On that topic, I raise a bus route, the 272 from Ballybunnion through Listowel into Tralee. Could the Minister look at that as a matter of urgency? There are workers and students being left behind every morning bar Friday for the last number of weeks. I ask the Minister to look at extra capacity or maybe an extra bus on that route.

It is five.

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a thabhairt don Ghrúpa Réigiúnach. I thank the Minister for taking the questions. This is a timely motion. Sinn Féin representatives have raised matter in here repeatedly over the last year. I welcome the Minster's commitment to community policing and her comments on that. The community gardaí cannot be underestimated. The work they do in giving a sense of security in the community, particularly for older people when they see them around, is very important. Sometimes I think they are not…

This is an important Bill with a number of long overdue reforms. I want to mention the hard work of a number of campaigners, including the Women of Honour. I note the Defence Forces section of the Bills digest includes reference to the independent review group on dignity and equality issues in Defence Forces. The Bill contains amendments to sections 169 and 192 of the 1954 Act. I pay tribute to the Women of Honour for pushing their case in order that we have better justice. Their campaign will continue, no doubt. W…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. This Bill is very welcome and we will support it moving to the next stage. The need for a stand-alone agency has been very clear for some time. The epidemic of domestic violence, which was particularly seen during the Covid pandemic, has pushed forward the need to implement the third national strategy. There must be a zero-tolerance approach, as the Minister of State has said, and it is important that there be co-design and consolidation of all of the various funding agencies. I…

Ba mhaith liom mo thacaíocht a thabhairt do leasú Uimh. 35 agus gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Teachta Ó Snodaigh, a thug an leasú go dtí an áit seo. The Bill is for the protection of historic and archaeological heritage. I support amendment No. 35, which proposes to insert "that the historic, archaeological and cultural heritage of Ireland, as the product of the labour, craftsmanship and talent of their forbearers, belongs equally to ... the people" and should be preserved into the future. As the Minister of State w…

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the time, at short notice, to get in on this important issue. There is a fundamental problem with GP care around the State, and particularly in Kerry, although this is not necessarily related to a Kerry issue. We have had our own problems in Kerry finding doctors for towns and villages like Ballyduff, around the Ring of Kerry and a few years ago in Milltown. Essentially, GP care is privatised and many GPs and the HSE have to settle terms to provide care in communities. From…

I thank the Minister of State for her response. This is something that came to the attention of Safe Home Ireland on 15 September. I am not sure what arrangements have been in place since the end of June or the beginning of July but this is a category of people who are the most vulnerable and who are returning after many years abroad. Irish citizens cannot get a GP card. How is that fair or equitable for people who were forced to emigrate in the 1960s and 1970s? They spent their working lives abroad and now want to…

Over the past year, 20% of households have seen mortgage repayments increase by over €3,000. Another 20% of households have seen repayments increase by more than €5,700. Mortgage interest rates rose by over 54% in the past year, while the retail banking sector has almost doubled its profits to €5 billion. This tallies with the experience of the people I spoke to this week in County Kerry. In the last year, the mortgage of one couple with two children in college has increased by €600 per month. The mortgage of anoth…

The broad outreach and everything else that is good about football in this country was brought home to me at the end-of-season matches in Kerry. The captain of our B team was from Tibet. Looking around at the three teams present, there were also Ukrainians and Nigerians. The most inclusive and welcoming sports clubs in the country are probably those that play football. It is the international game that reaches all the way down to the local level. The positivity and inclusivity were there to be seen locally. We are …

The introduction of an element of formality to these extra powers being given to An Garda Síochána is welcome. On amendments Nos. 3 and 4, I agree that, if there have been two authorisations, notwithstanding that they have received approval from a superintendent and a District Court judge, in order to concentrate minds as to how serious these powers are, it would be more prudent if approval from a Circuit Court judge was required. It is an acceptable check or balance in the system. I support amendment No. 4.

On what the Minister said there about petty thefts, a theft offence, if it is on indictment, carries a penalty of up to five years, so it is possible that could be included in it, and all the more reason that if we are going into a six-month time period of a continuous assessment of it, it would be prudent to go to a Circuit Court judge-----

-----so they can weigh it up and take everything into account. There is definitely more scrutiny imposed in the Circuit Court than there would be in any other courts.

I move amendment No. 11: In page 23, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Language 7. Following the commencement of this Act, all titles of bodies or officers of those bodies established in this Act, including ranks of members of An Garda Síochána, shall, for official purposes, be referred to in the Irish language only.”.

We have met the unions on this. They have major concerns. I am encouraged by what the Minister is saying about the ongoing negotiations. The civil servants working in the Prison Service may have some of the same concerns. That should be taken into account if there is a difficulty in this regard. That could be another problem coming down the tracks.

I move amendment No. 21: In page 58, to delete lines 22 to 25 and substitute the following: "(2) Before determining policing priorities, the Authority shall consult any such persons as the Authority considers appropriate.". This is just making the point that we would like the authority to have more power and not to be beholden to the Commissioner entirely.

It states the authority shall consult any such persons as the authority considers appropriate. It does not exclude the Garda Commissioner at all. It is just that we do not feel it should be necessary to name anyone specifically, because such a person would be covered by the wording "any such persons as the Authority considers appropriate".

I move amendment No. 22: In page 66, to delete lines 12 and 13 and substitute "it for the period to which an annual service plan relates, so inform the Board, the Authority and the Minister.". When the Commissioner feels he will exceed his resources for the year, he is obliged to tell only the Minister and the board. The amendment will add an additional obligation, to tell the authority. The idea is to strengthen the powers of the authority.

I move amendment No. 34: In page 109, to delete line 17 and substitute the following: "(d) to carry out, at its own initiative or at the request of the Minister, inspections in relation to any particular aspects of the operation and administration of An Garda Síochána relating to policing services (including in relation to adherence to human rights standards and cooperation with other public service bodies to enhance community safety) and make recommendations to the Garda Commissioner or the Minister, as the case m…

I move amendment No. 45: In page 173, lines 27 and 28, to delete “, having consulted with the Garda Commissioner”. The legislation as currently drafted provides that "The Police Ombudsman shall, on receipt of a notification [...] having consulted with the Garda Commissioner [...] decide to take any one or more of" a number of listed actions. This seems to impose an obligation to consult with the Commissioner. Based on what we heard in the committee, the organisation has not requested a requirement to consult with t…