I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, and I thank her for a comprehensive report on what is a motion in regard to Data Protection Act 2018 regulations of 2026 for two scoping exercises. It is a highly sensitive area. We talk many times about the lived experience but it takes courage, guts and bravery to pour out your vulnerability regarding the many injustices perpetrated against you. It is important to say that many people were banging on a lot of doors for a long time and were given the cold s…

I raise the proposal from the Government, through the Leader, contained in the Order of Business. We work in a parliamentary democracy and have plenty of time to do our business. We were off last week. We started the other day at 2.30 p.m. We have got to smarten up here - all of us, including those in the Opposition - in regard to how we use our time productively and creatively in a family-friendly Parliament. I have spoken to a number of people who cannot get home to their own families who live in the greater Dubl…

I welcome the Minister of State. I will not reiterate what others have said but I wish to convey to him my disappointment. I am not going to elongate it as he has heard it before. It is something of a disappointment that this Stage of the proceedings is going to be guillotined. Parties and many other groups advocated for the retention of the Seanad but this makes a farce of this House. We are willing, we are ready and we are well-paid public servants who want to engage in a parliamentary process. We are, of course,…

I move amendment No. 24: In page 25, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following: “Report on treatment of refugees and asylum seekers 7. (1) Within 12 months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall produce a report on the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. (2) The report shall analyse the effects of this Act and include details as to whether immigrants are receiving appropriate legal counselling and are being treated humanly in detention in line with national law, the European Convention on Human…

The Minister is doing well.

In light of what the Minister has said, I propose, with the consent of the House, to withdraw the amendment with the right to reintroduce it on Report Stage.

I move amendment No. 1: That the Seanad do now adjourn until 1 p.m. on Tuesday, 24 March 2026. We are a friendly parliament. We have all committed to the women's caucus and to having a family-friendly parliament. On Wednesday we met here in the middle of the day and it worked very well. People have homes to go to. We do not all live in rural Ireland. People live in the urban spaces here and they have commitments. All I propose is a simple measure that we meet at 1 p.m. as opposed to 2.30 p.m. We are well paid and w…

I welcome the ambassador and Marie Barry, a great colleague and friend of mine in former years It is great to see her here. I did not recognise her. It is particularly great to see her and all our guests, including those from Dublin College Sallynoggin. Previous speakers have spoken about Saint Patrick's Day and what a great festival and great celebration of our culture, our heritage and indeed our enterprise it is. I and other colleagues were over at a showcase in Tesco Ireland for artisan food, meat and other pro…

On a point of clarification, I want to speak to amendment No. 1.

Were amendments Nos. 1 and 2 grouped together?

This is a broader opportunity for Senators to comment briefly on the Bill. I welcome the Minister to the House. I thank the Oireachtas Library and Research Service for its comprehensive paper on the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. It is disappointing to note how little of that was taken on board. We can talk about that as we go through the Bill. I do not know what advice the Minister got but there are elements peppered through the Bill that I intend to bring up on various Stages, if the Bill is not guillotine…

I thank Senators Murphy, Duffy and Kennelly for proposing this Bill. It is very simple and only has two sections. We all know we want to tackle and be tough on crime, especially in rural communities, but we have to be practical as well. While I support the essence of this Bill, there are difficulties with it. I do not know what the Minister is going to say. I can guess what he might say but it would not be right for me to do that. What occurs to me is that there are technical legal difficulties with this Bill. We h…

We have a pairing arrangement.

I welcome the Minister of State here again and thank him for coming to the House to address my Commencement matter. It asks for the Minister to confirm the nature of the Government's proposed review of legislation that established the electoral mayoralty of Limerick, and to make a statement on same. To give the Minister of State a bit of background, I say that because there has been a lot of commentary about the Mayor of Limerick. It is also important to make the point at the very outset that on 24 May 2019, voters…

The Minister of State has given more than enough detail. He said the review will take place in 2027 and that it will engage with the councils, which is important, various stakeholders, which is also important - I am glad it was confirmed - the consultative forum and other appropriate people. On completion of the review, the Minister will consider the report and make it available to both Houses of the Oireachtas. What more could you ask for? I thank the Minister of State. This will provide greater clarity and certai…

Up here is the problem, not Cork.

I join Senator Costello in congratulating South Dublin County Council on being selected as the LAMA local authority of the year. It is richly deserved. I know Colm Ward, too, and he does an exceptional job. That leads me to focus on the local democracy task force. Its report is complete. It has been signed off and is no longer with the task force. It is not the draft report; it is the report and it will be presented to the Minister tomorrow. Arrangements have been put in place for that to happen. I cannot speculate…

I am happy to support the Order of Business as proposed by the Deputy Leader today. I wish to bring up two issues. One relates to ongoing issues around mental health. Yesterday, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, was in the House to deal with my Commencement matter but we did not make a lot of progress. Therefore, I am formally requesting another debate on mental health. I know the Minister of State will be back in the House on 18 March to complete the passage of the Mental Health Bill, which is really important…

I welcome the Minister for State back to the Seanad. It is always good to see her. I thank her for coming here to deal with this Commencement matter, which falls within her remit and responsibilities. I want to set the scene here because that is important. Ironically, I had tabled this Commencement matter yesterday but it was not selected. I am lad it was not selected because today I will be quoting from Judge Alan Mitchell. A posting by RTÉ at 12.10 p.m. yesterday was really interesting because it very much relate…

I thank the Minister of State for her comprehensive statement. The reality is that there are beds that have not been opened in the facility. Some 50 beds remain empty while people remain in squalid conditions in our prisons. I accept that a lot has been achieved and I would be the first to say that. The reality is that we need to have these 50 beds. We have budgeted for it and the taxpayers have paid. The beds are in place. It is really important that we prioritise. I hear the Minister of State's point about increm…