I move: That the proposal that Seanad Éireann approves the following Regulations in draft: Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2021, a copy of which has been laid in draft form before Seanad Éireann on 20th October, 2021, be referred to the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, in accordance with Standing Order 71(2)(b), which, not later than 11th November, 2021, shall send a message to the Seanad in the manner prescribed in Standing Order 75, and Standing Order 77(2) shall accordingly ap…

I move: That Seanad Éireann: (1) notes the agreed Report of the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications under Standing Order 116 on the following six proposals: - Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2003/87/EC as regards aviation's contribution to the Union’s economy-wide emission reduction target and appropriately implementing a global market-based measure, COM(2021)552; - Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending …

The Order of Business today is No. 1, motion regarding the arrangements for the address to Seanad Éireann by MEPs representing the European Parliament, Dublin constituency on Tuesday, 2 November, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; and No. 2, the Finance (European Stability Mechanism and Single Resolution Fund) Bill 2021 – Committee Stage, to be taken at 1 p.m.

In response to the issue Senator Daly describes, it is probably far greater than that. I know people of a certain age look at the numbers coming up on their phone and they think, "not again" and just ignore it. However, I also know from experience that as we get older – we all have parents and older people that we represent – people worry an awful lot more about things that Senator Daly and I would not even think about. They do genuinely start to question, for example, whether they owe €18 to somebody. They go down…

Maybe the Senator is right. After the recess, I will see how we can have a debate on how best we can formulate a policy or programme in schools and homes to support families and children in order to ensure that tragedies such as that involving Eden do not happen again. I thank Senator Keogan for raising the matter.

I move: That, in accordance with Standing Order 57(1) and the approval of the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight, Seanad Éireann agrees that, in respect of the European Parliament Dublin Constituency, Mr. Barry Andrews MEP, Mr. Ciarán Cuffe MEP, Ms. Clare Daly MEP, and Ms. Frances Fitzgerald MEP, may attend and be heard in Seanad Éireann on Tuesday, 2nd November, 2021, and that the following arrangements shall apply: The proceedings shall commence at 5 p.m., shall not exceed two hours, and shall co…

The Order of Business is No. 1, the Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021 – Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 1 p.m. and to adjourn at 2 p.m. if not previously concluded; No. 2, motion re the directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive (EU) 2019/1153 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards access of competent authorities to centralised bank account registries through the single access point, to be taken at 2.45 p.m. and to conclude at 3.30 p.m. if n…

It is to finish at 2.30 p.m.

I thank colleagues for their support. The mass arranged by the Ceann Comhairle for the late Sir David Amess following his tragic death is tomorrow, Thursday, 21 October at 12.45 p.m. at St. Teresa's Church on Clarendon Street. I am sure people will want to pay their respects. Senator McGahon spoke this morning about the need for an online safety commission and regulator of all our online social spaces. Senator Malcolm Byrne regularly speaks on the same topic. There is certainly a variety of different views on any n…

Sorry.

I thank Senator Boyhan. I do not know how I missed it. There is a request in because Senator Boyhan wanted to table amendments to legislation a number of weeks ago. I have written to the Minister but he has not come back to me. I will ring the office again today. We keep coming back to the same mantra again that things are important and yet they slip and slip. We certainly do need to keep the pressure on. I will write to the Minister today and I will come back to the Senator. My apologies.

The Order of Business is No. 1, Finance (European Stability Mechanism and Single Resolution Fund) Bill 2021 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage, to be taken at 1 p.m., with the time allocated to the Minister's opening speech not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, with the Minister to be given not less than ten minutes to reply.

It is funny that the Cathaoirleach is congratulating a woman on being able to drive a tractor because the vast majority of women on farms in rural Ireland know well how to drive tractors. They drive them on a weekly or daily basis. Senator Dolan, along with Senator Tim Lombard and the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, mentioned that International Day of Rural Women will be celebrated this weekend. Any of us with any relations involved with farming know the absolutely enormous contribution that women and their dau…

This message and this issue are not going to go away until the leaders of our 19 maternity hospitals, the CEOs of our hospital groups and the heads of midwifery stand up and say, "Enough is enough: this is wrong." To that end, I will arrange a meeting for the female caucus members again to meet with the 19 heads of midwifery of our 19 hospitals to see what they have to say about the continuing mistreatment of the women of Ireland by the maternity services in this country. It is not on and it has to stop now. Thank …

I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

I thank the Minister of State for being present today for what is an important debate. There is near unanimity in the Chamber. More importantly, at the outset, the Minister of State said he supports an exemption for peat extraction from the planning process because I know he gets just how important this is to the horticultural sector, including fruit and vegetable farmers, mushroom growers and many nurseries up and down the country. As the Minister of State is aware, I now represent the constituency of Dublin Finga…

The Order of Business is No. 1, statements on budget 2022, to be taken at 5 p.m. and to conclude at 8 p.m., if not previously concluded, with the time allocated to the Minister’s opening speech not to exceed 12 minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes and all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, and the Minister to be given no less than 12 minutes to reply to the debate.

I add my condolences to that. Many of us of a certain age had the Sunday ritual that after Mass, we came home and the old record player was put on. Certain LPs were played and the Chieftains was one of the big ones in our house along with the Dubliners. Sometimes when these things happen so suddenly it is hard to even take it in but he will be sadly missed by every household in Ireland. Senator Ahearn raised the welcome addition of nearly €900 million in resources to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employme…

I concur with the Cathaoirleach. When I heard the news about Mr. Burke's passing yesterday, it was like someone in my extended family had passed away. That is how sad I felt. When I first became a Member of the Oireachtas in 2011, it would not have been possible to meet a nicer person. Mr. Burke was engaging, warm and friendly. What is so sad about his passing yesterday is that it happened so quickly after his retirement. He was looking forward to a long retirement after having worked so hard in one industry with d…

The Order of Business is No. 1, motion re the arrangements for the sitting of the House on Tuesday, 12 October 2021, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 1 p.m.