Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, motion regarding arrangements for the sitting of the House on Monday, 15 July 2024, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of the Order of Business; No. 2, motion regarding the appointment of a Member to the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of No. 1; No. 3, the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2024 – all Stages, to be taken at 11.45 a.m.; the proceedings thereon, if not previously concluded, to be brought to a conclusion at 1.15 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; the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister in the debate on Second Stage not to exceed eight minutes, those of group spokespersons not to exceed eight minutes, those of all other Senators not to exceed four minutes, on which time may be shared, and the Minister to be given not less than eight minutes to reply to the debate; and Committee and Remaining Stages to be taken immediately thereafter; No. 4, motion regarding the earlier signature of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2024, to be taken without debate on conclusion of No. 3; and No. 5, Private Members' business, the Protection of Children (Online Age Verification) Bill 2024 – Second Stage, to be taken at 1.30 p.m., with the time allocated to this debate not to exceed two hours.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I also welcome family members of Senator Bradley to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery: her fiancé, Jóvan Bredell from South Africa, who is cheering loudly since last Saturday but who it is hoped will not be cheering next Saturday, her mum, Jacqui Bradley, her dad, Vincent, her sister, Hazel, and her uncle, Kenneth. They are all very welcome. I extend a céad míle fáilte to them. I hope they enjoy their day.

I thank Councillor Luke Corkery for being one of the liaison people for Senator Bradley. I also thank him for looking after her today and yesterday.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, I welcome Senator Bradley. She is incredibly welcome. It is a great honour to be nominated to the Seanad Chamber. It is lovely to see her family and fiancé with her. When we became Members of this Seanad it was during Covid and we were in the Convention Centre Dublin. We could not have family or friends with us. I urge Senator Bradley to cherish the day. We look forward to working with her. I have no doubt she has a lot to offer and to give us during the Seanad proceedings.

On Tuesday morning, I raised the National Transport Authority, NTA, and the fact that there was a very strong possibility that the fairer fares that had been committed to for those within the 50 km zone outside of Dublin, which includes Newbridge and Kildare in the constituency in which I live, parts of north County Dublin, Wicklow, Meath and Louth, would be deferred until 2025.

Since then I have had a number of meetings. The NTA appeared before the transport committee yesterday and I thank Senator Dooley for allowing me attend in his place. At that meeting I said very clearly that while it seemed that there were technical reasons for this delay, that is simply not good enough for the people that I and others represent. It has been a really long battle to get to this point. Many people who commute from my area of Newbridge and Kildare were promised a fare decrease. It was promised because of the unfair strategy that had been in place. We must have that reduction in place in September. If there is an issue with the technology, it should be done in some other way while we are waiting for the new technology to come onstream.

I had the opportunity to meet with the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, yesterday evening. He informed me that when he got my call on Tuesday, he spoke to departmental officials who were not aware of this. They thought that it must be a mistake because the NTA had not informed them. They had to contact the NTA then for clarification. Clearly the NTA had not told the Department of Transport or the Minister's office. It is simply not good enough for the organisation to act like that. It is really stymieing Government policy in trying to make public transport accessible, affordable and integrated. I call for a debate in this House on this issue as soon as possible.

Finally, I must mention that we have reached a very difficult milestone, with 100 people having died on our roads this year. The 100th person was tragically killed during the week and most of these fatalities are down to driver behaviour. We have to put out an appeal in that regard. We also need more surveillance, Garda patrols and so on. I call for a debate after the recess on road safety.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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First, I welcome our new colleague, Senator Nikki Bradley, to the House. I understand that she is a motivational speaker. Maybe we can put her in touch with the Spanish football team before Sunday. On a serious note, she is very welcome and I look forward to working with her.

