I move amendment No. 6: In page 10, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: “(c) mechanical building services.”. The Minister is welcome. Is he going to accept any of the amendments?

I understand how busy the Minister is. If he is not going to accept any of the amendments, I would like him to state that. I had a group from the Amalgamated Plumbing and Heating Contractors of Ireland in the House. It represents 60% of the industry. There are 3,500 small-to-medium contractors in the mechanical building services sector. They have raised concerns regarding the Bill. The mechanical building services sector is recognised as a separate specialised area. The minimum qualifications are QQI level 6. The n…

I am disappointed the Minister will not accept this amendment. Many people in this industry are very experienced. Those doing the work on the ground have to jump through a massive number of hoops. This is particularly difficult for people with small businesses and for sole traders. I will be putting this amendment to a vote.

I move amendment No. 48: In page 64, after line 37, to insert the following: “Report on mechanical building services 66. The Minister shall, within one year of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, a report detailing how mechanical building services can be exempt from the regulations outlined in this Act.”.

I thank my colleague, Senator Ahearn, for bringing in Ms Cara Darmody to shine a light on the brilliance of children who have autism. I say well done to Senator Ahearn and Ms Darmody. This week a site notice has gone up in the Laytown area regarding temporary planning permission for a period of five years for the development of an emergency temporary accommodation campsite on a site of 15.8 ha near the Laytown train station. The development will consist of 569 two-bedroom single-storey homes. This emergency accommo…

Well done. I thank the Minister of State, who kept to time very well.

When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

When is it proposed to sit again?

Hear, hear.

I would like the Ministers for Finance and Agriculture, Food and the Marine to come to the House for a debate about what Ireland is doing to prepare for a possible recession. Economists have for months now been warning of the prospect of a recession in late 2022, an assertion echoed earlier this month by the UK's National Institute for Economic and Social Research. The chief executive of Citigroup, one of the world's largest banks, said on Monday that she believes Europe is sliding into recession as it grapples wit…

I thank the Minister of State for being here today. I would have liked to see the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, here to discuss this very important matter and answer the questions I put down. I raised the issue in March in this House about the state of telemedicine provisions for abortion in Ireland and the risk surrounding its operation. Telemedicine abortion was introduced in March 2020 as a temporary Covid-19 emergency measure. While virtually all emergency measures have been pulled back, telemedicine abortion rema…

I was not expecting anything else from the Department, to tell the truth. I am very disappointed. I understand the review is ongoing. I am unfamiliar with how long it will take to conclude the review or when the results will be published. There are safeguarding issues here, specifically with regard to coercive control and domestic violence, and there are also difficulties in identifying the gestational age with telemedicine. There are side-effects to these drugs and pills. Healthcare for abortion is not something t…

I move: That Seanad Éireann: acknowledges that: - to meet our demands for energy and the targets set out in carbon budgets, Ireland needs to generate more electricity while also reducing carbon emissions; - while the Climate Action Plan 2021 does not list individual targets for each sector, it details emission reductions that are needed from each sector of the economy; emissions from electricity will have to be reduced by 62 to 81 per cent; - Ireland is very heavily reliant on fossil fuels; approximately 85 per cen…

It is not about being popular or unpopular. It is about what is right for the nation.

I thank the majority of my colleagues for engaging with my motion and the respectful debate we had until our last speaker. I did not consider my motion to be "muck", and no Senator who puts down a motion should have it so described. It is disrespectful. We have to think past this Government because there is no doubt we are here to legislate for the now. There are people who will not be in government next time, and that may be because of their policies. This motion was about securing our energy and our future. It ta…

With the greatest of respect-----

We have had a very respectful-----

We had a very respectful debate and you are being very disrespectful to Senator Mullen. I did not realise he could not come in. You should not have treated him so rudely.

The Acting Chair does not have to swear.