Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business today is No. 1, Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 - Committee Stage (resumed) and Remaining Stages, to be taken at 1.15 p.m. and the proceedings thereon shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion by 4 p.m. by the putting of one question from the Chair which shall, in relation to amendments, include only those set down or accepted by the Government; No. 2, Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 4.30 p.m. and to adjourn at 6 p.m., if not previously concluded; No. 3, Private Members' business, Domestic Violence (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2024, to be taken at 6 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail)
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It will come as no surprise I wish to speak about Natasha O'Brien and the very brave leadership she has displayed during the past week. I am really struck by her bravery, poise and leadership on this issue, having experienced an unbelievably horrific attack. For the past week, we have all felt shock and we are only absorbing the impact of the decision to suspend, in its entirety, the sentence imposed on the person who assaulted her. Looking at Natasha O'Brien in recent days brought the bravery of Ms Lavinia Kerwick in the early 1990s to mind. She was the first person in this country to waive her anonymity and speak about being a survivor of rape. Lavinia Kerwick's decision was very brave. It was so shocking. While I was a child at the time, I remember it clearly. It was the first time rape, and how victims of rape are treated within the criminal justice system, were spoken about openly. Through her bravery, victim impact statements were introduced into the criminal law system.

We need to have a strong look at how suspended sentences are imposed. As I speak, I am very conscious of the separation of powers and how we cannot influence any decision made by judges. However, it is incumbent on us, as legislators, to look at our laws. We, as legislators, give the power to the judges to issue their discretion and to decide on sentencing. It is something we need to review. A number of jurisdictions, such as New Zealand and a number of areas within Australia, have gotten rid of suspended sentences in their entirety. I cannot see a justification for having suspended sentences in the context of a violent or sexual crime. We should look at the criteria on which judges make decisions.

We cannot get away from the fact we live in a patriarchy and that everything that happens is dependent on that patriarchy. The matter of unconscious bias is something we need to look at. We need to be providing training for people making decisions in very high, senior positions which impact others. They need to be given unconscious-bias training because they may not realise this is playing out in the decisions they are making. As a mother of a daughter, I am really concerned about the epidemic of violence in this country and the type of country she, and all the young boys and girls, are growing up in. People are out on the streets protesting. I commend the bravery of Natasha O'Brien.

While I do not have the time to touch on the Defence Forces, it is really concerning there are 20 similar cases in the Defence Forces and no one saw fit to deal with that until now. We need our male allies to come out to support us on this issue as well. Today is not the only time I will speak on this because enough is enough.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the students and teachers from Belclare National School in Tuam, County Galway. I thank them for being here. It is the students' second last day in primary school.They are having a wonderful visit to Leinster House. I want to thank them and they are a wonderful bunch of young people who are very pleasant to chat to. I thank the teachers for all the work that they have done and if I could single out one person, without being unfair to the rest of the group, it is Belle, whose is granddaughter of our friend and colleague, the former Minister of State, Deputy Seán Canney. They are very welcome and I am sorry for embarrassing Belle. I cannot give all of the pupils homework off because I am told that they have no homework for the rest of the week but I hope that they have a pleasant summer and that they enjoy their visit to Leinster House today. Céad míle fáilte roimh gach duine.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Give them homework off next year.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I cannot because they are going to secondary school. They will have a different subject for a different matter so I cannot do that.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge the passing of former Deputy, Bernard Allen, who I believe is being laid to rest today. He was a great parliamentarian who served his constituency of Cork North-Central with great pride and distinction over a very long period. He was a former Minister for sport and was very well-renowned in his community. I acknowledge his passing and want to put that on the record of the House. I know that he was a good friend of the Cathaoirleach and it is sad to see that Bernard passed away so quickly.

I want to bring to the attention of the House my concern regarding sports capital funding or the mechanism through which this funding is delivered. I am not raising the traditional sports capital funding projects but the large scale sport infrastructure fund, LSSIF.. It is a significant scheme which gives funds of between €600,000 to €30 million to infrastructure projects for sporting organisations. Usually, it is done on a national basis. The need for a sponsor is required in some of the applications, whether that is a national hockey organisation or a local authority.

