Senator Clonan might need to add a fada to his name.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Is Bille thar a bheith tábhachtach é seo agus, mar atá ráite ag comhghleacaithe eile, ceann a bhfuil ag déileáil le cásanna nuair atá daoine faoin a lán struis agus a lán brú. Cibé rud gur féidir linn a dhéanamh a laghdaíonn an strus agus an brú sin agus a chruthaíonn coinníollacha i bhfad níos fearr faoi choinne daoine agus iad ag dul tríd an gcóras dlí, is rud maith dearfach é sin. State institutions of any description present difficulties on many fronts - too many to mention here - f…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus leis an gCeannaire chomh maith. There are a couple of issues I wish to get through today and the first is that in the past week, we saw another day of quite severe disruption on the Belfast to Dublin rail line. There was a day of miscommunication and delays. We know of the economic and societal importance of that connection between the two major cities and what it brings to the economies and lives of both cities. It is time to ask the Leader to request an update from the…

Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an Aire. I apologise at the outset for missing the Minister's contribution, but I was following it in the office. I hope he does not mind me beginning on a slightly different subject, and then I will return to the substantive point we are discussing here today. Yesterday in the Seanad I raised the case of young Dáithi MacGabhann from Belfast. He is waiting on a heart transplant. The Minister will be familiar with the progress on the human tissue Bill in this jurisdiction. Dáithi a…

The Minister of State is welcome. I also welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I will not rehearse all the points because there is pretty much universal agreement on the salient point and the intention of the legislation. I commend Senator Malcolm Byrne and his Fianna Fáil colleagues for introducing it. The first point I want to make, which is probably the most important and the crux of this matter, is that there is zero justification for the attacks on the homes of my colleagues Deputy Martin Kenny and …

Comhghairdeas.

The Leader seems shocked.

I want to begin by speaking about the Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill 2022. I have raised this Bill a number of times in the House and welcomed it. Each time I spoke about the legislation and welcomed and encouraged its progress through the Oireachtas, I always referenced with great pride and great affection, young Dáithi MacGabhann from Belfast. I am wearing my Dáithi superhero badge today. I assume Senator Hoey is wearing bright sparkly pink in solidarit…

Crazy.

Hear, hear. Well said.

Not yet.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Ar dtús báire, ba mhaith liom mo leithscéal a ghabháil leis an Aire Stáit agus leis na moltóirí as tús na díospóireachta a chailliúint. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I apologise to the proposers and the Minister of State for missing the first part of this debate but welcome the opportunity to speak on this important motion. As the Minister of State will know, Sinn Féin's justice spokesperson, Deputy Martin Kenny, has called for a transport policing division f…

Get it done.

Well said.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach, an Seanadóir Norris, ar ais chuig an Seanad agus gabhaim buíochas lenár n-iar-Chathaoirleach agus lenár n-iar-Leas-Chathaoirleach. I will begin by thanking the outgoing Cathaoirleach, Senator Mark Daly, and acknowledge, as have other colleagues, his real steadfast commitment to the House and pushing the boundaries of the House. I am sure my fellow group leaders will acknowledge he could be a right pain in the neck sometimes in terms of how he was trying to push it an…

You and me both

Like Senator Boyhan, I am conscious of the time of day and the time of year. I am sure everybody, including the new officeholders, will want to get out the gap. I spoke earlier about the Cathaoirleach's appointment and congratulated him on that. I wish him well and, likewise, Senator Mark Daly in the context of both his former role and what will no doubt be his upcoming role. I will take a few minutes to convey my personal thanks and recognition on my own behalf and that of the Sinn Féin group to Senator Joe O'Reil…

The Senator has earned them.

It is the same with the Irish language too. He is good in that as well.

Well said.