I move: That, in pursuance of Standing Order No. 169 of the Standing Orders relative to Public Business, the Regional Technical Colleges (Amendment) Bill 2017, which had reached Second Stage prior to the Seanad General Election, March 2020, be restored to the Order Paper.

I congratulate the Minister and wish him well with his portfolio. I worked with the Minister on the finance committee and I have no doubt that he will do a fantastic job in his new position. This is a fantastic budget. I congratulate the Minister and his colleague, the Minister for Finance. I have one issue relating to Ireland West Airport. Money has been given to Cork and Shannon airports. That is welcome for those airports. I urge the Minister to look at Ireland West Airport as well because we have people commuti…

I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to come to the House or, if he is not available, to make a statement on the issue of renewal of driving licences. This is a minefield at the moment and it is very difficult for people to renew their licences. One can be out of the country and get a passport online but one cannot renew one's driver licence online. I ask the Minister to have a serious look at this because someone from my county of Mayo got an appointment to renew …

I call for a debate on aviation, but particularly on our airports. Our airports are in very serious circumstances. As an island nation, we are dependent on them. Dublin Airport is probably one of the busiest airports in Europe. I would like to make the case for my local airport, Ireland West Airport, which is experiencing very serious financial difficulties. It would be a shame to lose our airports at this stage. I ask that the Minister for Transport come to the House at a very early stage to give us the up-to-date…

I would also like to be associated with the remarks that have been made about the staff of this House. They have done a tremendous job over the years, particularly in the past number of months which have been very difficult for everybody. This Chamber has been our fourth home in the past 12 months. We have been in the temporary Seanad Chamber, the restored Seanad Chamber, the Convention Centre Dublin and now we are here in the Dáil Chamber. The staff are due great credit for having everything running smoothly even …

Like Senator Garvey, I welcome the funding of €95,000 to conduct a feasibility study to connect the Westport, Castlebar and Ballina greenways. That would be a 60 km route, which would be fantastic for the county, linking the three greenways already in place. I ask the Deputy Leader to ask the Minister with responsibility for transport to come to the House in the not too distant future to discuss issues with Iarnród Éireann, particularly level crossings. I would like to raise an issue with a level crossing, with whi…

I welcome the Minister to the House. I congratulate her on her new portfolio and wish her the best of luck in the coming years. I have no doubt that she will do a magnificent job. She did that in the past in another portfolio and this one will be no problem to her. The previous Government deserves great credit in pulling everything together in a very short space of time during which the world was hit with this virus. Thousands of people lost their jobs and it was great work on the part of the Government, with great…

Now.

I am sure the Leader will join me and other Senators in proposing a vote of sympathy for the late Mr. Terry Brennan, a former Member of this House. I ask that the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, CPP, discusses how we move forward with expressing votes of sympathy for former Members. It was usual that the family would come here on the day on which sympathies were expressed. I am sure that while that is not possible at this stage, there is a way forward. In recent days the European Commission has given the Gov…

I congratulate you, a Chathaoirligh, and wish you well in your term. I have no doubt but that you have the experience and the knowledge to do a wonderful job. I also welcome the new Members of the House and wish them well. I have no doubt at all but that this will be a very good Seanad. I congratulate Senator Hackett on her elevation to Minister of State with responsibility for agriculture and wish her well. She is the first person to be so elevated in this House in nearly 40 years. I know full well why the House m…

I welcome the Tánaiste to the House. I congratulate him, the Taoiseach, the other members of the Government and all the political parties and Independents on the very constructive proposals put forward and on demonstrating the speed at which the legislation can pass through both Houses of the Oireachtas. I express my sympathy to the people who have died in these trying times. They are difficult times for families and for people who are waiting for results or waiting to be tested. There is an eerie feeling. As Senat…

The Tánaiste is doing a good job.

I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Leas-Chathaoirleach for their courtesy over the past four years. It was a pleasure to work with both of them. It was not an easy task for them because there was no majority in this Chamber for one of the few times ever; we have probably had the most diverse Seanad in its history. I thank Martin Groves and Bridget Doody, and all the support staff who work to streamline how the Seanad runs. We take an awful lot for granted as to how the House operates and runs. When we really dig dow…