The first issue I wish to raise relates to the seven Sinn Féin MPs who were on the plinth earlier this morning. It is great to have them here. We are now the largest party in local government, in the Assembly and in Westminster. Looking at the timeline over the past 20 years, one will see a fundamental change in terms of the Six Counties and politics. As Michelle O'Neill said, it is time for a constitutional conversation. Indeed, it is already happening. I pay tribute to Deputy Leo Varadkar's very positive contribution to the Ireland's Future debate just a few weeks ago, and those of others. All of us need to think about how we can make a more inclusive Ireland as part of that conversation. One particular way we can do that is to give our MPs in the North, of all persuasions, speaking rights here in the Oireachtas. The former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, committed to doing that a couple of decades ago and we need to see that happening. I would appreciate all-party support in that regard. It is something that I may revisit in September. None of us should be afraid of giving speaking rights in this Oireachtas to politicians who have been democratically elected across Ireland. If we are serious about building a united Ireland, we should start right there.

The second issue I raise relates to the occupation of Palestine and the ongoing genocide there. We found out this week that the IDF occupation forces used the so-called Hannibal directive on 7 October. This was reported in Haaretz, a very credible Israeli newspaper. In essence, what that means is that hundreds of people who died that day in the horrific action by Hamas were actually killed by Israeli forces. That has become clear this week and we need to very cognisant of that. According to The Lancet, a very credible medical journal based in Britain, the real death toll is likely to be 186,000 or 8% of the Palestinian population. Let us be absolutely clear that what we are witnessing is genocide and it is ongoing as we speak this morning. I detailed last week the huge role the US military plays in supplying thousands of cluster bombs, munitions and rockets that enable Israel to keep going. What we need to address now is Shannon Airport's role in this. We really need to address it because there have been 11 direct flights to and from Israel since 7 October and 85 additional US military flights to distribution points across the Middle East. We all know the role of the US in this. I have said for years that there should be no room for the US military in Shannon. This is not a new position; it is the position that Sinn Féin has adopted for decades. I call for an urgent debate on this matter. We cannot on the one hand say we are against genocide and then, on the other, turn a blind eye to the US military's role through our civilian airport in Shannon in supporting that genocide. It is not good enough. We need to do more. We need to see sanctions against the Israeli state, real action on the Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 and we need to stand by the Palestinian people much more than we have done.

Nikki Bradley (Fine Gael)
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I have so much that I want to say but I have only three minutes. For a Donegal woman, three minutes is not a long time. As we all know, we like to talk. First and foremost, I thank everybody in this room. I have been welcomed warmly, as have my family who are here today. I am so honoured to see them here, including my fiancée. We have been given the warmest welcome and I thank everyone for that. I also thank the Taoiseach because without his nomination, obviously I would not be here. This is an incredible personal honour for me.

Once the madness dies down, I am genuinely so excited to actually get to work. What I have been working towards over the past number of years is to be an advocate and a voice for people like me with disabilities and their families. I have been through quite a few things myself but I have learned from them and have grown to become quite resilient as a result. I want to be able to pass that knowledge and experience on to other people. I want to improve services for everybody within the disability community. There are some smaller issues I would like to work on such as a universal access key that will stop the misuse of disabled toilets by those who should not use them. These smaller issues are ones that other people might overlook but they can impact a disabled person's daily life and reduce their quality of life. I am determined to tackle those smaller issues as much as the wider ones.

Being from Donegal, there is no getting away from the defective blocks issue. We have all seen it. We have personal experience with it. Some of my friends have lost their homes. We have seen the devastation. I have had conversations with the Taoiseach and various members of the Government in Donegal as to what we can do to try to improve the situation for the families affected.

Another area I really want to focus on is young people. They are the decision-makers of tomorrow. I want to encourage more young people to use their vote. I also want to encourage fully able young people as well as those with reduced mobility to look at sport because there is a direct correlation between a positive mental attitude and sport. It is important for young people to get outside into the open air and enjoy what our country has to offer. These are some of the many things, off the top of my head, that I am thinking about and I am so looking forward to working with everyone here. Once again, thanks so much for the opportunity.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I welcome Senator Bradley to the House and congratulate her on her appointment. She can trust in me for any advice she needs about the place. I am one of the few independent voices in here.

