I am here to talk about increasing funding and resources for local authorities to take housing estates in charge. I want to highlight a case in my town, Millstreet, namely, Tanyard Wood. It is the largest housing estate in County Cork that has not been taken in charge. In 2007, the council lodged an appeal to take charge of the estate because the developer went bust. It has been almost ten years and nobody has taken charge of the estate. Tanyard Wood sits in no man's land at the moment. If a child or elderly person…

By 2007, the developer had gone bust and therefore, Cork County Council submitted an appeal to take charge of the estate. It has been almost ten years and it still has not taken charge of the estate. It sits in no man's land. The estate has not been maintained. No proper maintenance at all is happening. It is up to a residents' association to do that work, which is ad hoc because it is not solidified. I have been in the estate. The footpaths are broken, overgrowth is everywhere, there are potholes and there is no a…

I thank the Minister of State. I understand he is taking the Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for housing and it is not his remit, but none of that response answers any part of the question I asked. The developer went into liquidation so the council had to step in. That was it. It is cut and dried. Clearly, the officials are currently in no man's land. Reaming off these Acts and so on does not make a difference to the people in Tanyard Wood. In reality, it does not. Neither the Minister of State nor I …

I rise to highlight deeply concerning testimony given to the Oireachtas committee on higher education by Ms Angela Clayton-Lea, chief executive officer of Cancer Trials Ireland, and Dr. Veronica McInerney, programme manager. They made it clear that Ireland is facing a significant shortfall in clinical trials, which are not an optional extra but a vital component of modern cancer care. Clinical trials give patients earlier access to innovative and potentially life-saving treatments. They improve outcomes, drive the …

I will deal with amendment No. 100 and amendments Nos. 104 to 114, inclusive. Amendment No. 100 addresses an important issue about the international protection system and the timely appointment of a representative for unaccompanied minors. Unaccompanied minors are among the most vulnerable individuals in the system. They arrive into the State without the support of a parent or a guardian and may have experienced trauma, displacement and significant instability before reaching Ireland. In those circumstances, the ro…

Will the Minister clarify who makes the determination on when it is in the best interests of the minor to be detained?

I will speak briefly on amendments Nos. 39 and 41. Amendment No. 39 is quite straightforward. It ensures that applicants are clearly informed of two fundamental rights within their international protection process. These are the right to an appeals mechanism and the right to access legal representation, which are not extras in the system but rather core elements of the fairness we provide. The international protection process is complex and for many applicants it is unfamiliar and difficult to navigate. If an indiv…

I will speak briefly to amendments Nos. 30, 34, 199, 215, 262 and 268. Amendment No. 30 relates to the best interests of the child. This amendment is about placing a clear and explicit principle at the heart of this legislation, namely, that the best interests of the child shall be the primary consideration in all matters concerning minors. While the principle is well recognised in international law and in broader child protection frameworks, it is essential that it is clearly reflected within this Bill. This amend…

I move amendment No. 22: In page 23, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “Report on capacity of Child and Family Agency 3. (1) The Minister shall, as soon as practicable after the commencement of this Act or of any relevant Part thereof, lay before each House of the Oireachtas a report on the capacity of the Child and Family Agency to discharge its statutory functions under this Act. (2) A report under subsection (1) shall include— (a) an assessment of the staffing levels, operational capacity and org…

Will the Minister clarify what agency it will be? Does he have an idea at the moment? If it is Tusla, it does not have capacity to do the job it does right now, not to mind if this is put in.

I move amendment No. 3: In page 16, after line 33, to insert the following: “Sovereignty of State in matters of international protection 2. (1) Nothing in this Act shall be construed as limiting the sovereign authority of the State, exercised through the Oireachtas, to determine policy in respect of immigration and international protection. (2) No provision of this Act shall be interpreted as delegating such authority to any external body or institution without the express approval of the Oireachtas by primary legi…

I move amendment No. 4: In page 16, after line 33, to insert the following: “Annual report on sovereignty and external obligations 2. (1) The Minister shall, not later than 31 March each year, lay before the Oireachtas a report detailing: (a) the extent to which the State’s international protection system remains under domestic control; (b) obligations arising from EU or international agreements during the preceding year; (c) steps taken to ensure that Irish sovereignty and democratic oversight are maintained. (2) …

I move amendment No. 5: In page 16, after line 33, to insert the following: “Assessment of Common Travel Area impacts 2. (1) The Government shall prepare and publish an assessment of the potential and actual impacts on the Common Travel Area arising from the operation of this Act. (2) An assessment under subsection (1) shall include— (a) analysis of any implications for the movement of persons between the State and Britain, (b) consideration of the effect of international protection procedures on CTA integrity and …

I want to ask about a similar point relating to amendment No. 12, which we have tabled, around defining "legal counselling" as to be provided by the Legal Aid Board. It speaks to Senator Keogan's question about who is qualified to do that. We have provided in the amendment that it must be somebody who gives oral or written advice and that person must be a practising solicitor or barrister, or person employed by the Legal Aid Board who is authorised to provide that counselling. I seek clarity on that.

The likelihood is that counselling is going to be given by the Legal Aid Board, but that is not set in stone. That is what the Minister is saying. There could be a case where the advice does not come from somebody from the Legal Aid Board.

I move amendment No. 12: In page 20, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “ “legal counselling” means oral or written legal advice from a practising solicitor or barrister, or a person employed by the Legal Aid Board who is authorised to provide legal advice or representation;”.

I acknowledge the intent behind this Bill. The theft of tools and work equipment is a serious issue affecting workers, tradespeople, farmers and small businesses across the country. As Senator P. J. Murphy pointed out, these tools are not simply possessions but livelihoods. Anyone who has spoken to tradespeople knows how devastating that can be. The Bill before us seeks to amend the criminal justice Act 2001 to introduce mandatory sentencing provisions for offences involving the theft of work equipment used in the …

I welcome the Minister of State to the Seanad. I am sure he has reflected on the Second Stage discussion that took place in the Chamber on this Bill last week. I hope he will accept the amendments proposed today. My colleague, Senator Conor Murphy, spoke to this Bill during last week's debate, but as he is unavailable this evening I will make the Committee Stage remarks on behalf of Sinn Féin. I speak in support of Senator Black's amendments. Senator Black has years of experience in the industry. She made some exce…

Yes. I support the amendment before the House, which has been tabled by Senators McDowell and Joe Conway. We have a number of concerns around this Bill. It represents fairness for performers on distribution of earnings. We support Senator McDowell’s amendment around this. The principal Act states: A performer has a right to equitable remuneration from the owner of the copyright in a sound recording where the sound recording ... is— (a) played in public, or (b) included in a broadcast or cable programme service. The…

I echo what Senator McDowell said. It seems the Bill intends for revenues to be split twice, resulting in only a 25% share going to the performer, which simply is not fair. As we all know, Ireland has exported its music and songs all over the world. We are renowned for the quality of the performers we have. Surely, we do not want to devalue their contribution or the importance of the overall arts we offer. The Bill also looks at the need to recognise the importance of the collective management organisations, CMOs. …