I move amendment No. 4: In page 100, between lines 16 and 17, to insert the following: “Consumer Rights relating to Language Options of On-Premises and Public Self-Service Kiosks 122. (1) This section shall take effect on a date to be set by the Minister, no earlier than 31 December 2023 and no later than 1 January 2026, and shall have effect only on self-service kiosks which are newly introduced, upgraded or updated, following that date. (2) In the case of a self-service kiosk, including but not limited to self-se…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. Táim ag glacadh na ráitis seo ar son mo chomhghleacaí, an Seanadóir Warfield, nach bhfuil ar fáil anocht. I welcome the opportunity to address the Minister on these important statements, the reasons for which colleagues have outlined. Every year, we have a situation where children and young people are tuned away from school transport because of a failure by the Government to recognise demand and invest in extra capacity. A number of months ago, Sinn Féin called for 10,000 extra places t…

Treaslaím leis an méid a bhí le rá ag an Leas-Chathaoirleach maidir le Comhthionól Parliaminteach na Breataine agus na hÉireann. Cúpla lá thar a bheith fiúntach a bhí i gceist. I agree with our Leas-Chathaoirleach who has acknowledged what was a very positive British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly meeting in the great county of Cavan over the last number of days. People will have been listening in intently, given what was happening in London as we were meeting in Cavan, and given the format in which we were meeting. …

Ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh an Aire Stáit fosta. Cé go dtacaíonn Sinn Féin leis an Bhille seo, cosúil le mo chomhghleacaí, an Seanadóir Ward, tá cúpla rud gur mhaith liom a lua ag an Chéim seo. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. In supporting this legislation, similar to my colleague, Senator Ward, I have some observations which I will relay in due course. As the Minister of State knows, the broad purpose of the European arrest warrant is to legally unify the EU in relation to the extradition case…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus roimh an Bhille atá os ár gcomhair. Tréaslaím leis an méid atá ráite aige go dtí seo agus molaim mholtóirí an Bhille, na Seanadóirí Doherty agus Seery Kearney. I begin by welcoming the Minister of State and thanking colleagues who have introduced this important Bill. I apologise to colleagues for missing their contributions. I was at a committee meeting. I wanted to contribute to this important debate. I acknowledge what Senator O'Loughlin said, that we recognise and appreciat…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 83, line 6, after “manner” to insert “in the Irish language or in both the Irish language and the English language”. Tá fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit-----

I hope the thunder is not an omen.

Thunder and lightning, it is no lark. Tá mé sásta go bhfuil an seal agam na leasuithe seo a phlé leis an Aire Stáit. Tá díomá orm nach raibh an seans againn bualadh le chéile roimhe seo chun na leasuithe a phlé, go háirithe mar gur iarr sé orainn é sin a dhéanamh. Chuir muid comhfhreagras isteach chuig oifig an Aire Stáit ag lorg cruinnithe chun na leasuithe seo a phlé roimh an gCéim seo, mar a bhí molta aige. Seo an áit ina bhfuilimid faoi láthair agus tá súil agam go mbeimid in ann idirghníomhaíocht dhearfach a b…

Tá cúpla rud le rá agam air sin. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Maidir leis an méid iomlán atá ráite aige, tá díomá orm ach níl dóchas caillte agam go hiomlán ach an oiread. Creidim go mór mór gur féidir linn teacht ar réiteach ar na hábhair atá luaite ag an Aire Stáit agus ní hamháin an spiorad, ach na rudaí praiticiúla atáimid ag iarraidh a dhéanamh trí na leasuithe seo, a bhaint amach. Déarfaidh mé cúpla rud maidir leis an méid atáimid ag iarraidh a bhaint amach agus an fáth go mbeadh na leasuithe seo ina …

Caithfidh mé a bheith cúramach ach, nuair a amharctar thart, chítear a leithéid. Tá An Cailín Ciúin sa phictiúrlann faoi láthair, an chéad scannán trí mheán na Gaeilge a bhailigh breis agus €1 milliún. Tá daoine ag iarraidh an Ghaeilge a consume. Amharctar ar rudaí cosúil le Baile Átha Cliath le Gaeilge. Is tionscadal fíormhaith é sin agus tréaslaím leis. Léiríonn sé gur cineál unique selling point é an Ghaeilge. Tá gnóthaí breá sásta, breá ullmhaithe agus breá oscailte chun amharc ar an nGaeilge agus ar an dáthean…