The Cathaoirleach will recall that during the passage of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023 through this House a number of questions were put to the Minister with respect to the participation of members of local authorities. One of the bugbears at the time, which will interest most Members, was about local authority members chairing community policing committees. Indeed, my colleague, Senator Boyhan, tabled an amendment to ensure that the chair of a community policing committee would be a councillor. We were told that it could not go into the Bill but that nothing would prohibit a councillor from becoming the chair. I understand councillors have to apply for membership of the committee but, more importantly, I understand that local authorities are being advised that there would be a conflict of interest to have a councillor as chair. That is simply not on. We were told one thing here and if an instruction of that nature has gone out to the local authorities we need to know about it and we need to know what has changed since the Bill passed through the House. This is one of the dangers when a Minister who is bringing a Bill through the House makes a statement.

When it is not written into the legislation, there is no way of ensuring that it is followed through on. If there is a prohibition on members of local authorities becoming members of this committee, we need to know about it. I ask the Deputy Leader to use his good offices to inquire about that. Galway County Council recently advised for its chair. I know the Deputy Leader will not be too happy if county councillors are prohibited from applying nor will most Members of this House. We should follow up on that and get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible.

Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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I congratulate Senator Nikki Bradley on her appointment to the Seanad. It is a very proud day for her and for her family, who are from Milford and whom I met on the way in. From the Senator's contribution, I can see that she is going to hit the ground running. I can claim to be a neighbour of the Senator's. My home patch is not a million miles away from hers in Milford. It is a very proud day for all of the family and for the Senator's fiancé, who is from South Africa. I hope they have a great day. It is one day in their lives they certainly will not forget. I have no doubt that the Senator will hit the ground running.

I fully concur with Senator Craughwell's comments on the policing Act. I took it from the Minister's contribution that day that there was no impediment to an elected member of a local authority becoming chair of that organisation. I too will be seeking clarity from the Minister in that regard. Sin é uilig.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I welcome Senator Nikki Bradley to Seanad Éireann. As somebody with a disability who has been a proud member of this House for the past 13 years, I am no longer a lone voice. I commend and congratulate the Senator. What better champion could we have than somebody like her? I met the Senator for the first time about a year ago when Fine Gael launched a document on diversity and inclusion here in Leinster House. I commend an Taoiseach, Deputy Harris, because the first thing he did on becoming Taoiseach was to establish a Cabinet subcommittee on disability. That is all good and we sincerely hope it will deliver results but actions speak louder than words and an Taoiseach's action in appointing Senator Bradley to Seanad Éireann speaks louder than any voice. It really does augur well for what we can achieve as a country and for what Fine Gael is achieving as a party. The two people with disabilities in this Oireachtas happen to be from Fine Gael. We are in a good place and can achieve an awful lot. We want to see the optional protocol adopted but, more than anything else, what we want to see is a level playing pitch. I hope that Senator Bradley and I will prove to the people of Ireland that, when people with disabilities are given a chance, when the pitch is level and when there is fairness, people with disabilities can compete, perform and achieve at the highest level in any walk of life, whether business, sport, public service or politics. Today is a great day for Seanad Éireann and for people with disabilities throughout this country. Well done, Nikki. Enjoy it.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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As the leader of the Independent Group in Seanad Éireann, I warmly welcome and congratulate Senator Bradley on her appointment. A great honour and privilege has been bestowed on her by the Taoiseach, which is his prerogative. All Senators are equal in this Chamber at all times. That is important. I do not give a lot of advice but I have loved every day since I came here eight years ago. I do not see myself as a politician; I see myself as an advocate. If any one of us, including Senator Bradley, can simply be an advocate, a voice bringing issues from outside the gates of Leinster House to the centre of parliamentary democracy, he or she will achieve great things. I wish the Senator every happiness and every enjoyment. It is a great honour. From having heard a little bit of what she said earlier on, I have no doubt that she will hit the ground running and that she is the right choice. I commend the Taoiseach on making that choice. I also warmly welcome the Senator's family. It is a great honour for them but it is also a great honour for the Senator to be here and to have this accolade and position bestowed on her, as is right. I wish her well and I wish her every happiness.

