I did not say anything of the kind.

It is not the Senator's time to mislead the House.

I never said that women's place is in the home.

The Senator knows that. She knows it.

It is a crude smear.

It is not agreed.

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 11 be taken before No. 1. I also seek the leave of the House to introduce the Special Measures in the Public Interest (Derrybrien Wind Farm) Bill 2023. I sincerely thank the Bills Office for its co-operation in getting the Bill onto the Order Paper this week. Its purpose is to transfer the wind farm at Derrybrien from the ESB to the Western Development Commission and to provide for its future operation in the national interest. As this is the last sitting da…

I really believe that. I wrote an article in The Irish Times in which I said "Biden has the lives of tens of thousands of people in his hands and he must take the responsibility if he transfers them into the cupped hands of Netanyahu." America must stand up to its responsibilities. It must. Otherwise, this catastrophe will grow and grow and the damage it will do to everybody will grow and grow. If Christmas is being cancelled in Bethlehem, how sad a time we have arrived at.

Oh well. Before No. 2, yes.

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act, in the public interest, to assist in maintaining the security of the electricity supply system in the State, and for that purpose to provide for the transfer to the western development commission of the Derrybrien wind farm; to effect the transfer of shares in Gort Wind Farms Limited to the Western Development Commission; to provide for the removal of persons from certain offices positions or employment with Gort wind farms limited and provide for t…

Next Tuesday.

As somebody who has never filibustered in this House-----

I feel I have to be brief.

I will speak briefly about section 71. The governance framework provided for in this section is to be devised by the board. It seems that is a good idea but what I am increasingly worried about in respect of this Bill – I want to put it on the record – is the whole process of running An Garda Síochána is becoming more and more complicated. On the provisions of this Bill, I note the so-called independent Policing Authority is being replaced but the relationship between the Parliament, the national police force, the …

I advert to an issue arising out of the recent troubles in Dublin. People have been speaking about an expectation that the Judiciary will inflict tough sentences. The Judiciary will do what it will do. I draw attention to one simple fact, which is that, at the moment, there are waiting times of two years at least in some jury cases involving rape and matters like that. The Courts Service is operating under a huge backlog situation in which dates are being fixed for jury trials two years after they come to the Circu…

I welcome the Minister. There are a few things I want to say. It seems there is now a decent Garda presence in Dublin city. I said at a meeting of the justice committee that my business means that I traverse the city up to four times a day, moving from here to there. I see the absence of policing in Dublin. Gardaí are not there. They are not visible. They are not out on the street and where they are, they are not there in sufficient numbers. I am glad that an effort is now being made to increase and boost the prese…

I wish to make a few points about the general tenor of the finance Bill this year. First, it seems that the Government has realised that some of the measures it has taken in respect of rented properties in the private rented sector have been counterproductive and have encouraged landlords to leave the sector. It seems that the Government has finally realised that something needs to be done about it. I do not believe that tax concessions to landlords will keep them in the sector for this simple reason. The Minister,…

I support Senator Boyhan. In a professional capacity, and I will not elaborate further, I became aware of the issue of large packets of cigarettes. I had never heard of a 30-pack of cigarettes. I thought it was joke.

I had never heard of it.

It was news to me as I do not smoke. The people selling these products do not want them. It is the manufacturers who are pushing them. There was a time when there was a ban on smaller packets. Woodbines used to be available in packets of five and ten.