If we take a look at the headlines and stories over the past week, it is clear that this is no country for women. Gender-based violence is rising, and since 2020 there have been 65 women violently murdered across this country. We think of Natalie McNally, a young, pregnant woman murdered in her own home just days before Christmas. Her murderer was convicted of her murder on Monday. Her family is still grieving the loss of Natalie and her unborn child. Last week in Derry, we saw the murder of a young mother in her 2…

I second the amendment.

When the war in Ukraine broke out people came to Ireland in desperate need of safety and the Irish people responded with extraordinary kindness. They opened their homes to victims of war and that is something we should all be proud of. However, what started out as well-intentioned emergency response has created inequality between refugees and Irish citizens and a great little tax-free earner for potential landlords. We debated the topic of ARP in the Chamber last year and once again I support the amendment to have …

I raise the issue of the fuel crisis that is affecting everyone. We only have to look at community Facebook pages to see it. People are posting every day asking where the cheapest petrol or diesel is. It is not because they want a bargain: they are trying to stretch their wages just that little bit further every single day. They are searching for fuel that is a few cent cheaper, hoping it will make the difference between getting through the week or falling behind on their bills. A haulier rang me on Monday and said…

I thank the Minister of State for being here. I support Senator Keogan’s amendments and I thank her for bringing them forward. Amendments Nos. 16, 380, and 381 are reasonable asks. It is easy to push this debate into the political sparring field of left or right but if we do not have the facilities to provide adequate accommodation, it is nothing other than common sense to limit the numbers of asylum seekers. One area where this becomes particularly important is child protection. Under the EU reception conditions d…

Last Monday, there was a meeting with councillors in Cavan about roads funding. Our councillors are disillusioned, distraught and feel they wasted their time coming to Leinster House to give detailed presentations on road deterioration to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien. During the previous Government, the Greens were blamed for everything. The Minister, Eamon Ryan, was criticised for prioritising bike lanes and greenways, yet it seems the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, will continue on the same path. How can we justify hu…

-----increase in funding. I have submitted Commencement debates with him and he has never come to the House for one. I checked his record and found he has not come to the House for any Commencement debates since the general election in 2024. We need to send out an SOS for the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, because if one looks at the Dáil and Seanad records we seldom see him here. Maybe the cost of fuel is so high that he cannot drive to Leinster House or perhaps he has become stuck in a pothole. I feel there is zero re…

I withdraw the word "lied". I will replace it with-----

The issue of sovereignty in immigration policy should not be seen as an abstract constitutional debate. It is about whether the Irish State retains control over decisions that impact our housing supply, school places and community cohesion. I remain concerned that through the EU migration pact, we have effectively transferred significant elements of decision-making authority to Brussels. While European co-operation has a role to play, the practical effect appears to be that Ireland has reduced autonomy in determini…

I want to mark International Women's Day by recognising the fantastic women across the country, in particular our mothers. The Irish mammy is always considered a formidable figure and we all have memories of our mothers and grandmothers, who spent their lives rearing families, taking care of everything in the home and not sitting down until everybody was happy and looked after. The value of a stay-at-home mother, if it was salaried, is around €57,000 per year but we all know that does not include the late nights, b…

I thank the Minister of State for coming in today. I welcome the opportunity to make a statement on Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union. I listened to the Minister of State's opening address and the plans for the EU Presidency. It was heavily focused on defence strategy, assistance for EU states, Ukraine, maritime security and hybrid threats. Of course, all of those things are important. They are typical of what politicians and policymakers want to focus on. However, I am going to focus on wha…

There is something fundamentally wrong when we ask farmers to reduce emissions but then tax them more heavily for choosing a cleaner fuel. Hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO, is a low-carbon biofuel. It is made from waste and byproducts from the food industry and it is not intended for human consumption. It works in existing diesel engines and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%. I spoke about EnergyCloud yesterday. It is incredibly frustrating when you have a really good, well-thought out project that ha…

People right across the country are worried about paying more at the pump because of global instability that will inevitably push up fuel prices and this is on top of already struggling to pay for basic necessities like energy bills and groceries. The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, has estimated that around 29% of households are living in energy poverty. Some 320,000 households, or one in seven homes across Ireland, are in arrears with their electricity bills. The Government cut energy credits from b…

I thank the Minister of State for coming in today. We must help those who are genuinely fleeing war or persecution, but those who are not genuine asylum seekers must be quickly identified and removed from the State. It is not fair to the Irish taxpayer to expect them to foot the bill for people seeking asylum even though they have no entitlement to it or where they are attempting to defraud the State. There is also the issue that has become a very lucrative spin-off industry, which is accommodation, and it is drive…

We have discovered through a parliamentary question submitted by Aontú that the Department of education has given just under €500,000 to the LGBTQ+ organisation Belong To. Does the Government feel it is appropriate to fund organisations that have been criticised by young people themselves for putting its agenda over the well-being and safety of children? It has been rightly condemned for spreading misinformation, for advising children not to tell their parents if they use a chest binder and for encouraging young pe…

I second the amendment.

I welcome the Minister of State, and I welcome the debate. Like Senator Mullen, I do not think this motion goes far enough. I am seconding the amendments. I thank Senator Mullen for bringing forward such important clarifications and asks when it comes to the criminal and civil responsibility of companies. Many of the dangers surrounding social media and online access relate to pornography. These large companies distribute pornographic material, often including child sexual abuse material that is readily accessible …

I was listening to the Minister, Deputy James Lawless's, plans for smart scheduling when it comes to lectures. While at first glance it seems like a positive step, it really misses the point when it comes to college education. I would like the Minister to consider the other side of this debate. Many of us know the importance of the gaps between lectures when students go for coffee or hang out at the arts block, the library or the student bar. Many of our young people are incredibly lonely. They are commuting for ho…

I welcome my neighbours, who are guests of Senator Joe O'Reilly. I hope they have a great day. I am sorry to have to raise another issue with special educational needs. The issue has been in the media for the past two weeks. It relates to places for children with special educational needs who are going into secondary school. Unfortunately, there are 14 families in Castleblayney, County Monaghan, who have not secured places. It is a pity. It is very hard on the families, particularly those who have to fight for ever…

After I was elected as a councillor in Cavan County Council, one of the main issues I campaigned on was the poor quality of the roads and road surfaces in counties Cavan and Monaghan. Many Senators in this Chamber today have heard about the substandard roads that we and our citizens have to travel on. The people in my area pay motor tax and carbon tax and some of them pay two or three tolls going to work every day, just to end up driving on roads that are substandard. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, was recently aske…