Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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The Order of Business is No. 1 and No. 2, motions regarding the election of Leas-Chathaoirleach, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business and to be discussed together; No. 3, motion regarding arrangements for the taking of Commencement matters, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of No. 2; No. 4, motion regarding the restoration of Bills to the Order Paper, to be taken without debate on the conclusion of No. 3; No. 5, a motion regarding proposed approval by Seanad Éireann of a Council decision authorising the opening of negotiations for an agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on a youth experience scheme, to be taken at 5 p.m. or on the conclusion of No. 4, whichever is the later, with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed ten minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed ten minutes, time may be shared, all other Senators not to exceed five minutes, and the Minister to be given no less than five minutes to reply to the debate.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader of the House.

I offer my congratulations to two sporting heroes. First, Sam Prendergast from Cut Bush in Kildare, who was nominated as the man of the match in the Six Nations match at Murrayfield last week. We are all incredibly proud of him. Second, another young man, Michael Noonan from Ellistown, again in Kildare, who is the 16-year-old Shamrock Rovers player who made history in Norway last week by becoming the youngest scorer in the history of European club competition.It is great to have role models, such as Sam and Michael, in sport for our young people.

While they are true heroes and we celebrate with them, we should also take the time to commiserate as we sadly lost two young sporting heroes last week. Irish jockey, Michael O'Sullivan, who was only 24 years old, was riding Wee Charlie when he fell in Thurles on 6 February. Sadly, he passed away last Sunday. I send my deepest sympathy to Michael's family and to the whole racing community, family and industry. I understand many of the meetings were called off as a mark of respect. John Cooney, a young Galway boxer, very sadly lost his life after a fight in Belfast. We should thank both their families for their commitment in ensuring their organs were donated after they passed away. We should have a vote of sympathy in the House on those two sad deaths.

We are all aware of the importance of day care centres within our communities, towns, cities and villages. They provide a large range of day activities, including recreational, leisure and health-related. They provide the opportunity for people to socialise and to receive other services. It is a lifeline for many people, particularly for those who live in rural areas. Some are provided directly by the HSE while some other service providers provide these services on behalf of the HSE. They are important organisations in our communities. Tomorrow will mark nine weeks since operations ceased at a particular day care centre, the Allenwood Day Care. It is a very difficult time for all who use it and their families. The HSE has said it will step in. I am looking for a debate in this House in relation to the operation of day care centres. It is important.

There is no time on the clock.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I know. That was my error. I think we might be in injury time.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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We will have the LAMA awards on Saturday. I thank the good people in LAMA and AILG for all the work they do. When we look at the list of the different types of awards, and the nominees are from all around the country, it is fantastic to see really good practice in local government. We have awards in everything from tourism to sustainability to festivals. Indeed, Brigid 1500 is nominated for one of the awards. It would be great if we could organise a presentation on the good practice in all of the local authorities that enhance pride of place and pride of community.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
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This a moment of great opportunity for Irish sport. This weekend the new League of Ireland season began and I had the good fortune of attending the Bohemians versus Shamrock Rovers game in the Aviva Stadium. It was incredible to see the energy and the enthusiasm and the sheer number of fans who attended. I compliment everyone who was involved in that. Over the weekend 51,000 people attended League of Ireland games in the Premier League division alone. If we compare that with ten years ago, just 18,000 people attended across both the League of Ireland Premier and First divisions. I congratulate my old team mate, John Mountney, who played a great game at left back for Bohemians who kept a clean sheet and got the three points.

The reason I bring this up is that before I entered politics I was involved in an initiative to create an all-island league, merging the League of Ireland in the South and the Northern Irish Premiership in the North. It was a group spearheaded by Kieran Lucid. We had former Republic of Ireland manager, Brian Kerr, on our working group, and we had engaged Dutch football consultants, Hypercube.It created a brilliant model that would maintain the autonomy of both leagues, North and South. The model also has an advanced second phase of the competition in the second half of the season, in which both leagues would be able to maintain European places. It is a model that would elevate football throughout the island. Investment in football at grassroots level can have huge bang for your buck. It would create a great opportunity economically and keep our talent and young people on the fields and playing at elite levels.

If we invest in supporting initiatives such as the NFL, which is a good example, we also need to invest in League of Ireland academies, potentially through the shared island scheme if the all-island league is something both associations are willing to revisit. The Dutch football consultants we engaged, Hypercube, created the new Champions League format. It has created for us a model that would elevate attendances at games and sporting standards throughout the League of Ireland and in the North.

I share in the congratulations to Shamrock Rovers in its exploits in Norway last week and I wish the team well tomorrow night in Tallaght. I call on the Minister for sport to engage with us in the Seanad and have a conversation on how we can improve supporting academy players. Since Brexit, League of Ireland players do not travel to the UK until after they are 18 years of age, so there is a great opportunity to invest in our academies and improve the standard and quality of football in Ireland. Multiannual contracts would mean we could have investment in football clubs. It would be brilliant economically and, from a sporting point of view in elevating Irish football, presents a great opportunity. I would welcome a conversation on it.

Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)
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I call for a debate in the House on special education. This week, I attended a meeting in a primary school and the stress among parents and teachers was evident. This was mainly due to the lack of appropriate school places for second level students. Students leaving primary school have applied for places but they still have no indication of whether they will receive appropriate school placements in their locality. There is also an issue with primary school places but it affects more children leaving primary school and going to secondary school. It is an issue that affects not only schoolchildren in Cavan, but also schoolchildren throughout the country. It needs to be addressed. It is down to planning and we should ensure we have sufficient and appropriate school places for all of our primary school pupils going on to secondary school.

Another issue is the difficulty in teaching these children because of the lack of supports in the community. This is something we should look at to see whether it is possible to provide the supports children need in the school setting because they are not working in the community setting as it is. I would appreciate if this debate could be held.

Joe Conway (Independent)
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Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. Ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas ó chroí a ghabháil leat agus tú tofa mar Chathaoirleach an Tí stairiúil seo. Ina theannta sin, déanaim comhghairdeas le gach duine. Tá sé tuillte ag gach duine anseo a togadh. Last week at the start of the Twenty-seventh Seanad, many Members from throughout the country celebrated the great heterogeneity of the Membership. It is wonderful that we have such a broad perspective and depth of experience from all arts and parts of the country. Gura fada buan é sin ar aghaidh. Senators are very aware that, as a result of this great perspective, there will be a great appreciation of the high quality of life we have in this country. Unfortunately, that quality of life does not extend to the realms of education. Senator Tully has just addressed this issue and I want to place further emphasis on it. With regard to primary education, many of us know about the DEIS initiative begun by the Department of Education approximately 20 years ago. It has operated very successfully as an initiative but, unfortunately, it does not reach into what we in the countryside would call rural educational disadvantage. I contend it is not a good fit for that.To that end, I have been in touch with a score of my hitherto fellow councillors around the country, ó na ceithre hairde, and have asked them to do the introductions to rural schools in the north, south, east and west. This is in order that we could go in and do some sort of what might be called a soft investigation of the levels of disadvantage in these rural schools to enable us to get a better picture of the situation. I hope that before the end of this calendar year we will get a chance to compile a report and bring it to all the Members here.

