Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach agus an Aire Stáit. Tá cúpla focal le rá agam faoin uair thábhachtach seo fosta. I compliment the Minister of State and his staff on their great work in bringing this legislation forward. From a Fianna Fáil perspective, we are delighted to support it. We all know the horror that is human trafficking and unfortunately I had the experience of dealing with victims of that in my own time. It is really heartbreaking. These people are very vulnerable and it happened behin…

I propose a suspension until 6.45 p.m.

This is the first opportunity I have had to wish the Deputy Leader all the best in his new role. I have no doubt that he will be extremely successful in it. The exact number of people suffering with long Covid in this country is unknown, but HSE figures estimate that it is somewhere in the region of 1.8% to 8.3% of the population. Symptoms can be quite severe for some. We can all recall when Covid broke the dedication of our nurses, who went into hospitals to care for our sick, not knowing, first, the risk they put…

Next Tuesday.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. The N53 road from Castleblayney in County Monaghan to Dundalk in County Louth with a section that runs through Northern Ireland is a road of strategic importance with the importance of Dundalk Institute of Technology likely to increase in the not-too-distant future. The N53 is 23.5 km long, including a section that passes through Northern Ireland. The 6 km section that passes through Northern Ireland passes through Cullaville in County Armagh where it is classified…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit as ucht an cheist seo a phlé. I acknowledge the script the Minister of State has read to us on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Ryan. I appreciate that funding has been received in Monaghan for the progression of the A5 Clontibret to the Border scheme and additional funding from the EU. Now is the time that this road got similar attention. I acknowledge that the Minister of State said he would bring the matter to the Minister, Deputy Ryan, with a view to exploring the possibility o…

The Minister is welcome to the House. I too welcome this broad-ranging Bill which covers a lot of areas, as Senator McDowell outlined. I welcome the appointment of extra judges. It is important that we have a Judiciary that operates in a timely manner. There is no doubt that the appointment of extra judges would be beneficial in that regard. I also welcome the provisions on firearms. The retirement age is probably a debate for another day, but I welcome the fact that the retirement age for uniformed public servants…

I move: "That Seanad Éireann resolves that sections 2 to 4, 6 to 12, 14 and 17 of the Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 (No. 39 of 1998) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on 30th June, 2024 and ending on 29th June, 2025."

I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, I welcome the debate and support both motions. The Minister of State outlined that unless we pass both motions, they will be discontinued from the end of this month, so it is important that we pass them. They are important legislative measures and unfortunately the need arises for us to continue with them. He outlined that the advice of the Garda Commissioner, and in due course, of the Government itself is that it is necessary. D…

I move: "That Seanad Éireann resolves that section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 (No. 32 of 2009) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on 30th June, 2024 and ending on 29th June, 2025.”

Next Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Tomorrow at 9.30 a.m.

I, too, would like to welcome the Minister of State back to the Chamber this afternoon to discuss this topic, which she and I have discussed on a number of occasions. I know it is one she has been working hard on to try to find a resolution to. This relates to the transport charge, which is being levied on some service users who are attending day care services in CHO 1, which includes counties Monaghan, Cavan, Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim. As the Minister of State knows, where a member of a family has a disability, t…

I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive response to me this afternoon. She used the word "inequality" with regard to this particular charge and that is exactly what it is. As she outlined, it is unfair that the people of counties Monaghan, Cavan, Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim have to pay this charge when other service users in other parts of the country do not. I commend the Minister of State on the work she has undertaken in trying to get this charge removed. We are not there yet, but we are quite close. …

The Minister of State is welcome to the House to discuss this important legislation. Like others, I welcome the legislation. It is a much-needed step forward. For too long, we have watched our Defence Forces deplete in front of our eyes, so much so that the numbers are down to an all-time low. It is an indictment of successive Governments over the past ten to 15 years that we have allowed this situation to develop. We have now reached a line in the sand, if you want to put it that way, with the report that we have.…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. I, too, welcome all our guests this morning, especially the young man who I met on the way in the door with Deirdre. The ambassador is also very welcome. The Order of Business is No. 1, Private Members' business, the Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024 – Second Stage, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders to conclude at 2.30 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 2, the Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and …

Gabhaim búiochas leis an gCathaoirleach. I thank all the Members who contributed to Order of Business here this morning, and into the afternoon at this stage. We kicked off with Senator Casey who talked about the Department of Finance circular about those who have a right to take leave in order to upskill themselves with regard to lifesaving. One group he talked about was the first responders group, of which Senator Casey has been a strong advocate since I came into this House. I had the pleasure of meeting a group…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach inniu. I welcome the Minister of State and thank her for taking the time to be here. A few years ago, the schools summer programme, commonly known as July provision, was quite limited in its scope. At the time, it was offered to children with particular special needs. It did not include many children for whom the summer holidays were a time of regression and difficulty. The much-welcomed expansion of the programme in 2021, post the Covid pandemic, has been remarkabl…

I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive response. She highlighted the work of the staff and the SNAs in this area. Without them, we would not have a summer programme. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude for their work in this regard. As the Minister of State outlined, the scheme has been a great success. The numbers participating are increasing year on year. I welcome that €40 million has been allocated for the programme this year. It would appear, however, that because the numbers participating a…

I have raised many times the challenges facing small businesses as a result of the increased cost of doing business, inflation and cost-of-living pressures. Unfortunately, this is very relevant in the food sector. Between January and April, there were more than 200 closures of small restaurants and cafés. It is not confined to that sector. Food is vital to the pub industry, accounting for 35%, on average, of pub turnover. In some cases, the figure is as high as 50%. I very much support the call made by pubs that th…