I second the motion.

The horrendous slaughter in Israel over the weekend was promptly and unequivocally condemned by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Government. Indeed, I believe those words of condemnation have been uttered from all political parties in these Houses of the Oireachtas. For words of condemnation to have credibility and genuine meaning, they must have consistency. I am disappointed that others around the world could not bring themselves to condemn such wanton waste of life and slaughter. Murder is m…

Following the extensive pre-legislative scrutiny undertaken by the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, it was reported that yesterday the planning and development Bill 2023 has been approved by the Cabinet. The former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Mr. Justice Frank Clarke, who was a guest speaker at a conference held last Friday morning, warned that Government plans to overhaul the planning system by slashing red tape have the potential to create unintended consequences that will lead t…

The Bill, which the Minister moved to be read a Second Time this afternoon, contains a considerable amount of detail. It is substantial legislation which the Minister proposes to enact. It is important to emphasise that at its core is community safety. Some of the people listening to these proceedings may not be instantly or keenly interested in Garda oversight structures, internal governance or national security legislation, although these are vitally important. Some are more worried about whether they will be abl…

Houseboat owners along the canals throughout Ireland are concerned that their permit fees will shoot up as Waterways Ireland drafts updated by-laws for these communities. The proposed steep hike in annual fees being considered would lead to people paying 12 times the amount they are paying at the moment. County Kildare is the nerve centre of concern, with a large number of houseboat residents residing at Sallins, Lowtown, Hazelhatch, Confey, Maynooth and Kilcock. Any proposed changes must be rooted in an appreciati…

Many Members may have read a very interesting piece published in yesterday's The Irish Times by a member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, Matthew O'Toole. He used the literary device of a metaphor to make his point in respect of the poisoning of Lough Neagh. The poisoning of the lough is partly a product of poor decision-making at Stormont over decades. But it is also a metaphor for the poisoned state of politics and governance in the North. The waters of democratic debate have been tainted for some time,…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire chuig an Seanad inniu. In moving that the Bill be read a Second Time, the Minister outlined some helpful clarifying and constructive explanations in support of this initiative, which the Green Party grouping supports. The Bill provides for the wearing of body-worn cameras by gardaí and this is something for which gardaí have called for a number of years. It is worth noting that the ICCL has repeatedly expressed some concerns. I take on board concerns from a genuine place as constructive.…

I closely associate myself with the warm remarks made by fellow Senators as we approach the summer vacation and as the Seanad rises today. So much work goes on behind the scenes. It always looks like a seamless operation but I have no doubt that it involves countless dedicated hours of work, led by Mr. Martin Groves who sets an exceptionally high standard. The respect for process and procedure can be seen to reverberate among all his staff. I am sure he is very proud of them. We are very proud of the staff. We shou…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire chuig an Seanad ar maidin. As part of the programme for Government that the Greens successfully negotiated, the ratio of Government investment in transport was flipped from 2:1 in favour of roads to 2:1 in favour of public transport and active travel. As part of this, in October 2022, the Minister announced 35 groundbreaking pathfinder projects around the country that encompass significant road space reallocation favouring walking and cycling in our cities and towns and large-scale inves…

I thank the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, for his clear unambiguous statement. That clarification, I hope, will be a catalyst for positive action and translating words into action. This is real. The Minister is a frequent visitor to Naas. I hope to see him there again soon. The Minister will be aware at first hand of the benefits of this project. I regret to say that there is no sign of Part 8. The public have not been informed of that yet. It has not been advertised. I am hoping today that it has been made crystal …

It is nearly ten months in.

The Derry minor team recently won the All-Ireland football championship by defeating Monaghan, which was trying to win its first All-Ireland at this grade, having lost the 1939 final. I welcome the new All-Ireland champions. I was taken aback by a lovely message from Rían Ó Néill, who was waiting in Moneymore, County Derry, to welcome home the minor All-Ireland champions. He could not help but notice that the local lodges of the Orange Order waited until the Derry bus had passed through before starting their parade…

The Minister of State is very welcome, as always. I also welcome our special guests, the Clonan family. In the lifetime of this Seanad, I am challenged to think of more serious legislation that could come before us for consideration. The Bill seeks to create a legal requirement to provide treatment, therapy supports and services for persons with a disability. It inserts new sections after section 11(2) of the Disability Act 2005. Subsection (2A), as proposed to be inserted, is where an assessment report is furnishe…

The Minister of State is very welcome to the Chamber, as always. In his opening remarks he said the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 led to exceptionally high energy prices, that the Government is aware of this, and that the Government is recognising and responding in an appropriate way. Russia has used energy as a weapon of war in its illegal and unprovoked brutal war in Ukraine. Communities across Europe have had to pay extremely high gas prices. For a time, the price of gas was ten times higher than the…

On behalf of the Green Party grouping, I convey our deepest sympathy to the late Mary Jackman's husband, Nick, her daughter, Nicola, sister, Ursula, and her extended family. As has been said, former Senator, Mary Jackman, was first elected as a member of Limerick County Council, representing the Castleconnell electoral area in 1985. It was an exciting time in Irish politics. She went on to be a poll topper in many elections until her retirement in 2014. She has the unique distinction of becoming the first female ca…

Go raibh maith agat a Chathaoirligh Ghníomhaigh agus cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit sa Seanad inniu. Scoil Mochua in Celbridge is a thriving primary school going from strength to strength since first opening its doors in 1985. It is the cherished heartbeat of the local community. It is a mainstream school which places huge emphasis on inclusion. It caters for all, including those with additional needs. It is affiliated to the AsIAm pilot project to promote autism-friendly schools. Some of the children with more …

The reality on the ground in this specific case is upsetting. A young child attending this school has to move to a different school because the family wants her to access a special class, yet the child's home is across the hedge from the school. It is literally a stone's throw away. The child and her family are very happy in that community. The school staff are passionate about education. They do their best to care for each and every student and the parents are hugely supportive. I implore the Minister of State to …

I thank the Minister of State. That is appreciated.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Tánaiste. Along with the paralysis of the ongoing suspension of Stormont, the other main issue of deep concern to citizens on the island of Ireland and further afield is, as other Senators said, the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill the Westminster government seems to be persisting in progressing through its legislative process. This Bill would provide immunity for people accused of crimes during the Troubles, as long as they co-operate with the new independent commis…

The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, is very welcome to the Chamber as always and I realise that many of my points have been covered by previous speakers. I confirm that the Green Party grouping will support this legislative initiative. The Bill is fundamentally about health practitioners. It contains a welcome development in response to Brexit in respect of UK medical graduates because since Brexit, UK graduates have been unable to avail of intern positions in Irish hospitals. This Bill allows for graduates of UK univer…