I thank Senator Kyne scheme for setting out his stall. Before we go on, I welcome Deputy Richard O'Donoghue and his guests, Mary Angela Downes and friends, who travelled here from Limerick. I hope they have a most enjoyable day in the Oireachtas.

Our next two Senators are sharing time. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I only have two more Senators on the list. If any other Senators wish to speak, they might pop up here and let me know. Senators O'Donovan and Boyle wish to contribute. We will come back about the timing in a few moments but I have taken their names.

I move amendment No. 1: In page 9, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: "(iii) the payments for educational services and supports shall be subject to a review on an annual basis.". I, too, welcome every visitor to the Gallery here today. It is great to see them all here. Also, I am conscious there are a lot of people tuning in to this important debate. I also welcome the Minister. I particularly welcome her officials, whom I have engaged with, as I have with the Minister, since we last met in the Seana…

I would like to hear from the Minister.

The Minister has spoken, and it is open to me to come back in.

That was an important intervention. The clarification provided is that it applies to the review. I thank Senators Ruane and Stephenson for raising that because clarity is everything. I did not think about that immediately; it took a few days. I looked at the alternative, which was that last week we had proposed a review and that was not really under consideration. We have made progress. We have this review. That is important. However, in light of two interventions by Senators Stephenson and Ruane, it is important t…

I withdraw the amendment.

I move amendment No. 3: 3. In page 9, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “Report on role of the Sage Advocacy 7. Within nine months of the commencement of this Act, the Minister shall, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on how the Sage Advocacy can be supported, and resourced to assist individual survivors to access supports and provisions listed in this Act.”.

Amendment No. 3 seeks to create a new section after section 6, which is entitled "Educational service support for former residents" in Part 2, which is entitled "Supports". This is a repeat of what we just had. I engaged with the Minister on this issue. I will also speak about amendment No. 4 before I read into the record some correspondence from the Minister. Amendment No. 4 reads: "In page 9, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “Supports for the excluded" ". Perhaps before I move on to that, I will …

There are two issues and two amendments. I will talk about the first one. The Minister sent the letter. That is on the record of the House. I will circulate it to all the Members later. She makes a valid point about Sage. Could she engage actively with Sage to promote the service? We should at least have a report from the Minister's office once a year on Sage, provided to the Dáil. It would be very easy for that to happen. We could do that either through the committees or by tabling parliamentary questions. There a…

I move amendment No. 4: In page 9, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “Supports for the excluded 7. (1) Advocacy groups approved by the Minister shall be able to make recommendations to the Minister so that health services and education supports can be allocated to former residents who’ve been excluded from this Bill and previous redress schemes. The Minister shall have the ability to approve the recommendations made by approved advocacy groups on a case-by-case basis. (2) Advocacy groups approved by…

I move amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 1: To delete “18 months” and substitute “6 months”. I thank the Minister of State for giving us her time. She is at a disadvantage when she comes in halfway through a debate but that is not her fault. I have no doubt she has a good grasp of the legislation and that she may have been looking in from the ante room. It is proposed that the amendment would read: “Seanad Éireann resolves that the Disability (Personalised Budgets) Bill 2024 be read a second time this day 6 months, …

We are going to share time.

Okay. It is good to have that business out of the way. At the outset, what can I say about Senator Tom Clonan? He is an amazing advocate. What we have seen here today is the lived experience, the man and the family that have lived with that experience of disability. I commend him. It has been a funny day for us in terms of care generally, given the earlier legislation. On the one hand, there is the Government’s concern. I do not doubt the Government's concern but there comes a time when one has to walk across the f…

Before I call the Minister of State, I welcome to the House Deputy James Geoghegan and his guest, Patrick Finlay.

Before we continue, I welcome guests of Senator Rabbitte, namely the students from St. Ita's Primary School, Loughrea, who are visiting Leinster House. I ask the Acting Leader to propose that we suspend because a vote has been called in the Dáil. We will come back immediately after it is held. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House.

I thank the Minister of State. I understand the Minister of State is staying with us for the next two Commencement matters. I thank her very much for her time.

I want to raise the naming of the new children's hospital. I do not know if it was discussed in the Cabinet but there was media coverage of suggestions that the Cabinet had actually made, or was going to make, a decision about the name of the hospital. My colleague, Senator Sharon Keogan, and I brought forward a Private Members' motion, as did Fianna Fáil, in the names of Senators Lorraine Clifford-Lee and Mary Fitzpatrick. Both motions were welcomed with open arms across the House. That is important. The motions p…