I welcome the family of the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy English, who are in the Gallery, all the way from Bohermeen and Cortown. They are very welcome. It was early May when I asked the Leader for a debate with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, on his plans to lessen the impact of rising inflation on the people of Ireland and his outlook on the global financial near future in terms of inflation and recession. Two months on, the situation does not look any …

Is the Senator on the left?

I am sorry. I am a bit lost here.

Is Sinn Féin on the left?

Hear, hear.

Hear, hear.

I object to that language.

I object to that language being used in this Chamber.

No, it is the other language you used. It is not that language and you know. Sorry.

I wish to share time with Senator Mullen.

I love to see legislation like this come before the House, legislation that is before us as a direct response to a problem we see in our country and how things are being done. The area of special education in our schools is a sensitive one. It is an area where we might be slow to act for fear of getting it wrong, but it is also an area that is so essential and so deeply personal to the parents, the children and the families whose lives are either blessed by access to an educational experience that is appropriate to…

I am here in the Chair.

When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I remind the Senator that she cannot refer to people outside the House.

Not people outside the House.

I want to start by expressing my admiration for and thanks to all those who organised, mobilised and campaigned for a 100% redress scheme in this area. I admire the tenacity, the drive and the vision of those involved to put in the time and the energy to keep the pressure up, to come to Dublin month after month and week after week, and to make sure their voices were heard by leaving no other option for the Government. I thank them, in particular, for showing that it can be done, and that real change at the highest …

I urge the Leader to re-examine the schedule for next week. There is not enough time for the Bill on children with special educational needs. One hour is not enough to debate such an important issue. Earlier this week it was revealed via documents released through a freedom of information request that multiple senior HSE managers have serious concerns with the medical advice being given to patients, many of whom are teenagers, by Transgender Equality Network Ireland, TENI, and are of the view its receiving of State…

The issue is that while other medical bodies, such as the National Gender Service, will medically intervene to treat gender dysphoria only after a patient has undergone a detailed psychiatric assessment, TENI has repeatedly advocated for bypassing this fundamental safeguard in favour of an alternative online service. Regarding a detailed psychiatric assessment and a time-consuming and rigorous mental health practice, in the eyes of a senior TENI staff a Zoom call with a remote doctor and the permission of parents i…

The Senator should have been here earlier. The public will ultimately decide who the bullies were in this surrogacy meeting.