The same goes for the Cork hospital-----

I am speaking to the amendment. I, too, would like to hear from the Minister.

I thank Senator Mullen for putting it so eloquently. As far as I can see, this section is a bit like the tail wagging the dog because the Minister has provided no evidence. There is no evidence whatsoever from the Garda Commissioner regarding allegations that have been made by a certain lobby group. The Minister has produced no evidence in respect of any hospital to indicate that inappropriate protests were taking place outside these medical centres. There is no evidence from any hospital or any health centre. Wher…

The Minister got up-----

Earlier, the Minister gave the impression that the Government is the guardian of women's healthcare in this country. He spoke of the failings of previous Governments. Fianna Fáil has been in government for most of the past 100 years. Fianna Fáil was there during the issues relating to cervical cancer. Fianna Fáil was there last week, when we almost lost-----

The, Minister-----

-----has been-----

In all honesty, he has been a very good Minister for women’s health-----

-----but this is a step too far in the context of civil rights and protesting, particularly if people decide they want to protest peacefully and calmly outside health centres.

Amendment No. 2 provides for the opt-out for general practitioners who do not wish their GP surgeries to automatically become a safe access zone by notifying the Minister for Health. We know that most GPs do not want to provide abortion and the majority are not offering abortions at the moment by exercising their right to conscientious objection. Therefore, I find the automatic inclusion in the Bill of all GPs, including those in clinics run by ardently pro-life doctors as safe access zones, to be bizarre and unfai…

Post-mastectomy products such as mastectomy bras, prostheses and other accessories like swimwear serve a critical role in the physical and emotional recovery of women who have undergone a mastectomy. These products are not simply cosmetic items but are essential for restoring a sense of normality and confidence for patients. The cost of post-mastectomy products can be a significant burden for many patients, particularly those who are already facing financial challenges due to their medical treatment. Under the curr…

I welcome the Minister of State. This matter, which is of significant interest to taxpayers, students, parents, teachers and local communities, concerns the planning permission delays relating to the new Educate Together secondary school on Mill Road, Colpe, Drogheda. The current site was leased to the Department in June 2019. On 17 February 2021, the Department purchased 11 acres to deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary building and accommodation including six classrooms for children with special educational need…

Details were published in newspapers.

Okay.

I thank the Minister of State. I welcome the fact the Department has received the letter of consent in recent days and that it has been in negotiations with Meath County Council. The planning application should be made within a matter of weeks and I will be keeping a very close eye on that. There are currently 600 students on that site, with another 120 students due to arrive in September of this year. The Government has stated it will not provide any more temporary accommodation on the site, so where are those chi…

I second the amendment to the Order of Business. In December 2023, the health committee published its report on the recommendations proposed by the chairperson of the three-year review into Ireland's abortion laws. I attended the meeting of the health committee on 18 October that was also attended by the chairperson of the review and two researchers who helped in the drafting of the report relating to the review. At this meeting, when the chairperson was asked by my colleague Senator Martin Conway whether there wer…

The recent report on Tusla's children's residential centres throughout the country does not make for good reading. The report highlights wider organisational issues in promoting a culture of quality and safety in children's residential centres. This impacts the ability to build relationships of trust and undertake therapeutic work with the children involved. The deteriorating relationships within the peer group and recent serious incidents involving child protection matters indicate a lack of effective safety plann…

I want to raise an issue that has been brought to my attention by the Farmers' Alliance on behalf of the deaf community. The deaf community is at risk of losing the sign language interpreting service and the social inclusion scheme of the deaf community. This loss will have significant and far-reaching effects on that community. First and foremost, deaf individuals will be left without vital access to communication supports for personal and essential events. This includes family gatherings, medical appointments, le…

The meeting is today, I believe. I thank the Cathaoirleach.

The Minister is very welcome to the Seanad. This is an important Bill and I very much welcome it. I will deal with a couple of issues before I address the Minister’s speech. By amending the Social Welfare Acts to exclude the assessment of child maintenance payments from the social welfare means test, the Bill can potentially alleviate financial burdens on custodial parents and ensure children's welfare is not affected by such assessments. The repeal of provisions relating to liable relatives can simplify the social…