Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Last Friday morning, I attended a protest in Cavan town. It happened to be all mothers who were there. It was organised by mothers of children with additional needs. They were pointing out that they are not getting the supports and therapies they require from the children's disability network team, CDNT, based in Cavan. The longer children go without supports, the more complex their difficulties become. Families are finding it difficult to engage without supports and schools are f…

The Minister of State mentioned that over 45,000 children are receiving support through the CDNTs but parents have said to me that when they have been told that their child has received X number of interventions, and they know their child has not, the CDNT is counting interaction with parents. They are counting phone calls, meetings, letters.and emails. That is not intervention. I do not know who they are trying to fool by that. The parents know that the child is not getting intervention that he or she requires. Wh…

Curaim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I will be supporting this Bill. Who would not agree that the private home support sector should be regulated? It actually makes me shudder to think that it has not been to date and that we have no minimum standards of care when it comes to home care services. Home support workers are going into the homes of very vulnerable people, including older people living on their own, people with a disability and people who have suffered a stroke and cannot articulate or advocate for themsel…

I welcome this Bill as well. It is a important legislation. I acknowledge Jason Poole and his father Joe, along with David French for their work on both Jennie's law and Valerie's law. They have done immense work. It is unfortunate that people have to do something like that and that domestic violence is such a scourge in our society. The Minister indicated that those convicted of serious incidents of domestic violence or gender-based violence could be included on this register, and I welcome that. He set out quite …

Tacaím leis an bhunfháth a bhfuil an Bille seo á chur os comhair an tSeanaid chun go mbeidh toghchán ann arís do bhord Údarás na Gaeltachta. Bhí Sinn Féin i gcoinne an chinnidh fáil réidh leis sa chéad dul síos. Táimid fós ag lorg go mbeadh bord iomlán an údaráis tofa agus go mbeadh cumhachtaí cuí ag Údarás na Gaeltachta chun an teanga náisiúnta agus na ceantair ina bhfuil sí fós beo a chosaint. Is léir go gceapann an tAire go bhfuil sé sin i gceist anseo, ach ní mar sin atá. Is léir go bhfuil gá anois le gníomh ch…

I move amendment No. 10: In page 9, after line 36, to insert the following: “Pilot Programme for Biometric Categorisation Technologies 10. The Minister shall ensure that no national deployment of biometric categorisation technologies shall occur until a pilot programme has been completed and independently evaluated, including assessments of— (a) accuracy and error rates, (b) discriminatory impacts, (c) compliance with data protection law, and (d) impacts on privacy and fundamental rights, and the evaluation shall b…

I move amendment No. 11: 11. In page 10, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “(ba) clear and specific limits on the circumstances in which biometric analysis or biometric categorisation may be used, including prohibitions on use for general surveillance, population-level monitoring, or speculative searches, (bb) objective thresholds and evidential standards that must be met before any biometric analysis may be initiated, (bc) safeguards to prevent disproportionate or discriminatory impacts, including …

I move amendment No. 12: In page 11, between lines 27 and 28, to insert the following: “(5A) When making an order under subsection (5), the Minister shall lay the code of practice, together with an explanatory memorandum outlining the safeguards, limitations and parameters governing the use of biometric analysis and biometric categorisation, before each House of the Oireachtas.”.

I move amendment No. 13: In page 11, line 36, to delete “5 years” and substitute “2 years”.

I was recently contacted by the elected members of Cavan County Council about their concerns about ash dieback in ash trees along the public road. They really feel, and I agree with them, that landowners should not be left with the financial cost of removing these trees. I know there is a scheme for forestry owners who are affected by ash dieback in their plantations, and that is obviously welcome, but there is no compensation for farmers or landowners whose trees have been affected by ash dieback in their hedgerow…

We are not going to be taking lessons from you.

I welcome that the publication of the new planning guidelines will be later this year because this is well overdue. We have been waiting for about a decade for these guidelines. I welcome that they are going to be published and that they are subject to proper consultation and scrutiny. There is a lack of consistency across rural areas in the planning sections, and the Minister of State acknowledged this himself. In fact, there is a lack of consistency within county councils between the different planners. Many peop…

I want to raise the case of a woman in her 30s who is the mother of children, two of whom are very young. She is currently in Cavan General Hospital and has experienced pain for years due to kidney stones. The failure of the hospital and Beaumont Hospital has robbed her of her health and life because she has put up with years of antibiotics, painkillers and steroids while being told her case will be addressed. She has been in and out of hospital. A year ago, she was admitted to the hospital when very ill with an in…

I second the amendment to the Order of Business. I will raise an issue around a recent EPA report on domestic wastewater treatment system inspections in 2025. There are nearly half a million domestic wastewater treatment systems in the country. Most of them are septic tanks. Homeowners are required to register their septic tank with the local authority. The local authority is required by the EPA to carry out inspections but they only carry out a limited number every year. Most local authorities do and even carry ou…

I am sharing time with Senator Collins. I have absolutely no problem with the motion. There is nothing in it I oppose. We all agree with its calling out of the absolutely terrible treatment of the Palestinian people by the Israeli regime. More than 70,000 people have died and God knows how many have been injured. People have had life-changing injuries, including lost limbs and severe burns. The destruction of property is such that Gaza is flattened at this stage, with no effort being made to rebuild the country. Ai…

He did.

I second the amendment.

I second the amendment.

Cuirim fáilte roimh na Feisirí Eorpacha go dtí an Seanad inniu. Is deis é seo chun scrúdú a dhéanamh ar na naisc idir Rialtas na hÉireann agus an tAontas Eorpach agus breathnú ar na naisc idir muintir na hÉireann agus an Aontas Eorpach. I will begin my comments by addressing Irish unity. I will start by saying Ireland's Presidency of the European Union is a historic opportunity to focus on Irish unity. It cannot be allowed to be just six months of chairing meetings and putting on a show for Europe. It must be seen …

For God's sake. Fianna Fáil's record speaks for itself.