We have been involved in one of these projects in Kinsale to ensure that the hockey club in Kinsale can apply for such funding but we got great resistance from the local authority to be a sponsor of the project. In the end, Hockey Ireland stepped in to be the sponsor. There are issues here about ensuring that local authorities step up to the mark when it comes to supporting these applications to ensure we can have the capacity to draw down these very significant funds for sporting organisations. The system has now been changed by the Minister of State. Instead of a two-tier system it is now a one-tier system, with one project going forward and going all of the way through, where one does not have to look for a second phase of the money, which is very welcome.

I believe, however, that a significant pot of money was left available from the previous scheme because of the local authorities' inability to work with the Department of sport in delivering these projects on the ground. We need to ensure that the Department encourages local authorities to be more proactive. They had a workshop on this, which was attended by the majority of local authorities. Some have been very proactive and some have been totally unresponsive and do not want to deal with any applications at all from the communities.

It is an issue, in that we need to ensure that our local authorities work in conjunction with our sporting organisations to maximise the level of funding for sports in Ireland for communities which have done so much in pushing these amenities forward.

The Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, has done a great deal here but the local authorities need to do more. That is the big issue.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I rise today again to discuss the Defence Forces and the press fest there is around what has happened in Limerick. No workplace in this country is immune from bullying and harassment in the workplace. Eight years ago, I raised in this House the possibility of bringing bullying in under criminal offences. I never wanted to speak about my own experiences publicly but I was bullied severely and I am not a small, insignificant individual. The result of it was that when I took the matter in hand and went through the process, I finished up in an office for seven years away from the school I taught in and in a classroom outside of the school, with a principal who was not allowed to engage with me under any circumstances.

Bullying, therefore, happens everywhere. People get horrible lives in this country and too many people shut their eyes to what is going on. Let us not crucify the Defence Forces because tomorrow morning, if there is a national disaster in this country, the first people we will turn to will be the Defence Forces. When Covid-19 hit this country and we needed people to go out there and put their lives at risk, it was the medicals and the Defence Forces who did it, and did it willingly every time.

Today, 300 of our soldiers are in the Lebanon and the Israelis are lining up on the border ready to attack in Lebanon. It is our soldiers who will be there and, damn me but we should be proud of the men and women who serve in uniform in this country and not go to lynch every single one of them because of the actions of a small few.

Any civil servant in this country who commits a criminal offence is not obliged to report it. The standard for the military is set much higher than is set for any other organisation in the State.

If we are going to talk about the military and the Defence Forces, then let us talk about the failure of politics to review Defence Forces regulations and to ensure that the regulations are commensurate with what is required in modern society. Just because one thug walks downtown and hits out at an innocent lady, let us not to blame every single guy or girl who ever wore a uniform.

I wore my uniform proudly. Last Saturday I was in Galway with An Chéad Chathlán Coisithe and I was proud to be there with the men and women I served with in the Defence Forces. I am very much asking our journalists that if they want to have a fest about bullying in the workplace, about sexual harassment or sexually inappropriate behaviour, then look at the Prison Service, at the Garda, at health, at education, at every workplace in the country, at every political party in the country and at every organisation in the country because it is going on everywhere. Let us be a little bit more honest in our dealings.

Annie Hoey (Labour)
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For Pride month and indeed Pride week, I want to talk about a key part of my community that continues to be left behind. As much needs to be done to improve the lives of trans people here in Ireland, I will list out some of the ways we can improve trans people's lives in Ireland and there might be something for parties to consider as we are in manifesto-writing season and, perhaps, thinking about programmes for Government the next time around. These are all things which have come up through consultation with the community.

The first issue is trans healthcare. Access to gender-affirming healthcare is very difficult in Ireland and is particularly difficult for trans and non-binary or gender non-conforming people. The waiting time is now estimated to be ten years. That is an excruciating wait and a ten-year wait is, quite frankly, not healthcare. Healthcare provision in ten years' time could be completely different. We need: to implement WHO and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, WPATH, guidelines within the national gender service; to implement a model of informed consent for general practitioners that allows people to begin HRT; to ensure a community care-based approach to ensure that gender transitioning services are local and accessible; to develop a paediatric gender service in line with international best practice; and to establish and develop gender-affirming surgeries within Ireland and within the public health system because, currently, anyone who wants to avail of gender-affirming surgeries must go abroad and fundraise to do so.

