When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I welcome the Minister of State and thank the Fianna Fáil Senators for bringing this forward. We can forget we are elected here as normal people, that we are representative of society and speak to normal people in society. What we bring to the floor of this Chamber is our experiences and those of the people to whom we speak. I commend Senator Keogan on sharing her experience, and I commend Una Ring and Eve McDowell. Legislation such as this does not come out of thin air. It is not that a person has a great idea and…

I welcome the Minister. I thank Senators Ruane and Norris for bringing forward this motion. I also thank the Cathaoirleach because it is his innovation to have these kinds of debates on panels in the Seanad. It is welcome and I look forward to more of them. This is an important topic for a first debate. We all have something to say on the matter. There is cross-party support. I commend my party colleague, Dr. Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, on bringing this issue to the fore. It should not take someone like Dr. Ní Shúil…

I thank the Senator for giving all of us the opportunity to speak about an issue that matters to everyone. Her lengthy work is evident and the sharing of her experiences is something for which we are all grateful.

I ask Senators to be quiet for a moment. I would like to hear Senator Keogan without interruption unless there is a point of order based on Standing Orders. The Senator has been asked to withdraw her remark and she might like to respond to that but, otherwise, I ask her to continue.

The Senator was asked to withdraw what was deemed offensive in her speech.

Senator Keogan, I stopped others from interrupting you. I mention to Senator Casey that what is said in the other Chamber is a matter for the other Chamber. Everyone is entitled to their opinion here, Senator Keogan.

I welcome the Minister and the message from the Dáil in regard to section 6A. It was an oversight. Albeit some may say it was not strictly needed, I think it ties up the entire Bill really well. It was always the intention of the Government, in drafting this Bill, to ensure that Ireland is obliged not just to meet its international obligations, but to go beyond that in many instances and to be consistent with those international obligations in regard to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNF…

On a point of order, the Government could have put the Bill onto the Order Paper and did not. Therefore, clearly, there was no railroading. We worked collaboratively and I would like to see us continue to do that.

It will be hard to follow that love note to Fianna Fáil, so I will not try. I thank Senator Ward for putting the motion on Belarus on the Order Paper today. Obviously, we, in the Green Party, as well as Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are supportive of that. It will be taken without debate, but it is important the Seanad recognises the important role that human rights defenders play across the globe. The shocking stories coming out of Belarus cannot go unmentioned. I know they will be raised in a committee later today. A…

Today, we are thinking of Emma Mhic Mhathúna and her family. It is appropriate that we put those who were impacted at the centre of this debate. Nothing we do can bring back the women who lost their lives. This tribunal can bring about some justice but it cannot do all that those impacted want it to do. The Minister recognises that and it is the advice that we have before us. It also does not change the fact that women are entitled to go to the High Court. Time and again there are scandals related to women's health…

I join all my colleagues in congratulating Deputy Bacik. I was lucky to be here with her last week for the Gender Pay Gap Information Bill. She participated in that and had done so much to get it over the line. It was fitting that her last contribution was during that debate. I am sad not to see her here today but we will see her in the corridors soon and she will be in this Chamber before too long. I too pay tribute to everyone who put their names forward. A by-election is first past the post and it is difficult f…

The Minister of State is welcome. It is good to see him back in the House. Let us remember that behind every business, there is a family. Behind every business, there are several workers. The Government has stepped up to the plate when it comes to supporting workers. I fundamentally believe this Bill is what we have all been calling for, that is, a measure to make sure we do not have a cliff edge for businesses, families and workers. That is what this Bill is all about. The Minister of State said it is a small Bill…

I thank the Minister. As he said, these amendments were really initiated in the Seanad. I understand that wording may need to be changed to get the meaning across and to be legally sound. Everybody recognises that. Amendment No. 1 is core to Green Party values. My colleague Deputy Duffy was keen to have it inserted. I thank the Minister for taking it on board. He has also taken on board views of Sinn Féin. I have spoken here before about the importance of sustainable communities. It is not just about housing; it is…

Senator Cummins mentioned the regulations. As I raised previously in the House, I would like to see tenancies in perpetuity as a matter of course, but that has not been included in the Bill, to the best of my knowledge. The Minister envisages dealing with that through regulations. I would like to hear some commentary from him on that. We have to accept we are living longer, for one, and we do not want somebody to go into a cost-rental unit aged 20 and, in line with a previous amendment, have to leave aged 60. We wa…

Amendments Nos. 2 to 5, inclusive, and amendments Nos. 8, 12, 18 and 19 are related. Amendments Nos. 4 and 5 are physical alternatives to amendment No. 3. Amendments Nos. 2 to 5, inclusive, and amendments Nos. 8, 12, 18 and 19 may be discussed together by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Amendments Nos. 6 and 31 are related and may be discussed together by agreement.

Do any of the amendment proposers wish to speak on this before I bring in Senator Garvey? I remind Members to keep to the amendments so that we can get through this as painlessly as possible.

I ask the Senator to kindly stick to the amendment before us, please.