I welcome the Minister to the House. Having followed his career somewhat, I do not doubt his credentials. I believe he is a caring, compassionate and honourable man as well as a caring, compassionate and honourable politician. For some people those are sometimes different things. I understand the difficult position in which he has been placed. Ramming this legislation through would not have been his choice. We have seen two pieces of legislation similarly rammed through in recent times. It is not the way the House …

I cannot support this legislation but we can deal with that at the end. I have spoken to many people, particularly with respect to the events in Galway. I will not go into too much detail now other than to say I stand over everything I have said. I have given this serious consideration. We should be clear as I am hearing mixed messages from people. I know what the people told me and what the women at the gates of Leinster House told me today. I know what the people from Galway want that I spoke to today. I am very …

I genuinely thank the Minister because he has sat here for many hours and listened. That makes a big difference. We do not know exactly what the Minister is proposing but we take it in good faith. I hear what he is saying. I know he has certainly listened and I thank him for that. I also thank the Members across the House because this has been a really good debate. There are conflicts. When I first thought about amendment No. 2, I felt there were difficulties with it but when I worked it through and talked to so ma…

I thank the Minister for his time and for listening to and engaging with us today. It was a constructive and helpful debate. I particularly thank his officials and staff who are with him today as well as the Clerk and assistant clerk and the people who make this House work. We have all learned and travelled a journey today. Hopefully, we will engage further with the Minister. I wish him well in the Dáil in the coming days as he progresses this legislation.

I second the amendment.

I welcome the Minister to the House. I was mindful when I was Acting Chairman earlier and now as I stand here that I am someone who has travelled this journey. I was born in 1961 in the St. Kevin's Dublin Union Institution and lived in many institutions throughout my life. If I were to be honest and asked myself what politicised me then it was that sense of injustice and denial. It was the sense that there was so much wrong going on with people with whom I shared dormitories and living quarters. These were institut…

I am conscious of time. We have six more speakers indicating but I have to call the Minister at 4.07 p.m. to reply. I ask Members to be conscious of the time and if they could shorten their contributions or share time that would help.

Next is Senator Aisling Dolan. Is the Senator agreeable to sharing some time with Senator Cummins?

We have seven minutes left and four people offering.

We have one minute each for Senators Buttimer, Cummins and Burke. I am conscious that we have agreed to allow the Minister to reply at 4.07 p.m. I have no wish to short-change him.

I thank all the Senators for their co-operation. It was a tight timeframe, unfortunately, but we agreed that we would call the Minister at 4.07 p.m. I am happy to say that it is now 4.07 p.m.

The Minister has eight minutes.

I thank the Minister for his time for the House and Members. In accordance with the order of the Seanad of 7 October, the House will suspend now until 4.30 p.m.

I will not use all of my time. I will not repeat what other speakers have said but I want to warmly welcome the Minister to the House. It is the first time I have had an opportunity to engage with her in the House. I was not present for debates on other educational matters since the Seanad returned but I have listened to the Minister and observed her modus operandi and she comes across as being very genuine, honest and professional. Not every Minister, particularly a new Minister, has that. It is a major learning c…

I warmly welcome the Minister of State to the House. I think this is his first time before Seanad Éireann. I congratulate him on his appointment to the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. I know a lot about his work and his track record in this area. We have a particularly good Minister of State, who has shown a particular grá for and interest in heritage for many years. I wish him well in the task ahead of him. I wish to raise the national peatlands strategy and the issue of peat moss in the horticu…

I thank the Minister of State for that comprehensive review. He has clearly left the door open and recognises the importance of a transition from commercial peat to alternative materials, which is important. I also thank the Minister of State for sharing with us the details in regard to advertising and establishing the review group, which will be particularly helpful. If we apply standards in regard to commercial peat, we have to be very conscious of the issues. I am hearing reports of peat being imported from othe…

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and congratulate her on her appointment.

I remind Senators that on the Order of Business today, it was agreed that each Senator would have five minutes of speaking time. I call Deputy Seery Kearney.

My apologies, I think I should have called Senator Clifford-Lee first.

Time, please.