I thank the Minister of State.

Over the past few days, I have had two remarkably similar but distinct queries on next-of-kin, who is next-of-kin when a loved one is in hospital, their right to be informed and their right to information. One of the calls to me involved a spouse who believed he was entitled to know what was happening to his wife in hospital and the other was from a sister about her dependent sibling in hospital. In both cases, the hospitals were very reasonably following the instructions of the patient as to who had a right to be …

I call for a debate on BusConnects, with the Minister in attendance, in the context of the current public consultation period. BusConnects, in principle, is visionary. The idea of upgrading our cycling infrastructure and of public transport in the city being more accessible is fantastic. However, it will involve an enormous infrastructural change to our capital city. To give due regard to the National Transport Authority, NTA, it is running public advertisements, virtual rooms and having one meeting per corridor. I…

In supporting Senator Garvey's comments on autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units, I know the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, is highly cognisant of where the gaps are. Only last week there was an announcement of 25 new units in primary schools. I am working with the Dublin 12 campaign for an autism-specific school and Involve Autism. I am very much aware that issues presented to the Minister of State are being dealt with very effectively and efficiently. In my own area of Dublin 6 and Dublin 6 west, and if we inc…

I thank the Minister of State. As she knows, I am very enthusiastic about her plans and budget. It is ambitious and the programme for Government is excellent in respect of disability services. I commend the Minister of State on how she has conducted business in the Department and her responsibilities thus far. I want to begin by acknowledging the enormous difficulties experienced by people with disabilities and their families during the pandemic. Diminished access throughout the pandemic has caused significant hard…

I am supporting this motion and very much commend Senator Ward for bringing it forward. The claiming and taking of this money is a statement of sheer hypocrisy from a party that champions a 32-county island and claims it is the only all-Ireland party. It talks about unity and what its representatives stand for. They wrap themselves in the Tricolour at every possible opportunity. Sinn Féin had seats at a time when Ireland needed voices on the floor of the House in Westminster but its representatives refused to take …

I appreciate that this is a technical motion, but while the Minister of State is here, I will use this opportunity to raise a concern based on my experience over a number of years. I work with many families on a pro bono basis, assisting them when they have been done out of tracker mortgages, restoring them and going through that with various financial institutions. One of the provisions of the GDPR is transparency and modalities, meaning that data subject access requests should be responded to in the most convenie…

I welcome the Minister and the provisions he has brought forward in this Bill. It is a great initiative. It is not the preserve of the Opposition to be uncomfortable with rushed legislation and the perception that this House is being used for rubber-stamping. However, I appreciate that haste was necessary in this instance. This Bill and the Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters) Records, and another Matter, Bill 2020 are two pieces of legislation in respect of which urgency …

Senator McDowell has stolen all my lines. There are bona fides in the presenting of this Bill, but we can never say anything on it without prefacing our remarks by acknowledging the context, namely, the appalling wounds and trauma and the retraumatising that is happening in the course of this discussion. I believe there was an original intent to see a legal problem, see a deadline and deal with the legal problem in the hope that doing so would release information as opposed to withhold it. In the public narrative a…

These amendments are welcome. They are a response to the amendments that were fought over and the debates that occurred in this House. I accept that there is a need to extend the commission's life to 28 February. I am curious as to how the groupings worked on this because I would think this should have been discussed with amendment No. 9. As I understand it, the purpose of the extension is for the commission to write to the contributors to the confidential committee, in order that they may exercise their agency and…

I have a point of order. That is not what the article states.

It is not what the article states. It refers to the 2018 amendment of the 2004 Act; it is not referring to the Bill currently before the House.

Regarding contributors to the confidential committee, how can they make a decision on whether they should have their names attached to their contributions if they do not have a copy of what they said? I agree with Senator Higgins in this regard. The advice is that people would be able to identify themselves within the report, such is the transparent manner of the representation of what they said. If so, why not just send them a copy anyway? That would be beneficial. I believe the Minister stated that Tusla was unde…

I disagree strongly with Senator Bacik. This is about the database and its preservation, and just because there is allusion to other matters it does not make them the central part of this Act. It is unfair to make that statement. With due respect, the only party politics being played arise from the Sinn Féin position of criticising the Government.

Would it be possible to bring the Minister with responsibility for further and higher education, research, innovation and science, Deputy Harris, to the House? I am echoing the sentiments of Senator Pauline O'Reilly in speaking up for our third level students. They are in the most invidious of positions because two of their academic years have now been affected. There are great supports for them and there is no doubt that the Minister has brought in great things. The injection of €50 million in the budget was great…

This is a great legislation and it is a great stimulus for debate and the thought behind it is thorough. I quite like the definitions in it. I am someone who has built my whole life on advocacy, working in communities and being an activist. The obvious choice of career was to try to move into politics and make that effective change from inside this House. I understand the chilling effect on freedom of speech of advocacy groups that this definition has brought about. I have been aware of it in organisations and some…

I echo the sentiments and spirit of Senator McGreehan's proposal on the basis that I have had the experience myself, when dining in Kings Inns, of a senior member of the Law Library asking me what school I went to. When I replied, the next comment was, "How very remiss of your parents." I support her views. I have three points to raise with regard to the changing environment and our requirement for compliance. At the beginning of this crisis, we had fantastic resources on the HSE website with posters and informatio…

Returns policies usually apply for 28 days so if one does one's Christmas shopping now, it will not be possible to return the gifts after Christmas. We need to support the Consumer Association of Ireland, with funding or otherwise, in getting out the information and ensure that where there is a need for exchange policies, it is broadcast and supported so that we have social distancing and a longer run-in to Christmas.

My understanding of what is happening with this legislation is perhaps overly simplistic and I may stand corrected before the day is out. My understanding is that a unique database was created when the commission was carrying out its work and that this database has not been covered by the 2004 Act. The commission itself was founded under the 2004 Act. The 2004 Act prescribes the collection of information and so much of how a commission operates. In the course of carrying out its business, the commission entities di…

I, too, have been extraordinarily moved by all of the contributions. I am grateful to Senator Boyhan for his honesty, transparency and passion. Equally, I am always impressed by Senator Higgins's passion. I am conflicted by this legislation as is the Minister. It is not how we want this legislation to be but needs must because time is of the essence. I oppose the amendment, not because I do not fully agree with confidentiality, as Senator McDowell so eloquently described it, but because I do not believe it is neces…