I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Standing Orders relative to Public Business: (1) the Seanad shall meet in the Seanad Chamber at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 1st October, 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) There shall be no Order of Business; ( d ) The business to be taken shall be confined to the items set out in the Schedule to this paragraph and, accordingly, n…

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to take this debate. I wish him every success in his new role. I know what an honour it is. I ask that the Minister, the Department for Finance and, more specifically, the Revenue Commissioners conduct a full review into how Aer Lingus operated the wage subsidy scheme from March 2020 up to September 2020, when the replacement employee wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, was introduced. The Minister of State may be aware that I had a small part in the establishment of the…

I thank the Minister of State and welcome his assurances that in the way it is designed, the wage subsidy scheme could not allow somebody to claim more than they would pass on to an individual employee. That is really welcome. It would be reassuring for the employees of Aer Lingus to know that whatever was claimed in their name was given to them. However, while I know the Minister of State is saying there is no legal obligation that they would have to claim more, it absolutely beggars belief when free money was ava…

The Minister of State hit the nail on the head.

Yes.

Notwithstanding the order of the Seanad on 18 September 2020, references in the order to the Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2020, wherever they occur, shall be taken to refer to the Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020.

The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding the arrangements for the sittings of the House on Wednesday, 23 September and Thursday, 24 September, to be taken on conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 1 a , motion regarding Standing Orders 16 and 29, to be taken on conclusion of No. 1, without debate; No. 2, motion regarding the establishment of the Select Committee on European Union Affairs, to be taken on conclusion of No. 1 a , without debate; No. 3, motion regarding the establishment of th…

I thank Senators for all of the wide and varied items they brought up this morning. As I have so little time, I will respond by saying that for anybody who has asked me to write letters on specific topics, I will do so and I will send them a copy of the letter individually. With regard to anybody who has asked for a debate, I know it is a symptom of this House that we stand up and ask for the debate, and we want it immediately or next Tuesday. While next week's business is obviously arranged, for debates that are p…

I move: That, notwithstanding anything in the Standing Orders relative to Public Business: (1) the Seanad shall meet in the Seanad Chamber at 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 23rd September, 2020, and at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 24th September, 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) There shall be no Order of Business; (d) The business to be taken shall be confined to the items set out in…

I move: That the Report of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges on the amendment of Standing Orders 16 and 29 be adopted, laid before the House and printed.

I move: (1) That a Select Committee, which shall be called the Select Committee on European Union Affairs, consisting of 5 members of Seanad Éireann, be appointed to consider such matters arising from— (a) Ireland’s membership of the European Union, and (b) Ireland’s adherence to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, as it may select and which are not referred to any other Committee. (2) The Select Committee shall have the powers defined in Standing Order 72, other th…

I move: (1) That a Select Committee consisting of 5 members of Seanad Éireann be appointed to be joined with a Select Committee to be appointed by Dáil Éireann to form the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement to consider— (a) issues arising from Ireland’s role as a signatory to the Good Friday Agreement, (b) ongoing developments in the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, and (c) any proposals relating to the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and such related matters …

I move: (1) That Select Committees as set out in column (1) of the Schedule hereto are hereby appointed pursuant to Standing Order 71. (2) Each Select Committee shall perform the functions set out in Standing Order 71 in respect of the Government Department or Departments listed in column (2) opposite each Committee (in anticipation of the coming into effect of the necessary Government Orders in relation to names of Departments and titles of Ministers and transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Func…

I move: It shall be an instruction to each Select Committee appointed pursuant to Standing Order 71 that the work programme provided for in Standing Order 77(4) shall include the consideration of such aspects of–– (a) the State’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic; (b) science, research and development and innovation; and (c) progress on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals set out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as are within the scope of the Committee’s orders of r…

I move: "That Senator Joe O'Reilly be elected Leas-Chathaoirleach." I am privileged to stand here today and nominate Senator Joe O'Reilly because he is one of my oldest friends, not in age but in terms of the length of time we have been friends, in my short political life. He is a titan not only of this House but of the Dáil and Cavan County Council. I propose him for the position of Leas-Chathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann. The Senator entered politics when he was elected to Cavan County Council in 1985 when I was on…

The Order of Business is No. 1, the Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020 - all Stages, to be taken at 1 p.m., with the contributions of groups' spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes each and those of all other Senators not to exceed five minutes each on Second Stage, and with Committee and Remaining Stages to be taken immediately thereafter, and No. 2, earlier signature motion on the Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020, to be taken at the conclusion of No. 1 without …

On a point of order, I recognise I am new here and things are being espoused in my name which I am not even sure were requested. This is the logic of my brain. I do not know how Members can say they disagree with the proposed Order of Business without saying they would rather talk about something else or proposing an alternative Order of Business. That leads to the practice we have always had whereby Members raise other issues. I do not believe Standing Order 16 applies to special sittings in a different way from o…

There are issues that need to be ironed out and we must agree to iron them out at the Committee on Procedure and Privileges. We must agree on how to proceed with very important business such as Brexit, maternity issues and access to school buses. The list is long and varied for all of us. It would not be fair to say they are constituency-based issues. We all want to raise very important national issues in this House, but we must have a House in which we can conduct our business. We have to come to an agreement to p…

I thank everyone for making that proposal. Unfortunately, I cannot accede to it on the basis that I do not have the ability to make the alternative arrangements to have a second sitting tomorrow or on Monday. It is because I do not have permission to have access to the Dáil but probably more importantly because I do not have a Minister to conduct the legislation. I hear Members very loudly and clearly. I recall how standing here some six weeks ago I told the House that we would not do all Stages of Bills again and …

As agreed by Members yesterday, I propose a minute's silence in respect of the passing of Dr. Syed Waqqar Ali and Ruth Morrissey.