Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom tacú leis an mBille atá os ár gcomhair anocht. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus ar ndóigh na teaghlaigh atá linn sa ghailearaí. The Minister is welcome to the House for this important debate. It is important because any opportunity to reflect on issues of justice and rights is always exactly that. First and foremost, all our thoughts are with those who died, those who survived that awful fire and those families who lost loved ones. Many of them are gathered with us here in the Seanad C…

Cuirim fáilte roimh Ardmhéara Chorcaigh agus a mhac atá linn inniu fosta. I welcome the lord mayor to the Chamber. I echo the sentiments of Senator Martin in relation to the very sudden and very sad death of Christopher Stalford, MLA. I have known Christopher for a long time. We were on Belfast City Council together. We travelled on a number of international delegations to the United States, in his role as chair of the development committee and my role as ardmhéara in Belfast. I knew Christopher before that, perhap…

I join colleagues in commending the Fianna Fáil Senators who have brought this Bill back before us today. I also acknowledge the role played by our former colleague, Dr. Keith Swanick. I spoke on Second Stage and indicated my support and that of Sinn Féin for the legislation. I reiterate this support today. I acknowledge the vital work community first responders do throughout Ireland. I was listening to the debate as people were reflecting on that and thought about a colleague of mine who people will know, Michelle…

The Acting Leader is very welcome to the hot seat. It is good to see her in it. I wish her well today. In response to Senator Keogan, people who identify as women are entirely normal and ordinary. I for one am glad to see organisations using inclusive and progressive language.

I wanted to make that point at the beginning of my remarks. I have not been in the Chamber for all of the Order of Business but I heard some colleagues refer to the developing situation in the North. I heard the Minister, Deputy Coveney, reflect on the latest stunt from the DUP in his remarks during last night's Private Members' business. My party will respond and give its own views in the course of the day. I do not want to pre-empt any of that other than to say it is important that we hold firm to the political u…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit chuig an tSeanad. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Seanadóir Flynn as an reachtaíocht seo a chur os ár gcomhair fá choinne díospóireachta an lae inniu. Mar atá ráite ag comhghleacaithe eile, is Bille thar a bheith tábhachtach é seo. Ar leibhéal amháin tá sé iontach simplí sa mhéid atá sé ag iarraidh a dhéanamh. Mar atá ráite agus mar atá súil agam go mbeidh mé in ann a rá inniu, tá an cuspóir agus an aidhm atá ag an mBille seo iontach tábhachtach. Déanfaidh sé difríocht ollmhór agus i…

Hear, hear.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus gabhaim buíochas le lucht Fhine Gael as an rún seo a leagan os ár gcomhair anocht. I welcome the Minister to the debate. As Senator Boyhan has already noted, the Minister has been asked a huge number of parliamentary questions on this matter. He has also responded to quite a number of Commencement matters on it as well since I became a Member in 2016. There is universal recognition across the Chamber that this is an issue that needs to be sorted because, as I stated last week on the…

Okay.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. The nationalist people of the North in particular look to the Taoiseach, the Irish Government, this Chamber and the Dáil to protect and defend their national, human and civil rights, and none more so than the thousands of people whose rights, including the right to life, have been trampled over by successive British Governments. Hundreds of nationalists and Catholics were killed as a result of collusion by the British Government's armed forces and loyalist paramilitary groups. Tho…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as an bhfreagra cuimsitheach a thug sé dúinn. Admhaíonn sé go bhfuil an Rialtas chun staidéar a dhéanamh ar an ábhar seo agus tuigim go mbeidh an staidéar sin de dhíth. I appreciate the comprehensive response of the Minister of State. While I appreciate his Department may need the time to absorb the full ramifications of this report, it is something that needs to be addressed because there is no hierarchy of victims, nor should there be. All of these killings, as he said, impact …

Cosúil le mo chomhghleacaithe, guím beannachtaí na féile Bríde ar achan duine. Is céiliúradh Bríde, céiliúradh na mban agus céiliúradh thús an Earraigh é inniu. I join colleagues in wishing everyone a happy St. Brigid's Day. This is a celebration of Bríde. It is a celebration of women. Ultimately it is a celebration of the start of spring and the triumph of light over darkness. I have been given a very special job by rang 4 i mBunscoil Bheann Mhadagain i mBéal Feirste. The primary 4 class, whose teacher is my frien…

Neither does the Saville inquiry.

The Saville inquiry says otherwise.

Hear, hear. Me too.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus leis an gCeannaire. I reiterate a call, which I referred to during the week but did not get a chance to speak on specifically. Colleagues from across the Chamber referred to the need for statements from the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Simon Coveney, on the Passport Office, the huge increase in demand for passports and the measures the Department will take to respond to that. I have raised this issue consistently since 2016, when I saw it coming down the track, n…

I thank the Leader.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I thank the Minister for outlining the comprehensive, important and far-reaching aspects of the Bill before us. As the Minister said, it is presented as a technical Bill to implement a new Garda operating model. As colleagues in the House have acknowledged, and I am sure others will, it makes sense that an organisation as large and of such importance as An Garda Síochána would take the opportunity through the Department and this legislation to re-evaluate how it is functioning and opera…

Tá fáilte roimh an Aire. Cosúil le Seanadóirí eile, cuirim fáilte roimh an reachtaíocht ar an gcéim seo. I had intended just to echo the sentiments of support for this legislation and what it seeks to do but it struck me listening to Senator Chambers that I have a technical question, if that is in order. I hope it does not expose my ignorance in comparison to some of my more learned friends. The Senator rightly mentioned the legislation going through the Assembly, led by the Minister of Justice there. It will allow…

Hear, hear.