Yes.

Ba mhaith liom mo chomhghairdeas a dhéanamh leis an Seanadóir Moynihan agus lena fear chéile nua. Congratulations. I acknowledge and commend the President, Michael D. Higgins, on his many acts of reconciliation and peace-building over many years in elected office, with a majority of people-----

Ceart go leor. The Leas-Chathaoirleach's role is to keep us right, so he can consider me kept right. I will try to be as creative as other colleagues in making my next contribution, seeing that it is the first day back and all. There is no leeway, it seems.

I suppose "events, dear boy", events have proven that the debate as we mark our way through the decade of centenaries is live. The debate around partition, not just the historic legacy but the malign impact it still has on our lives, is in the political realm 100 years later and should not be shied away from, but should be addressed.

I noted some discussion in the public discourse around the correct use of titles. Without commenting on the President or the office-----

I could not even imply. I think it keeps me on safe political ground to say that, while the President is in office, not all of us can vote for the President. As I have raised often in this House, I think it is a programme for Government commitment. We have reached a time past the restrictions where the referendum committed to to extend voting rights to citizens in the North and among our diaspora should be outlined. I ask the Leader to raise that with her Government colleagues as a matter of urgency. It is an issue…

Sinn Féin supports this motion to opt into the Prüm convention decision for an extension on the time period to exchange DNA profiles, finger prints and vehicle data with the UK. In doing so, we wish to highlight a number of concerns, some of which relate to civil liberties and the need to subject the strictest oversight to particular types of technology that are associated with the measures contained in the Prüm Convention. For example, there are plans to build similar databases such as Eurodac, which traces migran…

Climate action, or more particularly, climate inaction is probably the most pressing issue facing humanity. Prior to the arrival of the pandemic, the debate about climate action especially for those not closely involved in it and whole positions of authority in Government or influence in business had the status of a college debate - swot up on the facts, make an impressive and passionate speech, wipe one's brow, take a deep breath, feel good about one's comments and carry on as before, until the next time one is ca…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire fásta. This is my first opportunity to engage with Deputy Humphreys in her role as Minister for Justice. I welcome her to the House. Today's debate provides us with an opportunity to assess the current state of the capacity of the Oireachtas, the judicial system and the policing system to deliver on the most fundamental objective of all three institutions, that is, the protection of the public in their homes, communities, places of work and businesses. The State has many responsibilities…

Ar dtús báire, cuirim fáilte roimh an chéim shuntasach agus tábhachtach a glacadh an tseachtain seo caite i dtaca le reachtaíocht Ghaeilge ó Thuaidh. Seo reachtaíocht ar a bhfuilimid ag fanacht le tamall maith, le blianta fada anuas, agus is dea-scéal é go raibh muid in ann é seo a bhaint amach. I will begin my remarks by welcoming last week's news about Irish language legislation in the North. As the Leader and colleagues know, this is a long-standing commitment to Gaeilgeoirí, going back to the Good Friday Agreem…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Leas-Chathaoirleach agus ba mhaith liom tréaslú leis an méid a bhí le rá aige agus ag comhghleacaithe eile faoin iarSheanadóir Pádraig Ó Céidigh mar tá ardmholadh tuillte aige. Is cuimhin liom an chaint ar an mBille seo in 2018 nuair a phléamar é sa Seanad an uair dheireanach agus dúirt mé gur éacht a bhí ann nuair a bhí duine in ann tús a chur le reachtaíocht cosúil leis seo. Ach is éacht ar leith atá i gceist é nuair a bhíonn duine in ann é a chur go hiomlán tríd an Oireachtas. Tá súil ag…

In deference to the guidance of the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the procedure, I do not need to say a great deal more other than to welcome the return of the Bill and hope it will be successfully concluded in this House today.

I suggest that Senator Davitt goes for it.

I want to acknowledge and welcome the announcement earlier today from the First Ministers in the North that they have secured agreement from the Government of Mauritius to re-examine the investigation of the murder of Michaela McAreavey. It is hard to believe that it took place ten years ago. For a decade now, John, the McAreavey and Harte families have been campaigning for justice for Michaela. I do not want to say too much about it with the investigation being reopened again, other than to extend, on behalf of ev…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I will not needlessly delay the House or the passage of this Stage other than to say I share the concerns and regret of some colleagues about the delay in the Bill coming before the House. A number of colleagues also raised the issue of new forms of criminality with respect to finances and how way we adapt to counterfeiting given the increasing move to online services and various services referenced by Senator Conway, be it PayPal or whatever it may be. My colleagues in the other …

I welcome the change to this week's Order of Business to allow for the continuation of Committee Stage of the Affordable Housing Bill on Friday. The arrangement is a helpful and positive move given the level of debate that is required and the number of amendments that have been submitted. I recognise the historic vote in the Dáil last week with the passage of the motion on Palestine. It is important and timely and sends a positive and correct message internationally from these Houses. I pay tribute to one of Irelan…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. The purpose of this Bill is to consolidate the State's maritime jurisdiction law into one Act. On the face of it, that is a sensible and admirable purpose but it appears that the Bill's proposers have jumped too many hurdles ahead of the need for the content of the Bill to be debated and scrutinised properly before it becomes law. It makes sense to amalgamate the different elements that the Bill identifies, such as planning for our marine area similar to what is in place for land …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. In the motion before us the Government is proposing an extension of this legislation to 31 July. Before we have even voted on the motion, and there appears to be unanimous support for it across the House, many people will already begin asking when the next date will be. People will want to keep a rolling watch on how we proceed on this issue in the broader context of the easing of restrictions that, thankfully, is being rolled out over the next weeks and months. It is important to remem…

Is the matter regarding citizens in the North being looked at?

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit don Bhille anocht. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Boylan, ní hamháin as an Bhille agus as an ábhar seo a chur le chéile ach as é a chur os ár gcomhair don díospóireacht fosta. I wish to address the wider legal aid issues beyond the pertinent issue my colleague, Senator Boylan, has raised. She has achieved a very welcome breakthrough for those directly affected. In terms of some of the earlier contributions, it was perhaps the intervention of Senator Boylan that put this change …