I second the amendment.

I agree wholeheartedly with Senator O'Loughlin's remarks on Changing Places. It is transformative in terms of what it does in helping families facing real difficulties in daily life. The dignity of knowing they have support for their loved ones and that they can plan a day or a series of days out makes a real difference in their lives. This is something I have raised in the Seanad previously, so I would support working with Senator O'Loughlin and other colleagues into the future. Throughout this week a number of us…

The British Government's amnesty proposals for dealing with the people that its armed forces killed, openly and secretly, is an attempt to cover up murder by the British state on a grand scale. It is aimed at protecting those who pulled the triggers and those who politically gave its armed forces permission to carry out public and secret executions, in the main of people not involved in the conflict who were primarily members of the nationalist community. The Relatives for Justice organisation, which is dedicated t…

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear

Ba mhaith liom comhbhrón ó chroí a dhéanamh ar bhás Paddy Moloney, comhbhunaitheoir an bhanna ceoil The Chieftains. Ba laoch mór ceoil agus chultúr na hÉireann é atá imithe anois ar shlí na fírinne agus go ndéana Dia trócaire air. I thank the Leader for outlining the Order of Business. As other colleagues stated, we will have an opportunity to outline our views and perspectives on the budget in the allocated time this afternoon. For now, I want to raise a number of issues. I welcome the announcement by the EU that …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire don phlé agus tréaslaím leis an méid a dúradh faoinár gcara, an iar-Sheanadóir Terry Leyden. Tagraím don sárobair a rinne sé i dtaca leis an reachtaíocht seo sa Seanad deireanach. I thank the Minister for being here for what has again been a very respectful and informed discussion on Second Stage. I read the previous Second Stage debate in the last Seanad and it is hard to believe that it was five years ago in 2016. That debate was very respectful and quite similar in that we all agreed …

Cuirim fáilte roimh fhoilsiú na tuairisce faoi institiúidí ó Thuaidh. I want to begin by welcoming the publication today of the report Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses in Northern Ireland. The work was carried out by Ms Deirdre Mahon, Dr. Maeve O'Rourke and Professor Phil Scraton for the North's Executive. We are aware that the impact of the institutions is still felt in many instances across all of our country. We know that, very often, women and girls from the North were sent to in…

Is that a defence in law?

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Tá mé sásta go bhfuil seal agam chun cúpla focal a rá ar na ráitis seo anocht. I welcome the Minister to the Chamber for statements. On behalf of Sinn Féin, I extend our solidarity and support to the people of Belarus and their opposition to oppression by the Government of Alexander Lukashenko. The people of Ireland know only too well what it is like to live in circumstances where the people's expressed will at the ballot box has been ignored, suppressed and replaced with the expressed …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, an Teachta Butler. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Currie as ligean dom labhairt ar dtús. I have a couple of technical questions. I appreciate that the Minister of State might not have all the technical answers but I trust that she will use her good offices to instruct officials to achieve clarity and to communicate. I initially submitted this matter to ask when the portal would be going live. We understand now that it was up yesterday but that it is going live today. Off the b…

The 50:50 approach is always good. I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I appreciate that there were many technical questions and we might need that additional information if she could furnish us with it. I have two brief points, and Senator Currie referred to them. People had intended this from a genuine and sincere motivation. We are sure they were trying to assist online yesterday. However, what is clear to me, and we must get clarity on this if the Minister of State cannot give it, is that if people app…

I forgot to wish the Minister of State a happy birthday, which I probably should have done.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Tá súil agam go bhfuil an tuairisc seo agus obair an choiste ina chuidiú dó agus é i mbun a chuid oibre, ní hamháin i dtaca leis an mBreatimeacht ach i dtaca le cúrsaí níos leithne arís. I join with colleagues in thanking our Chair and acknowledging her work in bringing together such a comprehensive and representative body of groups and organisations, not least in the context of Covid and all of the difficulties and challenges that represented for her and the secretariat. I am ver…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, cosúil le mo chomhghleacaithe eile. Táim sásta go bhfuil an seal agam cúpla focal a rá ag an chéim seo den Bhille. Cé go bhfuil sé tábhachtach go bhfuil an díospóireacht agus an comhrá seo againn faoina leithéid de chúrsaí, tá sé fíor thábhachtach fosta go ndéanaimid rud éigin faoin ábhar seo. An rud is tábhachtaí faoin reachtaíocht atá os ár gcomhair inniu ná go bhfuil sé ag tabhairt seans don Rialtas agus don Stát rud éigin a dhéanamh faoin ábhar seo. Is é sin an rud is tábhacht…

Tá ábhair ghairide ar mhaith liom a lua inniu. The Leader will know, and I am sure she will agree, that in recent months there has been a lot of noise generated about the protocol. It is important to recentre ourselves and actually deal in facts and realities when it comes to the protocol and the protections and mitigations it offers this island, specifically to the North. As we know, there is no good Brexit but the protocol protects the all-island economy. It is timely that we consider having a range of statements…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus ba mhaith liom mo leithscéal a ghabháil leis as a óráid a chailleadh ach tá a ráiteas léite agam. I apologise for missing the Minister's opening remarks. I have read the speech that was given to us by the ushers. I am sure many of the sentiments I express tonight will be similar to those expressed by colleagues already. During the debate in the Dáil on the raft of amendments contained in the Bill, my colleague, Deputy Brady, made it clear that Sinn Féin supported this legislation. H…

Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis na moltóirí as an mBille seo. I welcome the Minister of State and commend the proposers of this legislation because, as has been said so eloquently by colleagues, there is a need for it. In listening to the powerful testimony from Senator Keogan, it certainly touched on the reasons it is necessary and, in what was a powerful and convincing contribution from Senator Chambers, she laid out the extremes, for want of a better term, of why legislation such as this is necessary for victims. I ag…

It says a lot.

Hear, hear.