Senator Craughwell raises some very concerning reports. I agree with him that the Minister should be brought in, at the very least to hear those issues and engage with them before ultimately, hopefully, speedily addressing them. I send best wishes and congratulate the people of Barbados on becoming a republic on 30 November. I wonder if you could write to the new President of Barbados, a Chathaoirligh, if you have not done so already. It would not be like you to miss the opportunity.

You might send best wishes from the whole of the Seanad, as opposed to just from yourself.

You can write to Rihanna too.

That is an entirely different subject altogether, one I will not raise on this occasion. In all seriousness, not only do I commend Barbados on this move but I have really enjoyed and have been greatly informed by the discussions they have been having on their colonial history and how they move positively to a post-colonial era. It has been inspiring to listen to that and I wish them every success for the future. This week too, we heard from the Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, in a very hopeful and positiv…

Here is hoping. Members will also have seen the correspondence from the Taoiseach's office marking a year of the shared island initiative. He touched on that in his remarks in the Seanad recently. There is merit in us having a very specific focused discussion about the shared island initiative in its first year and the events it is planned to hold in the coming year as well. The weekend's Red C poll showed that 65% of respondents supported the establishment of a citizens' assembly to look at the need for constituti…

Ar dtús báire, cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Seo rún eile i measc roinnt rúin atá pléite sa Teach ar na mallaibh maidir le cúrsaí domhanda agus cúrsaí idirnáisiúnta agus is rud maith é sin. I welcome the Minister of State to the House for this discussion. I note this is one of a number of recent Private Members' motions on international affairs. It is important that the Seanad takes the opportunity to reflect on and discuss issues on the world stage. Sinn Féin has serious concerns regarding reports of human ri…

Exactly.

Hear, hear.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I begin by extending my continued solidarity to those who endured these institutions and who continue to campaign for justice, truth, support and redress. I thank Senator Dolan for reading out the relevant numbers because it is important when we are having a discussion such as this that we are conscious of the fact that it can retraumatise. It is important we sit back and listen and also reinforce the message that there is support out there for people. I agree entirely with the forensic…

I want to agree with what has been said about our secretarial assistants’ pay. I want to begin by expressing my deepest sympathy and devastation at the loss of 27 souls in the channel between England and France. It is timely to call for statements on support for refugees. I do not want to call this a refugee crisis because the implication there is that somehow the refugees, the people themselves, are the crisis. In an actual fact, the real crisis primarily comprises the political, economic, military, ecological and…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom mo leithscéal a ghabháil leis as a óráid tosaigh a chailleadh ní ba luaithe. The Minister of State is very welcome to the Seanad. I apologise for missing his opening remarks. I was at a meeting of the Seanad Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight. Because I have come straight from that meeting to the Chamber, I am going to read my notes from my phone. I do not like doing that. Excuse me, but I did not have the opportunity to print them of…

Tairgim leasú Uimh. 1: I leathanach 7, idir línte 24 agus 25, an méid seo a leanas a chur isteach: “ciallaíonn ‘inniúlacht’ i gcomhthéacs na Gaeilge san Acht seo, agus in aon reachtaíocht eile, líofacht de leibhéal B1 nó níos airde ar an gCreat Comhchoiteann Tagartha Eorpach le haghaidh Teangacha;”. Is iontach an rud é go bhfuil sprioc sa Bhille seo go mbeidh 20% d'earcaithe nua sa Státseirbhís inniúil sa Ghaeilge faoi 2030. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Ó Snodaigh agus a chomhghleacaithe Dála ó Shinn Féin agus …

