It said a neighbour testified that indeed there might have been a horse of that name there but he knew no such man. Unfortunately, I do not know what became of my forebear Thomas Clonan. I do not know if he is still a horse. My journey to this House was through the experience of having four teenage and adult kids, one of whom has a disability. I have always campaigned for diversity and inclusion. The challenges and obstacles that confront our disabled citizens are one of the frontiers we have to conquer. I had the …

I commend this Private Member's motion from our colleagues in the Civil Engagement Group. We should all be greatly exercised by this. We all remember the name of Alan Kurdi, the little boy whose body was washed up on the beach in 2019. That image is iconic. It was supposed to be emblematic or symbolic of the end of something. We were supposed to be united in our resolve to end the phenomenon of people drowning in the Mediterranean in large numbers. However, the numbers drowning in the Mediterranean have, in fact, a…

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I want to raise two issues. One is the report of the national independent review panel that has brought forward a report on the rape of an elderly and vulnerable citizen in a nursing home run by the HSE on behalf of the State. Other elderly residents made complaints about sexual assaults perpetrated by the same staff member. It would appear from the report that no action was taken. It was only through the bravery of a lady identified as Emily in the report, although that is not her real n…

Fearaim fáilte ar ais roimh an Aire agus déanaim comhghairdeachas leis arís. I stand in this Chamber as a completely independent Senator in my own right. I am not part of any coalition of views and, despite certain graphics that have appeared online without my consent or knowledge, I am not part of a coalition of people who oppose the Bill. I want to be absolutely clear about that. I stand alone in what I am about to say. I welcome the Bill, and I think I know something of the Minister's motivation in trying to int…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I was happy to sign Senator Garvey's motion. It is a great celebration and recognition of teachers and guidance counsellors, and the roles they play in our formation as teenagers and adolescents and the adults we have become, we hope. In a previous life, between 2012 and 2022, I worked with the Mental Health Commission on mental health tribunals for people who are involuntarily detained. I do not mean to be reductive or disrespectful but for the first five years of that experience…

I thank the Minister of State for coming into the House. I ask him to make a statement on the publishing of the full protected disclosure investigation report on the Phoenix Park community nursing home, St. Mary's, in Dublin, the only nursing home run by the State during the Covid pandemic. I draw the Minister of State's attention to the fact that we have the HSE whistleblower, Margo, here today. We also have the family of one of the residents of St. Mary's, Eileen Delany, who passed away of Covid, sadly, during th…

I thank the Minister of State. He and I both know that the correct thing to do here is publish the report in full. It is 500 pages long, so a very small executive summary is not enough. What we are talking about here is an international standard. If a report is commissioned, then its findings and recommendations must be published in order that we can learn from them and contribute knowledge for the common good. This is in the public interest. I note with some regret - and I do appreciate the Minister of State's rem…

I welcome my assistant Noelle today. I thank her for coming along.

I welcome all our guests. I echo the sentiments about Christy Dignam. As a Finglas man myself, I lament his passing. I knew members of Aslan growing up; Alan Downey on drums was a neighbour of mine. Finglas has made a huge contribution to the arts and music over the decades, for example Bono, the much maligned Paul Hewson is also a Finglas man from Cedarwood. While some people claim that is Glasnevin North, I do not think that Glasnevin North exists but it absolutely is Finglas. There have been other great musician…

I support this in principle, although I will echo what Senator Craughwell said, in that the Bill would require significant amendment. Positive reinforcement is the most powerful learning tool for us as a species. In Ireland, as a republic, we should be confident enough to recognise the outstanding achievements of our citizenship. One of the ways I suggest the Bill be amended is to ensure it is not the usual round of grandees and apparatchiks who are honoured in Irish society, by way of honorary doctorates and recog…

I second Senator Boyhan's proposals about the speaking arrangements for the incitement to hatred Bill this afternoon. I echo the condolences for the former Senator Paul Coghlan and his family. One of the recurring themes in the comments made is the collegiality he brought to the Chamber. Since I arrived here, I have experienced that generosity and collegiality from colleagues. It is a great legacy and long may it continue in both of these Houses. In that spirit of collegiality, I wish to bring to the attention of t…

I echo Senator O'Loughlin's remarks about Private Seán Rooney. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. I am thinking of his family at the moment. It is a very tough time for them. I would also like to remind the House of Private Billy Kedian who was killed in Lebanon on this day 24 years ago. I was there that year as a staff officer bringing journalists out. I am always mindful of the sacrifice our men and women have made overseas. I am also mindful of the precedent set by the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, who, since…

The four consultative forums are scheduled to take place in a number of weeks but we have no idea who will be speaking at them. We know there is a Chair, someone who has been very a vocal proponent of US foreign policy and who would be very supportive of Ireland becoming a member of NATO. While this is not problematic in and of itself, it does lead to the perception of an inherent bias before the consultative process even kicks off. Neutrality is such an important part of our foreign policy history over the years. …

Hear, hear.

I refer to the distressing images of rows of tents on Sandwith Street and around Mount Street. The practice of giving refugees, asylum seekers and people seeking international protection a voucher and then leaving them effectively homeless leaves them subject to hostile scrutiny. They are in a public space and gathering together for safety. It plays into the hands of xenophobic and right-wing groups. As a Parliament, we have to take action to stop this from developing into an international news story. I am also dis…

I am delighted to welcome Commissioner McGuinness to the Seanad, especially on Europe Day 2023. The theme of Europe Day this year is peace and unity. As the Commissioner said in her opening remarks, formed just five years after the end of the Second World War, the European Coal and Steel Community, followed by the European Economic Community and then the EU, have amounted to an extraordinary and probably the greatest peace process in European and world history. How unthinkable that must have seemed to our parents a…

Cuirim fáilte roimh ár gcuairteoirí. It is great to see them all here. I want to bring to the attention of the House a very serious issue that was raised recently by way of protected disclosure at Dublin Airport by a very senior and experienced member of staff there, with decades of experience in dealing with security and matters of passenger safety. This is to do with the screening of baggage and personnel going through terminals 1 and 2. This protected disclosure, which was made known to the Minister, Deputy Eamo…

Will the Leader write to the Chair of the committee?

Curirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I echo my fellow Senators' compliments to Senator O'Loughlin for the work done on the report in advance of the Summit of Heads of State and Government at the Council of Europe in Reykjavik in May. The last meeting in 2005 predated the invasion of Georgia by Russia. The geopolitical situation has changed fundamentally in Europe since then. Ukraine has endured a winter offensive from Vladimir Putin, the forces of the Russian Federation and the Wagner mercenary group. The centre of …

I welcome the ambassador and the military attaché to the Seanad. I want to raise the challenges confronting Irish citizens in Sudan, who are there amid the fighting, as well as our response and what we can do in Ireland to assist them. I understand that we have successfully evacuated just short of 100 of our citizens, but there are other citizens stranded there. I listened yesterday to the account of a young woman and Irish citizen who described her mother's escape to the Egyptian border by bus from a remote part o…