This has gone beyond the realm of being disrespectful to Members of this House to bordering on being undemocratic in terms of what is being done. It should give everyone in this House cause for concern. If this is to become the precedent, then it is deeply worrying. I am confident in saying that those of us on this side of the House would be highly reluctant to participate in business that reduces and demeans the House and amounts to a rubber-stamping exercise involving racing through all Stages of a Bill in one fe…

We thought, up until I got a telephone call to say that the schedule had suddenly been changed, that we were being afforded the opportunity to speak on that.

I understand that too. The point I am making is that people should not try to blame us for the change in the scheduling.

To do what? Was it to have a full and proper scheduled sitting?

Yesterday I raised the very serious situation in the Skellig Star direct provision centre in Cahersiveen. I asked that the House would hear statements from a Minister on the very stark humanitarian crisis that residents in the centre are facing and an update on the Government's plans to bring the system of direct provision to an end. It was the responsible thing to do to suggest we provide an opportunity to hear such an update, engage on this issue and raise concerns, not least given the fact that residents in the …

I listened intently to the Deputy Leader and I do not doubt her efforts. However, given the strong feelings and the consensus in the House and the fact that the Minister will not be available tomorrow given that the North-South Ministerial Council is meeting, it is important that a clear message is sent from this House. I will press the amendment.

I am sharing time with Senator Boylan. I will take four minutes and she will take two. I will begin by expressing solidarity with the residents of the Skellig Star centre. They are the primary reason we are all here today. I welcome the Minister and thank her for joining us. I note the welcome Government Senators have extended to her despite those Senators voting against the motion to invite her earlier this morning. That is an important point to make for the benefit of those watching. Does the Minister accept that…

I also want to raise the dire and serious situation in the Skellig Star direct provision centre. Direct provision is a stain on society. It is a great shame that this system prevails. The Government has made a commitment in its programme for Government to end that system. I fully endorse that. I want to see action on that and we need to see it now, not least for the people who are existing in some of these awful conditions. I have seen some of them, as I know other Members have also during our research in the previ…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus gabhaim buíochas léi as an ráiteas cuimsitheach atá leagtha amach aici dúinn inniu. Tá mé fíordhíograiseach ó thaobh cúrsaí turasóireachta de, go háirithe nuair a chuireann siad lenár bpobal agus lenár n-eacnamaíocht. The Minister is very welcome to the Seanad and I wish her well during her term of office. She will be aware that Sinn Féin proposed to give a voucher to every man, woman and child in the State. The staycation voucher plan would …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Tá mé buíoch go bhfuil deis agam labhairt sa Teach agus an reachtaíocht thábhachtach seo á plé againn. The Minister is very welcome to the Seanad I welcome the opportunity to discuss this important legislation. As others have done, Sinn Féin will support the legislation, although we have an amendment that I will speak to in this contribution so I do not necessarily have to repeat those remarks later. I agree with speakers who have expressed sentiment around the need to try to effectivel…

I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, line 2, after “provisions” to insert the following: “and continue in operation until the 9th day of November 2020, unless a resolution approving of its continuation has been passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas”. I referred to this amendment in my Second Stage contribution. I will begin by saying that the composition of the group of justice spokespersons has changed in the Seanad, as has the Minister, but it was my experience from sitting on the Joint Committee on Justice and E…

With such an inspiring rallying call, how could I not? I thank Senator Boyhan. I listened to Senator Ward. My experience on justice matters in the Seanad is that they have been conversational. Members have engaged with and listened to one another and spoken out on matters about which we feel strongly. I would probably concede the Senator's point more broadly if the Bill presented to us today, and certainly in how it was presented beforehand, pertained solely to the issue of the Covid-19 emergency and other such cri…

In many ways we have a consensus here but I reiterate for the record that the amendment will not delay any of those demands. I fully accept that many of the demands are necessary and come from within the sector. It is about freeing up backlogs and helping people who work within our courts system. I have no issue with that and I do not disagree with the Minister in that regard. If the amendment passes, that will still happen. It will not hinder any of that. As has been articulated, it will give us the opportunity to…

Aontaím leis an méid atá ráite ag an Seanadóir Sherlock. I agree with pretty much everything Senator Sherlock said when expressing her concerns about some of the specifics announced, or rather not announced, in the July stimulus package. I am concerned about the way we are doing and are expected to do our business in this House over the next while. While none of us is shying away from the important work facing us over the next few weeks, a number of substantial Bills are coming before us and they are being taken at…

Last year over 900,000 passport applications were made to the Irish Passport Office. Over 94,000 of them came from the North and Britain. In one day in 2018 the office received over 10,000 applications. I acknowledge that currently restrictions are being placed on people and we know about the advice regarding international travel, albeit it is confused and calamitous at times. However, as we navigate a way through the current restrictions people will, please God, begin to travel again and it will hopefully become a…

Tá fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I will be sharing time with Senator McCallion. Mar a dúirt mo chomghleacaithe, guím gach rath ar an Aire Stáit ina théarma nua. Sinn Féin will be opposing this legislation, although we do not run contrary to any of the valiant views outlined by speakers thus far. All of what has been articulated up to this point by other speakers has made absolute sense. It is what this Government, this Oireachtas and our society should be aspiring to. My concern is why these things are not happening …

I am not afraid to say mea culpa when it is required. I was not clear enough in my Second Stage contribution. I probably jumped ahead of myself to this Stage. We oppose the amendments, as I made clear. Our opposition to the legislation is based on those amendments being taken as part of this Bill. Although I posed a series of questions regarding the Department and its functions, I hope the Department achieves all the things I outlined. We have a vision for further and higher education and that is why Senator McCall…

I welcome yesterday's announcement by the Taoiseach that the North-South Ministerial Council will meet at the end of this month. That is a positive and necessary step forward, and I wish all concerned well in their work. I also welcome the apology issued this week by the Chief Constable of the PSNI to investigative journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey. Some colleagues might remember that I hosted a briefing with Trevor and Barry, two respected, experienced and esteemed investigative journalists in the Nort…

I want to express my solidarity and support, given the very bad news announced this morning in regard to Eason in the North. Eason is reviewing its stores throughout the Six Counties, where it employs 144 staff members. Within the context of Covid as outlined by Senator Chambers for other sectors, it is a very stark reminder of the real threat posed to our economy by the Covid crisis. Eason is a very familiar Irish brand, well known to all of us, and I hope it can engage with the 144 workers and their representativ…

Ba mhaith liom ár gcomhionannas agus ionadaíocht a ardú ar an Ord Gnó inniu. Technically this Chamber is the Seanad but I appreciate and recognise the important symbolic significance of us being here. In particular, I am very conscious of the significance, personally and politically, for myself as a Belfast man and Senator Elisha McCallion as a proud Derry woman to be taking our seats in this Chamber. On every occasion we have convened as the Twenty-sixth Seanad I have raised the shared Ireland aspect of the progra…