I cannot hear both of you at the same time. Senator Keogan, you need to resume your seat while I hear the point of order.

I am advised it is a political charge and therefore is not directed at Members of the Chamber. I call Senator Keogan.

I thank the Senator. Her time has elapsed.

The Senator needs to resume her seat. Her time has elapsed. I have been more than generous in allowing for the time she lost due to a point of order.

The Senator needs to resume her seat now.

I welcome the Minister of State. I commend my colleague Senator Kyne on drafting and bringing forward this motion. It is excellent and aptly timed. I reiterate the asks. The idea that your probability and possibility of surviving cancer is dependent on where you live, your socioeconomic grouping or your geographical location is awful. It should not be that way in 2024. It is shocking that there would be any sort of disparity in treatment and access to treatment. There are key things that the Senator has outlined in…

I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting my matter today. The Minister of State is very welcome and I am delighted he is in as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works when this an Office of Public Works issue. That is really good news. I have had the privilege of working with the Chapelizod historical society and a lot of those same individuals are in Chapelizod Tidy Towns. They are the most passionate, committed, wonderful people to have the honour of working with because they are so ac…

I thank the Minister of State. In Ballina, there is a cromlech that the OPW has surrounded and to which it has given fantastic support and promotion. It has the signage and sympathetic infrastructure around it highlighting just how important it is. It is very important to Peter Kavanagh and the Chapelizod historical society that that is considered. I know that Peter has submitted photographs of the site in Ballina, County Mayo to the officials in order to say that this is what this should look like. There is no poi…

It was ten years ago last month that I sent my first email to a predecessor of the Minister's asking for a legal framework for surrogacy in Ireland. I begin, therefore, by congratulating the Minister and his team for the exceptional work that has gone into this Bill. I am very grateful to the Department of Health officials - Pamela, Edward, Colm and others - the members of the interdepartmental group, the Ministers for Justice and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and, especially, the Minister f…

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. I thank the Minister of State and while I appreciate this is not his Department's area, my experience of him is that he always goes back and advocates very strongly on my behalf and that he fulfils his word and commitment to Members. I really appreciate it and am delighted to see him here this morning. In the aftermath of Covid, the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Department of Education identified correctly that the mental health and well-being of children had deteriorated …

I thank the Minister of State for the additional preparation he always does in advance of taking a Commencement matter. I appreciate the need for standards. I see that we have those through the Minister of State's reply; of course we do. When we look at the figures, we see that 100 hours of play therapy could be provided for eight children at a cost of €6,000. It is small money in a school. The parents cannot afford it themselves. If they could afford it, their child would not be in a school where they need a hot m…

I pay tribute to Martin Murray and thank him most sincerely for the grounding he gave us as newbies. I do not feel like a newbie anymore but in the beginning having people to look to who knew what they were doing was very helpful. I thank him very much and wish him the best in his retirement. I echo the call of Senator Ward regarding the Gaelscoileanna. There certainly is a dearth of choice. I note the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, has announced a poll of all parents in the next school year, in the autumn, …

The Minister for Finance, Deputy McGrath, is very welcome and I thank him for coming. Before we begin, I welcome the Fitzambler Walking Group. We also have guests of the Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan, Delivery and Reform, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell. They are very welcome to the Seanad. Before we commence, I remind Senators that a Senator may speak only once on Report Stage, except the proposer of an amendment, who may reply to the discussion on the amendment. On R…

Before I bring in Senator Gavan, I welcome the Suas Knitting Group from Kildare. They are welcome to the Seanad. Senator Gavan is looking good for a woolly hat.

I thank the Senator. Does the Minister wish to respond?

Amendment No. 3 in the names of Senators Higgins, Ruane, Black and Flynn has been ruled out of order.

Amendments Nos. 4 to 6, inclusive, are related and may be discussed together, by agreement.

I congratulate all those who stood for election. I acknowledge the Leader's position and that she had an excellent turnout and is still in the race. The nobility of democracy comes home to us all. I always get goose bumps when I go to vote and think it is an extraordinary privilege. I never get over the novelty of being a grown-up and being able to vote; it is amazing. The sheer dedication of everybody who worked on the elections and in the count centres is extraordinary to see and very exciting to be part of. I ec…