It is heart-warming to hear how much attention and personal commitment the Minister of State will give this matter. One can see from the level of detail and ambition that has been put into the design in stage 1 of the process how ambitious the staff, the families and the community are for the students in this school. Of course we want the absolute best for our children. We want to be able to expand that service. I am grateful for the update the Minister of State has given me and for the attention and the level of d…

The Order of Business is No. a 1, motion regarding arrangements for a sitting of the House on Friday, 18 December 2020, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. b 1 Planning and Development, and Residential Tenancies, Bill 2020, changed from Planning and Development Bill 2020 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] – Report and Final Stages, to be taken at 3 p.m. or 15 minutes after the conclusion of No. a 1, whichever is later, and to conclude after three hours by the putting of one questi…

The only thing I can say to Senator Gallagher is that I concur with his request. It is a terrible shame that there are so many families in the same situation as the Sheehan and Kelly families. I will convey the Senator's request to the Taoiseach. I am in the happy position of being able to tell Senator Conway that on our first week back in the new year a debate is scheduled with the Minister for Health on the roll-out of the vaccine. Despite the fact that we have great confidence in the task force, and Professor Br…

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Standing Orders relative to Public Business, the Seanad on its rising on Thursday, 17th December, 2020, shall adjourn until 10 a.m. on Friday, 18th December, 2020, in the Dáil Chamber; Standing Orders 29 and 30 shall stand suspended; and the Order of Business shall be proposed at 10 a.m.”

Now.

I move: That pursuant to subsection 2° of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concurs with the Government in a request to the President to sign the Planning and Development, and Residential Tenancies, Bill 2020 on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to him.

The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding arrangements for the sitting of the House on Thursday, 17 December 2020, to be taken on the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 2, motion regarding the joint report on the response of the Houses of the Oireachtas to the judgments of the Supreme Court in the Kerins case, to be taken on conclusion of No. 1, without debate; No. 3, the Social Welfare Bill 2020 - Committee and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 1.15 p.m. or 15 minutes after the conclusi…

I thank my colleagues. I will work backwards, if that is okay. Senator Carrigy and another Senator brought up the non-uniform nature of the rules around maternity services for couples in Ireland over the past couple of months. The Senators are right. The decision to allow partners go to the 20-week anomaly scan is welcome but, speaking from experience as someone who has done it a number of times, every visit is important. Mothers are anxious. Somebody who is very close to me has a relative who had a baby in the pas…

Of course.

To be fair, I do not take it personally at all. I want the Senator to know it is not a Government thing. There is not a sledgehammer from anybody across the way saying we have to do this. I felt we wanted to do this this week and I think the Senator is being slightly disingenuous to the people who will make contributions on Friday. It will not lessen our view, our scrutiny, our wish and ambition to change and make it better. If there is an amendment here on Friday, it will have to go back to the Dáil. It is as simp…

It was commenced nearly three years ago.

As soon as the President signs it.

I refer to the very first contribution around the Defence Forces. We have a wonderful new Secretary General in the Department of Defence. I know her well because I had the privilege of working with her for four years. She should have an obligation and an entitlement to make submissions to the new strategy going forward so I will write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and of Defence today to make sure that Department is included. It would be wonderful to see a Jigsaw in Kildare and in every one of our communities.…

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Standing Orders relative to Public Business: (1) The Seanad shall meet in the Dáil Chamber at 12.30 p.m. on Thursday, 17th December, 2020, and the following arrangements shall apply: ( a ) Commencement matters shall be taken in accordance with Standing Order 29; ( b ) Standing Order 30 shall stand suspended; ( c ) The Order of Business shall be proposed at 1.30 p.m.; (2) The Seanad on its rising on Thursday, 17th December, 2020, shall adjourn until 10 a.m. on Friday, 18…

I move: That Seanad Éireann takes note of the Joint Report on the Response of the Houses of the Oireachtas to the Judgments of the Supreme Court in the Kerins Case (laid before Seanad Éireann on 15th December, 2020), and hereby agrees and adopts, with immediate effect, the amendments and additions to the Standing Orders of Seanad Éireann relative to Public Business recommended in Part 3 of the Report.

Now.

Now.

Now.

I move: That, pursuant to subsection 2° of section 2 of Article 25 of the Constitution, Seanad Éireann concurs with the Government in a request to the President to sign the Finance Bill 2020 on a date which is earlier than the fifth day after the date on which the Bill shall have been presented to him.

Notwithstanding the order of the House on 9 December, I propose that proceedings on all Stages of the Central Mental Hospital (Relocation) Bill 2020 should conclude at 4 p.m. by the putting of one question by the Chair that shall, in respect of the amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government.