On education, we need to ensure that relationships and sexuality education, RSE, is comprehensive, inclusive and age-appropriate regarding issues of gender identity on transgender and non-binary recognition. We need to look at the Gender Recognition Act to allow for non-binary recognition and to allow for 16-year-olds to change their gender without court order or medical referral.

The final issue is around hate crime and safeguarding. We need to ensure that all hate crime or legislation which relates to minority or stigmatised groups is comprehensive and complete in covering trans and non-binary individuals. We need to improve equality legislation to explicitly include gender identity as a protected characteristic. Current legislation allows for interpretation of gender identity as a protected characteristic but it is not explicitly included.

We also need to ensure that in instances where gender segregation is provided for by primary or secondary legislation, for example in the Departments of sport or of justice, that transgender individuals have their gender affirmed and adequately recognised and that in the relevant equality legislation that their human rights are upheld. We also need to implement a ban on the so-called conversion therapy that is trans and non-binary inclusive.

It is important during Pride Week that we not only stand, celebrate and go for our Pride coffee mornings, that we will be marching through the streets over the weekend and that we celebrate how far we have come in politics and in legislation but that we also recognise that there is great deal more we need to do. I have discussed this before in this House and I am sure I will raise it again before this term is up, as we eke our way towards the end of it, that we still need to do so much more for the LGBTQ community, but particularly for the trans community. So, I say happy Pride. Trans rights are always human rights and we need to do a little more on that.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I wish to object to the Order of Business, namely, the proposal that No. 1 be concluded rather than adjourned. To take Committee and all Remaining Stages of the Bill today is an insult to the House, given that it is such important legislation. I also want to raise the issue of crime.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Are you moving an amendment to the Order of Business, Senator?

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I am proposing an amendment to the Order of Business.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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That the Bill be adjourned rather than concluded-----

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I move: "That No. 1 be adjourned and not concluded."

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Thank you.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Prison numbers in our country at this time have hit 5,000. Many of our 14 prisons are overcrowded. We talk about crime here every day, including judges making the wrong decision in respect of crime, but perhaps they make those decisions because there is nowhere to send people. We need places to send people. At this time, there are 469 people without bed spaces in prisons. Limerick's female prison is the most overcrowded prison in the country. We had a site to build a super prison in Thornton Hall. In May, it was announced that 30 acres on that site would be allocated from the Department of Justice to the Department of integration. I have since found out that is not going to happen because there is a problem with the lease. We do not know when it is going to happen.

We need an urgent debate on the location of refugee centres. Community engagement is important. The community has protested at the Thornton Hall site for the past five weeks. If there is an issue with the lease, the Ministers are keeping everybody in the dark which is not good enough. That is not what community engagement is about. If people want community leaders to work with the Department, they have to give us the information. I believe the lease is nowhere near ready to go. I ask for some engagement on that. Arrogance, incompetence and ignorance are the personality traits of this Government. It is simply not good enough. The Minister and Department need to come in here and talk to us about this.

Emer Currie (Fine Gael)
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I thank Irish Business Against Litter for telling us what we already know, namely, that Dublin city has become more littered and dirty. The capital was the fourth most littered area surveyed and is less clean than it was last year. It is the fourth survey in a row in which Dublin city has grown worse.

To be honest, there are days when I cannot believe my eyes when I pass streets and alleyways. Even on main thoroughfares very close to this House, there is a pervading smell of wee or weed. Dublin West stretches across two county council areas, Fingal and Dublin City Councils. They meet at the Halfway House pub in Ashtown. The councils are streets apart in terms of cleanliness, responsiveness to emptying bins and addressing weeds and overgrowth. I commend the new political grouping of Dublin city councillors that acknowledged this and pledged to get Dublin City Council back to basics. However, I suggest that this is not just a budgetary issue; it is a structural issue.

It can be very hard to navigate and access the services of Dublin City Council as a member or a public representative. The Taoiseach announced a task force on making Dublin a more thriving, attractive and safe cityscape and a desirable location in which to live, work and do business. We all know how urgent that is, especially given the most recent attacks in the Phoenix Park and on a Canadian tourist. It is important that we show that we are willing to break through officialdom to make this change.

