And the Green Party.

The carnage, wanton waste of life and slaughter of innocent victims, especially children, in Palestine and Israel has been well documented in recent days. The Minister for Foreign Affairs issued one of the most unequivocal statements made in recent times by an Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, and ought to be commended on doing so. It is important to call out the disproportionate response of the Israeli military, the war crimes it has committed and how it is in flagrant breach of international humanitarian law. A…

In many criminal trials, one's liberty is at stake. After one's health and life, one's liberty is right up there as a fundamental freedom, so all and any admissible avenues ought to be made available and accessible in a criminal trial to ensure justice is done. Except for very good reason, there should be no limitations or strictures placed on the substantive trial. In my experience as a practitioner, I have detected clear evidence in recent times of a disrespect for the oath or affirmation taken before our courts.…

To add to the comments made by Senators McDowell and Ward, that archaic device also finds its way into sworn depositions and people have to laboriously write out every word. I recall taking a deposition from the governor of a prison when I was a very young barrister. It was just me and the governor and there was nothing controversial about the deposition but the process went into a second day. We had to do this in the old Special Criminal Court and it seemed like something from a different century. It was highly in…

I flagged this issue on Second Stage. The jury is to consider evidence. I understand that this proposal came about on foot of recommendations from the Law Reform Commission so I looked into those recommendations. The commission's concern seemed to be about very complicated and fraudulent matters and allegations that come before the court. The Government is proposing to extend that to all indictable criminal offences. The word "not" only has three letters. It is one of the shortest words in the English dictionary bu…

I welcome the decision to hold a debate on Palestine this evening. I concur with the remarks made by Senator Malcolm Byrne about charities. When we debate this matter in the Seanad, maybe we should also consider the multilayered strands of charities operating in the same general area where resources overlap. There are so many good charities in the area of cancer and mental wellness. It is a shame there is such an incredibly large number of them. Is there a need for so many individual charities? Could they not come …

I wish to share time with Senator Garvey.

All loss of life must be roundly condemned but we should never lose sight of what we are dealing with here. It is a sensitive powder keg and the initiator, what provoked this current crisis, the lightening rod, as it were, was Israeli provocation, and that should be called out. The Israeli response has also been entirely disproportionate. They are guilty of war crimes and are in flagrant breach of and have abused international law. The carnage, wanton waste of life, destruction and slaughter of innocent people, par…

In many respects it is appropriate that Senator Blaney should open the debate. He comes from a generation of republican families and it is apt that he should open this Fianna Fáil republican family motion that is before the House. At college I invited Neil T. Blaney, Senator Blaney's uncle, to a discussion. It was well attended. That was at a time when the voices of republicans south of the Border were few. If you remember the three elections in the early 1980s, Sinn Féin, then Provisional Sinn Féin, skipped one of…

The public's response and anger in recent days when people learned that global investment funds were swooping in to buy blocks of houses in areas where demand clearly outstrips supply is fully understandable. Lost in the justified furore was a good initiative by the Government to place the cost-rental model on a legislative footing for the first time. The Vienna cost-rental bases rent on how much it costs to build. It is core Green Party policy. Rent can be 40% cheaper. This year, we are rolling out 440 units. I wa…

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. As a respected and committed European, he no doubt appreciates EU solidarity in this regard. It is logistically challenging. The digital green certificate can serve as proof of vaccination, testing and recovery in order to waive restrictions to free movement put in place in a member state on public health grounds such as testing or mandatory quarantine requirements. When travelling, every digital green certificate holder will have the same rights as citizens of the vi…

The calls for the conducting of a border poll for Irish reunification have grown considerably in recent times. That has been amplified by the fact the majority in Northern Ireland voted to stay in the EU. It is gathering momentum and probably more support unity now than ever before. However, surely the purpose of holding a poll is to have a prospect of success. If one is to put the question, one would like it to be successful. I am one of those who would love to see a united Ireland but now is not the time. I was s…

With the indulgence of the Leas-Chathaoirleach, I would like to mention a point that is not covered in the Bill. Audio recordings of counsel are a possibility now to be served up to juries. For the day that is in it, the voice of Seamus McKenna, SC, was played on the radio this morning as part of "GunPlot". I have always been an advocate for the recording of trials as vital nuggets of history that can be released 30 years later such that there is no playing up to juries or juries being engaged in any play-acting by…

I flagged at the outset that I would be taking liberties. I will quit while I am ahead, given the Leas-Chathaoirleach has brought me into order. I thank him for his indulgence. I have another point that I will leave for later in our consideration and examination of the Bill.

It is a well-intended amendment. Like the previous speaker, I would be concerned that the outcome of this would be fewer people entering pleas, thereby clogging up the system and victims suffering in a more prolonged way, all because they will not nail their colours. If this Bill is enacted with Senator Ward's amendment, why would many people not take their chances without nailing their colours? Until now and until this Bill is enacted, the only time you can do that is during the jury trial of the action. You would…

On behalf of the Green Party, Comhaontas Glas, Seanad grouping, I congratulate the victorious Senators Horkan and Maria Byrne. I wish them well. They can be assured of our total co-operation for the betterment of Ireland, as is the tradition of this House. It must be deservingly complimentary to the new Senators when they hear feedback from Members who are not affiliated to their respective parties and who speak of the respect in which they hold the Senators. They have displayed their work ethic and dedication to t…

It was a sign of things to come.

I support a large proportion of what Senator Higgins said in that one has to be insolvent to be eligible for the process. The purpose of the personal insolvency regime is to restore the person to solvency. I understand that there has to be 100% frank and full disclosure. Full incomes ought to be disclosed but there is a difference between reckonable and unreckonable income. Supporting people by way of various welfare payments, which is paid for by the Exchequer - the taxpayer - ought not to go towards paying down d…

I will speak to the amendment in more general terms. It appears that the amendment works in theory but does it work in practice. I have heard talk of strategic defaulters and opening the floodgates but that simply has not happened, although there are some isolated examples that we could use. I am not here to give advice to debtors but, by and large, the vast majority of debtors will get much fairer treatment from a personal insolvency practitioner than from their own lender. Debtors are afraid to take that plunge a…

I have to agree to disagree with my fellow Senator on this one. I am not in favour of extending the term. I am unaware of the evidence which would suggest it is appropriate either from the point of view of creditors or debtors. Theoretically, at the moment, an arrangement can take place, if a person is very prompt about it, inside one day, and although that is theoretical, I think it happened once. I understand 60% of arrangements are agreed and done inside three years, and the current legislative provision provide…