I will definitely take her up on her invitation to sit down with her and work out the details of this legislation. I appreciate the work she has done in this area. She is a reforming Minister. I challenge her to live up to her good reputation of open-mindedness and reform in this area, which I know she cares about, for the sake of the victims and their families and relations. Children in these scenarios are either direct or indirect victims and are severely impacted. Before the end of term, I hope to introduce the …

Next Tuesday.

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Chathaoirligh agus a chomh-Sheanadóirí. Ba mhaith liom cead a fháil uaibh an Bille um Fhoréigean Baile (Leasú) (Uimh. 2), 2024 a chur i láthair inniu. Tugann an leasú reachtaíochta seo cosaint agus níos mó príobháideachas dóibh siúd atá ag fulaingt de bharr barraíocht smachta a bheith ag duine éigin orthu. I seek to amend the Order of Business to take No. 7 before No. 1, whereby I would be permitted, with the leave of the House, to introduce my Domestic Violence (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill …

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Domestic Violence Act 2018 by means of extending the restrictions on those present in courtroom proceedings, and to provide for related matters.

Next Tuesday.

I thank Deputy O’Donnell for his attendance in Seanad Éireann and congratulate him on his recent appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works. It is appreciated that he has reached out to and met all the Kildare North Oireachtas Members. We hope he can help break the logjam, with a new set of eyes injecting and instilling a fresh approach and, if you like, a type of cold-case review. He will no doubt be aware all Oireachtas Members in Kildare North have adopted a non-party pol…

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I commend the OPW on the work that it has done to open up the lands and restore many of the landscape features, particularly the historic network of pathways across the estate, as mentioned by the Minister of State. There has also been a concerted effort, as stated by the Minister of State, to manage the estate from a biodiversity perspective. I would like to place on the record my gratitude for that most important work. Does the Minister of State accept that the long…

Is lá speisialta dúinn é inniu toisc go bhfuilimid ag cur fáilte roimh Sheanadóir nua inár measc, an Seanadóir Malachai O'Hara. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Seanadóir, Ultach ó chathair álainn Bhéal Feirste agus ceannaire an Chomhaontas Glas sa Tuaisceart. Baineann an Comhaontas Glas, mo pháirtí féin, le timpeallacht an oileáin ar fad, beag beann ar aon teorainn fhisiciúil. I seek leave of the House to introduce and take No. 12 on the Order of Business before No. 1. I will set out the reasons. No. 12 is a Bill entitled t…

I move: That leave be given to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 to require the Health and Safety Authority to prepare and publish a code of practice under section 60 of that Act in respect of the safe use and disposal of formaldehyde, with particular reference to the embalming process; and to provide for related matters.

Next Tuesday.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit chuig an Seanad. Tá mé ag lorg an scéal is déanaí maidir leis na pleananna do chathaoir Sheáin Uí Dhubhaí, an Finín mór le rá, a thabhairt do chontae Chill Dara. Deirtear gur scríobh Seán a chuid cuimhní cinn agus é ina shuí sa chathair sin. D'fhill sé go dtí a chontae dúchais 100 bliain ó shin agus tá candle ar leith ag muintir Bhaile Eoin, Kill, agus muintir Chontae Chill Dara agus muintir na hÉireann ar fad freisin, le John Devoy. On 17 April 1876, a whaling ship, the Catalpa , …

I thank the Minister of State for attending and for his very encouraging and positive words. As he said, the campaign to bring this chair home started in 2014. So many people in County Kildare will be delighted to learn that the chair will be home in Ireland in the coming weeks, in time for the centenary of John Devoy's final visit to Ireland. County Kildare has a rich tradition of appreciation of history. A particular group has been working on this matter. I acknowledge their vibrancy, dedication and passion for t…

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I thank him for his unequivocal and heartening remarks. These are the latest in a series of consistent remarks of support from the Irish Government since the war began two years ago. I also welcome H.E. Larysa Gerasko to the Chamber. She is a good friend of so many of the Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas. I got to know the ambassador just before the war broke out. We had our fears at the time and, unfortunately, they were well-founded. Why are we at a two-year …

The human suffering brought about by Israel's military actions is gut wrenching. It is especially reprehensible when one considers that it is being perpetrated by what is called a democratic state. The Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October was clearly abhorrent. The continued holding of hostages is intolerable and they should all be released. Israel's response has been, to say the very least, indiscriminate. It represents collective punishment of all Gazans and it is clear to us that war crimes are being committed. N…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire inniu go dtí an seomra dlí don Dara Léamh ar mo Bhille, ar a dtugtar an Bille um Fhoréigean Baile (Leasú), 2024. Ag an bpointe seo, ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil le mo chomh-Sheanadóirí a thacaigh leis an mBille, ina measc an t-iarSheanadóir, David Norris. Faoi láthair, má sháraíonn duine ordú cosanta i dtaca le foréigean teaghlaigh, ní féidir é a chúiseamh ach i mbealach achomair agus dá bharr sin, níl i ndán don té atá cúisith…

I thank all the Senators for supporting this. It has been an excellent debate. I thank them for their encouraging, kind, dedicated commitment to this. People who signed it or wanted to sign it come from every grouping in the Seanad. I hope the Minister takes that on board. We can disagree in this House but there is something about this Bill and what it is trying to protect which goes beyond party politics. That is why I have chosen a collaborative, cross-party approach, because it is beyond party politics. I thank …

Next Tuesday.

On behalf of the Green Party grouping, I convey our deepest sympathy to the former Taoiseach's wife Finola, to his family, in particular to our Oireachtas colleague Richard. It is very poignant when we lose one and when one of our own suffers such a direct bereavement, to his many friends and to the Fine Gael family. As legislators, we bring our ideals, experience, vigilance and intelligence to the legislative process. These values are especially important at a time when expertise is undervalued and those who seek …

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit, atá tagtha anseo inniu thar ceann an Aire Oideachais, an Teachta Norma Foley. Tá ceist an-mhór le plé. It is disappointing that the Minister, Deputy Foley, is unavoidably absent but the Minister of State is welcome to the Chamber to give her Department's response. In 2017, the school community of Mercy Convent Primary School, Naas, learned the exciting news that the Department was proceeding to build a much-needed new school building. A state-of-the-art €9 million building was pro…

I thank the Minister of State for his response and for deputising for the Minister, Deputy Foley, who is unavoidably absent today. Many parents are tuned into Oireachtas TV and some are in the Gallery today. They are all speechless because of these inexcusable delays to date. The Minister of State's response lacks detail. It does not give the parents the concrete information or the concrete assurances that at this stage they deserve. The local Green Party councillor in Naas, Bob Quinn, is also a parent. They are al…