Go raibh míle maith agat a Chathaoirligh agus a Threoraí Gníomhach. I passed the portal as I was walking through town today and it is great to see it back up and running. Two security officers are there minding it. We will be a better country and a better city when we do not need people to mind it because it is a great amenity and I hope it lasts. I am ambivalent on the question of hunting. I could be described as a pacifist perhaps because of my physique. I only ever fired a gun once in my life. That was in Americ…

Non-animate or inanimate. It was a clay pigeon if the Cathaoirleach must know. The National Association of Regional Game Councils, NARGC has made a very good point about the issue of consultation regarding decision-making about hunting. Last September, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien and the Minister of State, Deputy Malcolm Noonan, following limited consultation, removed four species of duck from the open season order. This in effect banned them from being hunted. My point is not about the rights and wrongs o…

The Senator did not need GAAGO to see it either.

I thought there were-----

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit go dtí an Teach. I echo what has been said by many other Senators in welcoming this Bill generally. I wish the best of luck to Ms Anne Marie Caulfield, the CEO designate of this body, to be called Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann or the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland. She has an important role and function and I have no doubt that she is more than equal to the task, given her career to date. This is an important issue that we have to get to grips with in our socie…

I concur with what Senator O'Loughlin had to say about the Alzheimer Society of Ireland. It does very important work and I look forward to supporting it this morning and at other times. Its work is to be greatly commended. On 7 May, the Minister for agriculture announced his decision to ban the use on dogs and cats of so-called electronic shock collars operated by handheld remote controls. I have said previously that use of the term "shock" is somewhat propagandistic. I note that the banning of perimeter fencing is…

We are talking about an increase from 65,000 offences to more than 70,000 offences.

A disproportionate emphasis is being placed on hate crimes. Let us, by all means, have a law that is sensible but let us not pay disproportionate attention to what is actually a very small number of incidents. Let us instead focus on where the bulk of problems are in relation to criminality.

I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, line 19, after “practitioner” to insert the following: "(other than a general practitioner who has notified the Minister that the practitioner does not wish the premises at which he or she provides healthcare services to be deemed for the purposes of this Act to be a relevant healthcare premises)".

With this amendment, we propose to insert the following text into the Bill: (other than a general practitioner who has notified the Minister that the practitioner does not wish the premises at which he or she provides healthcare services to be deemed for the purposes of this Act to be a relevant healthcare premises) Including this line on page 4, line 19 is to provide for the definition of "relevant healthcare provider" and that where that includes a general practitioner, it would, therefore, exclude any general pr…

Not for the first time, I am disappointed with the Minister's response. The problem is that the Minister does not address the core of the purpose of the proposed amendment. His latter point about those who might be distressed by any reasonable witness is the premise of the Bill. This Bill seeks to limit freedom of expression on the grounds that certain other people may profess to be offended, hurt or wounded by it. It is entirely possible to make clear, and this has been said on many occasions by Garda authorities,…

I thank the Minister for his intervention but of course he is the one who is misleading not just this House but the public, as he has done all along. As I have pointed out, the Minister's approach to all of this when truth and facts are presented to him is reminiscent of the Borg in Star Trek. I get the glazed eye, the refusal to point to specific information, the computer says no, "I am on board with abortion advocates, I am in their pocket, I will do their bidding." However, when the facts are put to the Minister…

I have said on the record that there is something corrupt about the Government's treatment of this issue. I have to say that, in all honesty.

I have always said and I will say it again that I have nothing personal against the Minister at all. I have nothing but contempt, I am sorry to say, for the way he does his job, specifically on this issue. He is not in the service of truth or good healthcare. He has acted in a way that completely disregards. Privately he says he will meet anybody, but his only approach ever on this issue has been to meet with advocacy groups on abortion and he has refused to meet pro-life advocacy groups or experts. That shows at a…

I referred to the process-----

The Minister again has misrepresented what I said. I spoke about the corruption of the process. I believe the Minister's officials are victims of a corrupt Government approach.

I move amendment No. 3: In page 6, lines 10 and 11, to delete “within 100 metres of an entrance to either House of the Oireachtas”.

Amendment No. 3 proposes: "In page 6, lines 10 and 11 to delete the words "within 100 metres of an entrance to either House of the Oireachtas"." Amendment No. 4 proposes: "In page 6, lines 12 and 13, to delete ", within that 100 metres"." That is obviously connected to amendment No. 3. Amendment No. 7, which is consequential on the acceptance of amendments Nos. 3 and 4, proposes the deletion of lines 20 to 23 on page 6. Let us get into the detail of what we are talking about. We are talking about section 3(1), whic…

A number of issues in what the Minister had to say merit a response. Most striking was when he said it has been alleged that the Government is not doing anything to reduce the number of abortions. He immediately pivoted to saying the Government is committed to reducing the amount of unplanned pregnancies. Those are two very different things. It is of course the case that if you seek to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies, that hopefully will lead to a reduction in the number of abortions. However, the Minist…

I point out to the Cathaoirleach I am responding to the Minister's points very directly here, because as I was saying, a person nearly lost their life. The reason this nearly happened is because it is not in any way required as part of the provision of abortion services that ultrasound would be offered. That amendment was tabled at the time of the abortion legislation. The party of which the Minister is a member was not in government in time, as far as I can recall. That amendment was rejected. I am sorry, the Mini…