Before I call on the Minister of State, I welcome our visitors to the Public Gallery. In particular, I welcome Councillor Bob Quinn from Kildare County Council.

Our next Commencement matter is in the name of Senator Tim Lombard regarding Ballinspittle National School. It is a lovely part of the world. I was there at the weekend. The Senator has four minutes.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond.

The Minister of State has one minute to conclude.

I thank the Minister of State, Senator Hackett, for agreeing to take this Commencement matter. Ironically, I met the Minister of State with responsibility for electoral reform in the Seanad anteroom and we had an opportunity to discuss some of this. He had a decided view; that is his view and I am not here to communicate his view, but I would share his view, which is encouraging. I have a very simple ask today. The Minister of State, Senator Hackett, might ask why I am asking about the local elections statutory ord…

I appreciate where the Minister of State is coming from. She is delivering this response on behalf of the Department, which is not her Department. It is interesting, however, that all the political parties and Independents do not know the date. What is the reason for the reluctance of the Minister to confirm? Surely it is about participation, democracy and encouraging people. I will scan this reply to send it to the 949 councillors and tell them that I followed it up again. The Houses of the Oireachtas press office…

I join the Irish National Teachers Organisation, INTO, in its call for age-appropriate mental health support for children in teachers' care. The INTO has been to the fore regarding the mental health of children in school. It has continually expressed concern and sought additional resources for the welfare of the children in teachers' care. I am a great supporter of the INTO, which does amazing work. Teachers do not only teach; they also advocate for a whole range of services for children in education. I want to ack…

Yes.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank Sinn Féin Senators for tabling this timely motion. It is right this issue should be debated, in a respectful way. It highlights many issues. Many of us will remember a document called Rebuilding Ireland. That promised that within six or eight months we would have no homeless people. Nobody would be living in a hotel or sleeping in a hotel. None of that happened. There was no delivery and no proper accountability relating to Rebuilding Ireland. That was an Admin…

Senator Ahearn without interruption.

Without interruption.

Can Senator Ahearn stop engaging in debate? Speak through the Chair please.

Without interruption.

I did not invite an interruption, so the Senator, without interruption.

Without interruption, Senator Gavan.

Without interruption.

Without interruption, Senator Cummins. Through the Chair.

I call Senator McGahon, who has six minutes.

I welcome the plans unveiled by the Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, with regard to encouraging Irish construction workers back to Ireland from abroad. The Minister, as part of his St. Patrick's Day visit to the UK next week, will meet Irish workers in the construction industry to discuss their concerns and the reasons they went in the first place to find alternative work. While we know many of the reasons are economic, we need to know the reasons they went away to get work in the construction industry and, more impo…

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House and agreeing to facilitate this discussion. This first came to our attention last week when there was a proposal on the Order of Business to approve this motion without debate, and I simply do not believe that is satisfactory. It is not the way we should conduct our business in Seanad Éireann. I thank Orla Murray in the Leader's office for taking on board the concerns about the motion expressed by our group. The timeframe is very tight. Tomorrow is the deadline …