I ask that the Ceannaire include this in his diary and that when we get to the point where we would be able to look at the report, he invite the Minister for Education to the House in order that we might have a good, comprehensive debate on rural disadvantage in primary schools. I thank the Leader and Members. I look forward to working with them all, as well as the team here in the Seanad, including the Clerk and his staff. I am thankful for the courtesy extended to me during the election. I am very honoured to be here.

Laura Harmon (Labour)
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I intend to speak about housing and education. The Irish Council for International Students launched a new report on the rental sector this morning. It is from the perspective of the experience of international students. The report is stark in that it highlights the overcrowding in the sector, the significant costs involved and the level of scamming that is happening. The report indicates that three quarters of English language students are sharing rooms with more than one other person and that one third of students in higher education are doing the same. It also indicates that one in ten international students here encountered an accommodation scam during their time in Ireland but that only 14% of them reported this to the Garda. These figures are quite alarming.

It is clear from the report that there are many substandard properties in the rental market. The statistics in this regard might come as no surprise to people. Some 12% of respondents said they had no heating, 10% said they had no cooking facilities and 38% said they had no lease agreement. It is really important that we inform these people of their rights. Most worrying, however, is that 5% of female respondents said they had seen an advertisement for or were propositioned directly in the context of sex in exchange for rent. We do not have a law that specifically bans sex for rent. There is a commitment in the programme for Government, however, and the new Minister for Justice is looking at this issue with the Attorney General. I call for a debate on this matter. I will certainly be looking to speak to the Minister about it. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has committed to a new student housing strategy, specifically for student housing and purpose-built student accommodation, in the second quarter of this year. This is very welcome. I hope it will progress.

Hundreds of adult education tutors gathered in protest outside the Dáil earlier. Their message was clear. They feel the Government has failed them when it comes to the provision of fair and sustainable employment terms for the up to 3,000 of them working across the country. This is especially the case in light of recent statistics concerning the fact that adult literacy is declining. We need to value these tutors. Many are stuck in precarious contracts and their new pay scales do not do them any justice. This is an issue that needs to be solved. Adult education is the backbone of many of our communities, and these workers need to be supported. It was great to speak to some of the workers that were outside the Houses, particularly those from Cork, and hear about what they are facing. I call for a debate on this topic.

Frances Black (Independent)
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I apologise for not being here last week to hear everybody's maiden speeches. I congratulate both colleagues who were re-elected and those new people who have just been elected. I am truly honoured to have been re-elected to Seanad Éireann. I thank all those who voted for me.

I must highlight the position regarding the occupied territories Bill. We all know that the situation to which it relates has become a crisis in the seven years since I introduced the legislation. Thankfully, there is a ceasefire in Gaza today. In the past year, however, the world has witnessed both a horrific war and a silent catastrophe unfolding in the West Bank.We are seeing one of the largest land grabs in decades. Homes are being destroyed, families are being uprooted, and innocent lives are lost to violence. As we all know, I have been advocating for the Bill since 2018 because it is the right thing to do. The settlements are illegal. End of story. They rob families of their land and undermine the prospects of peace. Before the election the Government fully committed to supporting this Bill, but now it is obviously proposing its own version. As far as I am concerned, I do no care who brings in the Bill, whether it is me or the Government. It does not matter. What matters here is the policy. What I want to know today is whether the Government will implement a full ban on all trade with illegal settlements. Will the Government's Bill comply with international law as clarified by the International Court of Justice, or will it include exemptions and weaken the mandate? That is the question I ask today, and it is a crucial question that we must all ask.

Let us not forget international law. In July 2024 the ICJ issued a historic finding stating that the occupation and the settlements are illegal and that there is an obligation on all states not to trade with them. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have both acknowledged these obligations. The programme for Government also commits to following the ICJ. However, the court emphasised that states must abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel regarding the occupied territories and illegal settlements. There is no ambiguity. Trade means trade, end of story, and we cannot ignore politically challenging aspects.

What I am asking for today is not new. In 2014 Ireland and the EU quickly banned trade in goods and services with the Russian occupied territory and this ban was implemented within months of Russia's illegal actions in Ukraine. Why should there be a double standard? There should not be. International law must be applied equally and consistently, otherwise it means nothing. This is even more critical given the EU's inadequate response to the genocide in Gaza recently.

I reiterate that if we want to implement the ICJ ruling, the quickest way is to pass the occupied territories Bill. I am open to technical amendments to strengthen it, but what matters is that a full ban is enacted and we hold up our commitments. Will the Minister, who said last week that he would meet with me, meet with me? We urgently need a meeting.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Before I call the next speaker, I welcome the Iar-Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, Larry McCarthy, to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. Larry served with distinction as president of the GAA, and also did us the honour of addressing us in our last term. He is welcome back. Larry was the first president of the GAA to be elected from outside of the island of Ireland, which is some achievement in itself. We could all take notes from Larry on how he managed to do that.

Deputy Michael Moynihan is here as well with a delegation including another Moynihan, Anna Moynihan, possibly related to him but I am not too sure here, Aoibheann Lane, Aidan O'Sullivan, Edel Anglum, James Fitzgerald and Kevin Doody. You are all welcome to Seanad Éireann today. I call another aficionado of the GAA, Senator Evanne Ní Chuilinn.

Evanne Ní Chuilinn (Fine Gael)
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Ba mhaith liom aire a tharraingt ar chúis imní do phobal na Gaeilge i mo cheantar. I mí Mheán Fómhair seo caite, 2024, gealladh Gaelcholáiste do dhaltaí Gaelscoile sa cheantar scoile Bhaile Átha Cliath 2, 4, 6 agus 8. Tháinig an gealltanas seo ón iarAire Oideachais, Norma Foley, agus ón Roinn tar éis feachtas trí bliana i gcúig Gaelscoileanna sa cheantar atá luaite agam: Bunscoil Synge, Gaelscoil Eoin, Gaelscoil Inse Chór, Gaelscoil Lios na nÓg agus Scoil Bhríde. Aimsíodh suíomh ag an am agus dúradh go gcuirfear fáilte roimh dhaltaí sa Ghaelcholáiste nua i mí Mheán Fómhair, 2026. Ní raibh aon chumarsáid eile ón Roinn go dtí an tseachtain seo caite. Tuigimid go raibh gach duine gnóthach leis an olltoghchán. Cinnte, ba rud dearfach í an gealltanas a thug Norma Foley cúig mhí ó shin, ach is cosúil anois go bhfuil sé i gceist ag an Roinn cónascadh a dhéanamh idir an scoil lán-Bhéarla atá ar an suíomh faoi láthair agus an Gaelcholáiste nua a bheidh ann do bhuachaillí agus cailíní; ar a laghad i dtosach in 2026. An fhadhb is mó atá i gceist anseo ná cúrsaí cumarsáide. Tá an-chuid éiginnteacht ann do na tuismitheoirí, na mhúinteoirí agus na dhaltaí sa scoil atá ann faoi láthair.Is scoil DEIS faoi phátrúnacht ERST atá i gceist agus níl pobal na scoile sin sásta feidhmiú trí mheán na Gaeilge. Anuas air sin, níl an foirgneamh mór go leor faoi láthair. Níl leithreas ann do chailíní, mar shampla, agus tá easpa saotharlann ann d'ábhair éagsúla. Ó thaobh teangeolaíochta de, ar an taobh eile, ba cheart go mbeadh roinnt shoiléir idir an dá scoil, más féidir, ach ní fios go fóill conas a dhéanfar é sin.

