a woman who was 33 years of age when she had a stroke. The latter stated: Not one medical expert came to our house following my discharge. Members need to realise that, at this time, there were a large number of everyday tasks that I could not do for myself. There were no follow-up services for me once I was discharged. There was no one to check on me. The first …

It is awfully sad.