Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the Leader to outline the proposed Order of Business, I welcome the Austrian ambassador, H.E. Ms Melitta Schubert. Austria will be celebrating its national day at the weekend. We are truly honoured because the ambassador is a descendant of the composer, Schubert. Not only that, but her grandfather sang in front of the Emperor of Austria in the Vienna Boys' Choir 100 years ago. That was 100 years after Schubert did exactly the same thing. Schubert is famous for "An die Musik" and many other compositions.

Ambassador, we are greatly honoured to have you here today to mark your country's upcoming national day. The links between Ireland and Austria go all the way back to the Irish monks. St. Colman was martyred in Vienna in 1012. Some of the Wild Geese made it all the way to Austria, leaving behind names such as O'Donnell, Lacy and Kavanagh. Because he saved the life of Emperor Franz Josef in 1853, Maximilian O'Donnell became a count of the Austrian Empire. As a result of that and of the support that Austria has given to Ireland, particularly during the Brexit negotiations, we are grateful to have the ambassador here today and to mark her country's national day. I thank her for being here.

I call the Deputy Leader on the Order of Business.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I call Senator Horkan.

Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
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I am slightly out of breath after cycling in from Dún Laoghaire.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I will give the Senator a moment and call one of the other Senators.

Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
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Yes, perhaps let one of the others go first and I will come back in.

John McGahon (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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Senator McGahon cycled from Dundalk.

John McGahon (Fine Gael)
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No, I did not.

There is a meeting under way between the members of the Good Friday Agreement committee and the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Hilary Benn. It has been a fruitful meeting so far. I will touch on the context of the English-Irish relationship, in particular during the past couple of years. As a member of that committee, I have met with various elected officials in the Northern Ireland Office. Whether it was with Lord Caine or Conor Burns, we had forthright discussions, but every time it was difficult to put the Irish context and the Irish side of the argument across to our Conservative Party counterparts in the British Government, particularly on the Rwanda Bill, legacy issues and legislation the Conservative Government was pushing through the House of Lords. I am pleased to see Hilary Benn is now in that office and there will be a potential reset in relationships between the Irish Government and the United Kingdom. The UK is our closest neighbour and both societies are deeply entwined with each other, so we have to have as good a working relationship as possible. It is important that both countries are on the same page, particularly when it comes to issues in Northern Ireland. At different stages, that has been very difficult because of different Prime Ministers in recent years. I am now hoping for a decent reset in Anglo-Irish relations, particularly with Hilary Benn as Secretary of State in the Northern Ireland Office.

When we look at Brexit and the issues the UK has had in recent years, I will say that the light is always on in the European Union. The light is always on for those 16.4 million people who voted to stay in the European Union. The light will always be on from this country and the European Union to the United Kingdom if at any stage, maybe in decades to come, the public perception changes and the benefits of the European Union are realised by the general public in the UK. The light is always on for those 16.4 million people should a referendum be held in the future. It is good to see the Secretary of State here. He has a series of meetings. As I said, he is currently meeting the Good Friday Agreement committee. I very much look forward to a reset in relations between our two countries.

Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the Deputy Leader for outlining the Order of Business. I welcome the Austrian ambassador and her team to Leinster House, and I wish all Austrians living in Ireland and around the world a happy national day. It is important we acknowledge the support of all our European partners, and the benefits of Europe and the EU in being able to work, travel, co-operate and trade freely with other countries, including Austria. It is of huge benefit to Ireland and all the member states.

I briefly touch on the passing of a former Senator, Professor Richard Conroy, who died last week. I extend my sympathy and condolences to his family. He was elected Senator in 1977 and again in 1989. He was the former cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, a distinguished academic and doctor, and former chair of the Tallaght hospital board when it was being built. He was also an accomplished entrepreneur involved in mining zinc, gold, silver and other metals. He was a distinguished person who died last week at the age of 91. At some point in the future, we might have statements on his time as a public servant in these Houses.