Ba mhaith liom a léiriú freisin nach bhfuil Gaelcholáiste ag daltaí i mBaile Átha Cliath 12, an áit ina bhfuil mise i mo chónaí. Is dóigh liom go bhfuil an t-éileamh i bhfad níos mó ná mar atá fógartha go dtí seo. Tá Aire Oideachais nua againn anois agus táim den bharúil go bhfuil deis anois ag Helen McEntee teacht anseo ar dtús agus na mionsonraí a léiriú agus cur síos cuimsitheach a thabhairt ar an amchlár. B'fhéidir go mbeadh sí in ann cuairt a thabhairt ar an suíomh chun tuiscint níos fearr a fháil ar an dúshlán atá amach romhainn. Is iontach an rud é go bhfuil plean ann do Ghaelcholáiste sa cheantar, ach tá i bhfad níos mó oibre le déanamh chun é sin a chur i gcrích. Is cúis imní é do phobal na Gaeilge sa cheantar agus do na daltaí, na tuismitheoirí agus do na múinteoirí sa scoil lánBhéarla atá ag feidhmiú ar an suíomh faoi láthair.

Joe Flaherty (Fianna Fail)
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I would welcome the Minister for Health coming to the Chamber to discuss an expansion of the long-term illness scheme to include a number of lifelong and hereditary diseases. Specifically, I would like to look at Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, which can require multiple hospital stays, ongoing medication and treatment. I appreciate that some of the medications can be accessed through the drugs payment scheme but there is no recourse for recouping treatment therapy or specialist costs for those not eligible for a medical card. I am aware of a case where both a mother and her young daughter have the condition. The mother has had to give up work and it has huge financial and emotional implications for this family. I would welcome the Minister coming before the House to give her views on this.

I ask you, a Chathaoirligh, to indulge me. It is a sad day for us in Longford as we mark the passing of Jude Flynn, one of the country's foremost self-taught historians and native of Gortletteragh. He worked all his life in Longford post office and was a founding member of the Longford Historical Society in 1967. The historical society honoured his life work in 2022. He donated his extraordinary collection of recordings, which he first conducted in the 1980s, to the Longford library service. I have no doubt this will be an invaluable service and a vault of memories for multiple Longford families over many generations.

I was delighted to attend his 90th birthday party two years ago along with his sons Ciaran and Joe, his daughter Gráinne who travelled from Australia, his sister Peggy and his beloved seven grandchildren. While the people of Longford will remember Jude as a remarkable historian and remarkable community man, his family will remember him as an outstanding father who always put his family first. Jude was truly a unique man and represented the very best of what Longford and indeed rural Ireland have to offer.

Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
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I raise an issue today that not only affects Country Limerick but every town, village and county in this country, and that is the pay disparity between section 39 workers and HSE workers, which is putting a massive rift between them. It can be very disheartening for those in the sector working on section 39 contracts when they are working beside someone on better pay, better conditions, better holidays and better service. SIPTU has balloted for strike action at the end of this month. This not only affects the workers; they also have a retention and recruitment issue that, in turn, will affect the care given because we will not be able to recruit. The Government needs to do everything within its power to stop this from happening, stop this strike from going ahead, reach an agreement and try to get these section 39 employees onto HSE contracts.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I am aware I stand here today as a woman who can count many blessings. Not only at 55 years of age have I been able to embark on this great new chapter in my life, but as a menopausal woman, I can also avail of hormone replacement therapy, or HRT as it is more commonly known, which can greatly alleviate many symptoms of menopause. Now I look around here and these hallowed walls may have started to quake at the mere mention of menopause in years gone by, but I have mentioned it twice and they are still standing. It is good to see that we are making changes. For those less familiar, HRT is not a luxury but a necessity for many women who are prescribed it.It should not only be the preserve of those who can afford it. It can sometimes cost up to €80 per month. Not all women are suitable for HRT but I, and thousands of others who can use it, rejoiced last year when the then Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, introduced free HRT right across the board. It was another very welcome advancement for women's health in the country, along with the likes of free contraception. However, this has not gone exactly to plan. The ongoing shortages of the products, which have worsened over the past 12 months, are causing great impacts on women. I would like to debate this issue with our new Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. I, and many other women who are struggling to find products, find ourselves meeting in car parks and kitchens, almost carrying out clandestine deals, snipping off parts of patches and sharing pumps of oestrogen gel. Facebook and WhatsApp groups are buzzing with the news that some chemists might have particular patches, which are like gold dust. Many people are resorting to travelling to countries such as Spain or Germany just to get these products. There seems to be a greater supply in other countries. This shortage of products is not new and was flagged several times as a matter of urgency. Women do not want to be plunged back into menopausal side effects.

Speaking to GPs and pharmacists across the country, I have learned that these shortages are a very complex issue. They are the result of negotiations between the Government and pharmaceutical companies and, therefore, I request a debate with the Minister for Health on urgently addressing the supply issue so that the successful roll out of the HRT, as planned at the start of the year, can be carried out.

PJ Murphy (Fine Gael)
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This is my first time to speak in the Chamber since I was elected. I thank everyone who put their faith in me by electing me to this office. I thank my supporters and friends in Ardrahan and south Galway. I especially thank my parents and family who have been a massive support to me throughout my political career to date. I want to address the lack of critical infrastructure, which is greatly restricting the building of homes in the south Galway area. The Gort-Kinvara local electoral area, which I represented on Galway County Council for the past six years, has 14 recognised settlements, of which only two, Gort and Kinvara, the largest towns in the area, are serviced by municipal wastewater treatment facilities. Two years ago, two other settlements, Craughwell and Clarinbridge, were made part of a national pilot scheme to be provided with municipal wastewater treatment facilities. Since their inclusion and the announcement of funding, local representatives have heard nothing from Irish Water at a local level. We have heard no details of any plans to progress with the servicing of those settlements. Leaving those aside, that still leaves Maree, Kilcolgan, Ardrahan, Laban, Ballinderreen, Knockoura, Peterswell, Kilbeacanty, Shinaglish, Kilchreest and Ballymanagh, all unserviced and without any plans for being serviced. No grant of planning permission has been made since 2007 for any housing development schemes in any of these villages. There cannot be, simply because there are not local area plans for these villages, because they remain unserviced. There is a massive demand for housing in these areas. We have the land to build on and the people to build them but our villages are at a standstill. As we have learned through experience, in rural Ireland, villages either grow or die. I call for the Minister for housing to come before the House to give an update on the progress on the wastewater treatment facilities in Craughwell and Clarinbridge and to outline a clear plan for the provision of treatment facilities for all of the other unserviced villages I mentioned.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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Over the past four years, I have spent considerable time expressing my concerns about the search and rescue, SAR, contract that was being negotiated at that time. The Leader will be aware as a Galwegian that the former GP from the Aran Islands has expressed her deep concern that Shannon is now not able to provide 24-hour, 365 day, SAR services.It is only open from 8 o'clock in the morning until 8 o'clock at night.

