I thank the Minister of State for his time here this morning on Commencement matters. It is greatly appreciated by the Seanad. I thank Senator O'Loughlin.

I welcome and thank the Minister of State, Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan. He is coming from the Department. In essence, this is quite a simple Commencement matter. The answer might be a bit more complex. This relates to the imposition of commercial rates on childminders' homes. These are not necessarily crèches. These are small operations where a parent may have their own children and may take in a child or two on top of that to mind on an informal but regulated basis, in that it is a professional system. The conte…

Really what I am saying is let us get it down to brass tacks: a family or a parent who decides to take a child in and make €200 a week has to pay rates. Let us keep the message simple because that is how we communicate with our electorate: anyone listening in who is caring for a child and is in receipt of money is liable for rates. Despite all the announcements about concerns for childcare and supporting rural communities and families, people in difficulty and people who cannot access childcare or moderate supports…

I wish to raise the issues that were highlighted on last night's "RTÉ Investigates" documentary on our prison services. We have not completed the Mental Health Bill, but this documentary raised a whole load of very serious questions about mental health in this country, how we are coping with it and how we throughout the State have aided and abetted and literally threw people out into what they call "community care". Many of them have now found themselves in our prison services. The "RTÉ Investigates" team needs to …

I second the motion.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank her for coming to take this matter. I know she is not the lead Minister but I appreciate her coming and I know we on this side of the House, as do all our Members, appreciate her coming here and hearing what is to be said. I commend my colleague Senator Conway on the excellent way he has presented this Private Members' business. I thank his team and his supporters who have worked with him because I know he has widely collaborated on this. The question has to be…

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, for his time in the House.

The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, is very welcome.

I thank the Minister of State for giving of his time. It is appreciated. We have six Commencement matters and six different Ministers coming in, which is a big story in itself.

I thank the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Heydon, for attending. He is very welcome. It is a busy week for him.

I thank the Minister for coming to the House and giving of his time.

Our next matter is in the name of Senator O'Loughlin. The Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, is very welcome.

Before I call the Minister of State, I welcome to the Visitors Gallery the students who are guests of Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire. They are all very welcome to Seanad Éireann.

The Minister is very welcome. I thank her for taking time out of her busy schedule to be with us today. It is always greatly appreciated in the Seanad.

I thank the Senator and the Minister for her time. I appreciate the Minister coming to the House. As a vote has been called in the Dáil, we will need to suspend so that a Minister can attend the Seanad.

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Calleary, to the House.

Before I call the Senator, I welcome the guests of Senator P. J. Murphy to the Gallery. I also acknowledge that earlier we had the guests of the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley. They are all very welcome to the House.

I also welcome the two guests of Senator Murphy O'Mahony in the Gallery. I hope they enjoy their visit here today. I thank the Minister for his time and I thank the Senator for raising his Commencement matter.

I welcome the Minister and thank him for coming before us today to debate the Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026. As the Minister said in his opening statement, it has been a long time coming, but it is here and before us now. In general, I welcome this Bill. I generally support it, but I think there are some concerns. At the very outset, I draw the Minister’s attention to the Bill digest for this legislation. I do not know if the Minister has one to hand, but if not, I will leave one outside. I took up one, because…

I will raise the issue of Bord Bia without touching on the current controversies in Bord Bia, given that they are well rehearsed and well documented, both in these Houses and the media. Currently, our Minister of State, Deputy Grealish, is on a trade mission and may be due back today or tomorrow. The Minister for agriculture, Deputy Heydon, is as well. This is important. The Seanad had a very good session yesterday regarding the nitrates directive. We touched on all the positive things going on in agriculture. Yest…