Two weeks ago, I referred to a letter the Ceann Comhairle wrote to the leaders of all of the different groups, dated 25 June 2024. I am glad that I did because I subsequently received loads of queries on it from the media and from Members of both Houses. I will make one reference to it. It relates to that enormous planning and development Bill. I draw the House's attention to the second item on the second page of the letter, which relates to the grouping of the amendments. The Ceann Comhairle tells us that:

The Bills Office will not be in a position to group amendments for debate, as is the usual practice. The Department [that is, the Department sponsoring the Bill] has agreed to group the amendments and will advise the Bills Office of the proposed groupings for inclusion in the Chair's brief.

I am not looking for debate on the matter. I only ask whether the Deputy Leader, along with the powers-that-be, the Seanad Office, the Bills Office and the Leader's office, can facilitate us seeing those groupings tomorrow so that we can prepare for the mammoth task facing us on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail)
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Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Seanadóir Bradley. Is lá an-speisialta é di agus dá clann. The Taoiseach has made a very positive statement in appointing the Senator to Seanad Éireann. I came in as she was coming to the conclusion of her address. Rather than offering her any advice, I am likely to be seeking advice from her because she is very grounded and is focusing on the very important things in life. I welcome that.

I return to the issue of crime not only in our urban areas, but in our rural areas. It is not only the Minister for Justice who has responsibility in this area. All legislators do. As the Deputy Leader will know, the number of robberies in parts of counties Galway and Roscommon is quite concerning. It is also happening in other rural areas. The Garda is doing its best in trying to deal with this but it is stretched at times. There are a lot of questions that must be asked. I have been trying to get an answer to a question I am being asked by the public. Are drones being used to help with these robberies? It is a very serious issue that we will have to face. Is there information coming from local sources? I have heard that before. I cannot prove it; I do not know. It is really frightening for people to see two or three people coming to their house to carry out a robbery. In most cases, when they see an individual, they move away but nobody should take any chances. People should not leave their door or windows open. Another really terrible thing is that, when people are out at a restaurant or are out for the day, they put it up on social media, telling the whole world that the house is vacant. I would like a debate with the Minister, although not to have a go at her. As I have said, as Oireachtas Members, we all have a responsibility here. I would like to see a debate, perhaps when we come back in September.

Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate our new colleague, Senator Bradley. I could not be more thrilled to see her here. I am very proud of the Taoiseach for recognising her sheer talent and skill and elevating her to the Seanad. I also welcome the Senator's family. It is a really big day. I was emotional seeing her walking in. Her family can be very proud of her. As her colleague, I am very proud of her. There is nothing like lived experience speaking on the floor of this House. It is much more compelling and insightful. There are Senators here who bring very specific lived experience to their roles. It makes for a more human reflection.

Leinster House should really reflect the people of our State and none more so than people with disabilities. I serve on the disability matters committee and every Thursday morning after the meeting I come in here to raise on the Order of Business what has gone on there and state we need to debate issues and advance the position of people with disabilities so that everybody can lead their best life. There is nothing better than this being modelled by one of our Senators. We already have Senator Conway and for him to be joined by Senator Bradley is fantastic. We have a large body of work to do. We need to ratify the optional protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CRPD. We need to ensure every child in our State has the greatest opportunity and an equality of opportunity so they can live their best life and have equality of education, access to services and access to disability supports. We have a lot of work to do. I am very pleased the Taoiseach is driving this, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, who has been brilliant in recent weeks, especially in meetings we have had with her. There is a determination and focus in Fine Gael and I am very proud to be part of it. I am delighted to have Senator Bradley here.

Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate my new colleague, Senator Bradley. I am delighted to see her here. I also congratulate her family. It is an honour to walk into the Chamber and an honour to walk in the front door of Leinster House every day. We are here to serve the people. As Senator Seery Kearney said, numerous Senators bring a lived experience and that is what we need on the floor of the House. It is how we can drive change. Every day I come in the door and look at the Proclamation, which is on the left-hand side as we come in. It speaks about the people of 1916 wanting to treat every child of the nation equally. We could honestly say in 2024 we have not done this, particularly with regard to children and people with needs and disabilities. As has been said, a renewed focus has been put on this by the Taoiseach. We have a Cabinet subcommittee focused on disabilities. The appointment of Senator Bradley is a pivotal moment for the State, whereby we will make big changes and provide supports to make sure every child in the nation is treated equally and, in particular, that every child has an opportunity to be their very best and get the same chance in life. I welcome Senator Bradley and I look forward to working with her to make sure we make these changes, which we will.

Longford was one of the trial counties for community safety partnerships. It was extremely successful. Public representatives who put themselves forward to be the chairperson of a committee and are the right person for the job should be put in the role. There should be no impediment to that. I fully support it and it should be the case. I see the roles have been advertised and I support public representatives taking up the roles.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome Senator Nikki Bradley. Your first day in the House is always very special so enjoy it, and get the run of the place, as they say. We look forward to Senator Bradley's contribution for however long the House will continue to sit. We are continually told it will probably be until March of next year. That is the official line.

I am a member of the Oireachtas media committee. Yesterday, we had a very useful discussion on the question of journalists reporting in conflict zones and the threats posed to journalists in the real and online worlds. One of the issues raised by the National Union of Journalists was the September 2001 case of Martin O'Hagan, an investigative journalist. Until the death of Lyra McKee a few years ago, he was the only journalist killed during the Troubles. Martin O'Hagan's death clearly marked out a very sad chapter in journalism on this island. There have long been calls, including by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, for an investigation into his death. Now that a new British Government is in place, I ask the Leader, on behalf of the House, to contact the Tánaiste to ask him to seek a full investigation into the death of Martin O'Hagan. Journalists provide a very important insight. They speak truth to power. It is important for us in a democracy to stand up and protect the work they do. The full story of Martin O'Hagan's death has never emerged. With a new Labour Government and a new Secretary of State in the North, we might find there will be a full investigation.

Tim Lombard (Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge our new Senator and I wish her the very best of luck. I acknowledge her family. It is a wonderful day and a wonderful occasion. I hope she enjoys the experience. It is wonderful to be here. Senator Bradley will do very well. It is great to have a new colleague on these benches.

I raise the issue of school transportation. Two school transportation pilot schemes have been announced by the Department of Education, one in Limerick and Shannon and one in Roscommon and Athlone. In 52 days' time, approximately 160,000 children will be going to school on buses. The majority of them do not have tickets at present. A ticket system is up and running but there is confusion about the criteria to be used regarding the children looking to get the tickets. Every September we have debates in the House about the issue. We speak constantly about trying to make sure we can get the people who need school buses onto them. There are large gaps in my part of the world. There is confusion at present about whether the system will be changed to ensure everyone can go on the bus and what will be the criteria.

In the report published by the Minister she said major changes would happen between now and 2030. That is ridiculous with regard to what we need to see happening. We need to see immediate changes to the school transport scheme. Capacity is an issue. We need to make sure bus drivers aged over 70 who can do private runs can also do the runs for Bus Éireann, which is the principal operator of the school transport system. This is a timebomb. In 50 days' time, school transport will be a plague on all our houses. Parents as well students will be on to us about this issue. We will be trying to deal with a scenario in which we will be getting very little response from the Department. We need to contact the Minister and the Department on putting in place a plan so we do not have the same scenario we had last September, the September before that and the one before that. We know there will be an issue and we need to get clarity from the Minister. The clock is ticking and unless she moves now, unfortunately every Member of the two Houses will be trying to deal with this issue next September.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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As we conclude, I acknowledge that our colleague and friend, Senator Lynn Boylan, is leaving us to take up her seat in the European Parliament, as is Regina Doherty. We wish both of them well. Senator Boylan was a fine Member of the House who served here with distinction. We thank her for her service. Our colleague and friend, former Senator John O'Mahony, is being laid to his eternal reward. We wish him a safe journey back to our Lord and we thank him for his public service.