We are heading into a bank holiday weekend and there will be a lot of people travelling. I urge everybody to reflect on road safety this weekend, because bank holiday weekends tend to be when accidents happen more often. There are more people travelling, and people travelling on roads they are not used to and not as familiar with. People travel to holiday homes and around the country, all of which is fantastic. The four highest risk factors we learned about at the transport committee, of which I am vice chair, are that accidents generally involve younger people and happen at weekends and night-time, and on smaller rural roads. If any of those criteria apply to you, you are more likely to be in an accident. Everyone needs to take care, but we need to reflect on that in particular if it is night-time or a weekend or if you are a younger driver. We do not want any accidents, fatalities or life-changing injuries this weekend. I appeal to everyone using the roads this weekend to do that.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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The Leas-Chathaoirleach and Deputy Leader will be aware that I have spoken frequently on the issue of search and rescue, the search and rescue contract and the negotiation of that contract, which has taken place over the past number of years. Last night, I was contacted with respect to the new contract, which includes a fixed-wing element that eliminated the Irish Air Corps from having any role in search and rescue. I was told that the aircraft to be used is a 21-year-old redundant aircraft that once belonged to the RAF. It has been taken in as the fixed-wing element and will be stationed in Shannon. I am sure Senator Maria Byrne will have some interest in this. A 21-year-old aircraft with 8,000 flying hours on it that should have been redundant nine years ago is what we are getting for top cover.

Couple that with the fact that Bristow has been unable to employ the transition team it needs to get the contract up and running. It has been unable to find people to fill those fixed-term 18-month contracts, which means it is missing the start date of 1 November, so the contract will not start on the prescribed day. It is becoming a concern that there are internal difficulties with respect to industrial relations. There are difficulties with respect to crews for the AW189 helicopter that will be used. We now find that the fixed-wing element is not a new aircraft but a redundant former RAF aircraft, which I think is called a King Air, with 8,000 hours flying time. I am reliably informed by those in the industry that this aircraft should be sent out to scrap at this stage. I have no idea of the current situation with the aircraft or its serviceability, but we lost four good people in the last contract with the loss of Rescue 116. This does not bode well for the commencement of this contract. This contract is vital to people living on the western coastline, where the Deputy Leader, who I know has a huge interest in it, lives. It is vital that everything with this contract is done right. Until now, it has certainly not been done right.

The other problem we have is that we are now told that Weston Airport. which it is intended to use, will be the service hub not just for the Irish fleet but also for the Dutch fleet. Weston Airport is now not available because of a fire, but I do not think the number of aircraft that will be flying in and out of it was known when planning permission was granted for the airport to be used as an SAR base. It is not just a SAR base. It will now be a major maintenance base for Irish and Dutch SAR aircraft. I think that will cause serious problems. I will leave it at that, but I ask the Deputy Leader to bring the matter to the Minister's attention because we are running up to the end of the Government.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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This morning, I raise the horrendous scandal of mother and baby homes, with particular reference to Sean Ross Abbey. It is an issue close to my heart. My sister-in-law is a survivor of that institution. I received a letter from a friend who has asked me to read it into the record of the House. I will do so, and I will simply call her Ann. This letter is to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman:

I am writing to express my deep frustration, anger, and disgust at the disgraceful handling of the Mother and Baby Homes Redress Scheme and the broader issues that remain unaddressed. I was born in Sean Ross Abbey in November 1968, and although I was adopted in December of that same year, my adoption was not finalized until July of the following year.

She further wrote:

My birth mother fought to keep me, refusing to sign the adoption papers and even sought legal advice to stop the process. Yet despite her efforts I was taken from her.

You have decided the people who were in a mother and baby home for less than 160 days don't qualify for redress... Who are you to judge the trauma of those involved in this horror?

Let me tell you about trauma. I have lived with the pain of my adoption all my life, long before I even knew the full story. As a child, I was terrified of being left alone. I would crawl into my parents' bed at night because I could not bear the fear of losing them, a fear I later realized stemmed from being taken from my birth mother against her will. This fear and anxiety followed me into adulthood, affecting every aspect of my life, from joyful family moments to times of grief...

But this isn't just about me. What about the mothers in their 80s and 90s who are still waiting for justice? You promised they would be prioritised, yet they are still waiting for their redress. They have suffered for decades, waiting for some form of acknowledgement from the State and many won't live long enough to see it....

