I begin by addressing the comments of Senator Martin. Freedom of speech is not an unqualified absolute right. It has to be qualified and must operate within rules of responsibility, some of which are enshrined in the Constitution and the actions and operations of this House for the benefit and ease of the separation of powers. I came in today to highlight a meeting of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters this morning, which was fantastic because it was on the subject of the participation of people w…

We have a very proud tradition in this country of people volunteering, supporting, helping and setting up support organisations. Throughout Covid we experienced a lot of that activity at community level. As recent events in the media suggest, and I will not refer to a specific case but from my own experience from working in criminal law, there are organisations that set up voluntarily to assist in drug rehabilitation. These organisations may be faith-based and may assist young people who seek to rehabilitate themse…

One of the disadvantages of speaking last is that all one's best lines have stolen.

I completely support this legislation and welcome the Minister of State's explanation of it. The hard work that went into consultation in the lead-up to the Bill was excellent. I appreciate the distinction being made between trafficking and smuggling. However, in recent weeks, I have received emails from people living in Afghanistan who are desperate to get out and people living in Dublin who have family members, spouses and otherwise, in Afghanistan and are desperate to get them out. It has given me the slightest …

I welcome the opportunity to address the Housing for All plan. I am a member of the joint Oireachtas committee and have valued having an input into this plan and the journey that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, in particular, has travelled along with us over the past year in the work that we have done on that. I, too, take offence at Senator Fitzpatrick's reference to a lost decade. It is a disingenuous comment that is completely unnecessary. Maybe a history lesson is required. Fine Gael has held the Ministry for hou…

I welcome the Bill and congratulate my colleagues for bringing it forward. I know the hard work and thought that went into it, particularly on the part of Senator Ward. I appreciate that and commend him for it. I need to declare that I am anti-gambling for many reasons. I have counselled families who have had an individual gamble away the home from over their heads. Because of the experiences I have had in seeing the absolute devastation coming from gambling, I come with a particular bias that I find hard to shift.…

I welcome the Bill. I read it as a technical and tidying-up measure that also makes provisions for the Reserve Defence Force. I completely support it. I will begin by taking the opportunity to thank our Defence Forces. Over the past 18 months, they have been extraordinary. At the height of one of the most frightening periods, I had to bring my daughter for a test. The whole thing was managed extraordinarily well and with military precision. There was safety and comfort in seeing members of our Defence Forces there.…

When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

When is it proposed to sit again?

I will bring to the attention of the House the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, report, commissioned by the National Disability Authority, which highlights employment rates among people with disabilities in Ireland. We are fourth lowest among the countries surveyed in that report. People with disabilities in Ireland are twice as likely to experience poverty and deprivation than those without disabilities. This is predicted to worsen, post Covid. I am aware we published a ten-year comprehensive employme…

We need to make sure this House provides for a debate on this, explores the possibility of legislation and determines whether the boundaries of our public order arrangements are too tight.

I welcome the Minister back to the House. In the two days the Seanad has been back, he has been here more than I have. I thank him for his commitment to always be in the House for Commencement matters, which is appreciated. I get the logic of this Bill. There is no question about that. It is wieldy, technical legislation. I do not envy the Minister. I want to address the education welfare issue with regard to homeschooling. It is intuitive that all of that will be under the remit of the Department of Education. How…

Next Tuesday.

Senator Keogan's sharing of her story sums up and brings into this Chamber just how invasive and frightening it can be, so I thank her for that. I commend my Fianna Fáil colleagues on bringing forward this important legislation. I commend the bravery of Una Ring and Eve McDowell in sharing their stories and speaking of their horrific experiences. There is no doubt that coming forward and creating the lobbying group of Stalking Ireland is advancing the case. It is right we start to parse down that sense of entitleme…

I congratulate Senator Ruane yet again on a really fine piece of work. It is utterly intolerable that any bullying or harassment should happen in a third level college. Wherever there is a power imbalance, systems and procedures must be in place to ensure that those who would exploit their positions are curtailed in the extreme. It is utterly unacceptable for non-disclosure agreements, NDAs, to be used in these sorts of contexts. I can appreciate the sensitivities but there are ways and means of dealing with those,…

Senator Clifford-Lee did not say things that were absolutely outrageous.

I will share my time with Senator Dolan. There is no doubt we all went into this together but we did not all feel the effects in the same way. We did not all experience this pandemic equally and there is no doubt that despite what have been unprecedented supports from the Government for the hospitality industry, that sector has suffered immeasurable financial and other losses. Many of these businesses are family-owned and the people involved may have their whole lives mortgaged. Is it reasonable for us to give them…

I am glad he says he supports bodily integrity.

In spirit, I agree with the amendment. Nevertheless, while the review will be some time away and we will see who is in charge at that point, the Minister of State will have built sufficient protections into the Bill through the work she is doing on capacity and in other areas. Financial abuse of the elderly is certainly something for which we need to be watchful, but with the HSE's safeguarding policy that has been in place since 2014, the requirements are already included in general policy and application. Further…