Shocking.

I am conscious of time. I found this afternoon's session very informative on a number of fronts. On a lighter note, I learned from the right honourable and learned Senator McDowell that in the event of the Minister deciding to change careers, there may be a future for him on the cricket fields. I am sure that provides the Minister with a great deal of reassurance. On a more serious note, the debate has been very informative. I have enjoyed it. We are fortunate that we have a number of learned individuals with very …

I report progress.

I would like to share time with my colleague, Senator Curley.

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. At the outset, I commend all political voices in Donegal who have been working to try to find resolutions to this issue. One councillor, above all others, stands out in my mind: Councillor Marty McDermott, who has been working tirelessly on this issue for a long number of years. He has been recognised as a very fair and reasonable voice in relation to this. I am from Donegal and am fully aware of the tragedy and stress that has been bestowed upon the families affected…

The 1974 Dublin-Monaghan bombings resulted in the biggest loss of life in a single day of the Troubles. Some 34 people lost their lives on that fateful day and over 300 were injured. The Ulster Volunteer Force was responsible for that. For over half a century, going into the 51st year now, the families of those victims are still searching for the truth. That journey has taken them on many roads with many disappointments. Yesterday, many of them headed to Belfast to hear the progress report on Operation Denton as pa…

The Minister of State is welcome back to the Chamber. In the last Government we debated councillors' terms and conditions with him and he always had a very receptive ear. I know the councillors have a friend when they have him in that particular role. I wish him well in it. I commend Senator Frances Black on introducing this legislation. In principle, I have no issue in supporting it. Any opportunity we get in this House and in the Lower House to discuss the role of the county councillor is a welcome opportunity an…

Hear, hear.

Some time ago in the Chamber, I raised the issue of the N53, which is the road that links County Monaghan and County Louth, and travels through County Armagh. The condition of that road is very poor. It is very narrow in places, and needs funding to bring it up to a standard that would be capable of accommodating the current volume of traffic. It was always a very important strategic route for that particular part of the world, but now even more so with the great, exciting, substantial news of the partnership betwe…

I too welcome to the Seanad this afternoon Councillor Áine Smith, students from the school in Bawnboy and our other guests. I hope they all have an enjoyable afternoon. I give credit to my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan, who is setting the place on fire with his speed of movement in terms of activity in his Department. I acknowledge that and all his staff who work so hard alongside him. I am delighted to see this legislation coming through. The appointment of…

Standing Orders.

The Ceannaire might recall that last week I asked that the Minister for agriculture come to the Chamber to discuss the recently introduced caps in compensation for farmers whose animals were turned down with TB. Will he re-issue that request as a matter of urgency in light of the up and coming Mercosur deal, which is hanging over us? The news this week that Brazilian beef coming into the EU tested positive for banned hormones and had to be recalled is deeply worrying and concerning. It is hugely important that cons…

I was very disappointed to learn that the talks aimed at finding a resolution to the dispute over pensions for school secretaries and caretakers have broken down. As we all know in this House, school secretaries and caretakers are a vital component of our school system without whom it simply would not function. It is disappointing that school secretaries and caretakers had to go on strike initially. We all met them on the picket line. It is disappointing that it appears that those talks appear to have now come to t…

Yes.

I welcome the Minister back to the Chamber this afternoon. I compliment him and acknowledge the great energy he has taken to his new role and the progress he has made across a large number of areas. I ask him to continue the good work. From a Fianna Fáil perspective, we are happy to support the measures outlined here this afternoon by the Minister. It is important, whether it be security or migration, to have an EU approach as they are global issues. We need an EU approach to try to deal with whatever it may be, wh…

The last time the Minister of State was in the Chamber, he and I had a conversation about the delays in people getting driving tests. I take this opportunity to compliment him on his work in that area. He set out ambitious targets and I am delighted to congratulate him this afternoon on the work and the progress he has made there. Maith thú in that regard. Ireland's system of local government has been described as one of the weakest in the EU, with a 2023 Council of Europe report describing it as one of the most ce…

I thank the Minister of State for that comprehensive response. We are, and I am sure the Minister of State will agree, very fortunate to have so many hard-working councillors throughout this country, and we must always strive to expand their role in their local areas and enhance the terms and conditions of those elected members. As these young people leave the Gallery this afternoon, we need more platforms for those young people to enter politics. Currently, that is cut off from them. By having town councils in pla…

I, too, wish my learned colleague, Senator Wilson, a very happy birthday. I sit beside him as sometimes he needs assistance to go from A to B, but Members can rest assured that I am always here for him. On a more serious note, I ask the Leader to arrange for the Minister for agriculture to come into the Chamber so we can have a discussion on TB incidents in our country. TB has been around almost as long as Senator Wilson. Unfortunately, we cannot seem to get a handle on it. To be honest, that baffles me. Unfortunat…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach inniu. I commend my colleagues on the Fine Gael benches for bringing forward this motion. It is vitally important that we can have a calm and fact-based discussion on this particular issue. Often, unfortunately, particularly on social media, that space is not available to us. Looking at the figures for last year, we can see how Ireland as we have known it, and as I knew it as a young person, has changed. There were 125,300 immigrants in Ireland in the past 12 months…

I, too, express my sincere sympathy to the family, friends and wider community of the five young people who tragically lost their lives in an horrific traffic accident in Dundalk last Saturday night. My thoughts are especially with the families of 23-year-old Chloe McGee and 21-year-old Shay Duffy, both from Carrickmacross in County Monaghan, and the families of 23-year-old Dylan Commins from Ardee, Alan McCluskey from Drumconrath in County Meath and 21-year-old Chloe Hipson from Scotland. I can only imagine the se…