Cuirim fáilte is fiche roimh ár MEPs ó Pharlaimint na hEorpa. Tá sárobair déanta ag an dtriúr acu. Tá sé an-tábhachtach go mbeadh deis againn labhairt leo anseo sa Seanad faoi chúrsaí polaitíochta na hEorpa agus faoi chúrsaí in Éirinn. I welcome our three MEPs and compliment them all, as well as their colleagues for their great work rate and performance. They have a very difficult job. It is hard, time-consuming and there is much travelling. Many people might think it is a great job but I do not envy them. I welcom…

I thought I had three minutes.

All right. I obviously have much to do with Mr. Kelleher because he is our party representative in-----

He is a great representative and I am proud of him in there. I worked with Ms O'Sullivan although unfortunately I do not have as much to do with her now. It would be very remiss if I did not give credit to my fellow countyman, Mr. Kelly, on the work he is doing in Europe as well, especially on the issue of gas, which he has just referred to. I have great time for my Green colleagues in Government and they have educated me in many ways but they are wrong about gas and about LNG. I hope all the work Mr. Kelly, and my…

-----do not even know where it is. It is the only issue I get emotional about here. I wish I could say more to the MEPs but that is enough.

I welcome Minister of State, Senator Pippa Hackett, to the House.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, to the House.

I want to be associated with the expressions of sympathy to the family of the late Noel Treacy. He was an outstanding politician and very active and successful Minister. He was popular with all sides of the House and a good pal of mine. I was very sorry to hear the news as I came into the Chamber. I congratulate the Cathaoirleach and Independent Group for arranging for our colleague, Senator Norris, to address us today on a subject about which he has been so erudite and entertaining all his life, namely, Ulysses an…

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Deputy James Browne, to the House to discuss the need to introduce mechanisms to prevent the depreciation in the value of vouchers due to maintenance fees.

I thank all Senators who participated in the discussion, especially the committee Chairman, Deputy Kehoe, and the Minister. We are very grateful to her.

When is it proposed to sit again?

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy English, to the House.

I thank the Minister of State and the Senator.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Taoiseach. I am delighted to see the Taoiseach here to address us. This is important and we appreciate it. No better man than the Taoiseach to be here because, of all the party leaders, he was the only one in these buildings who stood by the Seanad when it was fighting for survival. I thank him for that. It is Deputy Micheál Martin's fate, and ours, that he is Taoiseach in the middle of what is probably the worst crisis this country has faced in many years. The last was probably the Emergency…

The Leader may have read last week a statement issued by Professor John Ryan, a consultant in the hepatology department of Beaumont Hospital, in which he stated that the incidence of people presenting with liver disease at the hospital had increased by 30% since the first lockdown. He attributed this, and was clearly right, to the increased consumption of alcohol in the home during the lockdowns. Home drinking is entirely different than drinking in pubs or restaurants or at parties where it enhances the company, th…

The amendment has been well debated.

It is lovely to see the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in the House. It would be remiss of me not to welcome you.

I would like to be associated with the kind remarks that Members have expressed for our old colleague, Senator David Norris. I have had the privilege of serving in this House with him for 14 years and I have been most impressed by him at all times. It is nice to see him being recognised in his own lifetime. I came into the Chamber especially to join in the condolences to the great Austin Currie. When I was growing up I considered Austin Currie a hero. He was a man of great courage who was prepared to take on the sy…

This a very important debate and I commend Senator Gavan, his colleagues and the other signatories to the motion. There is something déjà vu -like about speaking immediately after Senator Mullen and disagreeing with him. I do not know if I have the stomach for much more of this at my age because I tend to agree with the Senator on virtually every other standpoint that we share. Three years ago, the Irish people went to the polls and made an emphatic decision. I thought that decision was settled for the remainder of…

I welcome the Minister for Transport.