There are two things of note. I have been informed by a text, which is an amazing thing, that Galway County Council, on 25 April 2022 passed a resolution on the following terms: "Galway County Council calls on the Government to direct the ESB to recommence operation of the Derrybrien wind farm and in doing so, provide whatever legislative requirements that are necessary to ensure it may not be legally contested.” That motion was proposed by Councillor Geraldine Donohue and seconded by Councillor Joe Sheridan. The i…

The Senator opposes the section.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Many years ago, I worked as a barrister advising the providers of personal credit so this is an issue, as are collection charges and the like, that I have some experience of. I agree completely with what has just been said about us now heading into a financial crisis where many people may be driven to borrowing money just to keep going. I will say a number of things before we sign off on this Bill. The Minister of State's speech is really just the explanatory memorandum…

I was not saying that.

Yes.

I have minor questions on section 5 on which I will ask the Minister to expand. Section 5(b) proposes the deletion of "to further develop a quarry" and section 5(g) proposes to delete the words "in respect of a quarry". Am I right in thinking these two deletions will extend the application of section 37L to non-quarrying situations? Is this the name of the game? Is this the plan? Is it the case that at present the section is largely confined to quarries?

I do not think that all development is bad or that all developers are bad. I think people who find themselves in a position where they are looking for substitute consent, for whatever reason, are not in a situation which any rational person would like to be in to start with, bearing in mind what I consider to be the overblown decision of the Commission on Ireland. For example, people might be carrying out what appeared to be an exempt development, such as making a roadway on a farm. It could then appear it was too …

I welcome Senator Malcolm Byrne's remarks about Seanad reform. I want to remind the House that the Minister with responsibility for Seanad reform informed us that he was going to bring forward proposals. I think that was a year ago.

He made firm commitments that there would be Seanad reform.

Hold on. Senator Buttimer will have his opportunity. The Minister of State told me that there was a proposal to establish among the Government parties a group that would come forward with proposals which I would be shown last October. That group has not been established let alone come forward with any proposals. I have come to the conclusion that this is an elaborate smoke screen for nothing to happen. Senator Malcolm Byrne suggested that we should implement the universities amendment. That is part of the Bill that…

Some time we are entitled to hear the truth as to what the Government's plans actually are. The other issue on which I intended to speak before Senator Malcolm Byrne tempted me down that particular rabbit hole-----

I should have said that 1 million people would elect six Senators but that there are 4 million people who are not university graduates who would have no say at all on that. Let us remember that. The point I want the acting Leader to take on board is the need to discuss the outcome of the Northern elections. Some 63 of the 90 people elected are comfortable with the Northern Ireland protocol and yet the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and his Cabinet are trying to use it as leverage to get an advantage in their broade…

It is not agreed. I want to make a point - and I will not divide the House on it - that election posters are hugely important and create a consciousness.

I believe that if we do not have election posters, RTÉ and the radio stations will ration out the time among the existing parties. As the Deputy Leader said, it is okay for the existing incumbents but is bad news for anyone entering politics.

Having said that, I will reluctantly agree.

I fully appreciate what you have just said, Chair, about this House not being in command of what happens at committees, let alone joint committees, but I do want to make the point that joint committees cannot be a no-man's land and standards must be upheld by both Houses in joint committees, one way or the other. What I want to raise today is the possibility that the Leader would organise a substantial debate in the coming weeks, not just an hour-long one, to consider the outcome of the elections in Northern Irelan…

To begin with, I associate myself with the warm words of welcome from a number of my colleagues to Senator Tom Clonan on his election. I assure him that what has been said is true and this is a collegiate place. As far as I am concerned, I have never seen a lack of friendship among anybody in this House against anybody else, no matter how deeply divided people have been on matters. It is a quality of Seanad Éireann I am sure Senator Clonan, as a professed peacemaker, will enjoy hugely.

I was struck by the fact Senator Norris revealed the terrible truth about Sir John Maxwell. Sir John Maxwell has something in common with my background and he tried to get my grandfather, Eoin MacNeill, executed for calling off the 1916 Rising. I now realise Senator Norris has been concealing this from me for a long time. Poor Eoin MacNeill, for his trouble, was the subject of a slightly drunken rant by Lord Wimborne, the Lord Lieutenant in the Viceregal Lodge, as it was then, saying he would hang MacNeill. That wa…

-----and that the Ukrainian people deserve every support in fighting for their freedom, independence and their country's integrity.

I note that today marks the funeral of Pierre Zakrzewski, who was an Irish citizen and journalist murdered by Russian forces in Ukraine a few weeks ago. Today is the day of his funeral. He was educated at St. Conleth's College, approximately a mile from the House. He discharged his function has a journalist with great bravery until he was murdered by Russian soldiers as part of Vladimir Putin's murderous, illegal and criminal invasion of Ukraine. It is important this House notes the occasion. An Irish citizen was m…