On a point of order, we are speaking on-----

I wish to outline the point of order. I am on my feet. We have not passed the Bill yet. We are speaking on Fifth Stage. A number of Members have indicated a wish to speak. We have plenty of time.

Will the Acting Chairperson facilitate contributions on this Stage?

I thank the Minister for his time today. It has been a difficult debate. A cohort of Senators from all sides of the House have followed this through on all Stages. I will put myself in a mink farmer's boots tonight. I think I would be disappointed and disheartened. They have come tonight from Donegal, the Minister's constituency, from Laois and from Kerry. They have businesses. The message that has to go out, loud and clear, is that all of these mink farmers are decent, upstanding people with the utmost integrity, …

Hear, hear.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this Commencement matter and welcome the Minister of State. The Commencement matter is about municipal bonds and the important issue of financing local government. I was spurred on to table the matter by an inquiry from Councillor Karey McHugh Farag, on Galway County Council, who is doing a master's degree on the issue of bonds and the importance of funding to local government. The Minister of State knows and I know, as I think all politicians in these Houses know, that local…

I thank the Minister of State for his reply. It is clear there is no intention of introducing municipal bonds. I have read extensively in a number of papers in the last few days. There is a lot of information on best practice in other jurisdictions. It is something we should look at. We have to be ambitious. We have ambitious public representatives in local authorities. We have ambitious chief executives in local authorities. The Minister of State knows from Kilkenny that there is no shortage of ambitious ideas com…

I carry on the theme referred to by Senator Dooley, with many hundreds of thousands of people that might be expected to come from Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Poland. I hope we will issue them with a major céad míle fáilte and welcome. I put this against a background of our celebrations for St. Patrick's Day. I extend my good wishes to the Taoiseach, who I know is stuck in the United States. I am sure he is not stuck and is using his time constructively. I wish him well and a speedy recovery before he returns. I t…

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for reminding me.

I would like to say a few words in respect of the compensation aspect encompassed in section 7.

I welcome the Minister of State. He is new to dealing with the Bill in this Chamber but not to the background of this legislation. I also welcome the three farmers who have taken time off from their farms to come here from Kerry, Laois and Donegal. I am conscious everybody is busy and people have many things going on, but the kernel of this matter is the issue of adequate compensation. Ministers have said the floor of the Seanad is not where we negotiate a final settlement or deal, and I acknowledge that. All I hav…

I thank the Minister of State. He did not go quite far enough but I appreciate he is working with other Ministers and I respect that. Other Members have made some points. Before I make my own, I am conscious this is not a judicial appointments Bill. We could go on talking about this for the coming months, as we have done in the past. I do not think anyone wants to do that. We have considerable business to cover tonight, clearly, on the basis we are making progress. We will not complete it tonight. That is a certain…

The Minister of State clarified something that did come as a surprise to me. I certainly did not know it. He confirmed to the House that draft regulations were prepared and said his understanding is farmers were supplied with them. Will he confirm that? Would it be possible for Senators to see those regulations between now and the next consideration of this Bill?

I understand that

Going back to the earlier question about the draft regulations, these are clearly draft regulations and, therefore, not the regulations proper, which cannot come in before the legislation. I understand that process. The Minister of State has confirmed to the House the position on the draft regulations. Of course, they will always evolve and move. I accept that. The Minister of State has confirmed that the draft regulations were sent to the farmers. The continuation of that question is whether the Minister of State …

I am sorry to keep coming back to this issue. I understand where the Minister of State is coming from. I know he is not coming new to this, but this is his first time debating this legislation in Seanad Éireann. I fully understand and respect that. We talked earlier about trust and communication. I am a Member of the Houses of the Oireachtas. We are Senators. I have made a very simple request. The Minister of State has confirmed to the House that the draft regulations are in operation and have been prepared. I acce…

The Minister of State has set out his position, and I respect that. He has a job to do, as do I. I will take away one thing. I am not asking the Minister of State to reply to me. I have listened to what he has said and he has clearly set out his case. My takeaway from that is the Minister of State will take this request to the officials and Minister tomorrow, and that is fair enough. One way or the other, I ask that they let us know the position tomorrow because we now need to prepare our debate and move on. I know…

I move amendment No. 30: In page 17, to delete line 28. My amendment relates to the Taxus baccata or common yew tree. The tree is included in the appendices to the Bill. My only concern is to learn the rationale behind that. We know that the leaves of the Taxus baccata or common yew are poisonous. The official briefing produced by Teagasc states: "The leaves are poisonous to most livestock, and the seeds are also toxic to animals and children." However, we are now proposing to keep the tree on the index. Simply, Ta…

I gather from what the Minister of State has said that inclusion will not be mandatory so can I take it that he does not accept my amendment?

I do not agree, but I am not going to fight or argue about it. I do not think it makes sense. It is going against all the professional advice. The Minister of State has read us the record and now acknowledges that it is toxic to animals and to children, and we should not be encouraging it. All I am suggesting is that it be excluded from the list. I am not against it. I have a yew hedge surrounding my garden, which is fantastic and a hard thing to grow well. If the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is t…