Indeed.

Gabhaim míle buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Yesterday I was among the five persons appointed to a special committee of Seanad Éireann which will join of the special committee of the Dáil to form the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying, pursuant to motions passed in the Dáil and the Seanad. I first thank the Committee of Selection for supporting my application or request to be included on this committee. I am sure, together with the other four Members of the Seanad, that I will do my best to scrutinise the issues fr…

Did they not just use the previous answer?

Full marks for recycling.

In February the Minister for Transport announced the move to E10 as the standard grade for petrol in Ireland which will help to reduce the harmful emissions produced by petrol cars. E10 provides that there is a minimum of 10% ethanol in standard petrol, above the current E5 or 5% ethanol which is currently supplied in petrol stations. This will bring us in line with Britain and Europe. However, unlike the situation in Britain and Europe it does not seem clear whether the Government intends to cater for the small am…

It was new for me until recently too.

There has long been a convention that politicians, particularly Cabinet Ministers, do not comment on ongoing litigation in any shape or form. I was, therefore, disappointed to hear the Tánaiste wade in, during his recent visit to the United States, with a diagnosis in respect of the situation of a family, one of the members of which is involved in a long-running dispute with the school that employs him. I am, of course, referring to Enoch Burke and the Burke family. It seems to me that what the Tánaiste was doing w…

-----and to call them into question. The rights of parents to be the first deciders in the education of their children seems to be one example and I would counsel strongly against it.

I dtosach báire, cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Tá áthas orm mo sheanchara ón nGaillimh, Eoin Ó Droighneáin, a fheiscint anseo inniu freisin. Má thugann sé an tacaíocht chéanna don Aire Stáit agus a thugann sé do pheileadóirí na Gaillimhe, ní bheidh aon deacracht ag an Aire Stáit riamh.

Is deis é seo dom buíochas a ghabháil leis na státseirbhísigh uilig as an méid a dhéanann siad ar son na Gaeilge agus ar son chur chun cinn na Gaeilge sa tír seo. Is iomaí uair a dúirt mé, agus deirim fós é, gur mór an chéim chun cúil agus trua é gur athraíodh na rialacha blianta ó shin maidir le caighdeán áirid Gaeilge a bheith riachtanach chun post a fháil sa státseirbhís. Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil spriocanna ann anois sna rialacha fostaíochta ach tá sé fíorthábhachtach go dtéimid ar ais ag an mbunchloch sin chun…

If ye can, ye will.

You could sing that, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. Fáilte romhat a Bhlaithnaid. Last week I asked that we would have debates with the Minister for Health and the Minister for Education about the very sensitive area of gender dysphoria and how the Government is dealing with the issue in its various Departments. I feel I must ask for this again all the more urgently in light of the latest comments from the Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, and the Tánaiste, Deputy Micheál Martin, in response to a simple letter from school mana…

Go raibh míle maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, agus cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, Deputy Peter Burke. A working group tasked with fighting misinformation and disinformation has been set up by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, in a bid to reduce the spread of false and harmful material. This will produce a national counter-disinformation strategy by the end of the year. An Irish Independent article noted that, "While the group is not the government's direc…

-----and if the window of discussion is too narrow, then politics fails, and conspiracies will abound.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am all in favour of the apple pie as well, but it is the little bit of poison in it that would worry me. We must remember that the present day distrust that cuts across society is not just because of the cranks and opportunists, although they are there; it is also about the elites who are blinded by elitist globalist ideals who consistently cancel discussion of real problems facing real people. When Facebook or Meta can get an appointment with the Taoiseach in 24 ho…

I thank the Minister of State.

I did not see the television programme Senator Hoey referred to, but I ask the Leader for a debate with the Ministers for Health and Education, perhaps at different points, on how they are dealing with the challenge of gender dysphoria among young people and on the welfare of those individuals. Whatever people's views, we need a discussion. The different points of view in respect of this matter must be given a fair hearing. I read at the weekend that The New York Times has ended its blackout of coverage on the alar…

Has the Senator got Romania as well?

Cuirim i dtosach báire leis an méid a dúirt an Treoraí, an léiriú bróin tar éis éag Niamh Bhreathnach agus an méid a dúirt sí freisin maidir leis an gcrith talún sa Tuirc agus sa tSiria agus uafás an scéil sin. Bíodh na daoine sin inár bpaidreacha. Cuirfimid agus tacóimid leis an Rialtas agus le gach duine atá ag tabhairt cabhair phraiticiúil do na daoine atá ag fulaingt faoi láthair. Many people will have heard today the words "sound, accurate and appropriate" come from the Attorney General, Rossa Fanning, in the …

The best people.