I will speak to amendment No. 43. The amendment states: In page 12, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “(k) to promote party of esteem and support equality, diversity and inclusion in research and innovation,”.

I will come in briefly. What the Minister of State said sounds counterintuitive. He said that mentioning parity of esteem will not guarantee it but we need to reinforce it. It reminds me of a scene in "The Simpsons" where Homer asks Lisa what she is going to study in university and she tells him she is going to study philosophy. Homer tells her that is great because it will mean she can get a job in the big philosophy factory on the edge of town. Even in popular culture and cartoons, there is an acknowledgement of …

It was the quote from "The Simpsons". The Senator cannot help himself. He has come to life now.

I object to the Senator referring to the Homer Simpson amendment. I will never live that down.

May I ask your advice, a Leas-Chathaoirligh? I would like to reintroduce the amendment on Report Stage.

I wish to raise the prospect of Israeli retaliation against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Three individuals - Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu - have presided over genocidal retaliation against the people of Gaza for the reprehensible attack on 7 October in which more than 1,000 Israeli citizens - innocent men, women and children - were butchered by Hamas. Israel's response has been of such a scale and so disproportionate that it has murdered, and I use that word advisedly because its actions have b…

I thank the Chairperson. Will the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, be here?

I was informed that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, would take this Commencement matter.

Does the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, have a response?

Apologies. Can we start the clock now? I am here to speak about the despicable practice by HSE disability service managers who are refusing to allow disabled citizens to avail of independent enablers - the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, calls them "enablers" - to allow them to have autonomy and choice in personal assistance. I have two examples in CHO 6, where this seems to be a particular problem. In the case of one family, their son went to London in 2019 and suffered a traumatic brain injury. He was returne…

I thank the Minister of State. I am disappointed to note that his response really does not answer the question or meet the needs of the people who have contacted me. It is essentially not the case that direct payments can only be made through a service agreement. It is common practice in community healthcare organisations all over the country, and west of the Shannon in particular, that companies such as Home Care Direct facilitate independent supports for disabled citizens. It is not correct to say this is the onl…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chathaoirleach, leis an Cheannaire, le Seanadóirí agus na daoine uaisle. I welcome my guest, Lisa Domican. Lisa, like myself, is a parent. She is a full-time carer for her daughter Grace, who is 24 and has autism, ADD, epilepsy and PMDD. She also cares full time for her son Liam, who is 26. They are both beautiful young people. Liam has autism and an anxiety disorder that was exacerbated during Covid, which leads to behavioural disturbances and can be quite challenging. Lisa is a carer in t…

I want to echo the comments made about the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar. I have to say that over the years when he was Minister for Health and as Taoiseach, I have clashed with him on many occasions and we have had many very robust exchanges and disagreements. Throughout that time, An Taoiseach has shown great personal kindness towards me and my family and, particularly, my son Eoghan. I think it speaks to the man and who he is. I watched him very closely during his press conference today. I wish him well and I wish …

Fáilte roimh an Aire. I want to speak in general to the amendments set out here but in particular to amendment No. 6.

Okay. With regard to the issue of safety zones, I want to speak briefly about my lived experience in this regard. I have five children and I have attended the births of all of my children. Unfortunately, as I set out here yesterday and before, in the case of one of my children, she did not survive in the delivery suite, and my little daughter died by way of a cord accident at full term during delivery. Unlike all of the other deliveries, this was a completely silent event. I cannot speak highly enough of the midwiv…

I completely accept the position that he is coming from. I recognise it and I respect it. I am coming from a different philosophical perspective, so we differ on that, but I respect the place Senator Mullen is coming from. Speaking as a person who has experienced these life events, though, and notwithstanding any human rights or philosophical concern the Senator has, this is not the place, the space or the environment. No woman or man should be confronted with this situation. I think of the French laws around laïci…

The guests are all very welcome here this morning. I will raise a couple of issues this morning. First of all, my dad was a carpenter before he joined the Garda. As a consequence, when I was the age of our guests, I spent every weekend and every summer working with my dad. I learned a great deal about carpentry, joinery and all sorts of other stuff, so I am pretty handy. Today, I went-----

I am watching the clock.

Do not worry, I will make the drop very generous. I have actually measured the step out in the Speaker's Corridor. There is a requirement there for a ramp. This is the corridor the guests came up. I saw them out there with the usher. I have, on more than one occasion, encountered wheelchair users who are stuck in the Speaker's Corridor while the rest of the group go out and look at the portraits of Charles J. Haughey, Bertie Ahern, etc. I actually think that is disgraceful. We represent the people. This is an Oirea…

Hear, hear.