We need reform. I remember standing in the House and saying that Covid had changed the city and we needed a new vision and strategy. We do not have the same footfall in the city; we have a different type of footfall. The city has to adapt. It was an opportunity to make changes and I do not think the leadership on the official side of Dublin City Council was there at the time. We need that leadership now. I appeal for a debate on this issue.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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I second the amendment proposed by Senator Keogan on the Order of Business. Whereas I do not share many of the views expressed in this House on in vitro fertilisation and some aspects of surrogacy that some of the people in my group hold, it is important that we have a constructive debate. There should be no emotion, just simple discussion, because there are serious issues involved.

I received an email from Senator Mullen which raised an issue we should think about further. Will a single male person be in a position to enter into a surrogacy contract and have a child by surrogacy in circumstances where that person would not be considered a suitable person to adopt a child? That is a fundamental question. We are walking straight into that without considering the implications carefully.

Surrogacy is justifiable. As I said on previous occasions, I was involved in the only case concerning surrogacy which appeared in the Supreme Court and which was decided on other matters. Curtailing this debate without carefully thinking through all of the implications of what we are doing is wrong. The Bill would benefit from detailed consideration. It would be improved if we all listened to each other in a dispassionate and less emotional way.

Barry Ward (Fine Gael)
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I want to raise an issue that has not received much attention in Ireland, namely, the aggression of China in respect of the international waters around it, specifically the Second Thomas Shoal, which is an area of natural resources within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. This is not something I am asserting; it has been established by the arbitral tribunal established by the United Nations. When the tribunal was asked about this in 2016, it made it very clear where the Second Thomas Shoal lay in terms of the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. There is no doubt in international law about where the rights lie.

Yet, in recent weeks we have seen an aggression by China in respect of the Philippine Navy in that area. Only for the restraint and good judgment of the Philippine Navy was a conflict not sparked as a result. We see China's aggression towards Taiwan and how its navy is constantly carrying out what it refers to as exercises in Taiwanese waters.

China has, of course, a right to establish its own national territory. I know the Chinese policy relating to one China is what it believes, but China must also, if it purports to be a member of the international community, behave in a responsible way. It is irresponsible to try to spark a conflict with another country. Whatever about Taiwan, which I believe is a separate country and democratically entitled to self-determination, the Philippines is internationally recognised as such and there is no doubt about that.

China needs to think very carefully about its dealings with its neighbouring countries in terms of its aggression, bullying and the way its military forces are behaving. This House should also make it clear what we believe in that regard. I encourage the House to have a debate on these specific issues and call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs to make Ireland's position clear.

Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael)
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I pay tribute to a group that is visiting us today, comprising councillors and candidates who ran in the local election. I pay tribute to people who put their names on the ballot paper and who, sometimes with the help of family and friends, go out and about and want to represent their local communities. I want to pay tribute to two of those people, Dympna Daly-Finn and Councillor Gareth Scahill, who, along with their families and friends who supported them, are here today. The visit is an acknowledgement and encouragement. We want good men and women to come forward at local election level, in particular in rural areas.It will support more balance coming into our local elections as well.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I have just come from a presentation by the National College of Ireland, NCI, which the Leader may be aware does tremendous work in Dublin's inner city and at national level through a wide range of programmes, particularly in promoting access to higher education. Since its move to the north east inner city, the NCI has done tremendous work around building an educational community in that part of Dublin. There is a need to expand. Unlike a lot of other higher education institutions the National College of Ireland's location is pretty land-locked but it was able to purchase another building in Spencer Dock. However, it requires a significant level of capital investment by the State. The NCI has been in the process. It receives some support through the Higher Education Authority. It needs to become a fully designated institution under the Higher Education Authority Act 2022 but it does not receive the same level as other higher education institutions. I request a debate on access to higher education but in particular that we ask the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy O'Donovan, to consider a significant capital investment to allow for the expansion of services by the National College of Ireland.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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Macra na Feirme is having its pre-budget submission launch today and has extended an invitation to all Senators and TDs to come to Buswells Hotel between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. I undertook to highlight some of the issues for Macra na Feirme, including the challenges for young people living in rural Ireland, creating a more sustainable agricultural sector, succession, farm planning, which is really critical for the sector, supporting young people living and working in rural locations, the resilience of rural communities and fair and equitable access to housing. We have been talking about the rural housing guidelines for five years in this House but we still have not received them. Elections tend to bring a focus to this issue so we need to do something about that. Other issues are rural transport, integration and equal access to transport in terms of linking rail and bus services, which is really important. There are the more important issues of healthcare and access to it, particularly mental healthcare and social inclusion, which is a really important point. Macra na Feirme is an organisation that is effectively very supportive of young people in rural Ireland having meaningful lives there. It put together a pre-budget submission clearly setting out its asks and I encourage as many Members as possible to go along today and engage with its members. There will be an array of members of Macra na Feirme from all over the country who want, and are eager to see, how many politicians will cross the road to meet them today. That is the challenge for us and I commend its pre-budget submission.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I commend Senator Boyhan also on his very interesting event later this afternoon. I encourage Members to attend the launch of a book about Sarah Cecilia Harrison, an artist, campaigner and the first female Dublin city councillor. The book will be launched at 4 p.m. in Leinster House.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome Councillor Gareth Scahill, who is newly elected in Castlerea, County Roscommon. I congratulate him and I also welcome Dympna Daly-Finn  who also ran in the local elections in Arigna, the home of the great former councillor Charlie Hopkins. I also welcome their family and friends to Leinster House today. They are guests of Senator Dolan. I hope they have a very pleasant day, enjoy their visit, and best of luck to all of them. Gareth, comhghairdeas leat.

