I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. At this stage, I feel it is necessary to reply to some of the comments made about the public, independent Office of the Planning Regulator. I appreciate it is dealt with in a separate Part, namely, Part 18 and sections 496 onwards. The office is front and centre in the first amendment my colleagues are considering today. I believe the commentary so far in respect of the office was disproportionate and not balanced. With the utmost respect, it did not fully appreciate …

Okay. I appreciate the time.

Of course.

An interesting point has been raised. A premises could go from being a shoe shop to a chip shop. It might also go from being a shoe shop to a betting shop.

My concern is that I would like as many safeguards as possible on the high street so there is not an over-preponderance or proliferation of betting offices, coffee shops-----

-----or whatever, and even, with the utmost respect, charity shops. They do great work but there can be a disproportionate number of them in one area. I would like some guidelines. It is an observation worth considering.

Apart from opening hours and levels of anticipated pedestrian and vehicular traffic, the Senator makes a good point. It could be that it is a vital cultural and arts centre and we do not want to move that, explicitly, to a betting shop.

I too offer my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the late John O’Mahony, the wider GAA community and the family of Fine Gael, which lost a wonderful public representative who served in both Houses with distinction. I would also like to closely associate myself with the Cathaoirleach’s kind, thoughtful and very appropriate remarks when he paid tribute to John. I also welcome Councillor Heavey from my home county, who was recently re-elected. I wish him and, indeed, all who were elected in the UK recently…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Schedule to the Bail Act 1997 so as to include a reference to an offence under section 39 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018 and to provide for related matters.

Next Tuesday.

I seek the leave of the House to introduce my Bill entitled Third-Party Funding Contracts (Certain Proceedings) Bill 2024. It is No. 10 on the Order Paper. I formally propose an amendment to the Order of Business so No. 10 may be taken before No. 1. My colleague Senator O’Hara is willing to second that.

I wish Senator O’Hara well as he is to contest the general election in the UK on 4 July, when the US celebrates Independence Day. He will be contesting in the North Belfast constituency. I wish him good luck with that. The purpose of my Bill is to provide that the offence or tort of maintenance or champerty does not apply to certain proceedings. In Ireland, it remains unlawful, subject to recognised exceptions, to enter into a third-party funding agreement. As well as being a civil wrong, maintenance or champerty i…

Hear, hear.

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide that the offence or tort of maintenance or champerty does not apply to certain proceedings; and to provide for related matters.

Next Tuesday.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach. Tá fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit inniu go dtí an Seanad. Tá géarghá le foirgneamh buan a thógáil do Ghaelscoil Ruairí i Maigh Nuad. Tá an Ghaelscoil seo, a bunaíodh in 2019 le haghaidh oideachas bunscoile a chur ar fáil trí mheán na Gaeilge, suite ar shuíomh sealadach ar champas oideachais Mhá Nuad. Cé go bhfuil cead pleanála ag an scoil do shuíomh buan ar an gcampas ó mhí Lúnasa 2021, tá dúshlán fadálach le sárú ag an scoil agus tá gá le gníomh roimpi láithreach. Faoi láthair,…

As the Minister of State said, you would think the difficult part was getting planning permission. That is long since secured. A permanent building with sufficient facilities and indoor and outdoor space would do so much to support the students and others, including the staff, and provide stability, facilities and space so the school could naturally grow and accommodate more students with additional educational needs. Delaying the tendering for a permanent building will only result in additional costs to the State …

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I propose to share time with Senator O'Hara.

I welcome the Minister. It is much appreciated that the line Minister is present. She is busy with voting obligations in the Lower House, and it is the tradition in this House to facilitate her in any way we can, but it is good that she is present for such an important debate. The Bill's purpose is to extend to victims of coercive control the same protection when attending court as applies under section 34 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018 to those attending court for breach of safety, barring and other orders. Cur…

I thank the Minister for being present for the debate. I know she has to leave now because she has been called to a vote in the Dáil Chamber.