Tom Clonan (Independent)
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I am sorry I am late. I welcome Senator Bradley to the Chamber. We met before on International Women's Day in the University of Limerick. I think it was just before Covid started. I had the privilege of hearing some of her life's journey and incredible achievements. I am delighted to see her here and to meet her again. When I heard the news, I thought it was a really great appointment. I think she will make a significant contribution to this Chamber, wider society and our culture. Again, I am sorry I am late. I thank the Cathaoirleach for giving me that opportunity.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I congratulate Senator Bradley on her appointment and wonderful maiden speech. I again welcome her family to Leinster House. The Senator comes with lived experience, and a wealth of knowledge, passion and commitment. We all look forward to working with you. Enjoy your term in Leinster House. As Senator Boyhan said, it is a privilege. Very few of us have the privilege when one looks at the wider population of Ireland.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank all Senators for their contributions. The common theme was one of welcome to Senator Nikki Bradley. I personally wish her well and good luck in the time ahead in this House and in her future career in politics. I know she has great plans already and I know she will make a difference in her role.

I join the Cathaoirleach in wishing Regina Doherty and Senator Lynn Boylan the best of luck as Members of the European Parliament.

Senator O'Loughlin spoke about the NTAs and the fairer fares in the commuter zone. It is an issue that I know she and others have raised in this House on numerous occasions. It draws into question the role of the NTA. There has been a fashion for many years of devolving responsibility from Ministers to State agencies. There are mixed views on that. I acknowledge a Minister cannot be responsible for everything, but there has to be a liaison between State agencies like the National Transport Authority and Ministers. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, may be the right person, at the right time, in the right place, with his new role as Minister of State at the Department of Transport. That is an issue that needs to be solved and I will contact the Minister of State in that regard. Senator O'Loughlin also spoke about the tragic figures relating to deaths on our roads. A total of 101 people have died so far this year and, unfortunately, it looks like we will surpass records for the wrong reason if things go on. It is an issue. It might be due to driver behaviour, alcohol, drugs, and deficient roads in some cases. There is a variety of issues but, certainly, we need to ensure there is proper visibility of policing and detection of speed and driver behaviour.

Senator Gavan spoke about speaking rights for Sinn Féin MPs.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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All MPs.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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All MPs. That was the point I was going to make. One used to obviously think of Sinn Féin MPs. Whether we want Jim Allister and others here as well-----

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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I would love to see Jim down here.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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Senator Gavan is very broad-minded.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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Absolutely. The Senator would have to give rights to all MPs. I have met some of them. Jim Shannon is a nice guy. He was in Milwaukee when I was there as Minister as part of the festival.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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He is a big Dolly Parton fan.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I am not sure about that. This is an interesting issue. It is above my pay grade. Obviously there is a distinction between speaking rights and voting rights.

Senator Gavan also spoke about the ongoing atrocities in Gaza and Palestine. I disagree that we have not done much in this government. Much leadership has been shown on the situation in Palestine and Gaza. There was the recognition of the State of Palestine. We came out early to condemn Israel and Hamas for the ongoing issues. We have to keep it to the fore of our thoughts here. I will certainly inquire about an urgent debate on this matter.

Senator Bradley thanked the Taoiseach and talked about some of the issues that she will work on. I wish her well in that role. It is good that she has a plan regarding what she wants to set out. She will learn the role over the coming weeks and months.