Sligo was supposed to become operational last Friday and it will not now become operational until possibly April. We are in the situation where a contract has been awarded to a contractor that will cost the taxpayers of this country some €800 million and, if past experience is anything to go by, it will probably cost €1.2 billion, and the contractor is unable to fulfil the commitments. This has gone too far for too long. We already saw the same company involved in Norway trying to short-circuit the changeover time it takes to prepare crews in new aircraft. One life was lost and five people were injured in Norway. I am hearing that there are multiple injuries not being reported in the training that is taking place at the moment in Sligo.

I ask the Leader to call for an emergency debate here. The people of Ireland have a right to know what to hell is going on with respect to the SAR contract for helicopters. Either the company is capable of doing the job or it is not. If it is not doing the job, then we need to go back to the existing contractor, which is taking up the slack for the failure of the new contractor to take over the job.

This is crucial, particularly on the west coast, where the Leader himself is from. There is no cover from Shannon after 8 o'clock in the evening. There is 215 miles of Atlantic coastline to cover, and the coastline of the entire length and breadth of Ireland. It is deeply worrying. The one thing which the House will recall is that during the negotiations for this contract, both the then Ministers, Naughten and Ryan, informed me in writing that they had no oversight of the negotiation of the contract.

I wish to make one final point.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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Ah, Senator, your time.

Gerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I would ask Members when they speak, to speak into the microphones. I am deaf and we put in a loop hearing system here, which is very good, but if a Member holds notes in front of the microphone, I cannot hear the Member. I ask colleagues to bear in mind that there may be more people deaf in here, not just me.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator. I ask that the Senators take note of what Senator Craughwell has said.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail)
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I wish to raise the topic of hydrotreated vegetable oil, HVO, and ask if the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications might come in to discuss this topic. Hydrotreated vegetable oil is seen as a replacement for fossil fuels such as road diesel, agricultural diesel and kerosene. It is a very good replacement but the only crux is that when VAT and duty, etc., is added, it makes the product very expensive. As it is dearer, people are not swayed to using it. Could the Minister perhaps come in and speak on some incentives he might have in mind to help people to use it more? The biggest incentive is in people's pockets. It is a great idea but he needs to push it more and he needs to create a bigger incentive for people to use it.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I ask for the Minister for Health to come in to the House. The six new surgical centres she has announced are great news. She is giving out two to Dublin, one to Cork, and one each to Galway, Waterford and Limerick. They will deal with 10,000 surgical appointments a year and 18,000 outpatients.

Once again, Donegal and the north west have not featured in this. Donegal is such a big county, where someone can be two hours away from the major hospital in Letterkenny. We need to get the Minister to revisit this and to give Donegal one of the new surgical health facilities moving forward to help the whole north west region.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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I want to raise the issue with two different Ministers today. Both are work-related and are about two vulnerable groups of workers. Like Senator Collins, I raise the issue of section 39 workers.These workers are very close to taking industrial action, which they do not want to do. No one wants to go on strike but their hand is being forced. I urge the Minister, Deputy Foley, to intervene. An agreement was reached at the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, in October 2023 and I know that the former Minister of State, now Senator Rabbitte, was involved with this. There were two parts to that agreement for section 39 workers who were doing exactly the same job as people employed directly by the State in the areas of disability, elderly care and social care but had lesser contracts and much poorer working conditions. Pay parity is an issue and in fairness to the WRC, the first part of the agreement was that some of the gap would be filled with an initial pay increase but the other part of the agreement was that the overall issue would be addressed, once and for all, with a view to achieving full pay parity between section 39 workers and those employed by the HSE. Just before the election, Government Ministers could not say enough about support for section 39 workers but, unfortunately, it is not mentioned anywhere in the programme for Government. The last update I got from SIPTU was that the Minister, Deputy Foley, had said she wanted to talk and discuss how to progress this further. Members have been balloted for industrial action and unless the Minister intervenes very quickly, strike action is going to happen. People do not want to do that. The people who are working in section 39 organisations are working with the most vulnerable groups in society. I urge the Minister to make contact with SIPTU to ensure that agreement can be reached and the Government fulfils its promise.

The second part-----

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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No, Senator. As a general rule, the Members who lead off are allowed to raise two or three matters but all other Members have two minutes and must either get everything into those two minutes or raise one issue.

Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)
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Okay. Go raibh maith agat.

Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to raise the matter of digital and cyber safety for children. I note that in the programme for Government there is a substantial paragraph laid out on digital safety for young people. I would like a discussion to take place between the Departments of Health and Education to determine which Minister will fund and support the online safety programme for schools, giving them more flexibility in how they use it. One evening last week, I attended a cyber safety workshop in Clarinbridge attended by around 250 parents. Parents are looking for support and I am interested to learn how we are going to fund digital safety communication to help both teachers and young people. A real conversation is needed around up-skirting, down-blousing, sextortion and catfishing. There is a lot going on in the digital space. It is changing on a daily basis and parents are seeking support.

Noel O'Donovan (Fine Gael)
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As these are my maiden words in the Chamber, may I begin by wishing the Cathaoirleach well in his position as Chair. I also extend my well wishes to the Leader of the House and my party colleague, Senator Kyne. I look forward to working with them both and with all Members of this House for the collective and common good. I also put on record my appreciation to the leader of my party, the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris, and the Taoiseach for affording me the opportunity to be here today. Finally, I thank the important people in my life, my family, friends and supporters, for their unending support and belief in me.

During last week's debate, many Senators, some of whom have vast experience, spoke about a politics of collaboration, a politics of working together for the common good, in the national interest and for the betterment of the people of Ireland. I appreciate that many here do not know me well but I assure Members that is also the politics that I do because it is the politics that best serves the people and the various constituencies that we represent.

As a former member of An Garda Síochána and now a public representative, serving the public has been my life's work. It is both an honour and a privilege to serve. I look forward in the coming years to being a strong voice for my former colleagues, the men and women of An Garda Síochána. Law and order, standing firm and knowing the difference between right and wrong both domestically and internationally, are fundamental to my beliefs and those of my party.

Turning to things domestic and, indeed, parochial, I am putting Members on notice at the beginning of this term that they will hear me mention my constituency of Cork South-West and west Cork in general frequently. Fishing, farming, tourism and small, family-run businesses are still the backbone of many of the rural communities that I represent.I am passionate about my home and I am determined to use the opportunity I now have to deliver an honest politics and a politics that delivers for west Cork.

We have many challenges in this country, in housing, health, infrastructure and improving disability services. Those of us who ran in the local and general elections this past year know well the work we must do. I ask the Leader to seek a debate on the topic of loneliness at a future point. Loneliness is a silent pandemic in our communities. It is a pandemic after a pandemic and one that affects every age demographic, young and old, urban and rural. A solution requires much more than funding. It requires a national conversation and a cross-departmental approach to the issue. We are a nation of good people, good communities, volunteerism, craic agus ceol. We now need to act to protect our communities, however, and prevent further isolation and loneliness. It is our duty.