Glaoim anois ar an gCeannaire chun fhreagra a thabhairt maidir leis an Ord Gnó. I call the Leader to reply to the Order of Business.

Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail)
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I thank all Senators who contributed to the Order of Business. The first to speak today was Senator Clifford-Lee who again raised the issue of Natasha O’Brien's case that was spoken about by almost every Member yesterday as well. I concur with her remarks on the incredible bravery and leadership Natasha has shown in not just advocating for herself but for women and other victims across the country. It was well put yesterday by many Members. There was widespread anger and disgust at the way that case was treated and Ms O'Brien has done herself a great service. She visited Dáil Éireann yesterday and received a standing ovation, which was much deserved. Senator Clifford-Lee raised the issue of the use of suspended sentences. The point I made yesterday was that they have a role but the Senator rightly questioned how that would be applicable in circumstances where a very violent is committed and the sentence is wholly suspended. People are finding it difficult to understand the logic and reasoning behind that particular decision.

Senator Lombard drew our attention to the sad passing of former Deputy, Bernard Allen. He spoke very passionately about him and acknowledged his great public service. I offer our deepest sympathy to his family, friends and community on his sad passing. The Senator also raised issues around local authorities working with the Department of sport. He acknowledged the good work by the current Minister of State with responsibility for sport, Deputy Thomas Byrne , but asked for greater co-operation in that some local authorities are doing good work and working with community groups and others could do better. I concur with the Senator’s remarks.

Senator Craughwell raised again the issue of the Defence Forces and the scrutiny of them as an organisation in respect of the O’Brien and Crotty case. I agree with this remarks. An unfair level of criticism is being levelled at our Defence Forces and serving members, notwithstanding that some bad individuals are unfortunately wearing the uniform or have worn the uniform. That should not be used to tarnish the good name and reputation of every other member of the Defence Forces that is serving his or her country with distinction. The Senator rightly mentioned those serving in Lebanon in a very precarious and dangerous position. The scrutiny has been unfair in that thousands of people are serving in our Defence Forces and many more thousands have served who are deeply disturbed by that case and equally supportive of Natasha O'Brien and justice in our system.

Senator Hoey raised a number of issues around trans rights and Pride week. I am not sure whether the Senator said that 16-year-olds should not get the consent of parents but if that was the suggestion I would have concerns about that in terms of parents having access to information around their children because a 16-year-old is still a child. Notwithstanding, the other areas that need to be addressed in healthcare, I would agree with those points. There are questions to be asked around healthcare for children and child protection as well.

