I also welcome the Croatian ambassador to the House. The Order of Business is No. 1, report of the Committee of Selection, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, motion regarding extension of Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021, to be taken on the conclusion of No. 1, without debate; and No. 3, motion re proposed approval by Seanad Éireann of the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (Extension of Periods of Leave) Order 2024, to be taken at 11.45 a.m. and to conclude…

I will work in reverse order. Senator Maria Byrne welcomed the beds announcement. We all breathed a huge sigh of relief yesterday. The sheer scale of it was very impressive. The Minister also spoke about it at length following the debate in the Dáil on the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill. It is great. Senator Maria Byrne in particular is a huge advocate for University Hospital Limerick. I do not think a week has gone by without her raising her concerns and advocating for the people of Limerick who rely on that hos…

Tomorrow is Friday. There is no homework on a Friday.

It is important to get the day for no homework right so that it has power. Returning to Senator Hoey, it is an important point. We are seeing the language grow outside Gaeltacht areas but the idea of being able to go to an area where people are shopping and living in the language is lovely. That is a good and very important part of our culture and it ensures the ongoing life of our language. I accept Senator Hoey's three points about the draft Gaeltacht plan, the role of the údarás and the Planning and Development …

I move: That the 19th report of the Committee of Selection be laid before the House.

I move: That Seanad Éireann resolves that the period of operation of sections 1 to 7 and 9 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021 (No. 14 of 2021) be extended for a further period of 6 months, beginning on the 1st day of June, 2024 and ending on the 30th day of November, 2024.

I move: That Seanad Éireann approves the following Order in draft: Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 (Extension of Periods of Leave) Order 2024, a copy of which was laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 24th May, 2024.

I thank the Minister of State for coming in and taking this motion. It is really good news that we are extending leave by two weeks and that it is accompanied by a paid statutory benefit. I have no doubt that everyone welcomes such good news. There is a huge shortage of baby and toddler places in childcare facilities where the staff-child ratio is particularly tight or intense. So the better it is, the longer that parents can be at home in a paid capacity with their children. This leave is particularly good. This l…

At 1 p.m. on Tuesday, 11 June.

Amendments Nos. 8 and 9 have been ruled out of order.

When is it proposed to take Fifth Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I formally second Senator Martin's Bill. It is excellent, insightful legislation. It is very simple and straightforward but much needed, especially where applications regarding coercive control come into play. I congratulate and thank the Minister for Rural and Community Development for her announcement yesterday on the local enhancement programme. The constituency of Dublin South-Central featured nicely on the list, for which I am very grateful. An award of €24,000 was made to St. John Bosco Youth Centre. That is …

I commend the work of the Minister for Health. Yesterday he held a briefing with the Dáil members of the health committee in advance of Report Stage of the assisted human reproduction Bill. I believe Report Stage is due for next week. That is a fantastic development. The time between now and the end of term will fly by quickly and I ask we make sure there is adequate time in our schedule to facilitate a full and, I expect, robust debate on that Bill in this House. The urgency of this legislation cannot be underesti…

I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to come to the House to deal with this in person. I am working with a family who are incredibly caring and supportive of their 29-year-old son and brother who is a ward of court and has been in the care of the State for some years, since he left school. He was undergoing treatment under the auspices of the HSE in Dublin. At times, that treatment was satisfactory but at other times it was not meeting his needs. A decision was taken by the HSE 18 months ago to transfe…

I only learned of it myself this morning.

I welcome the pupils and congratulate them. Senator Carrigy is a great colleague. I also say hello to Fintan. I know when the Minister of State makes a commitment, she always rises to the challenge of what is presented before her. She began by talking about the will and preference of this man being at the heart of this case, and I completely agree with that. However, a family needs to be prepared. The fact is that this man does not have a home to go to unless he is at home with his mother, father and brothers. The …

There are peculiarities that, as I said, are lacking in any accountability. I accept that the Minister of State acknowledges that.

I thank the Minister of State. I call Senator O'Reilly to reply. She has five minutes, and I thank her for this very thoughtful motion.

I take this opportunity to welcome the Minister of State and congratulate him. This was my first opportunity to see him in the House in his new role. I agree that his passion will be very much present in how he deals with his brief.