Lynn Ruane (Independent)
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I ask that we make representations to the Taoiseach and other Government members on the commitment in the programme for Government to re-establish the Joint Committee on Drugs Use. The committee did a huge body of work before it dissolved due to an election. We produced an interim report before we finished on 24 October 2024. All parties and none fully agreed to all the recommendations in the report. The point from which we are starting is a strong one and we should get that special committee going again. It has a timeline and an end. We can meet for another three months, as was meant to happen in the previous term following the citizens' assembly.

To put in context the urgency of making sure we follow through on the commitments made regarding the Joint Committee on Drugs Use, it is estimated that since the committee last met, on 24 October 2024, 234 people have died from overdoses. Since just before Christmas, at election time, another 234 deaths have been estimated due to overdose. We will find a number of reasons for that, one of which is access to Naloxone. This drug is still not available over the counter. It can be given through a nasal spray and is very simple to use. The issue does not need to be complicated.

The other reason is how quickly we can respond to contaminated drug use in the market. Often, when we report from communities when overdoses happen, it can take a while, due to the coroner's process and other matters, for the HSE to respond appropriately when a bad batch makes its way into communities.

I want to put front and centre the estimated 234 lives lost because they occurred in only a couple of months. I ask that we work together to ensure the committee is re-established as soon as possible.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I am delighted today to host, as a personal guest, Ivan Doherty, whom I acknowledge in the Gallery alongside our former colleague Hugh Byrne. Ivan Doherty was a distinguished general secretary of Fine Gael and made a big contribution to democracy in Ireland. He then became an executive with the National Democratic Institute in America where he continued that work. He is currently a senior executive with Apple. Ivan has had a great career of public service and I am delighted to have him with us today.

One of the most sensitive and important appointments of the previous Government was the appointment of Deputy Hildegarde Naughton as Minister of State with responsibility for disability. I ask the Leader, as a matter of priority, to invite the Minister of State to come to the House to inform us as to where we are at with regard to waiting lists for assessment of neurodevelopmental differences and their subsequent treatment, where she sees us going in that regard and what stratagems and strategies she has in place to deal with this matter. We need such a debate soon and it is one I would like to contribute to. I appeal to the Leader to do this. As I said on the first day of this Seanad, the mark of a society is how it treats people who have challenges.This is a great opportunity, in this current time of plenty in the country, to deal with this issue. I look forward to this debate. I appeal to the Leader to make this one of his first initiatives.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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There was another fatal stabbing in Dublin city centre this weekend. Clearly, Dublin is not safe for anybody using the city centre. There is a real sense of menace. It is no surprise to residents living in the inner city, for example, on Pearse Street and Kevin Street, that there was a fatal stabbing. Right across the inner city, it is no surprise because on a daily basis, residents and communities there have to put up with knife crime and serious antisocial behaviour. For example, last year on City Quay, which is not too far from here, there were running battles almost nightly with young people using knives, meat cleavers and slash hooks. It is very serious. The gardaí there and Superintendent McKenna are excellent. The community gardaí are also excellent. However, they do not have the resources they need. There needs to be a significant increase in gardaí on the streets. The gardaí are excellent but there just is not enough of them. There needs to be more gardaí so they can react more quickly and address the issue.

Equally, we will not be able to police our way out of this issue. There has to be an investment in resources in the inner city. Talk about Youth is a youth club that does not have resources to work with children under ten years of age. That is the age they need to engage with local services. There also needs to be an increase in multiservice sports facilities and drug rehabilitation services - they need to be invested in.

Unless the Government stops neglecting the inner city and starts investing in communities in the inner city, residents there will have to pick up the tab. The reality is that the inner city is not just a shopping destination and a restaurant destination; it is a home for thousands of families, and they have been neglected and forgotten.

Michael McDowell (Independent)
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On this occasion, I wish to mention Ivan Farmer, a distinguished member of our staff who is about to leave us and go to Brussels for an important position. I wish to put on the record my group’s deep gratitude to him for all the work he has done for this House over the past five years.

I raise the point that the south aspect of this House is, at night-time, adorned in the national colours of Ukraine. Senator Frances Black mentioned the occupied territories Bill. The occupied territories Bill was moved originally in 2018 at a time when it applied to certain parts of eastern Ukraine and the West Bank in particular. It was not and is not a reaction to Gaza. The principle that underlies it is the same.

Regarding what has been happening over the past few days, the people of Ukraine should not be abandoned by the western democracies. President Trump seems to suffer either from invincible ignorance or incorrigible dishonesty in the way he is dealing with them. He demands half of their mineral resources, and then when he is refused that, he accuses them of starting this war.

I ask the Leader to go back to where we were a couple years ago when the invasion of Ukraine started, wholesale, and have an all-party debate in this House with the Minister present, where we can pass an all-party motion supporting the principles that Ireland supports, supporting the decent people of Ukraine and making it clear that the people in this democracy will not be bullied by international piracy to give up on our fundamental principles.

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge former Deputy and Senator, Hugh Byrne, in our Gallery today.I wish to raise, like he did so many times, an issue relative to his area in New Ross, County Wexford, that is, to invite the Minister for disability to the House to specifically discuss speech and language therapists. At present in New Ross, three speech and language therapist posts are allocated by the HSE and all three are vacant. In particular, children in need of a speech and language therapist in New Ross are not seen by the HSE or are asked to travel outside the region to take up assessments, treatment and therapy in other places. This is unacceptable. I would encourage a debate on this issue, as it is one I have no doubt is replicated across the country. While strides have been made and the Government has committed in the programme for Government to making this a priority, we need to see action on this matter immediately. I ask the Leader for a debate on it.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
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I wish to raise an issue causing farmers great distress, namely, ACRES payments. I have been working on a number of identical cases in which farmers have been denied payments as far back as 2023. In my communication with the Department, it is quite obvious to all that the farmers are not to blame in these cases. In December when I followed up on the issue, I was told by the Department of agriculture that there were a lot of issues holding payments up and it cited penalties. I was assured that payment would issue in January. It is now mid-February and, as recently as yesterday, I was advised that there was a functionality issue and an IT issue. I was advised that payments would issue in mid-March. With farmers having spent large amounts of money to comply with and qualify for this scheme, I ask that the Minister for agriculture address the issue urgently.

Mike Kennelly (Fine Gael)
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I will highlight ongoing issues around the Shannon LNG project off the coast of Kerry on the Shannon Estuary. It offers several positive contributions to Ireland's energy security, economic development, job creation and community growth, especially in the north Kerry area, which I represent. The project would provide Ireland with a crucial diversified source of natural gas, reducing dependence on a single energy source and ensuring a more resilient energy supply as global energy markets fluctuate. The ability to import LNG will help stabilise Ireland's energy needs, especially during periods of supply disruptions or increased demand. We know that, on 26 September 2022, three of the four subsea gas lines in the Nord Stream system were intentionally destroyed. On 8 October 2023, the Baltic subsea gas pipeline was damaged by a ship's anchor. It took six months to repair the Baltic subsea gas pipeline; the Nord Stream remains broken. During these disastrous events, the Government security of supply review confirmed that if Ireland's single point of gas supply from the UK was lost, there was no backup and customers would not be served. In practice, this means that homes, hospitals, schools and businesses would lose power and heat for an extended duration. In fact, the ESRI estimates that the cost could amount to €1 billion per working day. A backup gas supply is urgently needed. The draft security of supply review confirmed that only a floating liquified natural gas terminal, commonly called an FSRU, floating storage regasification unit, completely protects Ireland. New Fortress Energy proposed an FSRU on its Shannon Estuary land bank between Tarbert and Ballylongford in north Kerry. The programme for Government commits to taking all necessary action to ensure and protect Ireland's energy security. Given NFE's unique site and its industry experience and global resources, can the Leader confirm that the Government will support all options, including New Fortress Energy's? I call on the Minister to come to the House and would welcome his views.

Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats)
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There has been significant discussion in the media recently regarding the lifting of the triple lock mechanism and it is within this context that I ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs to come to the Chamber for a debate on the proposed Bill to remove the triple lock, which is included in the Government's spring legislative agenda. This is not just a technical change in policy that is being proposed. The triple lock is a fundamental part of our overall approach to peacekeeping and neutrality. The Government has said that there is no connection between the triple lock and neutrality: however this is simply not the case; they are deeply interconnected. The triple lock was devised to ensure our neutrality. It ensures that Ireland does not engage in military actions abroad without international legitimacy, which we gain through the UN. It aligns with Ireland's long-standing stance on avoiding military alliances.

The triple lock ensures that Irish peacekeeping forces operate under UN mandates and reinforces our commitment to collective security rather than military alliances. Everyone in this Chamber will remember the very tragic death of Private Seán Rooney in 2022 while on peacekeeping duties in Lebanon. We also all remember the encroachment on Camp Shamrock last year by the IDF and the calls from the public for the removal of our peacekeepers from the region, such was the fear of further deaths. It is within this context that the planned Bill to remove the triple lock is considered to be reckless, without outlining an alternative mechanism for deploying troops.

It is deeply ill-conceived to remove a mechanism that provides three layers of safeguards before the deployment of troops without providing a viable alternative. There should not be a Bill on the removal of the triple lock until such a stage as a viable alternative has been presented to the public and we have been given credible time to scrutinise and review that alternative mechanism.

I acknowledge that the Government has said it intends to maintain Ireland's policy on military neutrality. While I welcome that, by removing the checks and balances of the triple lock we risk engaging in military contexts outside the remit of our neutrality, and we also risk calling that neutrality into question on the international stage. I would welcome a debate on the matter.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I will raise an issue that I raised in the previous Seanad, that is, that people who receive a terminal diagnosis should automatically qualify for a medical card. It is something that will receive unanimous support across this House. It is also something that we should have the Minister in to discuss. The HSE previously committed to examining this issue but it has not progressed any further.

I have been dealing with a number of families recently in which there was a diagnosis of serious illness, especially cancer, and I am aware of the stress and strain that it puts not only on the patient but also on their family as well due to the over-and-back interaction with the HSE, being refused a medical card and then eventually getting it. Once a person has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, he or she should automatically qualify for a medical card.

Tom Clonan (Independent)
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I want to raise the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability Matters. This is an extremely important committee, which was set up originally on the basis that it was for a special purpose. I have heard a suggestion that the committee might not be reinstated during this Dáil and Seanad term. I ask that this committee be reinstated as a matter of urgency and priority, and that it be established on a continuous and permanent basis.

The committee was chaired by Deputy Michael Moynihan, who is now a Minister of State. It was a very effective committee at vindicating the rights of disabled citizens. It also provides us with a unique opportunity to hear from disabled persons' organisations, not just service providers. That is a commitment that we are fully signed up to now that we have fully ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

I ask the Ceannaire and the Cathaoirleach in particular to impress this need upon the people who have the gift of that decision or discretion at their parliamentary party meetings this evening, if that is when they meet. We must ensure that the disability matters committee is reinstated because there is a little bit of fragmentation of responsibility. This is not a reflection on the individuals - the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy Foley, and the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill.We have to make sure we have a committee that can tie all of that together and really move forward on the fundamental human rights of disabled citizens. We have heard it from my colleagues across the floor. Ireland, unfortunately, is one of the worst countries in the European Union in which to have a disability. We can do better than that; is féidir linn.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I call on this House to request the Minister for public expenditure, national development plan delivery and reform attend to provide an update on the national development plan, specifically on the court services. In my area, the courthouse in Roscommon was moved to a temporary premises in 2022 to enable work to start on the courthouse when funding became available. The temporary courthouse was furnished to house the court sittings but always with the view that it was temporary. Since then, a number of issues around acoustics and capacity have been highlighted with that temporary facility. I remind the House that the courthouse in Roscommon is a fine building in a prominent location. It is accessible to the Garda station which is just beside it. Therefore, it is important the money is spent on that premises for it to be brought up to the required standard. I appreciate that this cannot take place immediately but we need to start the work and it needs to be started soon. Will the Minister show the people of Roscommon what the works will be and when they will start? If there is no movement on that, additional works will be needed at the temporary courthouse in Roscommon to address both the acoustics and the capacity issues.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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I rise to highlight a grave incident that happened in County Kildare on 7 February. There was an arson attack in the Rathasker Stud in Naas, which burned down two large hay barns, 600 bales of hay and a horse box causing over €150,000 worth of damage. However, the attack also put 18 valuable thoroughbred mares in foal in danger but they were rescued by workers and neighbours who moved them to safety. It was not just an attack on property or on a local business but an attack on rural livelihoods in the neighbourhood. It is not the first arson attack in Kildare. Two farms have been targeted recently. The Killashee Hotel was targeted and also a housing development. I attended a meeting this week in the Keadeen Hotel organised by the IFA with the owners of Rathasker Stud. Tensions were running very high and people were very upset and angry. The sense of fear is palpable. It is clear that the people of rural Ireland and in the Kildare area are frustrated and it seems increasingly vulnerable. I ask Senators to remember that the breeding and racing industry in Ireland contributed €2.5 billion in 2022 and employed over 30,000 people. The Rathasker Stud is owned by Maurice Burns and his daughter Madeline who play a significant role in the sector but it also affects the community and the wider industry. The attack raises the concern as to whether An Garda Síochána has the resources to police areas where juvenile offenders need to be dealt with. That is a question for the Minister.

I urge the Minister for Justice to address this pressing issue. The good side of this is that on the evening of the IFA meeting, there was a huge turnout and Maurice Burns and his family have received overwhelming support. However, rural Ireland must not be overlooked and I call on this House to ensure adequate resources are allocated to prevent such crimes and to protect people living in the countryside.

Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)
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I raise an issue that has affected my local community. Sadly, a young gentleman was out for a run with his wife and had a cardiac arrest. In every area we have defibrillators which are there to give a sense of security to the people who know that they are there. Unfortunately, on this occasion, there was a defibrillator that was out of date when it was called for. The pads were out of date. These defibrillators are installed all over Ireland. I urge people in their localities to have a look at the dates and the pads on these. We have trained people throughout our communities but unfortunately if the defibrillators have not been checked on a regular basis - weekly - then the product itself is no good.If sports and other clubs throughout the country only do one thing this week, I urge them to check all defibrillators to ensure they are in working order. Doing so might help save someone's life.