Senator Craughwell raised the issue of chairs of community policing committees. Is it a case that there is evidence that there is an issue or is the Senator reiterating the views that were rightly expressed when debating the Bill? I am not sure. I will certainly raise it with the Minister, Deputy McEntee. A number of Senators have concurred with the view that members of local authorities have every right to be chairpersons of those committees. I agree with that. I will try to get confirmation from the Minister about that.

Senator Gallagher concurred with the comments of Senator Craughwell. He and Senators Conway and Clonan, in welcoming Senator Bradley, talked about the importance of the recognition of those with disabilities. That is important to agree and concur with.

Senator Boyhan talked about the planning and development Bill. We need to ensure that Senators have time to prepare. I know it is a mammoth Bill. As soon as the groupings become available, I will ensure that they are provided to the Senator to assist in that preparation. There will be an Order of Business on Monday to decide the week's schedule.

Senator Murphy talked about burglaries in rural Ireland. It is an ongoing issue of concern to people. I have not heard of the use of drones. It is interesting if drones are being used as surveillance to see prime targets or whatever else. I had not heard that. I am not sure how that can be combated. The Senator might be able to raise that with the Minister. People have to be carefully when putting up their private business, where they are and what they are doing, because that is visible to members of the general public. Invasion of property and personal space is traumatic for families.

In welcoming Senator Bradley, Senator Seery Kearney talked about the role of Fine Gael and the new Taoiseach in highlighting and prioritising the issues of disability. Senator Conway has been a strong advocate, as have Senator Clonan and others in these Houses. It is important that we continue to focus on that important issue and group of our citizens.

Senator Carrigy spoke about lived experience and how every child needs to be treated equally. I know he has done much work in the Joint Committee on Autism and that he will continue to be a strong advocate for the rights of all persons in this House. I wish him well on that. He also concurred about community safety partnerships.

Senator Maria Byrne has spoken about the medical card for cancer patients on numerous occasions. Part of the issue with all matters relating to medical cards is the thresholds. There would have to be a major change. She should continue to press that for the forthcoming budget. It can be quite traumatic for people. They have enough stress and pressure. There is added cost. If there is a terminal diagnosis, they will automatically receive a medical card, but for ongoing issues of cancer treatment, it is not an automatic right. That could be extended to other illnesses outside cancer too, where there might be high costs and stresses, along with recovery time and high costs of drugs and prescriptions. I urge the Senator to continue to advocate for that within government in advance of the budget.

Senator Malcolm Byrne, as a member of the media committee, spoke about the murder of Martin O'Hagan and quite rightly called for an investigation.

I undertake to write to the Tánaiste asking that he raise that matter with the new UK Government. Prime Minister Starmer and the Taoiseach, Deputy Harris, are both new to their jobs and there already seems to be a reset in relations between the two islands, which is important. I will certainly do as the Senator requested.

Senator Lombard raised the issue of school transport. We all get a shiver when we hear these things because, unfortunately, the issue crosses our desks and it will cross them again very soon. It is normally August or even earlier when the tickets start arriving and people feel put out. Obviously, those who do not get a bus ticket have to make alternative arrangements. That is not always easy, as it depends on whether there are one or two people in the house or one or two cars and, as with anything else like that, it does not always fit into people's plans. The right thing to do is to ensure all of our children have access to school transport. There is no point in announcing a plan unless we can ensure it can be delivered and the capacity is there. Senators have raised on numerous occasions the anomaly whereby bus drivers over the age of 70 can bring students on a school trip to a football match or another event but cannot drive the same children to school on the same bus. That makes no sense. I do not know if this is a union issue but it has been raised with the Minister and the Taoiseach by Senator Lombard and other Members. It is important that the Government tackles it by ensuring there is capacity and we have the buses and drivers we need. If we are offering the service, it should be provided and it should be easy for people to understand the situation. I will certainly raise the issue with the Minister, Deputy Foley.