Senator Keogan asked for an amendment to the Order of Business that No. 1 not be concluded but be adjourned. It was seconded by Senator McDowell and supported by Senator Craughwell. I am not in a position to accept the amendment to the Order of Business. We will have a further almost four hours of debate today. I take the points raised by Senator McDowell. I know the Minister for Health has addressed those points directly in committee, and also here in the House and in the Dáil, and his position on that is that it would be discriminatory. It is not a position that I share but the Minister has made his view clear and will be here again today for almost four hours to have further debate on more amendments.

The Senator also raised issues around prison numbers and posed a good question as to whether the lack of space in prisons is having an impact on judges' decisions on sending people to prison. It quite possibly is, maybe at the lower levels where there is not space and that needs to be addressed. The Minister for Justice. Deputy McEntee, has dealt with this issue in that she has acknowledged there are constraints within the prison system that need to be dealt with.

With regard to Thornton Hall and the issues raised by the Senator around migration, she sought a debate on these matters yesterday.I am happy to finally confirm that a debate on migration will be scheduled for Wednesday, 10 July. It has taken some time to get that debate but we will have it in the Chamber and my understanding is that the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, will be attending on that date. It will be an opportunity to raise issues around Thornton Hall but also the wider migration debate in the House. Regardless of people's positions or views, it is important that we discuss in these Houses the issue that everybody is discussing outside of these Houses. I welcome the Minister taking the time and that we will have the debate in the House.

Senator Currie spoke about the level of litter in Dublin city centre. Although I am not from Dublin and do not live in the city, I spend a lot of time here with work. I concur with the Senator’s remarks that the city centre is not clean enough and there are issues of litter, cleanliness and it being a safe and clean space for people to visit, but also for people to live. I support the Senator’s remarks.

Senator McDowell raised issues around surrogacy. I have dealt with those and I accept the Senator's comments in that regard.

Senator Ward raised issues regarding China and its aggression in the protected waters and sovereign territory of the Philippines. Those points were very well made. We will look for a debate on that issue. It is unlikely that we will get it before the summer recess, given the level of legislation coming through at this stage and the Bills that we need to finish, in particular the planning Bill. We will be busy but we will certainly make the request to the Department and see when we can get that debate in the House.

Senator Dolan acknowledged the importance of having good people coming into politics at a local level. I support the Senator's comments.

Senator Malcolm Byrne made a plea for increased capital funding for the National College of Ireland, which does fantastic work in promoting access and greater integration in the education sector.

Senator Davitt requested a debate with the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, on the cost of doing business. The Senator highlighted the increased cost for businesses in terms of wages, statutory sick leave and auto-enrolment. A lot has come together in a relatively short period and it is certainly putting pressure on businesses. The Government has responded with the increased cost of doing business grant, which has seen a significant rate of applications and that rate has improved across all local authorities. I appreciate there has been a lot of change for business. We will request that debate with the Minister at the earliest opportunity. Again, it may be that we will not get it before the summer recess but we will certainly make the request.

Senator Boyhan alerted us to the pre-budget briefing by Macra na Feirme in Buswells Hotel today from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Its members are making their case around the challenges for young people in rural Ireland, issues around succession planning and farming, the need to have proper rural housing guidelines, which we await with anticipation and would love to see published, and transport for young people in rural areas. These are very important issues. I thank the Senator for alerting the House to the briefing that is taking place today in advance of budget preparations.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I would like to be associated with the remarks of Senator Lombard and the Leader on the passing of former Deputy Bernard Allen, who served in the Lower House with distinction from 1981 to 2010 and as a Minister of State. He was a champion of the most vulnerable in his constituency and a friend and mentor to many of us. To his wife Marie and daughters, I offer our deepest sympathies. May he rest in peace.

An amendment to the Order of Business has been proposed by Senator Keogan, and seconded by Senator Michael McDowell: "That the proceedings on Committee and Remaining Stages of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 be adjourned at 4 p.m., if not previously concluded." Is the amendment being pressed?

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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Yes.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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Under Standing Order 62(3)(b), I request that the division be taken again other than by electronic means.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome to the Distinguished Visitors' Gallery the parents of our friend and colleague, Senator Seery Kearney. Mr. and Mrs. Seery are very welcome. I see my good friend, Scarlett Seery Kearney, in the Gallery. She is very welcome to Leinster House and to the Distinguished Visitors' Gallery where she should be every day. She is probably the 61st Member of the Seanad, so I welcome her back.