Cuirim fáilte ar ais roimh an Aire. I thank the Minister for her time. I know it has been a long afternoon for her but I also know how significant and important all of these issues are to her and how willing she is to be here to engage with us in the Seanad. The national outpouring of grief, sympathy and support following the murder of Ashling Murphy did not just reflect anger and shock at that appalling murder but also highlighted the awareness that there is something deeply and fundamentally wrong in Irish societ…

I wish to take the opportunity to commend once again the bravery of the Women of Honour group. This is something that will be of interest and concern to the Deputy Leader. Colleagues will have seen the reaction of the Women of Honour after their meeting with the Minister for Defence, Deputy Coveney, this week. They continue to feel let down. It is really important that the Government listens to their concerns and actually acts on what they are calling for. We have heard all the right things being said over recent d…

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Cosúil leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach, aithním go mbíonn an tAire i gcónaí sásta teacht os ár gcomhair chun an t-ábhar seo a phlé agus táimid buíoch as sin. I welcome the Minister and acknowledge, as the Leas-Cathaoirleach has done, his willingness always to make himself available to us for discussions on these issues. I commend the Seanad special select committee, our Chair and my colleagues, the secretariat and all those contributors and witnesses who helped produce this important and co…

Hear, hear.

I also join colleagues in welcoming the easing of restrictions North and South over the past number of days, including in this House. I am sure that, like me, the Leader has missed seeing the school groups going around the building and members of men's sheds groups and other community organisations enjoying the tours and stopping and having a bit of craic in this House. It has been a real deficit for us all. I have missed bringing people into this House to engage with me in my role in the Seanad and hosting importa…

I echo the words of sympathy to Ashling Murphy's family, friends, community and pupils. I do not think anyone could fail to be moved, over a series of really traumatic days, watching through the media the image of Ashling's students forming a guard of honour at her funeral procession. I am also very conscious of the fact that there is a family grieving and that we have responsibilities in terms of what we say. That is weighted against the other responsibilities colleagues have talked about in terms of political and…

Hear, hear.

I congratulate Senator O'Loughlin on getting her booster vaccine this morning and I say "Fair play" to her. I hope she does not feel the effects of it too much. My brother texted me the other day when he got his booster to say that he was feeling a bit ropy afterwards, but he was glad to get it. I wish the Senator well. I have seen quite a few photographs online of a walk-in clinic at the community centre in my parish in the Short Strand. There was a queue along the street with people going in to get their booster.…

Talk about living in the past.

Like Senator Warfield, I acknowledge, commend and thank Senator Higgins for bringing this motion before us. I do not have a great deal more to add beyond what has been said by those colleagues arguing in support of the motion, including Senators from the other side of the Chamber. They have laid out effectively and clearly the health, human rights, justice and economic rationale for the Government implementing a TRIPS waiver. They have also made clear the political and ethical arguments as to why, from the perspect…

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire Stáit as a bheith linn. Tuigim go bhfuil an tAire, an Teachta Coveney, gnóthach ar maidin agus tá mé ag súil go mór le comhfhreagras a dhéanamh leis maidir leis an ábhar seo. I appreciate that the Minister is at a Cabinet meeting this morning and otherwise engaged but this is an issue of fundamental concern to, I think, all of us. As I said last week, there are tens of thousands of journeys made across the Border each day. There are thousands of people living in t…

I thank the Minister of State for her response on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Coveney. It is a multifaceted issue. This has the potential to impact on a range of aspects of people’s lives. I think of the healthcare sector, for example, and the range of non-Irish and non-British citizens who work in it. What will happen if someone living in Donegal who crosses the Border to go to work in Altnagelvin has a car accident and is asked by the PSNI to produce this particular visa? Will he or she be deported? What will …

I want to join in the remarks expressed by Senator Craughwell on the Miami Showband and the case in Belfast yesterday. I want to take a moment to elaborate on that. The survivors and families of those murdered in that atrocity have been awarded damages of about £1.5 million, as well as significant legal costs. The British Ministry of Defence and the PSNI settled the case, which alleged collusion. We know the fake checkpoint where the Miami Showband met its untimely and unfortunate demise was a joint endeavour betwe…

Hear, hear.

Absolutely.

I wish to join my colleagues, Senators Sherlock and Chambers, in expressing my deep concern about the so-called Nationality and Borders Bill that has passed through Westminster. Even its very name is telling when we consider that a key part of the withdrawal agreement was to ensure that there would be no hardening of the Border in Ireland. This legislation hardens the Border for thousands of our fellow EU citizens and non-EU citizens who are resident in this State. It should be a cause of deep concern for all of us…

I commend and thank the front-line workers in the emergency services and across statutory agencies who have been out during Storm Barra and no doubt will be out again, unfortunately, over the rest of the winter dealing with adverse weather events. While acknowledging and thanking them for their work is important, we might give some thought across the Chamber to how we might do an item of work that would support those on the front line. The past few days have highlighted the issues Senator Craughwell, in particular,…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit agus cuirim fáilte ar ais don Chéim seo roimhe. Fáiltíonn Sinn Féin roimhe go bhfuil an tAire Stáit tar éis teacht ar ais maidir leis an leasú seo mar a gheall sé ag Céim an Choiste agus go bhfuil sé ag glacadh leis an méid a bhí le rá againn agus ag Conradh na Gaeilge. Tá rudaí ann a bhí inár leasú nach bhfuil i leasú an Aire Stáit áfach. Chinntigh ár leasú go mbeadh an Ghaeilge ann ar dtús, sa chlófhoireann chéanna leis an mBéarla agus den chló céanna agus den stíl chéanna. Chi…