Hear, hear.

I want to address a matter of great importance, which is the financial support and accommodation provided to Ukrainian refugees in our nation. As we extend our hands in solidarity to those fleeing the horrors of war, it is imperative we do so with a clear, sustainable plan that ensures the welfare of both the refugees and our own citizens. I express my unwavering support for humanitarian aid. Ireland has a proud tradition of offering refuge to those in need and we must continue to uphold this legacy. We must also r…

I thank the Minister of State for taking this question today. I wish to address the significant importance of our local government and the equitable treatment of our elected representatives. Will the Minister of State clarify whether the exemptions from commercial rates from which TDs, Senators and MPs currently benefit will be extended to the constituency offices of county councillors? As we are all aware, the exemption for commercial rates for the constituency office of TDs, Senators and MPs is a recognition of t…

I thank the Minister of State. This House might look to amending paragraph 19 of Schedule 4 to the Act in this regard. While I have the Minister of State here, he might comment on whether the Department has discussed changes to the vouched system of expenses for county councillors. Currently, councillors receive €4,200 in vouched expenses and €960 in unvouched expenses. However, after extensive experience of working with many councillors, it is clear the current remuneration is insufficient, especially considering …

I wish to speak about recent information I have received on exploitation and the shortcomings of the new surrogacy legislation which was signed into law last year. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, I have made repeated freedom of information requests to the Department of Foreign Affairs. After three years, I have finally learned that, from January 2022 until today, 98 emergency travel certificates have been issued to children born in Ukraine as a result of surrogacy arrangements. Despite assurances from th…

I also welcome our Cavan guests this afternoon. I would like to address two important issues: immigration and freedom of debate. Last week in this Chamber and in the Dáil, many of our colleagues lined up to denounce Conor McGregor and the speech he gave in the White House concerning our current immigration crisis. While there are criticisms to be made of McGregor, ultimately he was enabled by the decades of utter silence on immigration by all the same Members who criticised him. This point was made last week by the…

Sorry, what is happening here? Is there another speaker?

That is fine. Sorry, I did not hear that.

Sorry, I am next.

I thank the Acting Chairperson. I welcome the Minister of State. It is great to see him in his new role. I wish him every good wish. As we all know, the critical issue of road safety is of the utmost importance because it affects every citizen. It is essential to acknowledge the progress we have made. Across the European Union, road fatalities have fallen considerably over the past decade. In 2022, there were more than 20% fewer fatalities than in 2012. Ireland has been at the forefront of this positive trend. As o…

I thank the Minister of State for coming in here this morning. I rise to address a matter of significant concern for many of our constituents: current capital acquisition tax thresholds and their potentially discriminatory impact on childless adults and non-nuclear families. The capital acquisition tax, CAT, threshold determines the amount of inheritance or gift that can be received tax-free based on the relationship of the disponer, that is, the giver of the inheritance or gift, to the recipient. As of the last bu…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply and for repeating everything we know about the CAT concerning households. It is not addressing the discrimination case in respect of childless couples. I am not advocating for anything to be taken away from adults with children but for giving a voice in these Houses for equality for couples and single people without children. Everyone should have the same level of control over how their fully taxed assets are passed on. All citizens should be treated equally. This is defi…

I wish to speak about the issue of the rising consumption of energy drinks by young people and to speak about solutions. Energy drinks are widely available and aggressively marketed and contain high levels of caffeine and other stimulants such as taurine. Research has shown that these drinks can have serious negative impacts on minors, including on their attention span, academic performance and physical and mental health, such as sleep disturbances, anxiety and even heart problems. Just last January, the HSE's lead…

Only a fortnight ago, I spoke about the serious failures of the Children's Rights Alliance to review Tusla's performance and I highlighted concerns that there were serious gaps appearing in the Tusla system, leaving hundreds of children vulnerable. Considering the news released in the past week, it deeply saddens me to say that these fears have been validated. The recent inquiry by Judge Conor Fottrell found that at least 250 children had not been assigned a social worker as the State agency had failed to comply wi…

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. Along with my colleagues, I too am delighted this Bill is progressing through this House. I draw attention to the first section that states this national treatment service is to be established "for the timely and effective inpatient and outpatient treatment of scoliosis" and that it will designate hospitals and other facilities for "the timely detection, assessment and remedial treatment of scoliosis". The emphasis here is on the word "timely", which is mentioned twice for goo…

I raise the issue of the abuse of the lis pendens system in Ireland. The filing of a lis pendens renders the sale of the land over which it is filed virtually impossible as no purchaser would be willing to take the risk of buying a property with litigation pending over it. As the system stands, it is possible for a lay litigant to file a lis pendens with the court for virtually no cost. Meanwhile, undoing a lis pendens is extremely expensive for the person who owns the land it is filed against. It can take years to…

On Ash Wednesday, Catholics throughout the world prepare for Lent, our season of fasting and prayer. Our ashes represent our faith, a time for penance and our mortality. Today I remind the House that Christians are still persecuted and discriminated against throughout the world. On 13 February, 70 Christians were killed in the Congo. Practising our faith is not something we should take for granted in a fast-changing world. We heard last week from Senator Mullen that Ireland needs a Department of government efficien…

The Minister is very welcome. First, I extend my congratulations to all the women who were elected to both the Dáil and the Seanad in the recent election. I look forward to working with them all in the coming session and wish them all the best in their endeavours. In both Houses, we have the highest number of female Members elected in the history of the State. Here in the Seanad, nearly half of our Members are women, arguably making it the closest an Irish elected body has ever been to gender parity. This coming In…

I thank the Minister of State for coming in here today. Last year in the budget the Government allocated €93 million for the housing adaptation grant for older people and those with disabilities. I welcome that. I also welcome the increase in the grant to €40,000, which means it is a 100% grant for those earning under €37,000. The extra €10,000 was a great move, and I think it is adequate. However, the process can be cumbersome for persons seeking the housing adaptation grant. They must get two written quotes. They…

Last week, the Children's Rights Alliance published its annual report grading the last Government's performance in protecting children. While the report is to be credited with delivering a vital and necessary assessment, there is a major and shocking failure in it; in more than 300 pages, it makes virtually no mention or assessment of the almost 6,000 children in the care of Tusla. How can a report on the Government's performance in child welfare simply forget to mention this? This is worrying, considering that the…