I am pleased to present the Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025 for consideration on Second Stage. I do so on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, who unfortunately has had a family bereavement but this not unfamiliar legislation as I was the Minister of State responsible when the general order of the scheme was presented. This Bill makes changes to the insolvency payments scheme. This scheme fulfils the vital function of protecting workers if their employer becomes inso…

I thank the Senators for their considered contributions. I am aware of the very real experience of all those contributors and indeed you, a Leas-Chathaoirleach, in the corporate world as employers and as Ministers with relevant responsibility. This was a particularly informed and particularly useful debate, and it is really important that we stress that. A few issues were raised that I would like to address briefly, where possible, in the interest of being helpful. I am very grateful to Senator Nelson Murray for he…

I thank all of the Kenova team for their work. Over the past decade, they have shown that, almost 28 years since the Good Friday Agreement, legacy investigations and reviews can work. It is clear that the Kenova team has gone about this complex and sensitive work with care, placing victims and families at the heart of its endeavours. That is as it should be. In both the interim and final reports, the Kenova team is unsparing in its criticism of both the Provisional IRA and the failings of the British state. In Jon …

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for consistently raising this issue. He is dead right; there is a distinct lack of attention on this around the world. I would like to think it is an exception here in Ireland. The Deputy is a part of that and I am very grateful for it. Last month, the conflict in Sudan reached its 1,000th day. It is continuing to have a devastating impact on the Sudanese people, particularly women and children. The escalating violence in the Kordofan states is deeply worrying and underlines the need to e…

On the humanitarian aspect, in terms of our partners, it is really important to stress the role of UNOCHA and the UN population fund. Ireland will continue to provide a commitment to all UN appeals because the humanitarian situation is grave. There is famine in Sudan, one of two man-made famines in the world at the moment, and it can be reversed through a co-ordinated humanitarian response and action. On raising this matter, we do so on a UN and an EU basis. I have met four Ministers from the UAE in the past six mo…

I see no issue with that technical point. There are avenues to pursue that. The embargo in place is far from perfect on I think we can both agree but Ireland does believe in it. On keeping it on the agenda, at every Foreign Affairs Council and at every UN meeting I have attended, I have raised this. It is one of the key pillars of Irish interest - Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan – that is raised consistently in all international arenas and is met with real funding and belief among the people in regard to humanitarian suppo…

I wish to thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The provision of consular assistance to Irish citizens who get into difficulty abroad is a cornerstone of the work of the Department of foreign affairs. The provision of consular assistance is at the request of the citizen or, where the citizen cannot request such assistance, by a family member or friend. As such, there are many instances where a citizen gets into difficulty abroad and does not request consular assistance. In these cases, my Department may not nec…

I have great empathy and I do not necessarily disagree with the Deputy on that point but there are very real challenges. People may have dual or triple citizenship and there are a lot of things at play. They may not want Irish Government assistance. One thing the Irish Government does in all jurisdictions is work through our network, not just of diplomatic missions but also through our coalition and alliances with Irish pastoral centres, community centres and the Irish Penal Trust which visits people who are incarc…

The Irish Government maintains a very open and frank level of engagement with the US Administration at all levels, not only at federal level but also at local level, particularly at state and city level. As the Deputy knows, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, is in the United States at the moment. Where appropriate, we always raise those concerns. I have to stress this point. On the rights of the individual, it is also their right not to notify the Irish Government and not to seek consular assistance. We have to respect…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 59 together. In June 2025, the Government approved the general scheme of the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory (prohibition of importation of goods) Bill. The main purpose of the Bill is to prohibit the importation of goods into the State from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, in line with the programme for Government commitment. Legally, the regulation of external trade in services is considerably more complex than is the case…

There are a few things there and I will try to answer them in order. Regarding the situation in Ukraine, obviously it is much easier to implement and find a vehicle for sanctions that have been adopted by the Union as a whole when it comes to an area of trade competence. It is important to be clear as to what is happening around Europe because people have made assertions about what is happening in other European jurisdictions. Four other EU states have expressed an interest, desire or commitment or have started the…

The clear point I was making is not necessarily in relation to EU law but the ability of different jurisdictions to progress legislation in a different manner as per their domestic parliamentary structures for creating legislation. We have to recognise that.

Of course, the Deputy is right that any legislation can be challenged. We have made it quite clear that we will not produce legislation that we feel will actually fail the test of EU or international law. That is a very real commitment because we are talking about the rule of law and the importance of it. We have to act as such. I must stress that this is not the only thing the Irish Government is doing in relation to the absolute horrors of the genocide that is going on at the moment in Gaza. On our response at EU…

I thank the Deputy for this very timely and important question. Ireland is deeply committed to the cause of Holocaust remembrance and to ensuring that the suffering and horror of the Holocaust is never forgotten. At a time we are witnessing a deeply concerning rise in global antisemitism, including Holocaust denial and distortion, it is more important than ever that the victims of the Holocaust are honoured and that the lessons from that terrible time are learned. Ireland has a long-standing relationship with the A…

I want to elaborate a little on the work of the funding. The funding will build upon the existing programme of Holocaust education provided by the Department of Education and Youth in Irish schools. It will enable the foundation to make available to schools in Ireland virtual guided tours of the Auschwitz Museum and Memorial, further enhancing opportunities for Irish young people to deepen their understanding of the Holocaust. I do not need to repeat the worrying statistics that myself and the Deputy are both appal…

I am very grateful to both the Deputies for their timely interventions. To directly answer Deputy Ó Fearghaíl's question, it is expected that these tours will be made available to Irish schools in the next academic year, so that is not too far away at this stage. There is a great opportunity for all of us as local representatives to engage with schools in our constituencies to encourage them to be part of this programme. Just making it available and providing funding are not enough alone. We need to encourage peopl…

Ireland remains deeply concerned at the ongoing erosion of human rights and democracy in Russia, which has been exacerbated by Russia’s illegal, full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we have seen a heightened number of arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as harassment and persecution, of peaceful anti-war activists, human rights defenders, journalists, cultural figures, members of the LGBTQI+ community and ethnic minorities. Domestic opposition leaders have be…

There are a couple of measures there. First and foremost, Ireland has fully supported all 19 sanctions packages promoted by the European Union against Russia, the latest of which was agreed in October 2025. A 20th package of sanctions is currently being worked on and Ireland will be to the fore in supporting it. We absolutely condemn Russia's withdrawal from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Ireland is a consistent funder of a range of human righ…

It should be really important to say the Irish Government condemns the Russian Government. The Irish Government and our European partners condemn the regime of Putin and those who support it and fund it, particularly the oligarchs. We have great sympathy for the people of Russia who live in a state of fear and repression and it has been made quite clear what happens to those who speak out against the regime. Alexei Navalny, whose death we mourn, is the most obvious one. We also have to remember that the efforts mad…

I am grateful to the Deputy not only for raising this issue but also for her consistent advocacy for stronger Irish-Canadian relations in her role as convener of the Canada-Ireland Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group. As the Deputy knows, Ireland and Canada have cultivated strong political, economic and cultural connections, grounded in our shared history, values and commitment to a rules-based international order. Under the Global Ireland programme, Ireland significantly expanded its diplomatic presence in Canada…