The Minister is very welcome. I will jump right to the point. The most important issue facing our national economic outlook is the tariffs and the looming trade war between and decoupling of the US and the EU. However, first let us stand aside for a moment from specific governments, leaders and politicians shaping the relationship between the EU and the US. Let us stand aside from partisan considerations of their ideologies, histories and even personalities. Regardless of who is in power, certain considerations rem…

I am glad to have the Minister here this afternoon. I am glad we are holding these statements on our nation's economic outlook and our competitiveness in succession as it really allows us to continue on from the earlier conversation we had with the Minister for Finance. When it comes to the question of competitiveness, I am sure there will be as much said on the question of how we balance regulation with entrepreneurial freedom, our taxation system, rates, efficiency and so on. However, as many of our esteemed coll…

I call for a debate with the Minister for the environment, Deputy O’Brien, to come in to talk to us about the big problems we are seeing with the return scheme. It turns out that 90% of the plastics collected have been shipped overseas because it is just not worth processing them here. In 2024, it is estimated that we sold 1.7 billion cans and bottles, but only about 900 million have been returned. That leaves 800 million cans not returned, but they still get a 20 cent per can or bottle bonus on their year-end bala…

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

No, it is not agreed. This is a really important debate on the task force.

It is a pity we were only allocated an hour and a half for this debate. If it is agreed, it is agreed.

I rise not just as a Senator but as someone who, like many Senators, has worked on the front lines of local government. I say without hesitation the treatment of our local government and the continued centralisation of power is a disgrace. Successive Governments, including on the other side of the House and the Green Party, stripped communities of their voices, representation and ability to shape their own futures. It was done in the name of efficiency but we lost democracy. We were promised reform but what we got …

I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I support the motion to extend outdoor dining yet again, but let me be clear. This is not how we should be legislating in a modern state. This Act, introduced during the pandemic, gave legal clarity to something that was already happening – people enjoying a pint or a glass of wine in an outdoor seating area. It was a lifeline for small businesses, particularly in hospitality, that were trying to survive under impossible conditions, and it worked. It brought life to our …

I rise to speak on an issue our Government must urgently address, namely, the recent threats from the European Commission that Ireland must introduce new so-called hate speech legislation or face legal action from the EU. As of the time of speaking, we have only six weeks to respond to these infringement proceedings but, so far, we have heard nothing from the Government regarding its plan of action. I therefore call on the Minister for Justice to appear before this House to inform us what options the Government is …

I express my deep concern about the Government's unwavering deference to Ursula von der Leyen and her Commission. Considering the recent Pfizer-gate scandal, where text messages between Dr. von der Leyen and the Pfizer CEO regarding vaccine procurement mysteriously vanished, it is high time the Government began to chart its own course within the EU. While the European court's ruling is welcome, it does not go far enough in combating what can be described as the Commission's culture of impunity, a culture which prom…

I want to voice the frustration of tens of thousands of people across the country who have done everything right, paid their fees, booked their tests and now are stuck waiting. They are waiting not days or weeks, but months. For some, it can be almost a year. Let us call it what it is - a failure of Government planning and oversight and a failure to prioritise the needs of ordinary people. In April, the average waiting time for a driving test stood at a staggering 27 weeks. That is more than double the RSA's target…

The Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, is very welcome. I congratulate him on his elevation into this role. I would like to ask the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications a simple question: where does nuclear power fit into Ireland's energy future? I ask this not in the abstract but with real urgency because the Celtic interconnector is due to come online in 2026. It is time we faced reality. Right now, under Irish law, EirGrid is legally barred from using electricity generated by nuclear fission, …

I thank the Minister of State. I can clearly see that we are going to rely on offshore resources going forward for the electricity provision for this country. That is not good enough. It will not do. As he well knows, many of these are at early stages. We are now in 2025. Many of these projects are going to be held up by planning. We are not going to reach that 2030 target. I am not saying that the discussion revolving around this nuclear option will happen within five years either but it is a conversation that thi…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The Minister of State and fellow Senators are very welcome to the House this afternoon. It is with a strong sense of responsibility and urgency that I introduce the Public Health (Restriction on Sale of Stimulant Drinks to Children) Bill 2025. This legislation is born out of concern for the welfare of our children and young people who are increasingly consuming high-caffeine and stimulant-laden energy drinks, products that are not designed for growing bodies or dev…

I thank Members for their contributions and participation in the debate on this Bill. This is significant legislation, with many provisions that will cover a great deal of ground. The Bill has been several years in the making and, as mentioned, it has involved the input of many others, including experts and civil society organisations. It has been written following a study of similar laws already in place in other EU nations. We also hope it anticipates the evolving nature of the problem, which we hope will not gro…

I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 6 be taken before No. 1. No. 6 relates to seeking leave to introduce the Public Health (Restriction on Sale of Stimulant Drinks to Children) Bill 2025. The latter, which we can refer to as the energy drinks Bill, aims to prohibit the sale of stimulant drinks to young people under the age of 18. The Bill is necessary because it addresses the growing public health concern about the widespread availability and consumption of stimulant drinks, commonly known as …

He is a first cousin. Do not make me feel that old.

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to regulate the sale, advertisement or promotion of the use of stimulant drinks to children, to prohibit the sale of stimulant drinks to persons under 18 years of age; to provide for health warnings on drink labelling to the general public on the effect to a person’s health of the excessive consumption or use of stimulant drink products and to provide for related matters.

Next Tuesday.