Tuigim agus aithním é sin. Is é an fáth go bhfuil mé ag iarraidh bualadh leis an Aire Stáit ná chun gur féidir linn, mar Bhaill den Oireachtas, tuiscint níos fearr a bheith againn agus mionscrúdú a dhéanamh, mar is é sin an ról atá againn. Is é sin ár jab. Cé go ndeir an tAire Stáit go bhfuil orainn a bheith cúramach, níl mórán contúirte i gceist leis seo, ach is é sin atá ráite agus aithním gurb é sin an chomhairle atá á fáil aige. Tá orainn a bheith rud beag spreagúil agus muiníneach faoi seo fosta agus gur chear…

I move amendment No. 3: In page 83, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following: "Language of On-Premises Information 103. (1) This section shall take effect on a date to be set by the Minister, no earlier than 31 December 2023 and no later than 1 January 2026, and shall have effect only on on-premises signage newly erected or altered following that date. (2) All information provided on on-premises signage aimed at consumers shall be in the Irish language or in both official languages. (3) In the event of the …

I move amendment No. 4: In page 83, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following: "Language of Information Required for Goods 103. (1) This section shall take effect on a date to be set by the Minister, no earlier than 31 December 2023 and no later than 1 January 2026, and shall have no effect on the packaging of products for sale prior to the date set by the Minister. (2) In order to be considered, provided in a clear and comprehensible manner in accordance with section 101 , all information specified in secti…

I move amendment No. 5: In page 100, between lines 16 and 17, to insert the following: "Consumer Rights relating to Language Options of On-Premises and Public Self-Service Kiosks 122. (1) This section shall take effect on a date to be set by the Minister, no earlier than 31 December 2023 and no later than 1 January 2026, and shall have effect only on self-service kiosks which are newly introduced, upgraded or updated, following that date. (2) In the case of a self-service kiosk, including but not limited to self-se…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus an díospóireacht. Táim sásta go bhfuil seal againn an t-ábhar seo a phlé. The Minister will be glad to hear I will not take the whole seven minutes, and I appreciate he may be about to make a changeover. Nevertheless, I will make some important points on this welcome discussion. These statements are timely and very important, as Members have outlined. The reduced VAT rate of the hospitality and tourism sectors was introduced on 1 November 2020, which was an understandable response t…

I wish to raise three items. First, I, too, welcome the ban on evictions but, like my party leader said in the Dáil today, we need action to be taken now or as soon as possible. It is safe to say, and it is definitely safe to say on behalf of my party and, I am sure, on behalf of all of the groups on this side of the Chamber, that we stand ready to assist the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and his Government colleagues to ensure the legislation is put through speedily, efficiently and effective…

The illumination from Senator McDowell, particularly in regard to amendment No. 2, was helpful. I am minded to support that amendment because of what he said. Moreover, for all the reasons Senator Ward acknowledged, it would make sense to have practitioners who are not members of the Judiciary. That would give a valuable insight and I recognise that. I was not entirely convinced by Senator Ward's earlier contribution, given it may leave the matter open to accusations of a boys' club, a girls' club or whatever the c…

It is good to see Senator Gallagher in the hot seat today. I promise I will go easy on him. I begin by apologising to Senators Doherty and Seery Kearney for missing their contributions this morning. Having heard the contributions of other colleagues, I look forward to engaging with them on their Bill. Earlier this week, when we debated Second Stage of the Consumer Rights Bill 2022, I indicated to the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, that I would table a number of amendments on Committee Stage of the Bill essenti…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. A Bill very similar to this one was debated in February. At the time, Sinn Féin tabled amendments removing the references to it being a once-off measure. We knew, as did every expert and the dogs in the street, that this crisis was not going away and certainly was not going to be fixed by a one-off payment. Here we are with more legislation being rushed through the Houses. Once again, the approach of the Opposition has been vindicated. Maybe this time the Minister of State will li…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I am covering these statements on behalf of my colleague Senator Gavan, who is at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. In approaching this debate I remember the advice given to me in the last Oireachtas that when it comes to situations like this, I should follow the numbers or, in this case, the money. I did precisely that regarding the formal investigation into the 2012 sale of Siteserv, a business services company. Following the money regarding Siteserv revealed a disturbing lev…