Yes.

I move amendment No. 49: In page 25, line 8, to delete “, or that of another person,”.

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am sharing time with Senator Laura Harmon.

I am very excited and delighted to be bringing forward my first Bill in the Seanad. I welcome the many trade unionists and representatives of the National Youth Council in the Public Gallery today. Their presence is very much appreciated. We had a fantastic briefing in the audiovisual room today. Representatives from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, SIPTU, Connect, Mandate, the Financial Services Union and Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn attended. Representatives came from across the board and this is indicative o…

To say I am disgusted is an understatement. Clearly, all of us are equal but some are more equal than others. I do not know how the Minister of State is able to stand up in front of all these young people and trade unionists who I invited to come. Fair play to Senator O'Reilly for showing up today. He came and listened to the voices of the people representing those working in trades. He listened to ICTU's arguments about pushing forward and supporting this Bill and he listened to representatives from the National Y…

Amendment No. 17 is a very similar amendment. Like Senator Black said, it would strengthen the appeal system. It would require the appeals board to annul and replace a decision when an error of law or fact has occurred. Under the 2022 Act, the appeals board can either annul the decision or refer it to the local authority or Housing Agency for consideration. This asks families who have already been through so much to fight battles and get decisions right. If a decision is wrong, it is wrong and the appeals process s…

I move amendment No. 17: In page 29, between lines 33 and 34, to insert the following: “(2) Section 39 of the Principal Act is amended by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (10): “(10) Following consideration of the appeal, the Appeals Board— (a) affirm the decision the subject of the appeal, or (b) where the Appeals Board considers that an error of law or fact which detrimentally affected the party who made the appeal was made by the designated local authority or the Housing Agency, annul …

I move amendment No. 22: In page 30, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 51 of Principal Act 31. Section 51 of the Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (2): “(3) Without prejudice to subsection (1), on the passing of the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks (Amendment) Act 2025 the Minister shall commence, and shall within 6 months complete, a review of the need to designate additional local aut…

I thank the Minister for coming into the House today. We have to get this right and we want to get it right. I know that the Minister visited Donegal so I know that he has seen at first hand, as I have, the impact this has had, especially at this time of the year when putting up Christmas lights. There is water pouring down inside people's houses, and I know the Minister knows this. We know it is a man-made catastrophe and it has befallen the communities the length and breadth of the north west. The devastation tha…

This also relates to amendment No. 41, which is on the same lines. I can wait and contribute at that stage, but I might as well make my point now. I hear exactly what the Minister of State is saying about the timeframe and not wanting to put in the 72 hours. I worked for a long time as a youth worker. I worked with CAMHS, and I was involved with many young people who ended up going to Merlin Park. I can see the point about not having the 72 hours without safeguards. The Minister of State 100% brought down the waiti…

Yes.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I commend Senator Black and the Civil Engagement Group on bringing forward this motion, which I am happy to support it. I echo what Senator Ahearn said. The greatest honour of my life was to be elected to Sligo County Council. Making the move from not being elected to being elected is possibly one of the biggest achievements a person can have. However, I am also disappointed by the timed amendment. I have to acknowledge the Moorhead report. There have been huge improvements. There…

The Bill follows a budget that underlines the Government's failure to deliver real and radical policy in the social welfare system that would be fair to all and make everyone's life better. Sometimes I think we are living in an alternative universe. Senator O'Donovan listed the benefits available. At the same time, the budget left disabled people significantly worse off. People with disabilities will be €1,400 worse off next year. Social welfare payments keep them just above the poverty line. Rather than wasting €7…

I want to speak about the need to bring the minimum wage for those under 21 and those on apprenticeships into line with the wider workforce. Currently under employment legislation, people under the age of 21 have a lower minimum wage than the rest of the working population. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions believes this is unfair and exploitative. The removal of sub-minimum rates of pay was recommended by the Low Pay Commission following a report by the ESRI on potential economic impacts. Despite this, the Govern…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the entitlement of employed young persons to the full national minimum hourly rate of pay; to provide for the inclusion of apprentices within the application of the National Minimum Wage Acts 2000 and 2015; to provide for the payment of the national minimum wage to certain persons doing work as interns or on work experience; for these purposes to amend the National Minimum Wage Act 2000; and to provide for related matters.

Next Tuesday.

I would also like to speak to the amendment. This is coming from people who have spoken about having lived experience and their concerns around this decision. It is paramount that their opinions and their voices are heard in this. They have come back and said that people living with mental illness have found the term "mental disorder" stigmatising and overly medical and that it overlooks the psychological and environmental factors involved. Why is the Government not aligning with the language that is used in its ow…

I am disappointed, because the Minister of State's response is a bit out of kilter with the findings of the Department's expert review panel. There is no doubt that there is a big difference between mental health and psychosocial disability but the Minister of State forgot to include the term "mental illness". This is coming from someone experienced. My own family has experience of paranoid schizophrenia. The term "mental disorder" is a regressive step. It is all very well to hear Deputy Martin Daly speak about tha…

Maybe other jurisdictions did not have the same history of mental institutions as this country. We are just getting used to the term "mental illness" or having positive mental health. It was very clear that having a mental illness was a lot more severe than looking after one's mental health. We were just coming to terms with that and people were comfortable with this. These are people's real-life experiences and those of their families and they are sharing their stories. I cannot understand why the Minister of Stat…

I move amendment No. 17: In page 16, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: “ “mental health difficulty” and/or “Psychosocial disability” mean, in relation to a person, any mental illness, condition or disability, whether of a continuous or intermittent nature, which affects the person’s thinking, perception, emotion, or mood and impairs the mental function of the person;".