On behalf of Sinn Féin, I mostly welcome the Bill and what it intends to achieve. Modern technology such as body cameras can help the work of An Garda Síochána as it tries to keep our communities safe. I will mention the issue of Garda resources first because it has had a lot of attention recently with violent incidents around the capital highlighting how people do not feel safe in certain parts of Dublin city. I must say, it is not just in Dublin that communities are feeling let down and abandoned by a lack of Gar…

I wish the Cathaoirleach, the Leas-Chathaoirleach, the Leader, the Deputy Leader and all of our colleagues a good summer after what has been a fairly intense year. I thank them all for their courtesy and patience at all times. I thank the staff, including Martin, Bridget and the whole Seanad team, for the incredible job they do. I include in that all of our ushers and the huge team of support staff who enable us to do our jobs here. I wish all of them well. I also want to acknowledge the particular help the Deputy …

Like who?

Well said.

First, I will comment on the motion without debate on planning and development, to point out Sinn Féin's perspective. We need to give this issue more time for it to be discussed and considered fully. That is Sinn Féin's position on that motion. I will raise the issue of firefighters. My union, SIPTU, has recommended that the Labour Court proposals be rejected. In my experience, that means the proposals will be rejected and rightly so. We have discussed the plight of our retained firefighters, who are expected to su…

All three. We are just putting it on the record.

Well said.

I welcome the Minister of State. I listened carefully to his statement and I do not disagree, as such, with anything he said. However, the key message I would like to get across to him today is that, right now and for some time since, words are not and have not been enough, not when we see the horrors being inflicted on the Palestinian people. Patricia McKeown of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, made a powerful speech at the union's conference last week. Speaking about what happened in Jenin, she said: "Th…

It is nice to see the Minister of State. I do not have anything prepared. I will be frank. I was not due to be here today, but when I saw Senator Clonan's email saying that the Government was going to try to delay the Bill for 12 months, I thought it was important to come to the Chamber to show solidarity and express my own full support for the Bill, even though we are probably going to lose the vote. I want to put on the record the huge disappointment in terms of the fact that this House has shown, on occasion, th…

It is such a missed opportunity. By getting behind Senator Clonan and the excellent work he has done for so long, we could have sent a powerful message to Government and, indeed, Opposition that finally, we have to be absolutely serious about giving rights to people with disabilities, and not just talking about it and making promises without timelines and firm commitments. I am hugely disappointed that Government Senators could not do better. In fact, I appeal to them to do better because I know that the Government…

Well said.

There is an idea.

Hear hear.

I thank the Minister of State for stepping in to take this Commencement matter. I raise the mortgage interest rate increases which have been ongoing for the best part of a year. There have been several hikes in mortgage interest rates since last year. Last week AIB announced it was increasing its fixed rate by up to 0.7% and its standard variable rate by up to 0.65%. First-time buyers are already struggling to meet the criteria for mortgage approval and these hikes will make it impossible for many of them to do so.…

I have to say that I have rarely had a more depressing response from a Minister. I appreciate it is one that has been handed to the Minister of State by the Minister for Finance. In a situation where tens of thousands of hard-pressed mortgage holders are struggling to pay the interest each month and are being charged between €4,500 and €6,000 more a year, the Minister of State has given no indication whatsoever of any intention of this Government to address the issue. The only advice he has given, after all of thos…

Hear, hear.

I raise the issue of section 38 and section 39 workers and call for a debate as soon as we can when we return in the autumn to talk about their plight. Members will all know the incredibly important work these workers do. They care for our vulnerable, our elderly and for people with disabilities. I am talking about organisations like the Irish Wheelchair Association, the Western Care Association, and Pieta House. I, with many others last week, met the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and one of the points the society k…

I welcome the Minister of State. I commend my comrade, Senator Boylan, on this excellent Bill. As we can hear from her contribution, it is more than timely. Indeed, to be frank, it should have been adopted as part of the circular economy Bill some months back and it was disappointing that the Minister of State rejected the opportunity at that time. Equally, I welcome the fact he is apparently now recognising that this is a Bill that should pass. I was relatively new to this topic and anyone new to this topic must b…

Well said.

Well said.