Do not worry about that. Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach as an seal labhairt go han-tapa faoi leasú Uimh. 10 atá os ár gcomhair. I only want to indicate my thanks to colleagues who have expressed support for amendment No. 10 in the name of my colleague, Senator Warfield. I need not rehearse all the fine arguments that have been made on the importance of language, particularly in legislation as important as this. While there may be some minor disagreement on the language, the sentiment of what we a…

Yes. I do so respectful of what the Minister of State and other colleagues have said. We all have a job of work to do in this House. I do not think I am speaking out of turn when I say that there is a general consensus that the wording, as presented in the Bill, could be improved. Amendment No. 10 may not be perfect but it is an improvement as it contains the word "sustainable", which other Senators have asked about. There is a strong case to be made for having the wording inserted in the Bill. If there are further…

At this very moment, once again crowds of young people who are representing An Dream Dearg, which is the campaign group for an Irish language Act, are gathered safely and in a socially-distanced fashion outside of Stormont. The group is predominantly made up of young people. It is not all young people who are involved in the campaign but the vast bulk of them certainly are. Albeit in a much changed societal situation, the group is once again engaging with political leaders and representatives there about the need t…

Cuirim fáilte ar ais roimh an Aire. I want to speak to my amendments in the group, Nos. 2 and 4. I have spoken at length about the rationale for them. The Opposition groups in the Seanad are seeking to do similar things but in a different way and with different intended outcomes. The discussion we had yesterday was respectful, by and large. From right across the Chamber and, indeed, the Minister, we heard concerns over the level of power being gifted to the Minister. We heard from Members across the House on the me…

I thank the Minister and absolutely accept that he does not set the Seanad's Order of Business. That is certainly not the point I was trying to make but, nevertheless, I still believe my point is valid in the broader context. The Minister spoke about the crux of the issue being extension. I accept that with regard to what he is trying to do but, for us, the extension is too great. By proposing to change the word "November" to the word "July" and for us to come back here in July, I am not suggesting that it is a fai…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 5, line 9, to delete “November” and substitute “July”.

I echo the words of Senator O’Donovan and thank him for his remarks. Having experience of epilepsy in my family, it is important that we talk about it, share information and make sure people have such information. I say fair play to Senator O’Donovan agus gabhaim buíochas leis. I note a significant lifting of restrictions across the Six Countries this morning and wish people there a safe return to work and to a wide variety of activities and amenities. I encourage them to enjoy it but to do so safely and in line wi…

I am stuck here.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Since we last had this debate, an extreme wave of Covid-19 in January caught people by surprise. Thanks to the sacrifices made by the public and the valiant efforts of our front-line healthcare workers, we have brought this virus under control. The vaccine roll-out is, after a rocky start, as people have said, under way. The cases, though not as low as we would like, are stable. With the vast majority of older and vulnerable people vaccinated, many ask why we still need these regulation…

The purpose of the Bill is manifold. It is to ensure leave of 20 working days for those who have experienced a miscarriage and leave of ten working days for people in respect of assisted human reproduction such as IVF. It is also designed to create awareness and discussion about the impact of miscarriage in a compassionate and considerate way and to put a belated focus on miscarriage and reproductive health, which is often shrouded in silence with so many people suffering as a result. The Bill's intent dovetails wi…

From one Seanad to another, I note and welcome the resolution passed in the US Senate last night reaffirming its unwavering support for the Good Friday Agreement and its full implementation. A similar motion was before the Seanad last week in which we reiterated and reaffirmed our collective support. We called for the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. Following the passing of an amendment I had tabled, we included the Stormont House legacy mechanisms, while a successful amendment tabled by Senator B…

Tuigim an méid atá ráite agat, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. I will take your advice in regard to the tightness of today's debate. Senator Ward has broadly outlined my read of this amendment. I spoke to it at an earlier stage regarding the experience of concerns in the North about some of these pre-trial hearings and, in some instances, how they could potentially be used to test witnesses. I broadly support subsection (2) of the amendment in principle, but the experience and the growing concerns about the reference in subs…

I also welcome the amendment to today's Order of Business to include statements on the situation in Palestine. Like Senator McDowell, I want to refer to the weekend's cyberattack which was a very serious development. Systems are under attack all of the time but this was a successful attack, at least in terms of breaking through. It is possibly the most significant cyberattack on the Irish State and prompts questions about the robustness of the State's cybersecurity. This goes right to the heart of data and systems …

I thank the Minister for coming to the House for this important and necessary debate. I begin by expressing my sympathies and those of my party and our solidarity with all those who have lost their lives, particularly in the days and weeks of this latest series of incidents. None of us has the time to do justice to the context that is required in a debate such as this. In the limited time afforded to me, I think it is important to lay out some of that context because the events of the past week did not happen witho…

Hear, hear.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit arís. Bhí sé linn aréir don phlé ar an tairiscint Comhaltaí Príobháideacha. Tá sé go maith go bhfuil sé linn arís. I will preface my remarks by stressing the obvious. I understand we are in exceptional times with regard to international travel. While we are all positive about and encouraged by the easing of restrictions North and South, there persists clear and coherent guidance with regard to safety and international travel. In no way do I seek to take away from or compete with th…

I thank the Minister of State for the update on the safe return of the passport service. I wish staff well and every success in getting back to work safely and clearing the backlog. He referenced the three offices. There are three offices in specific locations on this island, but there is a large geographical deficit and infrastructural void in terms of this important and much utilised service. I do not question the bona fides of the Passport Office staff and their dedication, but there are competing narratives her…

Gabhaim céad míle buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus leis an gCeannaire fosta. It was a big weekend for Antrim Gaels and not just because the team beat Clare in the hurling. I say that for the benefit of Senator Conway. Nevertheless it was a big weekend because Saturday's edition of the Irish News published an open letter to An Taoiseach and the Irish Government from 3,000 Antrim Gaels, including current and former hurlers, footballers, camógs, ladies' footballers and those involved in clubs in the county, which …

I move amendment No. 2: To delete the first paragraph after “That Seanad Éireann:” and substitute the following: “- reaffirms its commitment to the Good Friday Agreement and subsequent agreements, including the legacy mechanisms of the Stormont House Agreement and requests the full implementation of all aspects of these international agreements;"

I will digress slightly in my remarks because at the heart at this motion is the issue of dialogue. Let us have a dialogue because that is healthy, warranted and does no harm given the institution we are in. I listened very intently to Senator Blaney's remarks. I do not question for one second the beliefs that he holds very firm and dear, but I would never come into this institution and tell him to stop advocating for those beliefs. I would never, through him, tell the people who share his views to stop advocating …