Well said.

It is good to see the Minister of State. Sinn Féin is pleased to be able to support this Bill. We have a couple of concerns we might deal with on Committee Stage, but it is important legislation. We understand the issues that arose for the WRC following the Zalewski case and the subsequent Supreme Court judgment are serious and require swift rectification. A remedy for the issues outlined by the Supreme Court is necessary to ensure the proper administration and working of the WRC. The core issues the legislation se…

I am a little frustrated because we had a good debate on this last week. One of the key arguments made by the Government parties - specifically, the Green Party, as I recall - was that it is difficult to find agreement in respect of this issue. We took that argument at its word and the Opposition came together. I give credit to Senator Higgins in that regard because of the initiatives she has taken, and to all the Opposition parties for working constructively to come up with a definition. It is important to note wh…

I will be very brief. I ask the Minister to revisit the issue of the TRIPS waiver.

Well said.

I move amendment No. 6: In page 7, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: " ‘just transition’ means bringing together workers and their trade unions, communities, employers and public representatives in social dialogue to develop, agree and drive the plans, policies and investments needed for a fast and fair transition to a low carbon economy and includes; the creation of sustainable employment and replacement jobs of equal quality based on the principles of decent work, the establishment of appropriate so…

I am open to withdrawing amendment No. 6 if we can reach agreement on amendment No. 7. The Minister will be aware that we discussed this last week. It is disappointing that the Bill does not contain a definition of "just transition". It is a serious missed opportunity. I hope he will consider the wording we put forward with colleagues from across the Opposition, because what we have done collectively across the Opposition is try to work towards a consensus, which we achieved. The Green Party has talked the talk on …

I thank the Minister for his response. It is fair to say that I am disappointed. I will put what is happening here on the record of the House for the people watching at home. It is a cause of extreme regret to many of us across the Opposition that the Green Party is rejecting a proposal to define "just transition" in this Bill. That is the bottom line. That is what we are witnessing here today. I will respond to a couple of the points that were made. We proposed a change to the Title of the Bill but we backed it up…

I wish to put Sinn Féin's support for this amendment on the record. We agree that it is important to tie the definition of sustainable development to the UN's definition of sustainable development goals. Otherwise, as was argued well by the last speaker, they could become more vague words without any legal meaning. I was also shocked as I had assumed the Minister would accept this amendment. Let me remind him that there are people from NGOs, who have given years to this area, watching this debate today. They are wa…

It is Senator Gavan but not to worry.

It is okay. I have been called worse. I wish to put on record Sinn Féin's perspective on this matter, which is that we support our Labour Party colleagues. This amendment relates to the recent High Court finding with regard to the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, which the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 seeks to amend. The section 15 loophole was discussed on 2 July in connection with Committee Stage amendment No. 20 and others. The judge upheld arguments from the…

I second the amendment.

Sinn Féin supports amendment No. 18 for the reasons previously outlined. In terms of amendment No. 19, access to information on the environment is essential for good decision making. AIE requests are used by ordinary citizens, journalists and people across the State seeking to hold the Government to account. The work of Right To Know in this area has been invaluable. While the State has signed up to the Aarhus Convention, there could always be better implementation of it. A key part of the Aarhus Convention is the …

Not a bother, Senator.

I second this amendment.

I second the amendment.

It is nice to see the Minister of State. She is very welcome. I want to raise the issue of the promised review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. I begin by quoting what the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, said when that legislation was passed. He stated: I am purposely seeking a review clause in the legislation as a result of looking at other jurisdictions where legislators thought all they needed to do was pass a Bill and that they had dealt with the issue forever. For us to…

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. It is good to hear that there will be an independent person appointed to lead the review. I would, however, appreciate a timeline for this because we are quite some way through the year at this point. I am also not clear about exactly how external the overall review will be so I am looking for some further reassurance in that regard. Fundamentally, the point I wish to make in the time available is that each day last year at least one woman had to leave this country to go…

The first issue I raise relates to my earlier Commencement matter. I refer to the urgent need for a review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. The response from the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, confirmed that there will be an independent chairperson, which is welcome. However, no timeline was provided regarding when that person, whether he or she, will be appointed, nor was there a timeline for the review itself. Like the Deputy Leader, I was a member of the Joint Committee on th…

I am present and so is the Senator beside me. The Senator should get it right.