Telephone lines in various localities have been damaged. Older people have pendants they depend on if something happens - for example, if they fall or whatever. Some 4,000 homes in the west of Ireland have had their telephones cut off. Elderly people are dependent on their telephones in cases of emergency where they have a fall or need to call a doctor. I urge Éir and the other communication companies to provide an update on when they expect services to resume. It cannot be the end of March or the beginning of April. That would be unacceptable.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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A Chathaoirligh agus a Threoraí - ní ceannaire ach Treoraí atá ann - ba bhreá liom cur leis an méid a dúirt an Seanadóir Rabbitte maidir leis an Idirlíon agus cosaint na bpáistí ach go háirithe.

Last week, we had Safer Internet Day; it runs for the month of February. While I welcome and agree with what Senator Rabbitte said - and, like her, I commend the initiative taken in Droichead an Chláirín, Clarinbridge - I am concerned that there is a certain "quangoism" involved with this issue. I was listening to Claire Byrne's programme recently and I was struck by what I regard as fatalism around those who are, with the best of intentions, seeking to assist parents and teachers to help young people to navigate the Internet safely. While every initiative is to be welcomed, if we just have a plethora of organisations, helplines, hotlines, resources and awareness-raising, we will miss the point that parents are under enormous pressure in respect of this matter. We all know what will happen. No matter how much money is pushed at this, some parents will get the message and take the necessary steps to protect their children while others, due to pressure or other reasons, will simply fall through the net. We should have a debate about what practical and important steps are necessary to promote a better climate for Internet safety for young people.

We must not ignore the importance of legislation. On another occasion, I would like to return to the legislation I brought forward in the previous Seanad which would require strict age verification by those who provide pornography on the Internet. The Bill in question did not get a favourable response from the Government at the time, but we must be ready to create strict rules that establish safety. We must use the power of legislation to do so rather than Coimisiún na Meán or any other well-intentioned organisations. They will not deal with such problems effectively.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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As no other speaker is offering, I call the Leader to respond to the Order of Business.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
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I thank all Senators for their contributions. We started with Senator O'Loughlin, who spoke about the highs and, unfortunately, lows of sporting life. We acknowledge the great success of Sam Prendergast and Michael Noonan, but we also remember the tragic loss of Michael O'Sullivan and John Cooney. Galway endured a double tragedy this week in light of the loss of Michael Coleman, a former all-Ireland hurling star. We certainly remember them here today.

She also spoke about the excellent work being done by LAMA and the AILG in supporting the work of councillors and about councillors supporting work in their communities. She talked about good practice and has asked for a debate on day care centres which play an important role for elderly people. I will ask for a debate on that matter.

Senator Duffy referred to football and the League of Ireland. We wish Shamrock Rovers well in their endeavours in Europe. The Senator called for investment in football at grassroots level.The sports capital fund, which was relaunched by his fellow countyman, Michael Ring, as Minister after the downturn, has laid foundations in many clubs throughout the country but there is a need for ongoing investment in the League of Ireland in terms of clubs' facilities and making it attractive to attend matches. The Senator also acknowledged the benefits that all sports, including the League of Ireland, had to local economies. He called for a debate on that and I will see what I can do.

Senator Tully raised the issue of special education and the lack of appropriate school places, which is an ongoing issue. A number of people have called for debates on a variety of special education issues such as speech and language therapy and waiting lists for assessments, which Senator Joe O'Reilly spoke about. We will try to bring in the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, to debate these issues.

Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Seanadóir Joe Conway agus cuirim fáilte chuig an Seanad roimhe. He spoke on matters regarding rural education in primary and DEIS schools. I will try to get in the Minister of State at some stage to talk about these issues. It is an important area.

Senator Harmon talked about overcrowded accommodation for international students, scamming and the unfortunate situation of students, mainly female, being propositioned. There is a commitment on this matter in the programme for Government. I will see if I can get an update on when that might be pushed through. This is a very important area. The Senator also talked about student housing. There has been investment in different parts of the country and there is support for and acknowledgement of the technological universities. Where student accommodation is built on university lands, it is an asset and alleviates rental pressures in the housing market. The more investment there is in student accommodation, the better, and we have seen some good progress on that.

Senator Black touched on her own work on the occupied territories Bill. If ever anybody wanted to know about the work of the Seanad and individual Senators, her work on the occupied territories Bill is to be acknowledged and commended. She wants to see the Bill progressed. I will ask An Tánaiste to come to the House to talk about it at the earliest opportunity. It is an issue of great concern among people.

Luaigh an Seanadóir Ní Chuilinn na feachtais atá ar siúl ag grúpaí áitiúla maidir le Gaelcholáistí do Bhaile Átha Cliath 2, 4, 6 agus 8 agus do Bhaile Átha Cliath 12, an ceantar ina bhfuil an Seanadóir féin ina cónaí. Tá sí ag lorg go dtiocfadh an tAire Oideachais, an Teachta McEntee, os comhair an tSeanaid chun na fadhbanna, na deiseanna agus na dúshláin atá anseo a phlé. Beidh mé sásta é sin a dhéanamh. Tá a fhios agam go raibh cinneadh déanta ag an iarAire maidir le Gaelcholáiste ach gur thit rudaí as a chéile. Is mór an trua gur tharla sé sin ach tharla sé agus caithfidh an Roinn agus pátrún na scoile déileáil anois leis na fadhbanna a bhaineann leis an ábhar sin. Beidh mé sásta an méad atá an Seanadóir ag lorg a dhéanamh.

Senator Flaherty spoke about the long-term illness scheme and the expansion thereof, on which I will try to get an update. He also spoke about Jude Flynn from his community, who, unfortunately, passed away. It sounds as though great work is being done in collecting his recordings for posterity.

Senators Collins and Cosgrove spoke about section 39 workers within the disability sector. The Minister, Deputy Foley, has stated this is an urgent priority, so we will try to get her into the House to talk about the issue. It is very important and there has been great concern for some time regarding the disparity with other workers. No part of the State should feel less valued than another for doing the same job.

Senator Comyn spoke about HRT and called for a debate on the issue. International Women's Day is coming up soon. That might be an opportunity to invite the Minister to the House to talk about women's health. As the Senator said, the former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, did a lot of good work over recent years. I will invite his successor, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, to the House to see what plans she has.The issues the Senator outlined are real. There have been commitments and it is regrettable that there are issues in sourcing the product. I will try to get an update on that.

I congratulate Senator P.J. Murphy, who spoke about the issues in south Galway in relation to settlements. We know the importance and necessity of critical infrastructure. We cannot build housing developments, be they of eight, ten, 20 or 100 houses, without wastewater treatment plants. In the olden days, there used to be more on-site treatment in housing estates which worked to a degree but had a lot of legacy issues. In Galway, those seem to have been ruled out and permission will not be granted unless there is a wastewater treatment. While good work has been done in the past 15 to 20 years, in a county the size of Galway there are obviously critical issues, including in the Senator's area. This was discussed at the Oireachtas committee on housing, or the housing subcommittee, during the week on foot of the issues the Senator raised. He also raised them with the Tánaiste. There are real issues here. The good news is that there were two pilot schemes in Galway and two in many counties throughout the country. However, there was a lack of progress thereafter. Projects in Craughwell and Clarinbridge have not progressed, even though they were funded out of that pilot scheme. I am sure that is the case in many other countries as well. I will seek an update on that.

