I move amendment No. 5: In page 4, after line 35, to insert the following: “Agreements for importation of certain services 5. (1) An agreement for the reception by a person in the State of a service from a supplier established in a postal code to which this Act applies, where the place of supply of the service is the State, is void and unenforceable. (2) A court shall not recognise — (a) a judgment or order of the court of another state, or (b) an award made by an arbitral tribunal under an arbitration agreement, f…

I too know how interested the Minister is in rural Ireland and in his brief. I cannot understand why the Government would not support the motion, either. It is a fantastic motion. A lot of us are representatives of rural areas. It is great to have everything in together. I do not think there is anything negative about it. I fail to understand why the Government has an amendment at all. The motion could easily have been supported. The motion could not state the reality of life more clearly, "Rural communities are ce…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir. Before I call an Seanadóir Boyhan, I want to give a warm welcome to the Kingswood-Kilnamanagh Active Age Men's Group, guests of Deputy John Lahart.

I want to give a big welcome to the guests who came on the Culture Bus from Dunlavin. They are here as guests of Deputy Edward Timmins. I also welcome Jordan and Cian Adams, the FTD Brothers, who are guests of Deputy Carrigy. I do not know whether they have gone but they are very welcome. They are with Helen Jolly, and I am sure their mother, Geraldine, was very proud of them.

I welcome Deputy Brian Brennan and his guests to the Gallery.

When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Nach éagóir é go bhfuil ealaíontóirí na tíre á gcur ar stáitse againn chun saibhreas cultúrtha na tíre a léiriú, ach iad beo bocht? Níl sé sin ceart ar chor ar bith. Since ancient times, we Irish have been famous for literature, storytelling, music and whatever we generally call "the arts". It is a term that is used to describe a wide variety of creative work from which we, as individuals and a society, benefit. We lean on the arts in this country, from visual art, painting, sculp…

It is reassuring to hear that there is a commitment to continue it. I am delighted that it has been made permanent. It is hard enough, though, as not everyone is eligible. Praxis, the artists' union, would urge that anyone eligible should receive it. We need more art, not less. All jobs and workers are under threat from AI but creative workers are particularly vulnerable. We see how much we as a society lean on it. I believe there is research that shows that, for every euro spent on the basic income for the arts sc…

The Aire is welcome. I commend Senator Black on all the work she has done. I welcome Brian and Conor O'Neill to the Gallery. I do not wish to spend my time this evening stating the obvious, but in these circumstances, it is hard not to do so. Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory are illegal. They have been ruled to be illegal not by me, Opposition parties, the Government or Senator Black, who, as everyone has acknowledged, brought forward a more perfect version of this Bill. Those settlements h…

I will share my time with Senator Stephenson. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. It is an old joke that the Holy Roman Empire was not holy, Roman or an empire. The strategic gas reserve suffers from a similar misnomer. Our continuing dependence on fossil fuels for energy security is not strategic, and the gas that will be stored at the envisioned facility will be far from a reserve. From the very outset, it will become part of our everyday energy mix. I have highlighted this many times in the Chamber, as has my Lab…

He was a big fan of the Senator's.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I know he is well aware of all the LEADER programmes and the great work they do. I listened to "Morning Ireland" this morning where the Taoiseach was unable to give a straight answer not only about where the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, funding is going to be spent but also in respect of LEADER projects. The local development companies are particularly vulnerable within the overall CAP budget. The Minister of State knows the amazing work they do on the ground to address povert…

I thank the Minister of State. We know the work that is done on the ground. However, there is a danger. That is why I think we should use our EU Presidency. I am talking in particular about the north west. It has been downgraded to a lagging region within the EU. It is in areas like that we know there are challenges in respect of employment opportunities, building sustainable communities and promoting green ethical farming. All of those matters come under the CAP budget. It must be ensured that we have this commitm…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Dillon. Youthreach and community training centres, CTCs, provide educational opportunities for young people when mainstream education fails to meet their learning needs or is not suited to those needs. These learners often come from hard-to-reach communities and communities that are excluded and often live with disadvantage. In Youthreach and CTC programmes, learners aged between 15 and 21 work towards achieving Quality and Qualifications Ireland, QQI, levels 3 and 4 qu…

I thank the Minister of State for his response, which is very disappointing. It is an insult, and 7% is an insult. Section 56, section 10 and section 39 workers, Tús workers and Citizens Information employees all got the settlement of 9.25%. The latter are funded organisations as well, but the Government is saying that 7% is acceptable. The WRC ruled in favour of SIPTU in respect of the claim of 9.25%. It is very insulting that the Government has gone back to say that the workers should accept 7% when the WRC has i…

I echo Senator McCormack's request for a full debate in this House on domestic and gender-based violence. Such a debate is long overdue. I want to talk about a different issue. Last week, I had the privilege of welcoming a group of learners from the Sligo and Leitrim community training centres to Leinster House. There are more than 31 community training centres across the country. They cater for young people whose needs were not met in school or else school was unsuitable for their needs. These learners engaged act…

The Labour Party wholeheartedly welcomes this legislation. It is a testament to the bravery and resilience of the French family, who have campaigned so strongly for this absolutely necessary legislation. Their advocacy for Valerie's legacy and for her children has been powerful and moving to see. I thank David and Veronica, who are in the Gallery. We hope to see this Bill being progressed quickly. We also need to make sure that this legislation is watertight. It is vital that we get this right. With this in mind, I…

I offer condolences to the Minister of State on the passing of his siblings, one of whom I knew, Matt.