Nevertheless, none of us derives our Irishness from the Good Friday Agreement. It runs much deeper than that. It is as natural to us as the flow of the Liffey, the Lagan or the Lee. It enshrined for us citizenship rights which I welcome the reference to in the motion. In conclusion, I challenge the Minister of State and Government colleagues across the House. The Good Friday Agreement is not the only provision about citizenship. Article 2 of the Constitution states that it is the birthright and entitlement of every…

Will the Senator take a point?

The wait-and-see attitude towards Brexit is held from a position of immense privilege. There are many of us in the North who do not want to wait and see the negatives of Brexit, which we voted against.

I am saying-----

Can I raise a point of order on a matter? I may be stretching my luck.

As I listened to the last number of remarks it just struck me-----

Perhaps we should have elected a unionist to the Seanad.

The informed speculation in recent days that the British Government intends to legally grant an amnesty to its armed forces and to renege on the Stormont House Agreement is a retrospective licence to kill. Although this is shocking it will not come as a surprise to the thousands of relatives grieving for the loss of a relative killed by the British crown forces. The peace process in the North has brought significant benefits to all of our society and Ireland is a better place because of it but the full benefits of …

I second the amendment.

I gave the examples given in one day's newspaper. That was the approach I took.

There are, of course.

Ar dtús báire, cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit ar ais chuig an Teach fá choinne na díospóireachta ar na ráitis seo inniu. The European digital green certificate moves society in the right direction, but it is not a perfect solution for international travel. My colleague, Sinn Féin MEP, Chris MacManus, has extended a guarded welcome to the initiative, but insists a cautious approach must be taken to ensure that it is a success. It is designed to facilitate a smooth path to the resumption of international travel, b…

I second the amendment, seeing as it will not be pressed and on that condition.

In the spirit of what was said by colleagues, I got my vaccine on Tuesday and I am delighted. I got my vaccine on Tuesday and my hair cut on Saturday.

Members should not be too jealous. I wish the vaccination roll-out programme in the South every success and every best wish because it is crucial that there not be too much of a disparity between what is rolled out in the North and what is rolled out in the South. A disparity works against our joint efforts in trying to battle through this. On my main point this afternoon, I thank and express solidarity with all those in the emergency services and, indeed, the Air Corps, who have been battling the devastating fires…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit chuig an Seanad arís. Sinn Féin will not be opposing the passage of this motion through the Seanad today. Other colleagues have outlined eloquently all the reasons such a motion is felt to be necessary in tackling cross-border and international crime. However, we are parliamentarians and we have an obligation to scrutinise and weigh up such significant legislation and how it might compete against issues of civil liberties and human rights. I therefore welcome the opportunity for th…

I apologise to my colleagues, the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the Minister of State for arriving late to this Stage of the Bill. On a procedural point, am I correct in saying that Senators are speaking on section 1 of the Bill, as opposed to any of Senator Ward's specific amendments?

Perfect. Thank you for that clarity.

I am always conscious during debates like this that I am in a room full of legal practitioners or former legal practitioners. I am not nor have I ever been a legal practitioner, so I always listen with great interest and great intent to what colleagues have to say. In regard to section 1, I addressed this at the earlier Stage of the Bill in the House. I agree with colleagues around the importance of pre-trial hearings and making that as accessible, as convenient and as rigorous as can be for juries, taking into con…

Both amendments expand the number of matters that could be considered at pre-trial hearings. I want to speak briefly to the experience in the Six Counties where arraignment hearings have expanded in scope and have been used as a means to test witnesses, including in one high profile and well-known trial. The stated reasons for holding pre-trial hearings should be kept as they are in the view of Sinn Féin and it would be on that basis that we would be opposed to these amendments, depending on what Senator Ward inten…