-----or every ten days or whatever it is and say this is what has happened over the last week? The Garda checkpoints are either justified or unjustified. The 5 km rule is either paying off or it is not. Vaccinations are having this effect or that effect. Schools are or are not a vector for infection. It is or is not safe to reopen this, that or the other in terms of universities or the like. There should be a forum where the same group of Members of the Oireachtas hear the same issues dealt with week on week, and c…

My unshakeable loyalty to Senator Boyhan has the effect that I will second his amendment, which should command general support in the House. Were it not for the amendment he has proposed, I might have been opposing the whole motion. I say that for this reason----

As has been mentioned here, there is nothing in this to oppose because there is nothing in this which will actually make very much difference. There is nothing in this to oppose because there is nothing in this that will actually make very much difference.

The Senator has had his opportunity and he should let me finish.

There is a fundamental flaw at the bottom of this, which comes especially from the Green Party. It is the distinction between public and private transport. I am sure the Minister of State knows the route around Galway city well. That is not private; it is public infrastructure which is badly needed. There is no point in pretending, as Green Party members in Galway do, that it will be possible to provide some kind of Luas system there which will obviate the need for that circular route. It is public infrastructure. …

Ask the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien.

I move amendment No. 2: To insert the following paragraphs after “calls on the Government to:” “- conduct a cost benefit analysis on public monies spent to date on the MetroLink project, publish all budget overruns, outline the overall final budget for the project and confirm a completion date for MetroLink; - conduct a review of the BusConnects project in Dublin measuring current and projected future public transport demand in light of the Government’s promotion of working from home initiatives and the relocation …

I welcome the Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney, to the House.

Yesterday evening this House passed a resolution in regard to the British Government's proposal to introduce an amnesty in respect of certain offences committed in Northern Ireland. In the short time available to me last night I made some points which I wish to put in context today. I understand it is intended to convey the resolution of this House to Members of the British Parliament, specifically the House of Lords. I have no problem with that proposition. Going back to what the Minister, Deputy Coveney, said, it…

I am grateful to Senator Mullen for sharing time with me. I had intended to indicate some disagreement with the motion, but when I read the terms of the motion I decided not to do so and not to call a division on it. I wish to put some matters on the record. There is a danger that in adopting a unanimous approach, we forget the points that Senator McGreehan has made and we forget some salient facts. Every serious criminal offence committed in Northern Ireland is also an offence against the criminal law of this Stat…

This is our first occasion to meet for some time. I want to put on the record that, earlier in the year, Second Stage of the Seanad Bill was adjourned until the end of the year. The Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and I had a conversation after that. He indicated it was his intention to have a small group among the parties of the coalition in government consider whether they had alternative suggestions to those set out in the Manning report. Time is going by. We are in September and we are coming up to the end of…

I second the proposal that the time limit for debate on the climate change Bill be extended to 8.30 p.m. In that context, the Bill is just a Bill. I spoke about this briefly last week, but I will say one more thing about it. Over the weekend we had evidence that the ESB is now installing emergency generating capacity in the Dublin docks because of problems and to avoid blackouts. If this plan is implemented, and if everyone's ambitions are to be met, we are moving towards a society that will be much more dependent …

Hear, hear.

Nothing is being done about it.

That concludes our discussion of the amendments.

When is it proposed to take Final Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I call Senator Bacik.

I call Senator O'Reilly.

I call Senator Currie.