I would just flag to Members before I call the next Senator, there are now approximately eight Senators who are queuing up to speak. I will call them by their order on the list: Senators Pauline O’Reilly, Gavan, Boylan, Flynn, Kyne, Ó Donnghaile, Moynihan and then myself. We have plenty of time. This is what it is about. It is about scrutinising the legislation.

We have heard it.

It was confidence and supply. That was a coalition.

I am last on the list.

I thank the Minister of State. I am fully committed to 16-year-olds having the right to vote. In this State, 17-year-olds can have consensual sex but cannot vote. Is that not extraordinary in a republic? It is profound in many ways and disappointing. We are talking about amendments Nos. 13 to 16, inclusive, and I acknowledge the enormous work of Senators Warfield and Ruane. When I listened to Senator Ruane, I identified with everything she said. Most of us in the Chamber were more than likely politically active as …

I am crazy.

Welcome to the party.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this Commencement matter. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, to the House. He is no stranger to local government having been a Minister of State in that Department. He is hugely committed to local government, to reform and to the participation of the widest possible number of people in local government. He is a strong advocate of that and I am delighted he is here to take this Commencement matter. The Commencement matter I have tabled is on the need for t…

I thank the Minister of State. I am very familiar with the Independent group that was included last year because we lobbied for it. It had not been included in the initial proposals and we pulled together a group of Independents to make a submission to the then Minister of State with responsibility for the matter, Deputy Phelan, the year before last. To be fair to him, he was very keen to facilitate that. The Minister of State, Deputy English, summed it up when he stated it is important every generation have an opp…

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Expenditure and Reform, Deputy O'Donovan, to the House.

The mayor of the city and county of Waterford, and his wife, are seated in the Gallery. I extend a very warm welcome to them and hope they have a good day here. Of course I am referring to Councillor Joe Kelly and his wife. Today, the audiovisual room was packed as we had a delegation from the Social, Economic Environmental Forestry Association of Ireland, SEEFA. The event was particularly interesting because we again heard, which is a fact that we have heard since the Government targets for forestry were set, that…

First, I welcome the fact that the Minister for Justice will formally unveil her plans to tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, DSGBV, later today. That is important. I wish to acknowledge the speed at which the Minister and her officials have progressed the work from the last time she was in the House talking about the package of measures. Central to the strategy is the Government's focus on tackling the issue of service provision. That is to be welcomed. While we do not know the exact detail of the m…

I, too, ask for dedicated debate on health. It has become very clear from all the Commencement matters and engagement by Senators on all sides of the House that health is a recurring theme. I request that the Minister - not a Minister of State but the Minister with ultimate responsibility for health - comes to the House. It would be remiss of us to adjourn this summer without a dedicated debate, maybe in three or four modules over a half day or day, on the growing concern over our health services. I respect that Me…

I move amendment No. 3: In page 6, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following: “(fa) an undertaking can also be defined as a local authority, for the purposes of this Act,”. I will speak to amendments Nos. 3 and 6. First, I welcome the Minister and his officials to the House. I thank them for this legislation, which I broadly welcome. I think it is very positive. I have tabled amendments Nos. 3 and 6 mainly as a scoping exercise and to have some brief discussion on the matter because there seems to be a confl…

Some of this has come about from engagement and conversation with Transparency International Ireland, which I am sure the Minister is well aware of, and how it observes and manages these issues. As I said, a number of councillors who engaged in the protected disclosure process found it difficult. I accept the Minister's assurances, which he has placed on the record, that city and county councillors will be fully covered when this legislation is enacted. That is my understanding. Is that correct?

I move amendment No. 6: In page 8, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “(ha) an individual who is an elected City and/or County Councillor,”.

I thank the Minister for his comprehensive statement. I visited Tuam and spent time there on Monday. I spent the day in County Galway talking to a number of people involved in this case. I thought it was appropriate to go. It is important to visit the site and speak to the people involved. I had a long engagement with Catherine Corless and her husband. Walking the site gives a great sense of its importance. The site is in the ownership of Galway County Council. As the Minister rightly stated, it is public land. I w…

I welcome the Ambassador of Slovenia to the Chamber. I have visited the country on many occasions. I have attended a number of conferences for the European Liberal Democratic Reform, ELDR, party group in Ljubljana. It is a truly beautiful city in a truly beautiful country. I am delighted the ambassador is here. He is most welcome. I welcome the Government's announcement yesterday of the ACRES scheme. ACRES stands for the agricultural climate rural environmental scheme. It is a nice name. I presumed the Department d…

I move: “That Seanad Éireann: supports: - the Patients Deserve Better campaign promoted by the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, an umbrella group of non-profit organisations which advocates for the rights of 800,000 citizens living with a neurological condition; recognises that: - neurological conditions which affect the brain and spine are the leading cause of disability throughout the world and include many common conditions such as stroke, migraine, epilepsy and acquired brain injury, in addition to certain r…

We will keep the seat warm for the Minister of State.