Ní aontaím leis an Aire Stáit maidir leis an áit is fóirsteanaí don argóint seo. Sílim go gcuireann an leasú seo leis an reachtaíocht. Ní dóigh liom gur mise an t-aon duine a bheidh díomá air nó uirthi maidir leis sin. Ar aon nós, tá a fhreagra tugtha ag an Aire Stáit. Brúfaidh mé an leasú seo.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach agus leis an Aire Stáit. Fáiltíonn Sinn Féin go bhfuil an tAire Stáit sásta glacadh leis an moladh seo ó Chonradh na Gaeilge. Mar sin, táimid sásta leasú Uimh. 3 a tharraingt siar agus glacadh le leasú Uimh. 2. Is é an rud céanna atá i gceist leo, mar atá ráite ag an Aire Stáit. Bheinn buíoch as soiléiriú a fháil ón Aire Stáit mar gheall ar an alt seo. An féidir leis an t-idirdhealú idir príomhoifigeach agus ceann comhlachta poiblí a mhíniú dúinn? Ón léamh atá againn ar …

Tairgim leasú Uimh. 4: I leathanach 9, idir línte 29 agus 30, an méid seo a leanas a chur isteach: “Cairt na Gaeilge 4. Leasaítear an Príomh-Acht tríd an gCuid nua seo a leanas a chur isteach i ndiaidh Chuid 1 (Réamhráiteach agus Ginearálta): “CUID 1A CAIRT NA GAEILGE Cairt a ullmhú don Ghaeilge 5 . (1) Déanfaidh an tAire, tar éis dul i gcomhairle le pobal labhartha na Gaeilge agus le hOifig Choimisinéir na dTeangacha Oifigiúla maidir le riachtanais an phobail, agus tráth nach déanaí ná bliain ó Acht na dTeangacha …

Fágfaidh mé leis an Seanadóir Mullen an Fhraincis a labhairt. In aonaid phoiblí, san ionad oibre, i gcás earraí a cheannach sna siopaí nó leas a bhaint as seirbhísí nó sa chóras oideachais, is é seo an dea-chleachtas idirnáisiúnta. Ba chóir dúinn foghlaim ó sin in áit pholasaí "English first" a bheith i bhfeidhm de ghnáth i ngach ceann de na hearnálacha seo. Ní féidir copy agus paste a dhéanamh ach oiread mar tá riachtanais ar leith ag pobal na Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachtaí nach bhfuil ag pobal na Fraincise i gCeanad…

Is mian liom an leasú a bhrú.

Tairgim leasú Uimh. 5: I leathanach 9, idir línte 29 agus 30, an méid seo a leanas a chur isteach: “Leasú ar alt 7 den Phríomh-Acht 4. Leasaítear alt 7 den Phríomh-Acht tríd an méid seo a leanas a chur isteach i ndiaidh “teangacha oifigiúla.”: “(a) Déanfaidh an tAire, tar éis taighde a dhéanamh ar riaráistí na nAchtanna nach bhfuil clóite agus foilsithe ach i gceann amháin den dá theanga oifigiúla go dtí sin, tráth nach déanaí ná bliain tar éis an tAcht seo a achtú, tuarascáil a chur faoi bhráid Thithe an Oireachta…

Tairgim leasú Uimh. 6: I leathanach 9, idir línte 29 agus 30, an méid seo a leanas a chur isteach: “Leasú ar alt 8 den Phríomh-Acht 4. Leasaítear alt 8 den Phríomh-Acht tríd an bhfo-alt seo a leanas a chur isteach i ndiaidh fho-alt (1): “(1A) Déanfaidh an tAire, tar éis dul i gcomhairle leis an gCoimisinéir Teanga, agus tráth nach déanaí ná bliain tar éis an tAcht seo a achtú, tuarascáil a chur faoi bhráid Thithe an Oireachtais ina leagfar amach na féidearthachtaí atá ann chun an chosaint atá ann don cheart atá ag …

Is mian, ach ba mhaith liom a chur in iúl nach n-aontaím leis an Aire Stáit arís, creid é nó ná creid. Nílimid ag iarraidh ón Aire Stáit ach tuarascáil a chur os ár gcomhair a amharcann ar dhea-chleachtas agus eispéireas eile i dtír ina bhfuil teanga mhionlach ag dul ó neart go neart. Ní thuigim agus tá díomá orm nach bhfuilimid sásta é sin a dhéanamh.