And what about the babies? The babies who were buried at Sean Ross Abbey, many of whom have never been accounted for. Mothers are still looking for their children, still begging for answers yet nothing is being done. Where is the investigation? Where is the accountability for the Church's role in this scandal? Sean Ross Abbey was sold - where has the money gone? Why is the Catholic Church not being held financially responsible for the atrocities committed under its watch?...

These mothers are dying and they still do not know where their children ended up.

What I am asking for, in particular, is for this Government to think again. My colleague, Deputy Kerrane, revealed just last week there is a massive €158 million underspend on this scheme. That money should be used to include all of those victims who have been excluded to date by this Government. It is morally wrong and reprehensible, frankly, and there is an outrageous scandal that has still yet to be tackled in terms of Sean Ross Abbey itself, in terms of those babies buried that we still do not know anything about. Even at the late stage of this Parliament, I call for an urgent debate and action on that issue.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I move that No. 8 be taken before No. 1. Today I am introducing legislation relating to the adequacy of the minimum wage. I believe my colleague will be here shortly to second this amendment. I am introducing legislation in respect of the EU adequate minimum wage directive, which has been passed. A very strong and powerful campaign launched yesterday - the respect at work campaign - that points to the importance of Article 4 of that directive, namely, the protection of the right to organised and of those who are union organisers. The fact is there are huge gaps in areas such as the Unfair Dismissals Act and there is a lack of a culture of supporting unions. That directive will require the Government to show it is taking meaningful steps to move us towards an 80% union coverage or a higher union coverage. Ireland currently has woefully low union coverage despite surveys showing again and again that young people want to be part of a union. It is clear that one of the reasons they are not part of a union is because of union-busting practices and the lack of a positive culture. I refer, for example, to small measures such as the tax relief we used to have for union membership which disappeared and was never returned.

My Bill today will address not Article 4 but Article 5 of the directive. It is a really important other part of the directive which looks to the adequacy of the minimum wage. There is a reason there was such a fight to ensure that with regard to the adequate minimum wage, that the word "adequacy" is literally in the title of the directive. It is not sufficient that we have a minimum wage if people cannot live on it. Unfortunately, with regard to our current legislation, which is the Low Pay Commission legislation, I believe it is the Government's view that is sufficient for implementing the adequate minimum wage. That does not include adequacy as one of the factors considered. Currently, when determining the minimum wage, factors such as competitiveness are considered. Various other factors in terms of the sustainability of the wage level will be examined but that very base point, which is if this is an adequate wage on which individuals and families can live on and survive, is not part of the core criteria that must be considered when determining and setting the minimum wage in Ireland. In order to ensure basic decency with regard to the minimum wage and to ensure Ireland is being properly consistent with Article 5 of the minimum wage directive, it explicitly calls for and requires that states have mechanisms to determine whether their minimum wage is adequate. Those mechanisms are currently not there and not in place in terms of the legislative terms of the Low Pay Commission.

It is a very simple amendment. It literally introduces the word "adequacy" to Low Pay Commission legislation and requires there would be a report on adequacy each year in respect of the minimum wage. I am hopeful it will receive a positive place and would love if time were available on the schedule to discuss it before the Seanad suspends. I ask this be conveyed and if time is not available to have a discussion of the legislation, that the matters may perhaps be raised and discussed with the relevant Ministers. I thank the Cathaoirleach and others for facilitating the item being taken earlier.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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Well said.

Marie Sherlock (Labour)
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I second the proposed amendment to the Order of Business. I warmly welcome the Bill and the updating of the 2015 legislation. It is hugely important that we talk not only about a living wage but a living income in terms of the adequacy of income, particularly for low-income workers.

The issue I want to bring to the attention of the House is that, last Friday a report arrived on the desk of the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment from the Labour Court containing a recommendation for a sectoral employment order for the construction sector. I understand the Minister will have six weeks to decide whether to approve or otherwise this sectoral employment order. This obviously has been the subject of negotiation between both unions and employers, as well as in terms of their submissions to the Labour Court and the process within the Labour Court itself. There is a particular urgency that if the Minister fails to sign off on this sectoral employment over the next six weeks order to take effect in 2025 for construction workers in terms of pay increases for them next year, then it will be a whole 12 months before a sectoral employment order can be revisited. There is a crucial issue with regard to timing. I ask that a letter be sent from the Deputy Leader on behalf of Senators in this House urging haste on the Minister to make a speedy decision on the recommendations from the Labour Court on the construction sectoral employment order and that it be approved as soon as possible.

Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein)
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Well said.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I rise today to welcome the fact the Dublin task force report was launched during the week. I have written to the Taoiseach to request a task force for Limerick to tackle things such as dereliction and to bring small niche shops back into the city centre. We need to rejuvenate our city centre. Limerick is the third largest city yet we have one of the largest amounts of dereliction and number of vacant units. It has had a knock-on effect on other businesses in Limerick city. I believe a task force could be set up locally. It could have the mayor, some of the councillors and some of the business owners as well. I note the Dublin task force looked at having more gardaí on the street, having a marketing manager for Dublin, how to bring businesses to fill those vacant units and how to create cultural activities within the city centre. Limerick could be very well placed to follow suit and have something similar. I ask for the Deputy Leader's support. I have written to the Taoiseach but I have also written to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment because I felt it fell within its remit.It told me that it is in the remit of the Departments of Rural Development. It also falls within the remit of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage because there is a housing element involved. It is very important that we fill these over-the-shop units and bring people into the city centre to live. The aim of the task force will be to make Limerick a place for people to work and live in and to enjoy. This initiative should be rolled out in all major cities of Ireland.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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Recently, I met representatives from St. Aidan's advocacy group in Gorey. St. Aidan's provides services for people with intellectual disabilities. The St. Aidan's advocacy group, known as STAAG, represents the clients and users of the services and advocates on their behalf. In the context of the forthcoming election it has called for all political parties to have regard to those with intellectual disabilities, not only in terms of policies to ensure there is support for organisations such as STAAG, which work with those with intellectual disabilities, but also in the design and layout of manifestoes and election literature. There should be regard for those with intellectual disabilities, and they should be included. STAAG has been very active on looking at issues of accessibility. Particularly in the context of an election, it is important that all of us take this matter into account.

I wish to revisit the issue of the retail sector and the challenges it faces as a result of crime and shoplifting. People reading The Irish Times will see Ronan McGreevy's report on the challenges that small retailers face from shoplifting. When they accuse certain people of shoplifting, they face potential defamation cases. I have raised this matter on a number of occasions. Senator Casey and I have a Bill before the House to look at protecting retail workers, particularly where they have been subjected to harassment and, in some cases, some of the vilest racist abuse. These small retailers and service stations throughout the country are vital to all our communities. It is not acceptable that they feel they do not have the protection of the law. I ask that my Bill be considered and that we have statements on how we address the challenges faced by those in retail as a result of shoplifting and other crime.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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There is a Bill before the Dáil to amend the Gender Recognition Act 2015. This Bill seeks to ensure that there will be single-sex accommodation in our prisons. The Bill is a vital measure to protect the rights and safety of women in our society. I commend Aontú on tabling such an important Bill. I acknowledge the reality of gender dysphoria and the importance of treating all individuals with respect and decency, but it is critical that our society is based on logic, science and evidence. The definition of a woman as a female adult is a fact supported by science and widely understood by our citizens. In recent years we have witnessed a troubling trend of social engineering with attempts to erase the word "woman" from various aspects of our society, including maternity legislation and healthcare language. Such changes undermine the recognition and rights of women. The Bill aims to protect the rights of women to safe spaces, particularly in prisons. The Gender Recognition Act allows a male-born individual, including those convicted of serious crimes, to be placed in women's prisons. This has led to dangerous situations such as the case of Barbie Kardashian, a male-born individual convicted of violent crimes, being placed in a women's prison. This is a grave dereliction of duty by the Government in protecting women. We now know this individual has threatened to rape female inmates and staff at Limerick Prison. The Bill seeks to ensure gender recognition certificates do not override the need for single-sex accommodation in prisons. It is a necessary measure to protect the safety and rights of women in our society.

Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the return to full operation of Tara Mines in Navan this week. It is the largest zinc mine in Europe. As Members know from previous discussions in the House, the resumption of operations this week is after an 18-month closure. The closure in the summer of 2023 left more than 600 workers in limbo. They were neither employed nor unemployed. There is a real sense of relief in the town and among the workers, notwithstanding the fact the reopening came at cost because 200 workers took voluntary redundancy as part of the reopening deal. There are still more than 400 workers who have reskilled in new areas. It is essential that we do not have a repeat of the extended lay-off by management, which came at very short notice and the mine was closed practically overnight, or of the manner in which the parent company conducted itself. It is essential we have a fully operational mine in future because there is a large amount of ore. There is now a mine called Tara Deep and we need to see management commit to it. It would be a significant statement of intent. Tara Mines has been in operation for 48 years and it is part of the fabric of the town. People such as me who are 46 years of age grew up knowing Tara Mines at the heart of Navan as part of the fabric of the town. We want to see it for the next 50 years. If the parent company invests in exploration in Tara Deep and secures this employment we will see this happen. I ask the Leader to liaise with the Minister and convey this message before the Houses dissolve. There are plenty who commented on the Government at the time. The Government took every step to make sure the mine reopened. Equally, we want to see management commit now in a very real sense so we have the mine in future.

Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael)
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I applaud the task force for Dublin city centre. When this matter was first spoken about last April, I wrote to the Taoiseach because, while we have a north inner-city task force and a city centre task force, the constituency of Dublin South Central, which is the south inner city, does not have a task force but does have a lot of criminality and a lot of areas where there are no facilities for young people. I stated that we need a co-ordinated response through bringing together the Garda, the city council and all of the community groups. On foot of this, I held a meeting with the Lord Mayor in September to facilitate a meeting of all of these interest groups. They are made up of individuals who work very hard on the ground, trying to make sure young people are not diverted into criminality. Tuesday and Thursday night training can make a difference, as a child has somewhere to go and people to mentor them and be a positive influence in their lives. This was brought home to me last night when I had a meeting here with the Liberties soccer alliance, which is made up of Oliver Bond Celtic, Rialto Football Club, Iveagh Celtic, Fatima Rangers, the Transport Iveagh Trust Football Club, Earl Celtic, Aungier Celtic and St. Teresa's Football Club. These are people who give up their time and work with young people to give boys and girls an interest and something to do. They do not have pitches.

We have fantastic soundings coming out of Dublin City Council about Marrowbone Lane and Donore Avenue but they are still two years away. Right now, children are being preyed upon by criminals. It is right now that the community work to which I refer, particularly that done by sports clubs, the football alliance and Sporting Liberties, needs to be supported by means of emergency provision. Anywhere we can, we should mow a lawn and get children playing football or any sport that keeps them focused, keeps them together and gives them a sense of community and a sense of who they are, apart from being attracted into criminality. We really need that. I am speaking up for the facilities required, and I reiterate my call for a task force for my community.

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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I am seeking a debate on Traveller accommodation. The Traveller committee is launching an interim report on the Traveller caravan loan scheme. I would like a discussion in the House on this. I would also like a wider discussion on illegal camping and what it means for people who are on lands. In 2000 Travellers were banned from travelling with the trespass legislation that stopped us being Travellers, hence our name. On the piece of legislation that was brought through by Senator O'Loughlin, the Curragh amendment, what people are going to be impacted by the term "illegal camping"? What is the solution for those people? I know that yesterday the Leader said that it is not about the Traveller community and that the amendment was not focused on the Traveller community. For too many years State discrimination and State policies have kept down the Traveller community.

I spoke to Traveller organisations yesterday after our discussion in the House. The organisations also support the idea of a debate in this House with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to discuss the Traveller caravan loan scheme and accommodation related to Travellers living in trailers and how we protect the people who use the Curragh. I know that I missed the opportunity to debate the specific amendment but I want a broader discussion because I do not want State policy to keep down the Traveller - note the word - community.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome pupils and teachers from Killina Presentation Secondary School in County Offaly. Thank you for being here. As it is the unwritten rule of Seanad Éireann, you all get off homework for the rest of the week and, as I always say, you should have come on Monday or Tuesday. So for the rest of the week no homework and like a good politician, I will extend it to next week as well and the week after, if we can stretch it.

Senator Alice Mary Higgins has moved an amendment to the Order of Business: "That No. 8 be taken before No. 1". It has been seconded by Senator Maria Sherlock. The Deputy Leader has indicated that he is prepared to accept the amendment.