Senator Craughwell again raised the issue of search and rescue. He has been dogged over the past number of years on this very important issue. Unfortunately, we now see a lack of cover. Whether that is going to be remedied in the short term or not, the old contractor is fulfilling the new contractor's responsibilities. That certainly has to be kept under surveillance, as it were, to ensure that is rectified as soon as possible. I will raise the matter with the Minister to ensure the Department keeps a vigilant eye. I acknowledge the Senator's ongoing work on that issue.

Senator Murphy O'Mahony spoke about hydrogenated vegetable oil, HVO, and the cost. It is valuable in terms of an alternative to fossil fuels. There are about 90% less emissions from HVO versus fossil fuel. It could play a very important role. I suggest that the Senator submit a Commencement matter and see whether the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, would be open to those suggestions. He tends not to pre-empt budgets or make announcements prior to the budget. However, if something is done, it will be in the context of the budget.

Senator Manus Boyle talked about the surgical hubs which are coming on stream over the coming period. One opened in Mount Carmel hospital in the last week or so and progress has been made on other centres. The Senator spoke about the lack of such a facility in County Donegal and the north west. Again, it might be worth submitting a Commencement matter on the issue to talk directly with the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on the absence of a hub and the long journeys involved. For example, under the cancer strategy many people are coming to Galway, which is a long journey. For the work that would take place in surgical hubs, which deal with more minor procedures, it would make sense that such a facility be provided in the north west.

Senators Rabbitte and Mullen spoke about cyber security, digital safety, health in education and an online safety programme. I will try to get a debate on this. It is an issue that is hugely important, not just in schools. We know about the fake AI pictures that were used during the general election. There is a real issue in relation to cyber security. It affects real people. We can imagine those issues affecting teenagers. As I have always said, once the picture is taken and put out there, it is not going to come back. Young people need to be aware of the dangers of sending explicit pictures of themselves because, as I said, they cannot take them back. It is a real threat.

Senator Noel O'Donovan spoke about serving the public in his previous role as a member of An Garda Síochána, in his role as a county councillor and now as a Seanadóir. He raised the issue of loneliness. I acknowledge the work of former Senator Keith Swanick, who published a report titled A Connected Island - an Ireland free from loneliness.I was at the launch a number of years ago during a previous term. It is a very important issue. We have always had it but it has been exacerbated by Covid-19 and the changes at that time. People became afraid to go out and socialise. They were prohibited, for starters, but they became afraid to meet. They became unaccustomed to it and to engaging as part of society. It is certainly a topic worthy of debate.

Senator Ruane spoke about the Committee on Drugs Use. I will seek an update. There is always work to be done in that area but if a short period of time is needed, I see no issue with it being brought back. It is vital that it be.

Senator Andrews spoke of the running battles, as he called them, in parts of Dublin. The Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, has given a commitment to come to the House next Tuesday, I understand, to talk on justice issues concerning the inner cities and street crime.

Senator McDowell wished Ivan Farmer well on leaving the Seanad to go to Brussels and I join with him in that. Ivan has been very efficient in his role in the Seanad. Senator McDowell also spoke about an all-party motion on Ukraine. Different groups are being set up with their leaders and whips. Over that period of time, as groups meet to talk about schedules and so on, there will be an opportunity for a debate on that topic. I agree with the Senator regarding the unbelievable sentiments that were expressed yesterday by President Trump blaming the Ukrainians for starting the war, which is hard to fathom.

Senator Cathal Byrne raised the issues of disability and speech and language therapists, in particular, three vacant posts in New Ross. It might be an idea for him to table a Commencement matter to get an update on those posts. We will arrange a debate on disability as soon as possible.

Senator Sarah O'Reilly raised the issue of ACRES payments. ACRES is one of the schemes that have caused problems in recent years, in some cases giving money to farmers and then taking it back again. What is worse than not giving something to people is giving it to them and then taking it back. Unfortunately, a number of farmers were caught in that way. There are delays in payments. We have heard the excuses regarding IT systems since before Christmas so it is time for those issues to be sorted out. I will certainly raise this with the Minister, Martin Heydon.

Senator Kennelly raised the Shannon LNG project. The Government is examining the issues pertaining to it. I understand a preliminary analysis by the Government shows that floating storage would be the most appropriate approach to the supply of gas. We are at the end of a pipeline. We saw in recent weeks what a loss of electricity could do. If there was a loss of gas supply, it would affect many parts of the country, so we always have to be conscious of energy security. I will try to arrange a debate on the topic of energy security.

Senator Stephenson referred to the lifting of the triple lock. Any proposals would come before this House for debate. I will try to get the Minister to come to the House to discuss defence matters, and I am sure the Senator can raise those issues then. Obviously, plans or suggestions to lift the triple lock are based on foreign powers having a veto on Irish defence policy by virtue of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. That is the reasoning behind it, as the Senator knows.

Senator Maria Byrne raised an issue that she has raised previously regarding terminal diagnoses and the issuing of medical cards. There is the MC1t form that consultants can issue. It can be expedited for those with a prognosis of less than 24 months, although that may not work in all cases. If there are specific cases, the Senator can bring them to the Minister’s attention or raise them in the House on a Commencement debate.

Similar to Senator Ruane, Senator Clonan raised the issue of an important Oireachtas joint committee, namely, the Joint Committee on Disability Matters. I agree about the maintenance of that committee. We normally have our parliamentary party meeting on a Wednesday evening but we had it yesterday evening instead, so I will raise the issue directly with the Tánaiste again.Similar to the committee on drugs, I see absolutely no reason why this committee would not continue because it does vital and important work.

Senator Scahill talked about the Courts Service and Roscommon courthouse. Again, this is a very important issue locally in Roscommon. I ask the Senator to submit a Commencement matter in order to get a more direct response from the Minister for Justice.

Senator McCarthy referred to the very regrettable case of an arson attack. I am sure that matter is under investigation by the Garda, so I do not want to say anything further. However, I did read about what happened.

I agree with the Senator about the value of the horse racing industry to this country, both in the context of direct employment and its importance to the rural economy.

Senator Brady touched on a very important issue relating to defibrillators of which I was not aware. We know the importance of defibrillators as lifesaving pieces of equipment. They are found in many different places within our communities, including community centres, public buildings and, in certain parts of the country, old telephone boxes. They are very important. The Senator raised an important question as to who looks after defibrillators once they are in place in the context maintenance, checking warranties and ensuring that they are functioning. I am not sure where to go with that matter, but I will certainly follow up with the Minister for Health to see who has direct responsibility.

The Senator also referred to the ongoing issue of telephone outages that are impacting on so many people's lives and to the various broadband and Internet outages that resulted from the recent storms. Again, we will have an opportunity next week to talk about issues pertaining to Storm Éowyn.